Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Star Formation at Very Low Metallicity. I. Chemistry and Cooling at Low Densities

We present a simplified chemical and thermal model designed to allow computationally efficient study of the thermal evolution of metal-poor gas within large numerical simulations. Our main simplification is the neglect of the molecular chemistry of the heavy elements. The only molecular chemistry retained within the model is the formation and destruction of molecular hydrogen. Despite this major simplification, the model allows for accurate treatment of the thermal evolution of the gas within a large volume of parameter space. It is valid for temperatures 50 < T < 10,000 K and metallicities 0 < Z < 0.1 Z☉. In gas with a metallicity Z = 0.1 Z☉, and in the absence of an incident ultraviolet radiation field, it is valid for hydrogen number densities nH ≲ 500/tchar cm-3, where tchar is the size in megayears of the characteristic physical timescale of interest in the problem. If Z ≪ 0.1 Z☉, or if a strong ultraviolet radiation field is present, then the model remains accurate up to significantly higher densities. We also discuss some possible applications of this model.
Hereditary dentatorubral‐pallidoluysian atrophy

We describe a family showing dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy. Three patients appeared through three successive generations and displayed a wide variety of clinical pictures. The male proband with onset in childhood showed progressive myoclonus epilepsy syndrome. The father experienced cerebellar ataxia, myoclonus, and mild dementia starting in middle age; the paternal grandmother had progressive symptoms of cerebellar ataxia, choreiform movements, and dementia, but neither myoclonus nor epilepsy in senescence. Neuropathologic examination of two patients, the proband and the paternal grandmother, revealed combined degeneration of the dentatorubral and pallidoluysian systems and obvious degeneration involving the striatum in the proband and the cerebellar cortex in the grandmother. The present study indicates that this disease can include many clinical and pathologic variants even in the same family.
Self-assembled lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles for oral insulin delivery: preparation and functional evaluation

Purpose Here, we investigated the formation and functional properties of self-assembled lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (L/C NPs) loaded with insulin following insulin–phospholipid complex preparation, with the aim of developing a method for oral insulin delivery. Methods Using a modified solvent-injection method, insulin-loaded L/C NPs were obtained by combining insulin–phospholipid complexes with L/C NPs. The nanoparticle size distribution was determined by dynamic light scattering, and morphologies were analyzed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was used to disclose the molecular mechanism of prepared insulin-loaded L/C NPs. Fast ultrafiltration and a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay were used to separate free insulin from insulin entrapped in the L/C NPs, as well as to measure the insulin-entrapment and drug-loading efficiencies. The in vitro release profile was obtained, and in vivo hypoglycemic effects were evaluated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Results Our results indicated that insulin-containing L/C NPs had a mean size of 180 nm, an insulin-entrapment efficiency of 94%, and an insulin-loading efficiency of 4.5%. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy observations of insulin-loaded L/C NPs revealed multilamellar structures with a hollow core, encircled by several bilayers. In vitro analysis revealed that insulin release from L/C NPs depended on the L/C ratio. Insulin-loaded L/C NPs orally administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats exerted a significant hypoglycemic effect. The relative pharmacological bioavailability following oral administration of L/C NPs was 6.01%. Conclusion With the aid of phospholipid-complexation techniques, some hydrophilic peptides, such as insulin, can be successfully entrapped into L/C NPs, which could improve oral bioavailability, time-dependent release, and therapeutic activity.
Effects of prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids in impulsivity and novelty-seeking behavior

