Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Responses of auditory cortical neurons to pairs of sounds: correlates of fusion and localization.

When two brief sounds arrive at a listener's ears nearly simultaneously from different directions, localization of the sounds is described by "the precedence effect. " At inter-stimulus delays (ISDs) <5 ms, listeners typically report hearing not two sounds but a single fused sound. The reported location of the fused image depends on the ISD. At ISDs of 1-4 ms, listeners point near the leading source (localization dominance). As the ISD is decreased from 0.8 to 0 ms, the fused image shifts toward a location midway between the two sources (summing localization). When an inter-stimulus level difference (ISLD) is imposed, judgements shift toward the more intense source. Spatial hearing, including the precedence effect, is thought to depend on the auditory cortex. Therefore we tested the hypothesis that the activity of cortical neurons signals the perceived location of fused pairs of sounds. We recorded the unit responses of cortical neurons in areas A1 and A2 of anesthetized cats. Single broadband clicks were presented from various frontal locations. Paired clicks were presented with various ISDs and ISLDs from two loudspeakers located 50 degrees to the left and right of midline. Units typically responded to single clicks or paired clicks with a single burst of spikes. Artificial neural networks were trained to recognize the spike patterns elicited by single clicks from various locations. The trained networks were then used to identify the locations signaled by unit responses to paired clicks. At ISDs of 1-4 ms, unit responses typically signaled locations near that of the leading source in agreement with localization dominance. Nonetheless the responses generally exhibited a substantial undershoot; this finding, too, accorded with psychophysical measurements. As the ISD was decreased from ~0.4 to 0 ms, network estimates typically shifted from the leading location toward the midline in agreement with summing localization. Furthermore a superposed ISLD shifted network estimates toward the more intense source, reaching an asymptote at an ISLD of 15-20 dB. To allow quantitative comparison of our physiological findings to psychophysical results, we performed human psychophysical experiments and made acoustical measurements from the ears of cats and humans. After accounting for the difference in head size between cats and humans, the responses of cortical units usually agreed with the responses of human listeners, although a sizable minority of units defied psychophysical expectations.
The dst1 Gene Involved in Mushroom Photomorphogenesis of Coprinus cinereus Encodes a Putative Photoreceptor for Blue Light

The homobasidiomycete Coprinus cinereus exhibits remarkable photomorphogenesis during fruiting-body development. Under proper light conditions, fruiting-body primordia proceed to the maturation phase in which basidia in the pileus undergo meiosis, producing sexual spores, followed by stipe elongation and pileus expansion for efficient dispersal of the spores. In the continuous darkness, however, the primordia do not proceed to the maturation phase but are etiolated: the pileus and stipe tissues at the upper part of the primordium remain rudimentary and the basal part of the primordium elongates, producing “dark stipe. ” In this study we genetically analyzed five strains that produce dark stipes even if light conditions promoting the maturation are given and then characterized one of them, Uar801 (dst1-1). The dst1 gene was cloned as a DNA fragment that rescues the dst1-1 mutation. Dst1 is predicted to be a protein of 1175 amino acids that contains two PAS domains, a coiled-coil structure, and a putative, glutamine-rich, transcriptional activation domain (AD). One of the PAS domains exhibits significant similarity to the LOV domains of known blue-light receptors, suggesting that Dst1 is a blue-light receptor of C. cinereus. The dst1-1 mutation is predicted to truncate the putative AD in the C-terminal region.
Care and Treatment of HIV-Infected Children in Africa: Issues and Challenges at the District Hospital Level

More than 90% of pediatric HIV infection occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and 75% of these children currently die before their fifth birthday. Most HIV-infected children in Africa rely on district hospitals for HIV treatment, but insufficient attention has been paid to improving HIV/AIDS care at this level. Considerable confusion exists about optimal use of combination antiretroviral treatment, prophylaxis for opportunistic infections and other rational healthcare interventions that can greatly improve the quality of life for these children. A simple and inexpensive infant HIV diagnostic assay and alternative laboratory markers of pediatric HIV disease progression would be highly beneficial. Routine anthropometric and neurodevelopmental assessments could help guide initiation and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy. Even in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, interventions such as immunizations, provision of micronutrients and nutrition counseling, prevention and treatment of opportunistic as well as endemic infections (such as helminths and malaria) can substantially reduce pediatric HIV-related morbidity and mortality. The need for pain relief, palliative care, counseling and emotional support is often underestimated. Surmounting the sense of hopelessness by providing district healthcare workers with training in basic pediatric HIV/AIDS care is an urgent priority.
Uncertainties of predictions from parton distribution functions. II. The Hessian method

