Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Affinity Nicotinic Receptors Modulate Spontaneous Cortical Up States In Vitro

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play an important role in the modulation of many cognitive functions but their role in integrated network activity remains unclear. This is at least partly because of the complexity of the cholinergic circuitry and the difficulty in comparing results from in vivo studies obtained under diverse experimental conditions and types of anesthetics. Hence the role of nAChRs in the synchronization of cortical activity during slow-wave sleep is still controversial, with some studies showing they are involved in ACh-dependent EEG desynchronization, and others suggesting that this effect is mediated exclusively by muscarinic receptors. Here we use an in vitro model of endogenous network activity, in the form of recurring self-maintained depolarized states (Up states), which allows us to examine the role of high-affinity nAChRs on network dynamics in a simpler form of the cortical microcircuit. We find that mice lacking nAChRs containing the β2-subunit (β2-nAChRs) have longer and more frequent Up states, and that this difference is eliminated when β2-nAChRs in wild-type mice are blocked. We further show that endogenously released ACh can modulate Up/Down states through the activation of both β2- and α7-containing nAChRs, but through distinct mechanisms: α7-nAChRs affect only the termination of spontaneous Up states, while β2-nAChRs also regulate their generation. Finally we provide evidence that the effects of β2-subunit-containing, but not α7-subunit-containing nAChRs, are mediated through GABAB receptors. To our knowledge this is the first study documenting direct nicotinic modulation of Up/Down state activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Through our experiments we were able to uncover a clear and previously disputed effect of nicotinic signaling in synchronized activity of neuronal networks of the cortex. We show that both high-affinity receptors (containing the β2-subunit, β2-nAChRs) and low-affinity receptors (containing the α7-subunit, α7-nAChRs) can regulate cortical network function exhibited in the form of Up/Down states. We further show that the effects of β2-nAChRs, but not α7-nAChRs, are mediated through the activation of GABAB receptors. These results suggest a possible synthesis of seemingly contradictory results in the literature and could be valuable for informing computational models of cortical function and for guiding the search for therapeutic interventions.
Does Herbivore Diversity Depend on Plant Diversity? The Case of California Butterflies

It is widely believed that the diversity of plants influences the diversity of animals, and this should be particularly true of herbivores. We examine this supposition at a moderate spatial extent by comparing the richness patterns of the 217 butterfly species resident in California to those of plants, including all 5,902 vascular plant species and the 552 species known to be fed on by caterpillars. We also examine the relationships between plant/butterfly richness and 20 environmental variables. We found that although plant and butterfly diversities are positively correlated, multiple regression, path models, and spatial analysis indicate that once primary productivity (estimated by a water‐energy variable, actual evapotranspiration) and topographical variability are incorporated into models, neither measure of plant richness has any relationship with butterfly richness. To examine whether butterflies with the most specialized diets follow the pattern found across all butterflies, we repeated the analyses for 37 species of strict monophages and their food plants and found that plant and butterfly richness were similarly weakly associated after incorporating the environmental variables. We conclude that plant diversity does not directly influence butterfly diversity but that both are probably responding to similar environmental factors.
Dense 3D Map Construction for Indoor Search and Rescue

The main contribution of this paper is a new simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm for building dense three‐dimensional maps using information acquired from a range imager and a conventional camera, for robotic search and rescue in unstructured indoor environments. A key challenge in this scenario is that the robot moves in 6D and no odometry information is available. An extended information filter (EIF) is used to estimate the state vector containing the sequence of camera poses and some selected 3D point features in the environment. Data association is performed using a combination of scale invariant feature transformation (SIFT) feature detection and matching, random sampling consensus (RANSAC), and least square 3D point sets fitting. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques developed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Invoking Web Services Based on Energy Consumption Models

Web service consumption may account for a nonnegligible share of the energy that is consumed by mobile applications. Unawareness of the energy consumption characteristics of Web service-based applications during development may cause the battery of devices, e.g., smartphones, to run out more frequently. Compared to related experimental energy consumption studies, the work at hand is the first work that focuses on factors which are specific to services computing, such as the timing of Web service invocations and the Web service response caching logic. Further, Web service invocations are the only variable energy-consuming activity included in the experiments. Based on the results, it is shown, firstly, how the execution of exactly the same Web service invocations may lead to energy consumption results that present differences of up to ca. 15% for WLAN and ca. 60% for UMTS connections, and, secondly, how rules and techniques for energy-efficient development of mobile Web service-based applications can be extracted from the gained knowledge.
An exploration of how adults seeking asylum understand and cope with the asylum journey and process