Early life stress (ELS) or elevated levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) may result in persistent effects in the central nervous system that can lead to maladaptive behavior in adult life and increase the vulnerability to develop psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression or drug addiction. In clinics, synthetic GCs are often prescribed in pregnancies in risk of pre-term labor, to ensure fetal lung maturation. Regardless of its beneficial effect, elevated levels of GCs during this period can lead to deleterious and permanent effects on brain function and development. The mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic circuit, also known as the ‘reward’ system, seems to be a key target of stress/GCs, since it has been shown that animals exposed to GC in utero (iuGC) have structural and molecular alterations in several brain regions of this pathway. Importantly, such changes may underlie the observed addictive-like behavior of iuGC animals. Vulnerability for addictive behavior may be modulated by individual emotional condition and/or specific personality traits. iuGC animals present anxious and depressive-like behavior, but less is known about their novelty-seeking and impulsivity traits, two behavioral dimensions that contribute substantially to drug-seeking behavior. In this perspective, we evaluated iuGC animals in novelty-dependent behavioral tests. iuGC animals did not present major differences in noveltyinduced locomotor activity nor in general exploratory behavior (Novelty Place Preference and Novel Object Recognition). However, iuGC rats explore familiar and novel objects similarly in the 24h retention time test, suggesting long-term memory impairment. In addition, we assessed impulsive action, using the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5-CSRTT) and impulsive choice, using the Delay Discounting (DD) test. Whereas no significant differences were found in 5-CSRTT performance, iuGC animals present alterations in the DD task. Since DD task is strongly dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and also the amygdala, we analyzed the neuronal activation pattern of these brain regions upon task performance. iuGC treatment induced significant changes in c-fos positive cell density in the orbitofrontal cortex, medial PFC and less so in the amygdala, which could potentially explain the observed behavioral differences. Altogether, our results suggest that iuGC treatment does not seem to affect novelty-seeking behavior, but it has an effect in impulsive choice, which may contribute for the observed enhanced drug-seeking behavior.
Model for the Computation of Time-Steady Nearshore Currents

Abstract : The Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) herein introduces a new model for the computation of depth-dependent time-steady currents in the surf zone. Under the assumptions of longshore uniformity, monochromatic and unidirectional waves, one-dimensional (1-D) models have predicted the steady depth-integrated longshore current with reasonable accuracy in the regions of intense breaking (e.g., Bowen 1969; Longuet-Higgins 1970; Kraus and Larsen 1991). The addition of random wave fields with directional spread (Battjes 1974; Thornton and Guza 1986) produce similar results but indicate a difference in the magnitude of the horizontal mixing terms. It is, however, necessary to also predict the vertical structure of time-steady currents in the surf zone to reliably compute sediment transport rates. Indeed, concentrations of sediment are found to be orders of magnitude larger in the near-bed boundary layer where fluid velocities are, in general, smaller than the depth-averaged value. It is, therefore, of practical importance to predict the vertical variation of nearshore currents. The phase resolving equations of fluid motion may be best suited for a physically based prediction of sediment transport. Lin and Liu (1998), for instance, solved the Reynolds equations with an algebraic nonlinear Reynolds stress model. Karambas and Koutitas (2002) and Kobayashi and Johnson (2001) used Boussinesq and nonlinear shallow-water formulations, respectively. These time-dependent numerical models, however, are not suitable to most practical engineering problems due to the prohibitively large computation time.
P2X7 Mediates ATP-Driven Invasiveness in Prostate Cancer Cells

The ATP-gated P2X7 has been shown to play an important role in invasiveness and metastasis of some tumors. However, the possible links and underlying mechanisms between P2X7 and prostate cancer have not been elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that P2X7 was highly expressed in some prostate cancer cells. Down-regulation of P2X7 by siRNA significantly attenuated ATP- or BzATP-driven migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells in vitro, and inhibited tumor invasiveness and metastases in nude mice. In addition, silencing of P2X7 remarkably attenuated ATP- or BzATP- driven expression changes of EMT/invasion-related genes Snail, E-cadherin, Claudin-1, IL-8 and MMP-3, and weakened the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 in vitro. Similar effects were observed in nude mice. These data indicate that P2X7 stimulates cell invasion and metastasis in prostate cancer cells via some EMT/invasion-related genes, as well as PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. P2X7 could be a promising therapeutic target for prostate cancer.
Rebels in groups: Dissent, deviance, difference, and defiance