We develop a general method to quantify the uncertainties of parton distribution functions and their physical predictions, with emphasis on incorporating all relevant experimental constraints. The method uses the Hessian formalism to study an effective chi-squared function that quantifies the fit between theory and experiment. Key ingredients are a recently developed iterative procedure to calculate the Hessian matrix in the difficult global analysis environment, and the use of parameters defined as components along appropriately normalized eigenvectors. The result is a set of 2D eigenvector basis parton distributions (where $d\ensuremath{\approx}16$ is the number of parton parameters) from which the uncertainty on any physical quantity due to the uncertainty in parton distributions can be calculated. We illustrate the method by applying it to calculate uncertainties of gluon and quark distribution functions, W boson rapidity distributions, and the correlation between W and Z production cross sections.
SECA: SNP effect concordance analysis using genome-wide association summary results

UNLABELLED The genomics era provides opportunities to assess the genetic overlap across phenotypes at the measured genotype level; however, current approaches require individual-level genome-wide association (GWA) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data in one or both of a pair of GWA samples. To facilitate the discovery of pleiotropic effects and examine genetic overlap across two phenotypes, I have developed a user-friendly web-based application called SECA to perform SNP effect concordance analysis using GWA summary results. The method is validated using publicly available summary data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION http://neurogenetics.qimrberghofer. edu.au/SECA.
Have There Been Changes in Children's Psychosomatic Symptoms? A 10-Year Comparison From Finland

Objectives. The aims of the study were to determine whether the prevalence of children's somatic symptoms, such as headache, abdominal pain, other pain, and nausea and vomiting, changed from 1989 to 1999 and to study the similarity of parents' and children's reports of the child's symptoms. Furthermore, the aims were to explore possible comorbidity in somatic symptoms and to investigate the associations between somatic and psychiatric symptoms. Methods. Two cross-sectional, representative samples were compared. All children born in 1981 (1989 sample, n = 985) and 1991 (1999 sample, n = 962) and living in selected school districts in southwest Finland served as study samples. The response rate for the 1989 sample was 95% and that for the 1999 sample was 86%. Both children and parents were asked about the children's somatic symptoms, whereas parents, children, and teachers were asked about psychiatric symptoms. To study psychiatric symptoms, the Children's Depression Inventory and Rutter's parent and teacher scales were used. Results. The prevalence of frequent headaches and abdominal pain increased somewhat from 1989 to 1999. Parents often failed to recognize their children's psychosomatic problems. Child-reported somatic symptoms were associated with conduct and hyperactivity symptoms, in addition to a previously well-documented association with depression. In associations between somatic symptoms and psychiatric symptoms, there were some differences between the 1989 and 1999 samples. Conclusions. In clinical work, questions about somatic and psychiatric symptoms should also be addressed to children themselves, because parents and teachers do not always recognize children's symptoms. When somatic problems are being evaluated, psychiatric symptoms should be asked about, and vice versa. More research is needed to explore the reasons for the increased prevalence of somatic symptoms and their associations with psychiatric symptoms.
Deformation Mechanisms of Polymer Thin Films by Simultaneous Kinetic Measurement of Microscopic Infrared Dichroism and Macroscopic Stress. Part III: Influence of Morphology on Molecular Orientation of Isotactic Polypropylene Films Subjected to Uniaxial Stretching

Molecular orientations of the crystalline and the amorphous phases are studied in relation to morphology using an instrument constructed for simultaneous kinetic measurement of microscopic infrared (MicIR) dichroism from a pre-determined sampling area and macroscopic stress of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) thin film uniaxially stretched at a constant strain rate at room temperature. The morphology imposes important influences on profiles of MicIR dichroism as a function of stretching time and also on a relationship between the orientation functions, fc and f am, of the crystalline and the amorphous phases. Linear relationships between fc and fam are found for the local areas without giant spherulite inclusions when f am~0.4, suggesting the harmonious developments of amorphous chain deformation and lamellar orientation during the necking propagation. The proportionality constant between fc and fam is not universal but is strongly dependent on the morphology of the surrounding area where the local area under examination is located. The linear relationship between fc and fam is completely invalidated for describing the relationship between the amorphous chain deformation and the lamellar orientation inside the spherulites, which reveals that the deformation mechanism in the spherulite is different from that in the microcrystalline region.
Prevalence, Comorbidity and Heritability of Hoarding Symptoms in Adolescence: A Population Based Twin Study in 15-Year Olds