Asylum seekers often experience stressful and traumatic experiences throughout the asylum journey (in country of origin, in ‘flight’ and in re-settlement in the UK), shown to be linked to psychological difficulties. A systematic review of the literature demonstrates a paucity of high-quality qualitative research exploring the experiences of asylum seekers across the asylum process. Research with this population has been dominated by quantitative research examining the psychopathological sequelae resulting from exposure to traumatic events. Resilience is an emerging concept in psychotraumatology, though no studies have examined resilience and coping in asylum-seeking populations. The aim of this research was to address this gap in the research by using a qualitative methodology to understand the ways asylum seekers make sense of, and cope with their experiences across the asylum journey. Using an interpreter, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with eleven asylum seekers in South Wales accessing a third sector mental health project and / or a primary care service. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used, and a theory emerged from the data highlighting four themes spanning the asylum journey; ‘Before Asylum’, ‘Displacement’, ‘What it means to be an asylum seeker’ and ‘thinking about the future’. The stressors of involvement with the asylum system and adaptation to a new environment are core aspects of the theory, along with an exploration of how asylum seekers cope with these circumstances, via a range of internal psychological and external support sources. Prior experiences (including the development of ‘inner strength’) impacted upon how participants conceptualised their everyday experiences, and this shaped how they thought about the future. The findings have numerous clinical implications for services providing support for this population, which are discussed along with recommendations for future research. The study increases the research base around how asylum seekers understand and cope with the asylum journey.
Clinical analysis of the impact of sublobectomy on pulmonary function

Abstract The present study investigated and analyzed the clinical impact of sublobectomy on pulmonary functions. Changes in pulmonary function before and after sublobectomy were compared to the changes after lobectomy. Changes in the pulmonary function before and after sublobectomy and lobectomy did not exhibit remarkable differences in long-term effects. Surgery-related indexes of the sublobectomy group were significantly lower than those of the lobectomy group (P < .05). The indexes of pulmonary function both before and after surgery in the sublobectomy group were not associated with a significant decrease in the quality of survival based on pulmonary function as the main index (P > .05). Compared with lobectomy, sublobectomy maximally retained the normal healthy pulmonary tissue, with similar local recurrence rate, 5-year recurrence-free survival rate, and 5-year survival rate. Sublobectomy decreased the impact on respiratory functions to the minimum. After the operation, the quality of survival with pulmonary functions as the main index did not decrease significantly. Therefore, sublobectomy could be an appropriate choice for elderly patients with poor cardiopulmonary function or with chronic diseases.
Facing Prejudice

We propose that social attitudes, and in particular implicit prejudice, bias people's perceptions of the facial emotion displayed by others. To test this hypothesis, we employed a facial emotion change-detection task in which European American participants detected the offset (Study 1) or onset (Study 2) of facial anger in both Black and White targets. Higher implicit (but not explicit) prejudice was associated with a greater readiness to perceive anger in Black faces, but neither explicit nor implicit prejudice predicted anger perceptions regarding similar White faces. This pattern indicates that European Americans high in implicit racial prejudice are biased to perceive threatening affect in Black but not White faces, suggesting that the deleterious effects of stereotypes may take hold extremely early in social interaction.
Interaction of moving discrete breathers with interstitial defects

In this paper, interstitial migration generated by scattering with a mobile breather is investigated numerically in a Frenkel-Kontorova one-dimensional lattice. Consistent with experimental results, it is shown that interstitial diffusion is more likely and faster than vacancy diffusion. Our simulations support the hypothesis that a long-range energy transport mechanism involving moving nonlinear vibrational excitations may significantly enhance the mobility of point defects in a crystal lattice.
New high-efficiency 2.5 V/0.45 W RWDM class-D audio amplifier for portable consumer electronics

A single-chip of Class-D audio amplifier with high-power efficiency is presented. It includes a rectangular wave delta modulator (RWDM) and bridge-tied load output gate-drivers. The RWDM has a multiple inputs floating-gate hysteresis comparator and a feedback integrator formed by the external L-R low-pass filter. This monolithic Class-D audio amplifier with a maximum power efficiency of 92% has a flat frequency response with /spl plusmn/0.3 dB up to 20 kHz, and is capable of delivering up to 0.45 W of continuous average power into an 8-/spl Omega/ load at less than 0.5% total harmonic distortion plus noise from a 2.5-V power supply in the high fidelity range (20 Hz-20 kHz).
Autokinetics: a group intervention to mitigate at- risk behaviors in adolescents