With contributions from leading scholars in the field, Rebels in Groups brings together the latest research which, contrary to traditional views, considers dissent, deviance, difference and defiance to be a normal and healthy aspect of group life. Brings together the latest research on the role of dissent, deviance, difference and defiance within groups Presents a new approach which considers dissent, deviance, difference and defiance to be a normal and healthy aspect of group life Examines a broad range of groups, such as political groups, task groups, and teams in organizations Considers diverse fields of psychology, including social, organizational, and developmental psychology Contributors are among the leading scholars in their areas of psychology.
Chemical composition of A and F dwarfs members of the Hyades open cluster

Aims. Abundances of 15 chemical elements have been derived for 28 F and 16 A stars members of the Hyades open cluster in order to set constraints on self-consistent evolutionary models that include radiative and turbulent diffusion. Methods. A spectral synthesis, iterative procedure was applied to derive the abundances from selected high-quality lines in highresolution, high-signal-to-noise spectra obtained with SOPHIE and AURELIE at the Observatoire de Haute Provence. Results. The abundance patterns found for A and F stars in the Hyades resemble those observed in Coma Berenices and Pleiades clusters. In graphs representing the abundances versus the effective temperature, A stars often display much more scattered abundances around their mean values than the coolest F stars do. Large star-to-star variations are detected in the Hyades A dwarfs in their abundances of C, Na, Sc, Fe, Ni, Sr, Y, and Zr, which we interpret as evidence of transport processes competing with radiative diffusion. In A and Am stars, the abundances of Cr, Ni, Sr, Y, and Zr are found to be correlated with that of Fe as in the Pleiades and in Coma Berenices. The ratios [C/Fe] and [O/Fe] are found to be anticorrelated with [Fe/H] as in Coma Berenices. All Am stars in the Hyades are deficient in C and O and overabundant in elements heavier than Fe but not all are deficient in Ca and/or Sc. The F stars have solar abundances for almost all elements except for Si. The overall shape of the abundance pattern of the slow rotator HD 30210 cannot be entirely reproduced by models including radiative diffusion and different amounts of turbulent diffusion. Conclusions. While part of the discrepancies between derived and predicted abundances could come from non-LTE effects, including competing processes such as rotational mixing and/or mass loss seems necessary in order to improve the agreement between the observed and predicted abundance patterns.
Efficient parallel algorithm for robot inverse dynamics computation

This paper shows that the time lower bound of computing the inverse dynamics of an n-link robot manipulator parallelly using p processors is O(k1[n/p] + k2[log2p]), where k1and k2are constants. A novel parallel algorithm for computing the inverse dynamics using the Newton-Euler equations of motion was developed to be implemented on an SIMD computer with p processors to achieve the time lower bound. When p = n, the proposed parallel algorithm achieves the Minsky's time lower bound O([log2n]) [22], which is the conjecture of parallel evaluation. The proposed p-fold parallel algorithm can be best described as consisting of p-parallel blocks with pipelined elements within each parallel block. The results from the computations in the p blocks form a new homogeneous linear recurrence of size p, which can be computed using the recursive doubling algorithm. A modified inverse perfect shuffle interconnection scheme was suggested to interconnect the p processors. Furthermore, the proposed parallel algorithm is susceptible to a systolic pipelined architecture, requiring three floating-point operations (Flops) per complete set of joint torques.
Inequality in Political Participation: Contemporary Patterns in European Countries

