Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural correlates of the ‘good life’: eudaimonic well-being is associated with insular cortex volume

Eudaimonic well-being reflects traits concerned with personal growth, self-acceptance, purpose in life and autonomy (among others) and is a substantial predictor of life events, including health. Although interest in the aetiology of eudaimonic well-being has blossomed in recent years, little is known of the underlying neural substrates of this construct. To address this gap in our knowledge, here we examined whether regional gray matter (GM) volume was associated with eudaimonic well-being. Structural magnetic resonance images from 70 young, healthy adults who also completed Ryff’s 42-item measure of the six core facets of eudaimonia, were analysed with voxel-based morphometry techniques. We found that eudaimonic well-being was positively associated with right insular cortex GM volume. This association was also reflected in three of the sub-scales of eudaimonia: personal growth, positive relations and purpose in life. Positive relations also showed a significant association with left insula volume. No other significant associations were observed, although personal growth was marginally associated with left insula, and purpose in life exhibited a marginally significant negative association with middle temporal gyrus GM volume. These findings are the first to our knowledge linking eudaimonic well-being with regional brain structure.
Thalamo‐cortical projections in the tree shrew (Tupaia glis)

Cortical lesions were placed in 18 hemispheres, and thalamic degeneration was studied after a survival period of at least six weeks. Very small lesions within the striate area produced complete degeneration of neurons in a column through the lateral geniculate, from medial to lateral borders and comprising all of the laminae. Lesions of various loci within the striate area reveal a precise topographic projection, with the rostral lateral geniculate sending fibers to the caudal extremity of the striate area and the caudal lateral geniculate projecting to the rostral extremity of the striate; further, the dorso‐ventral dimension in the lateral geniculate projects to the medio‐lateral dimension in the striate area. Finally, the evidence from striate area lesions suggests that the lateral geniculate projections are confined to the striate area as defined by cytoarchitecture, which in turn corresponds precisely with visual area I as defined by electrophysiological recording. This conclusion is supported by the failure to find retrograde degeneration after lesions of the belt of cortex adjacent to the striate area. The temporal area which occupies an extensive section from V II to the rhinal fissure and the auditory cortex and which has been shown to be a visual receiving area, is the target of essential projections from the pulvinar. The pulvinar also sends sustaining collaterals within the temporal area and probably outside as well, especially to V II. However, the very crude topographic organization apparent in the pulvinar projections does not seem to be sufficiently refined to account for the organization of V II. A suggestion was made in closing that V II may be the result of convergent evolution in different mammalian lines of descent.
The Distribution of Power in Exchange Networks: Theory and Experimental Results

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the structural determinants of power in exchange networks, along with research findings from laboratory experiments and a computer simulation of bargaining in network structures. Two theoretical traditions are dealth with: (1) point centrality in graph-theoretic representations of structure, as an approach to power distributions; and (2) power dependence principles applied to exchange networks. Measures of centrality available in the literature have the advantage of being easily applied to large and complex networks. In contrast, power dependence concepts were conceived for use in microsociology and are found to be cumbersome in the analysis of complex networks. But despite the relative difficulty of applying power-dependence theory to network structures, that approach generates hypotheses about power distributions which are confirmed at nearly every point in a laboratory experiment with five-person networks and at every point in a computer simulation of networks too large for laboratory study. In contrast, centrality measures applied to the type of networks studied fail to predict power distributions. Although centrality measures might predict power in some networks, their generality is limited. Toward resolution of the issues raised, this study offers two theoretical points: (1) a distinction between two different principles of "connection" in social networks suggests that current measures of centrality might predict power in one type of network but not in the other; and (2) it offers a first step toward a fusion of power-dependence theory and structural centrality in a way which might be general across networks of both types.
Lack of behavioural responses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) indicate limited effectiveness of sonar mitigation