Christine Abrahams AUTOKINETICS: A GROUP INTERVENTION TO MITIGATE AT-RISK BEHAVIORS IN ADOLESCENTS 2010/2011 Theresa Purcell-Cone, Ph.D. Educational Leadership This study explores whether introducing autokinetics (self-movement) to at-risk sophomore and junior high school students would increase their self-concept, school connectedness, perception of their academic performance, and GPA. In this study, “atrisk” students are defined as students who have possible drug and alcohol problems, come from single parent households, have social issues at school, and/or come from difficult family situations. The research was conducted in small groups of eight to ten students over a sixmonth period. The two experimental and two control groups were randomly selected. All four groups attended a forty-minute weekly group session while autokinesis was used only in the experimental groups. The format of the control groups was as follows: the group started with a version of the Native American Talking Stick which was used as a check-in device. After check-in, the remainder of the forty-minute session was a regular group session where students discussed topics that were on their minds. The experimental groups followed the same format, but during the last five to ten minutes of group work, they engaged in autokinesis (self-movement) to music. The experimental groups were provided a CD of music and asked to perform autokinesis daily for 10 minutes and to log their results. They were required to list the music they used other than the music I provided them. There was no penalty for not engaging in daily autokinesis. The results of the surveys indicated there was no statistically significant difference between the groups; however, the means of the experimental groups showed a slight increase in grade point average (GPA) and although both the control and experimental groups had an increase in discipline referrals, the experimental groups‟ referrals increased less than half of the control groups‟. Additionally, there was a 50% increase in the students‟ overall self-concept score in the experimental groups as compared to a 33% increase in the control groups‟ overall self-concept score.
In vitro 3D culture of human chondrocytes using modified ε-caprolactone scaffolds with varying hydrophilicity and porosity

Two series of 3D scaffolds based on ε-caprolactone were synthesized. The pore size and architecture (spherical interconnected pores) was the same in all the scaffolds. In one of the series of scaffolds, made of pure ε-polycaprolactone, the volume fraction of pores varied between 60% and 85% with the main consequence of varying the interconnectivity between pores since the pore size was kept constant. The other scaffolds were prepared with copolymers made of a ε-caprolactone-based hydrophobous monomer and hydroxyethyl acrylate, as the hydrophilic component. Thus, the hydrophilicity and, presumably, the adhesion properties varied monotonously in the copolymer series while porosity was kept constant. A suspension of human chondrocytes in culture medium was injected in the 3D scaffolds and cultured in static conditions up to 28 days. SEM and immunofluorescence assays allowed characterizing cells and extracellular matrix inside the scaffolds after different culture times. To do that, cross sections of the scaffolds were observed by SEM and confocal microscopy. The quantity of cells inside the scaffolds decreases with a decrease of the volume fraction of pores, due to the lack of interconnectivity between the cavities. The scaffolds up to a 30% of hydrophilicity behave in a similar way than the hydrophobous; a further increase of the hydrophilicity rapidly decreases cell viability. In all the experiments production of collagen type I, type II, and aggrecan was found, and some cells were Ki-67 positive, showing that some cells are adhered to the pore walls and maintain their dedifferentiated phenotype even when cultured in three-dimensional conditions.
Desktop Gateway: Semantic Desktop Integration with Cloud Services

With the development of IT technologies, the amount of information that the user receives and the sources of information which he or she uses, increased dramatically. There is a need of an intelligent desktop application, which will integrate different information sources from both the desktop and the web. To address this problem, we present a solution for a semantic desktop application, which relies on the use of ontologies to annotate and organize data, extracted from any application or website, into one environment. This paper gives an overview of the semantic desktop paradigm and its relevance to the knowledge management of the future. We also show how the semantic desktop application can connect with the cloud services for an enhanced user experience.
Intracellular labeling study of neurons in the superficial part of the magnocellular layer of the medullary dorsal horn of the rat