The fact that social stratification factors are closely related to different levels of political participation is a classical issue that has relevant normative as well as explanatory implications for the study of participation. However, in the shift from the industrial to the information or knowledge society some patterns in that respect may be changing. This paper explores the effect of various possible sources of inequality on political participation (gender, age, social class, education, income, ethnicity, and working status) on four political activities, using data from the European Social Survey for 22 European countries. The frequency, consistency, and the mode specific patterns of the observed differences are taken into account to discuss which of these factors can be considered genuine sources of inequality. Overall, age and education emerge as the most widespread causes of distortion, while gender, membership in minorities, and occupational variables are less clearly related to participation. In conventional activity the differences are more predictable in the direction of the disadvantage, while demonstrators can be in some respects both under- and overrepresented among disadvantaged citizens. Finally, the fact that socio-economic inequalities in turnout are unambiguously visible in most European countries stands in sharp contrast with past research and deserves further attention.
MWU-Aware Part-of-Speech Tagging with a CRF Model and Lexical Resources

This paper describes a new part-of-speech tagger including multiword unit (MWU) identification. It is based on a Conditional Random Field model integrating language-independent features, as well as features computed from external lexical resources. It was implemented in a finite-state framework composed of a preliminary finite-state lexical analysis and a CRF decoding using weighted finite-state transducer composition. We showed that our tagger reaches state-of-the-art results for French in the standard evaluation conditions (i.e. each multiword unit is already merged in a single token). The evaluation of the tagger integrating MWU recognition clearly shows the interest of incorporating features based on MWU resources.
To the rescue of a lost identity: Social perception in human-chatterbot interaction

Imagine a future world where humans and machines will be involved in joint activities requiring social skills. This paper presents an overview of the dawnings of this world, concentrating on chatterbots – computer programs which engage the user in written conversation – and their users. Driving upon Clark’s theory of Language and the psychological theory of self-categorisation by Turner, it presents an analysis of social reactions to chatterbots and a taxonomy of the technology. The basic assumption of the paper is that chatterbots are special entities which offer new ways of being and relating to others. The action of talking to a machine leads to the affordance in the user, and to the projection in the chatterbots, of new social identities. These identities are the drivers of the interaction and fundamental determinants of social presence.
Exercise elevates dopamine D2 receptor in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease: In vivo imaging with [18F]fallypride

The purpose of the current study was to examine changes in dopamine D2 receptor (DA‐D2R) expression within the basal ganglia of MPTP mice subjected to intensive treadmill exercise. Using Western immunoblotting analysis of synaptoneurosomes and in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) imaging employing the DA‐D2R specific ligand [18F]fallypride, we found that high intensity treadmill exercise led to an increase in striatal DA‐D2R expression that was most pronounced in MPTP compared to saline treated mice. Exercise‐induced changes in the DA‐D2R in the dopamine‐depleted basal ganglia are consistent with the potential role of this receptor in modulating medium spiny neurons (MSNs) function and behavioral recovery. Importantly, findings from this study support the rationale for using PET imaging with [18F]fallypride to examine DA‐D2R changes in individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD) undergoing high‐intensity treadmill training. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society.
Toward Pose-Invariant 2-D Face Recognition Through Point Distribution Models and Facial Symmetry

This paper proposes novel ways to deal with pose variations in a 2-D face recognition scenario. Using a training set of sparse face meshes, we built a point distribution model and identified the parameters which are responsible for controlling the apparent changes in shape due to turning and nodding the head, namely the pose parameters. Based on them, we propose two approaches for pose correction: 1) a method in which the pose parameters from both meshes are set to typical values of frontal faces, and 2) a method in which one mesh adopts the pose parameters of the other one. Finally, we obtain pose corrected meshes and, taking advantage of facial symmetry, virtual views are synthesized via Thin Plate Splines-based warping. Given that the corrected images are not embedded into a constant reference frame, holistic methods are not suitable for feature extraction. Instead, the virtual faces are fed into a system that makes use of Gabor filtering for recognition. Unlike other approaches that warp faces onto a mean shape, we show that if only pose parameters are modified, client specific information remains in the warped image and discrimination between subjects is more reliable. Statistical analysis of the authentication results obtained on the XM2VTS database confirm the hypothesis. Also, the CMU PIE database is used to assess the performance of the proposed methods in an identification scenario where large pose variations are present, achieving state-of-the-art results and outperforming both research and commercial techniques.
Success in Identification of Experimentally Fragmented Limb Bone Shafts: Implications for Estimates of Skeletal Element Abundance in Archaeofaunas