ABSTRACT Exposure to underwater sound can cause permanent hearing loss and other physiological effects in marine animals. To reduce this risk, naval sonars are sometimes gradually increased in intensity at the start of transmission (‘ramp-up’). Here, we conducted experiments in which tagged humpback whales were approached with a ship to test whether a sonar operation preceded by ramp-up reduced three risk indicators – maximum sound pressure level (SPLmax), cumulative sound exposure level (SELcum) and minimum source–whale range (Rmin) – compared with a sonar operation not preceded by ramp-up. Whales were subject to one no-sonar control session and either two successive ramp-up sessions (RampUp1, RampUp2) or a ramp-up session (RampUp1) and a full-power session (FullPower). Full-power sessions were conducted only twice; for other whales we used acoustic modelling that assumed transmission of the full-power sequence during their no-sonar control. Averaged over all whales, risk indicators in RampUp1 (n=11) differed significantly from those in FullPower (n=12) by −3.0 dB (SPLmax), −2.0 dB (SELcum) and +168 m (Rmin), but not significantly from those in RampUp2 (n=9). Only five whales in RampUp1, four whales in RampUp2 and none in FullPower or control sessions avoided the sound source. For RampUp1, we found statistically significant differences in risk indicators between whales that avoided the sonar and whales that did not: −4.7 dB (SPLmax), −3.4 dB (SELcum) and +291 m (Rmin). In contrast, for RampUp2, these differences were smaller and not significant. This study suggests that sonar ramp-up has a positive but limited mitigative effect for humpback whales overall, but that ramp-up can reduce the risk of harm more effectively in situations when animals are more responsive and likely to avoid the sonar, e.g. owing to novelty of the stimulus, when they are in the path of an approaching sonar ship. Highlighted Article: Variation in behavioural responses of humpback whales limits the effectiveness of a ramp-up procedure used to mitigate physiological effects of naval sonar on marine animals.
Stabilization Using Multiple Sensors over Analog Erasure Channels

Consider a discrete-time, linear time-invariant process, two sensors and one controller. The process is observed by the sensors, which are connected to the controller via links that can be modeled as erasure channels. If a link transmits successfully then a finite-dimensional vector of real numbers is conveyed from the sensor to the controller. If an erasure event occurs, then any information conveyed over the link is lost. This paper addresses the problem of designing the maps that specify the processing at the controller and at the sensors for stabilizing the process in the bounded second moment sense. When the information is lost over the links either in an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) or Markovian fashion over time, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of maps such that the process is stabilized. Such conditions are expressed as inequalities involving the parameters of the plant and the probabilities of link fading, and provide the least conservative stabilization conditions. We also indicate how our approach can be used if more than two sensors are available, if the sensors can cooperate and if the acknowledgment signals are also transmitted over erasure channels. The analysis also carries over to the case when the single channels are replaced by networks of erasure channels.
Heavy schistosomiasis associated with poor short‐term memory and slower reaction times in Tanzanian schoolchildren

Cross‐sectional studies of the relationship between helminth infection and cognitive function can be informative in ways that treatment studies cannot. However, interpretation of results of many previous studies has been complicated by the failure to control for many potentially confounding variables. We gave Tanzanian schoolchildren aged 9–14 a battery of 11 cognitive and three educational tests and assessed their level of helminth infection. We also took measurements of an extensive range of potentially confounding or mediating factors such as socioeconomic and educational factors, anthropometric and other biomedical measures. A total of 272 children were moderately or heavily infected with Schistosoma haematobium, hookworm or both helminth species and 117 were uninfected with either species. Multiple regression analyses, controlling for all confounding and mediating variables, revealed that children with a heavy S. haematobium infection had significantly lower scores than uninfected children on two tests of verbal short‐term memory and two reaction time tasks. In one of these tests the effect was greatest for children with poor nutritional status. There was no association between infection and educational achievement, nor between moderate infection with either species of helminth and performance on the cognitive tests. We conclude that children with heavy worm burdens and poor nutritional status are most likely to suffer cognitive impairment, and the domains of verbal short‐term memory and speed of information processing are those most likely to be affected.
Impact of package on neutron induced single event upset in 20 nm SRAM