Morphology and electrical membrane properties of neurons in the superficial part of the magnocellular layer of the rat medullary dorsal horn (MDH: caudal subnucleus of the spinal trigeminal nucleus) were examined by using horizontal slice preparations. Intracellular recording and biocytin‐injection combined with histochemical and immunohistochemical staining were done. Twenty‐four neurons were examined successfully and classified into projection neurons (PNs) and intrinsic neurons (INs). The PNs were further divided into type I PNs (I‐PNs) and type II PNs (II‐PNs). The I‐PNs sent axons to the medullary reticular formation; the II‐PNs sent axons to the interpolar subnucleus of the spinal trigeminal nucleus but had no axons extending to the medullary reticular formation. The INs that sent no axons to the brain regions outside the MDH were also divided into small INs with spiny dendrites (INSSs) and large INs with aspiny dendrites (INLAs). The dendritic fields of the PNs extended to laminae I and II of the MDH and occasionally further to the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve, whereas those of the INs were confined within the magnocellular layer of the MDH. The axonal branches of each IN formed a dense axonal mesh around the cell body of the parent neuron. Although the main bodies of the axonal fields of the INs were located in the magnocellular layer, some axonal branches extended to laminae I and II of the MDH. Immunoreactivity for NK1 receptor (substance P receptor) was found in approximately half of the PNs but not in the INs. Although no strong correlation was found between morphology and electrical membrane properties, there were some differences in electrical properties among the morphologically classified neuron groups, e.g., hyperpolarizing sag was observed in some PNs but not in the Ins; inward rectification was observed in some of the INSSs and INLAs but not in the PNs; the slow ramp depolarization and the slow afterdepolarization were observed in all INSSs examined but not in the PNs or INLAs. J. Comp. Neurol. 428:641–655, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Power and Its Disguises: Anthropological Perspectives on Politics, John Gledhill. 1994. Westview Press, Boulder, CO. 256 pages. ISBN: 0-7453-0738-8(hc); 0-7453-0739-6(pb). $61.95(hc); $16.95(pb)

Preface To The Second Edition 1 Locating The Political: A Political Anthropology For Today 2 The Origins And Limits Of Coercive Power: The Anthropology Of Stateless Societies 3 From Hierarchy To Surveillance: The Politics Of Agrarian Civilizations And The Rise Of The Western National State 4 The Political Anthropology Of Colonialism: A Study Of Domination And Resistance 5 Post-Colonial States: Legacies Of History And Pressures Of Modernity 6 From Macro-Structure To Micro-Process: Anthropological Analysis Of Political Practice 7 Political Process And 'Global Disorder': Perspectives On Contemporary Conflict And Violence 8 Society Against The Modern State? : The Politics Of Social Movements 9 Anthropology And Politics: Commitment, Responsibility And The Academy Bibliography Index
Women's careers in the Arab Middle East

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how women academics from the Arab Middle East enact their careers with reference to double-bounded contexts: academia as an institution encoding organizational career scripts and gender as another institution encoding specific gender roles. It is hoped that this cross-cultural perspective would broaden the understanding of careers beyond the economically advanced industrialized countries and better inform the current debate on the boundaryless career model. Design/methodology/approach – The study is qualitative and exploratory in nature. It draws on one-to-one interviews with 23 female academics in early, mid and late careers, working in research universities in the Arab Middle East region. Findings – The choice of academia as a profession is mainly driven by the subjective perception of an academic career as a calling, the lack of attractiveness of other career options in the region, and the appeal of the flexibility of academic work. Furthermore, the fin.
Pylorus-Preserving Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) is a function-preserving surgery for the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC), aiming to decrease the complication rate and improve postoperative quality of life. According to the Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines, PPG can be performed for cT1N0M0 gastric cancer located in the middle-third of the stomach, at least 4.0 cm away from the pylorus. Although the length of the antral cuff gradually increased, from 1.5 cm during the initial use of the procedure to 3.0 cm currently, its optimal length still remains unclear. Standard procedures for the preservation of pyloric function, infra-pyloric vessels, and hepatic branch of the vagus nerve, make PPG technically more difficult and raise concerns about incomplete lymph node dissection. The short- and long-term oncological and survival outcomes of PPG were comparable to those for distal gastrectomy, but with several advantages such as a lower incidence of dumping syndrome, bile reflux, and gallstone formation, and improved nutritional status. Gastric stasis, a typical complication of PPG, can be effectively treated by balloon dilatation and stent insertion. Robot-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy is feasible for EGC in the middle-third of the stomach in terms of the short-term clinical outcome. However, any benefits over laparoscopy-assisted PPG (LAPPG) from the patient's perspective have not yet been proven. An ongoing Korean multicenter randomized controlled trial (KLASS-04), which compares LAPPG and laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for EGC in the middle-third of the stomach, may provide more clear evidence about the advantages and oncologic safety of PPG.