A strong pattern of high hindlimb representation (especially tibiae) was recognized in our survey of zooarchaeological analyses that included limb bone shafts in estimates of element abundance in assemblages from the Old and New Worlds, from widely spread time periods and with various hominid species that acted as bone accumulators. Inter-element differences in bone mineral density and carcass transport behavior by hominids do not explain the pattern satisfactorily. We hypothesized that shaft fragments of hindlimb elements (especially tibiae) might be more ? intrinsically identifiable? than are fragments from other limb bones, and constructed an experiment to test this idea. Whole limb bones were sectioned into shaft fragments of various sizes using a bandsaw. An experienced faunal analyst (TRP), who was uninvolved in the bone selection and preparation, was required to identify the fragments as accurately as possible to specific skeletal element. Identification bouts were divided into 14 individual sorts, each consisting of 24 randomly assigned specimens. Sorts were constructed to replicate an increasing degree of communition across three stages: two ? Stage I? sorts contain large specimens, four ? Stage II? sorts contain smaller specimens and eight ? Stage III? sorts contain the smallest specimens. Refitting and guessing were not allowed and fragments identified to a non-element-specific category (i. E.: upper limb segment, humerus or femur; intermediate limb segment, radius or tibia; lower limb segment, metacarpal or metatarsal; limb bone shaft only) were not counted as a correct identification. Of 336 total specimens, 195 (58.0 %) were correctly identified to element. Overall, the differences in proportions of skeletally identified fragments for all six elements are not statistically significant. This finding seemingly falsifies the hypothesis that shaft fragments from hindlimb elements (especially tibiae) are more intrinsically identifiable than are fragments of other limb bones. However, our study also highlights the need for additional testing of the hypothesis since most actual archaeofaunas preserve many more specimens with complete or nearly complete diaphyseal circumference than does our experimental sample, which is composed entirely of specimens with preserving <50 % of their original circumferences. Our results suggest that bone specimen cross-sectional information, mostly lacking in the experimental sample but not in real archaeofaunas, is one of the most important classes of data on which accurate identification of shaft fragments are made.
The Naked Truth: The Face and Body Sensitive N170 Response Is Enhanced for Nude Bodies

Recent event-related potential studies have shown that the occipitotemporal N170 component - best known for its sensitivity to faces - is also sensitive to perception of human bodies. Considering that in the timescale of evolution clothing is a relatively new invention that hides the bodily features relevant for sexual selection and arousal, we investigated whether the early N170 brain response would be enhanced to nude over clothed bodies. In two experiments, we measured N170 responses to nude bodies, bodies wearing swimsuits, clothed bodies, faces, and control stimuli (cars). We found that the N170 amplitude was larger to opposite and same-sex nude vs. clothed bodies. Moreover, the N170 amplitude increased linearly as the amount of clothing decreased from full clothing via swimsuits to nude bodies. Strikingly, the N170 response to nude bodies was even greater than that to faces, and the N170 amplitude to bodies was independent of whether the face of the bodies was visible or not. All human stimuli evoked greater N170 responses than did the control stimulus. Autonomic measurements and self-evaluations showed that nude bodies were affectively more arousing compared to the other stimulus categories. We conclude that the early visual processing of human bodies is sensitive to the visibility of the sex-related features of human bodies and that the visual processing of other people's nude bodies is enhanced in the brain. This enhancement is likely to reflect affective arousal elicited by nude bodies. Such facilitated visual processing of other people's nude bodies is possibly beneficial in identifying potential mating partners and competitors, and for triggering sexual behavior.