This work investigates the impact of package structure on single event upset (SEU) rate through neutron irradiation test and Monte Carlo simulation of the particles passage. Irradiation test results show that the resin existing in the upper stream of the beam could increase SEU rate by about 10 %. The simulation result demonstrates that light secondary particles generated in the package materials, such as proton and alpha particles, contribute to the SEU rate elevation. Therefore, SEU rate evaluation should pay attention to the package structure especially for low voltage devices having low critical charge of 0.4 fC and below.
A Gold Nanoparticle and Aflatoxin B1-BSA Conjugates Based Lateral Flow Assay Method for the Analysis of Aflatoxin B1

A rapid and simple immuno-chromatographic assay was developed to detect aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The assay was based on a modified competitive binding format using colloidal gold and polyclonal antibody (Pab) conjugates. The anti-AFB1 Pab was immobilized to a defined detection zone on a porous nitrocellulose membrane and colloidal gold particles were conjugated to AFB1-BSA which served as a detection reagent. The AFB1-containing sample was added to the membrane and allowed to move with AFB1-BSA-coated particles dried on the conjugation pad. The mixture was then passed along the porous membrane by capillary action past the Pab in the detection zone, which captured AFB1 or AFB1-BSA. AFB1 in the sample inhibits binding of AFB1-BSA conjugated gold particles to the Pab and prevents formation of a red color dot. In the absence of AFB1, AFB1-BSA conjugated gold particles bound to the Pab, give a red color within this detection zone. With this method, 10 μg/mL of AFB1 was detected in less than 10 min. The developed AFB1 assay also showed no cross reaction to Ochratoxin A (OTA).
Antioxidants Supplementation in Elderly Cardiovascular Patients

Supplementation with antioxidants and its benefit-risk relationship have been largely discussed in the elderly population. We evaluated whether antioxidants supplementation improved the biochemical profile associated with oxidative metabolism in elderly cardiovascular patients. Patients (n = 112) received daily supplementation with α-TP 400 mg, beta-carotene 40 mg, and vitamin C 1000 mg for 2 months (treatment). Plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol (α-TP), β-carotene (βC), ubiquinol-10 (QH-10), glutathione, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined before and after treatment. Response to treatment was dependent on pretreatment α-TP and βC levels. Increase in α-TP and βC levels was observed only in patients with basal levels <18 μM for α-TP (P < 0.01) and <0.30 μM for βC (P < 0.02). Ubiquinol-10, glutathione, and TBARS were unaffected by treatment: QH-10 (+57%, F 1,110 = 3.611, P < 0.06, and N.S.), glutathione (+21%, F 1,110 = 2.92, P < 0.09, and N.S.), and TBARS (−29%, F 1,110 = 2.26, P < 0.14, and N.S.). Treatment reduced oxidative metabolism: 5.3% versus 14.6% basal value (F 1,110 = 9.21, P < 0.0003). Basal TBARS/α-TP ratio was higher in smokers compared to nonsmokers: 0.11 ± 0.02 versus 0.06 ± 0.01 (F 32,80 = 1.63, P < 0.04). Response to antioxidant supplementation was dependent on basal plasma levels of α-TP and βC. Smoking status was strongly associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and high TBARS/α-TP ratio (lipid peroxidation).
AIS Electronic