Background Hoarding Disorder (HD) is often assumed to be an ‘old age’ problem, but many individuals diagnosed with HD retrospectively report first experiencing symptoms in childhood or adolescence. We examined the prevalence, comorbidity and etiology of hoarding symptoms in adolescence. Methods To determine the presence of clinically significant hoarding symptoms, a population-based sample of 15-year old twins (N = 3,974) completed the Hoarding Rating Scale-Self Report. Co-occurring Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were estimated from parental report. Model-fitting analyses divided hoarding symptom scores into additive genetic, shared, and non-shared environmental effects. Results The prevalence of clinically significant hoarding symptoms was 2% (95% CI 1.6–2.5%), with a significantly higher prevalence in girls than boys. Exclusion of the clutter criterion (as adolescents do not have control over their environment) increased the prevalence rate to 3.7% (95% CI 3.1–4.3%). Excessive acquisition was reported by 30–40% among those with clinically significant hoarding symptoms. The prevalence of co-occurring OCD (2.9%), ASD (2.9%) and ADHD (10.0%) was comparable in hoarding and non-hoarding teenagers. Model-fitting analyses suggested that, in boys, additive genetic (32%; 95% CI 13–44%) and non-shared environmental effects accounted for most of the variance. In contrast, among girls, shared and non-shared environmental effects explained most of the variance, while additive genetic factors played a negligible role. Conclusions Hoarding symptoms are relatively prevalent in adolescents, particularly in girls, and cause distress and/or impairment. Hoarding was rarely associated with other common neurodevelopmental disorders, supporting its DSM-5 status as an independent diagnosis. The relative importance of genetic and shared environmental factors for hoarding differed across sexes. The findings are suggestive of dynamic developmental genetic and environmental effects operating from adolescence onto adulthood.
Intranet Use for Management Accounting Systems in Hong Kong Public Hospitals: An Analysis Using Partial Least Square Approach

This study examines the relationships of organization support, user characteristics, task characteristics, and intranet characteristics for using intranet applications to support Management Accounting in Hong Kong public hospitals. The research attempted to identify how the interactions of these antecedents helped to achieve Intranet User Information Satisfaction (IUIS) and thus efficiency of Management Accounting in hospitals in terms of Information Quality of Management Accounting Systems (MASIQ). A mixed research approach integrating case study and survey research under a quantitative paradigm was adopted. Partial Least Squares analysis was used to examine the data. The case study results reflected that use of intranet applications could support Management Accounting in hospitals. The survey results of 157 managers and executives in Hong Kong public hospitals showed that IUIS had a direct significant impact on MASIQ. Meanwhile, user characteristics as IS Experience improved IUIS, and the extent of task characteristics also improved the performance of MASIQ. The results have several implications for Accounting Information Systems management.
Recognizing volumetric objects in the presence of uncertainty

This paper describes a new framework for parametric shape recognition. The key result is a method for generating classifiers in the form of conditional probability densities for recognizing an unknown from a set of reference models. The authors' procedure is automatic. Off-line, it invokes an autonomous process to estimate reference model parameters and their statistics. On-line, during measurement, it combines these with a priori context-dependent information, as well as the parameters and statistics estimated for an unknown object, into a conditional probability density function, which represents the belief that the unknown is a particular reference model. The paper also describes the implementation of this procedure in a system for automatically generating and recognizing 3-D part-oriented models. The authors show that recognition performance is near perfect for cases in which complete surface information is accessible to the algorithm, and that it falls off gracefully when only partial information is available. This leads to the possibility of an active recognition strategy in which the belief measures associated with each classification can be used as feedback for the acquisition of further evidence as required.
Water oxidation chemistry of photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII) uses light energy to split water into protons, electrons and oxygen. In this reaction, Nature has solved the difficult chemical problem of efficient four‐electron oxidation of water to yield O2 without significant side reactions. In order to use Nature's solution for the design of materials that split water for solar fuel production, it is important to understand the mechanism of the reaction. The recent 1.9 Å X‐ray crystal structure of cyanobacterial PSII provides information on the structure of the Mn and Ca ions, the redox‐active tyrosine called tyrosine‐Z, chloride and the surrounding amino acids that comprise the oxygen‐evolving complex (OEC). However, reduction of the high‐valent Mn ions in the OEC during X‐ray exposure makes the redox state of the OEC represented in the crystal structure uncertain. Computational modeling has been used to refine the structure of the OEC in specific redox states by using spectroscopic data as a benchmark. In addition, EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy has been used to probe the binding of the substrate waters to Mn in the OEC by using 17O‐labeled water. The structure of the OEC in the intermediate oxidation states of the catalytic cycle, the binding of substrate water molecules to the OEC and the water oxidation chemistry of PSII will be discussed in the light of biophysical and computational studies, inorganic chemistry and X‐ray crystallographic information.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Ecology and Conservation Biology of Avian Malaria