Meetings and collaborative work are part of the everyday business life. Audio communication in the form of VoIP and instant messaging-based chat communication offer new and inexpensive ways to communicate in groups. Our previous research has shown that the selection of either audio or chat has a significant impact on the collaborative productivity. This experiment observes the impact of selecting both audio and chat communication at the same time. We analyze whether the polychronicity helps to achieve a higher productivity. This work provides quantitative, experimental-based data. We show with this data that typical users are overwhelmed by the combination of both media. The complexity of listening to the audio conversation, reading the chat dialog and observing the shared whitespace together with communicating seems to induce too high a cognitive load on the user, thus preventing productive work. This paper shows the importance of quantitative experiments about polychronicity and proposes further work about the correlation of media synchronicity and polychronicity research.
TREM-1low is a novel characteristic for tumor-associated macrophages in lung cancer

Objective To explore the expression feature and biological functions of TREM-1 on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in lung cancer. Results The levels of TREM-1 on tissue-infiltrating monocytes/macrophage from tumor nest were significantly lower than those from nonturmor tissue or peripheral blood samples. Clinical analysis indicated that the levels of TREM-1-related TAMs were significantly decreased during cancer stages progression. The tumor-bearing mouse model further confirmed that the expression of TREM-1 on TAMs was significantly decreased with tumor growth. In addition, we found the activation of TREM-1 could significantly enhance the secretion of IL-1β by TAM in vitro. Furthermore, T-bet but not Eomes was found to be the key transcription factor for the TREM-1 expression on monocytes/macrophage. Methods A total of 40 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were enrolled in this study. The expression characteristics of TREM-1 in blood and tissue-infiltrating monocytes/macrophage were examined by flow cytometry analysis. After the treatment of TREM-1 antibody, which is an agonist of TREM-1, cytokines secreted by TAM were then analyzed. In LLC-tumor bearing mouse model, we further investigated the dynamic expression feature of TREM-1 on macrophage with tumor growth. Moreover, we explored the transcription factor for regulating TREM-1 expression on monocyes/macrophage with wildtype, T-bet Ko or Eomes Ko mice. Conclusion The levels of TREM-1 were remarkably decreased during tumor progression. The low expression level of TREM-1 might be a characteristic for TAMs in lung cancer.
Number of Spikes in Climbing Fibers Determines the Direction of Cerebellar Learning

Cerebellar learning requires context information from mossy fibers and a teaching signal through the climbing fibers from the inferior olive. Although the inferior olive fires in bursts, virtually all studies have used a teaching signal consisting of a single pulse. Following a number of failed attempts to induce cerebellar learning in decerebrate ferrets with a nonburst signal, we tested the effect of varying the number of pulses in the climbing fiber teaching signal. The results show that training with a single pulse in a conditioning paradigm in vivo does not result in learning, but rather causes extinction of a previously learned response.
The blooming of the French lilac.

The history of diabetes mellitus is replete with many therapies, nearly all, including insulin, first given without any knowledge of a mechanism of action. Beginning with early Egyptian physicians who, according to the Ebers Papyrus of 1500 B.C.E. , prescribed a mixture of cakes, wheat grains, fresh grits, green lead, earth, and water, up to the more recent introduction of the thiazolidinediones, knowledge of physiologic effects preceded by years or centuries any knowledge as to what the medicament actually did. In medieval times, a prescription of Galega officinalis was said to relieve the intense urination accompanying the disease that came to have the name of diabetes mellitus. G. officinalis, also known as Goat’s rue, the French lilac or Italian fitch (Figure ​(Figure1),1), was also given during the plague epidemics to promote perspiration and has been used as a galactogogue in cows. The active ingredient in the French lilac that produced the lowering of blood glucose was shown to be galegine or isoamylene guanidine (1). A curious chapter in the history of guanidine-based hypoglycemic agents arose from the mistaken notion that the tetany of hypoparathyroidism was due to the production of increased guanidine following parathyroidectomy, leading to the demonstration that an infusion of guanidine produced lowering of blood glucose (2). While guanidine itself and certain derivatives are too toxic for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, the biguanides (two linked guanidine rings) have proved useful, and three biguanides became available for diabetes therapy in the 1950s. Phenformin and buformin, the former becoming quite popular in the 1960s, were withdrawn from the pharmacopoeia in the early 1970s due to the emergence of frequent lactic acidosis and increased cardiac mortality (1). Metformin, a less lipophilic biguanide, proved safer and, after 20 years of use in Europe, was approved for use in the USA in 1995. Figure 1 The bloom of the French lilac. This blooming G. officinalis (Goat’s rue; French lilac; Italian fitch) is rich in guanidine. The plant’s long-recognized hypoglycemic properties led eventually to the synthesis of the biguanide compound metformin.
Compressive Sensing With Prior Support Quality Information and Application to Massive MIMO Channel Estimation With Temporal Correlation

In this paper, we consider the problem of compressive sensing (CS) recovery with a prior support and the prior support quality information available. Different from classical works which exploit prior support blindly, we shall propose novel CS recovery algorithms to exploit the prior support adaptively based on the quality information. We analyze the distortion bound of the recovered signal from the proposed algorithm and we show that a better quality prior support can lead to better CS recovery performance. We also show that the proposed algorithm would converge in O(logSNR) steps. To tolerate possible model mismatch, we further propose some robustness designs to combat incorrect prior support quality information. Finally, we apply the proposed framework to sparse channel estimation in massive MIMO systems with temporal correlation to further reduce the required pilot training overhead.
Principal solution in Weyl-Titchmarsh theory for second orderSturm-Liouville equation on time scales

A connection between the oscillation theory and the Weyl--Titchmarsh theory for the second order Sturm--Liouville equation on time scales is established by using the principal solution. In particular, it is shown that the Weyl solution coincides with the principal solution in the limit point case, and consequently the square integrability of the Weyl solution is obtained. Moreover, both limit point and oscillatory criteria are derived in the case of real-valued coefficients, while a~generalization of the invariance of the limit circle case is proven for complex-valued coefficients. Several of these results are new even in the discrete time case. Finally, some illustrative examples are provided.
Genome-wide analysis reveals PADI 4 cooperates with Elk-1 to activate c-Fos expression in breast cancer cells

Peptidylarginine deiminase IV (PADI4) catalyzes the conversion of positively charged arginine and methylarginine residues to neutrally charged citrulline, and this activity has been linked to the repression of a limited number of target genes. To broaden our knowledge of the regulatory potential of PADI4, we utilized chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with promoter tiling array (ChIP-chip) analysis to more comprehensively investigate the range of PADI4 target genes across the genome in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Results showed that PADI4 is enriched in gene promoter regions near transcription start sites (TSSs); and, surprisingly, this pattern of binding is primarily associated with actively transcribed genes. Computational analysis found potential binding sites for Elk-1, a member of the ETS oncogene family, to be highly enriched around PADI4 binding sites; and coimmunoprecipitation analysis then confirmed that Elk-1 physically associates with PADI4. To better understand how PADI4 may facilitate gene transactivation, we then show that PADI4 interacts with Elk-1 at the cFos promoter and that, following Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) stimulation, PADI4 catalytic activity facilitates Elk-1 phosphorylation, histone H4 acetylation, and c-Fos transcriptional activation. These results define a novel role for PADI4 as a transcription factor co-activator. Citation: Zhang X, Gamble MJ, Stadler S, Cherrington BD, Causey CP, et al. (2011) Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals PADI4 Cooperates with Elk-1 to Activate c-Fos Expression in Breast Cancer Cells. PLoS Genet 7(6): e1002112. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen. 1002112 Editor: Asifa Akhtar, Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology, Germany Received October 19, 2010; Accepted April 13, 2011; Published June 2, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Zhang et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by a DOD Era of Hope Scholar Award (grant W871XWH-07-1-0372) to SAC and grants from the NIH (DK58110 and DK069710) to WLK. XZ was supported by a Post Doctoral Fellowship from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, KG101303. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: wlk5@cornell.edu (WLK); sac269@cornell.edu (SAC) . These authors contributed equally to this work. ¤ Current address: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America