Avian malaria is a worldwide mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. These parasites occur in many avian species but primarily affect passerine birds that have not evolved with the parasite. Host pathogenicity, fitness, and population impacts are poorly understood. In contrast to continental species, introduced avian malaria poses a substantial threat to naive birds on Hawaii, the Galapagos, and other archipelagoes. In Hawaii, transmission is maintained by susceptible native birds, competence and abundance of mosquitoes, and a disease reservoir of chronically infected native birds. Although vector habitat and avian communities determine the geographic distribution of disease, climate drives transmission patterns ranging from continuous high infection in warm lowland forests, seasonal infection in midelevation forests, and disease-free refugia in cool high-elevation forests. Global warming is expected to increase the occurrence, distribution, and intensity of avian malaria across this elevational gradient and threaten high-elevation refugia, which is the key to survival of many susceptible Hawaiian birds. Increased temperatures may have already increased global avian malaria prevalence and contributed to an emergence of disease in New Zealand.
Graphs and Circuits: Some Further Remarks

We consider the power of single level circuits in the context of graph complexity. We first prove that the single level conjecture fails for fanin-2 circuits over the basis { ,^,1}. This shows that the (surpisingly tight) phenomenon, established by Mirwald and Schnorr (1992) for quadratic functions, has no analogon for graphs. We then show that the single level conjecture fails for unbounded fanin circuits over {_,^,1}. This partially
Alkali-Activated Natural Pozzolan/Slag Binder for Sustainable Concrete

iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . vi DEDICATION . vii TABLE OF CONTENTS . viii LIST OF TABLES. xviii LIST OF FIGURES . xxiii CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION . 1 1. 1.1. Why alkali-activated binders? 1 1.2. Why combination of low-calcium and high-calcium binders? 4 1.3. Why combination of natural Pozzolan and blast furnace slag? 7 1.4. Research objectives and outline of dissertation . 8 CHAPTER 2LITERATURE REVIEW . 12 2. 2.1. History/background . 12 2.2. Starting materials (components) . 16 2.2.1. Cementitious components . 16 2.2.1.1. Blast furnace slag . 18 2.2.1.2. Coal fly ash . 20 2.2.1.3. Metakaolin . 20 2.2.1.4. Natural Pozzolans . 21 2.2.2. Alkaline activator . 23 2.2.2.1. Caustic alkalis . 23
Iron Acquisition Mechanisms and Their Role in the Virulence of Burkholderia Species

Burkholderia is a genus within the β-Proteobacteriaceae that contains at least 90 validly named species which can be found in a diverse range of environments. A number of pathogenic species occur within the genus. These include Burkholderia cenocepacia and Burkholderia multivorans, opportunistic pathogens that can infect the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, and are members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). Burkholderia pseudomallei is also an opportunistic pathogen, but in contrast to Bcc species it causes the tropical human disease melioidosis, while its close relative Burkholderia mallei is the causative agent of glanders in horses. For these pathogens to survive within a host and cause disease they must be able to acquire iron. This chemical element is essential for nearly all living organisms due to its important role in many enzymes and metabolic processes. In the mammalian host, the amount of accessible free iron is negligible due to the low solubility of the metal ion in its higher oxidation state and the tight binding of this element by host proteins such as ferritin and lactoferrin. As with other pathogenic bacteria, Burkholderia species have evolved an array of iron acquisition mechanisms with which to capture iron from the host environment. These mechanisms include the production and utilization of siderophores and the possession of a haem uptake system. Here, we summarize the known mechanisms of iron acquisition in pathogenic Burkholderia species and discuss the evidence for their importance in the context of virulence and the establishment of infection in the host. We have also carried out an extensive bioinformatic analysis to identify which siderophores are produced by each Burkholderia species that is pathogenic to humans.
A β‐catenin mutation in a sporadic colorectal tumor of the RER phenotype and absence of β‐catenin germline mutations in FAP patients

As a signaling protein in the Wnt pathway β‐catenin plays a crucial role in the regulation of cellular proliferation. Recently, oncogenic β‐catenin mutations were described in human colorectal cancer and melanoma cell lines. Since activating mutations in the β‐catenin gene have similar effects on the biochemical level as inactivating mutations in the tumor suppressor gene APC, it is speculated that β‐catenin mutations may substitute APC gene inactivation in carcinogenesis. To address this question we analyzed twenty‐three sporadic colorectal tumors of different progression states for mutations in the β‐catenin gene. Eighteen of these tumors showed the wildtype APC gene sequence. In only one of the tumors with wildtype APC a β‐catenin gene mutation was found. This tumor was of the RER (replication error) phenotype which may explain the finding that the mutation occurred in a sequential repeat motif of the β‐catenin gene. The second aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in the phenotypic variability in FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis coli) might be due to inherited alterations in the β‐catenin gene. For this we analyzed DNA from fourteen FAP patients from eight different families for germline mutations in the β‐catenin gene. We did not find any β‐catenin gene alteration in these samples. Our results indicate that somatic β‐catenin activating mutations contribute only to a minor part of human colorectal tumors and that germline β‐catenin mutations do not play a role in the variability of symptoms in FAP. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 22:37–41, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.