Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SPATIAL CLUSTERING FROM GALEX–SDSS SAMPLES: STAR FORMATION HISTORY AND LARGE-SCALE CLUSTERING

We measure the projected spatial correlation function wp(rp) from a large sample combining Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet imaging with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic sample. We study the dependence of the clustering strength for samples selected on (NUV − r)abs color, specific star formation rate (SSFR), and stellar mass. We find that there is a smooth transition in the clustering of galaxies as a function of this color from weak clustering among blue galaxies to stronger clustering for red galaxies. The clustering of galaxies within the “green valley” has an intermediate strength, and is consistent with that expected from galaxy groups. The results are robust to the correction for dust extinction. The comparison with simple analytical modeling suggests that the halo occupation number increases with older star formation epochs. When splitting according to SSFR, we find that the SSFR is a more sensitive tracer of environment than stellar mass.
Apolipoprotein E genotype related differences in brain lesions of multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVES Clinical reports have speculated on a more severe course of multiple sclerosis in patients with the apolipoprotein E (apoE) ε4 allele. As this could be reflected by differences in the severity of tissue damage MRI was used to obtain further support for a disease modifying effect of the apoE genotype. METHODS Brain MR scans of 83 patients (mean age 35.5 (SD 9.5 years) who participated in a cross sectional study on the distribution of genotype patterns in multiple sclerosis. The total lesion load on proton density weighted (T2-LL) and T1 weighted scans (T1-LL) obtained with conventional spin echo sequences at 1.5 T was measured. A “black hole” ratio ((T1-LL/T2-LL)×100) was also calculated. This indicates the proportion of multiple sclerosis lesions with more severe tissue damage and may reflect disease aggressiveness or quality of repair. RESULTS Patients with the apoE-ε3/ε4 genotype (n=19) showed a non-significantly greater T2-LL (16.0 (SD 14.0) cm3) than patients with the ε2/ε3 (n=11; 13.3 (9.5) cm3) or the ε3/ε3 genotype (n=49; 9.4 (SD 9.2) cm3). Both the T1-LL (2.6 (SD 3.3)v 1.6 (SD 2.4) and 1.2 (SD 3.0) cm3; p=0.04) and the black hole ratio (14.3 SD 11.9)v 7.4 (SD 9.3) and 8.4 (SD 13.3)%; p=0.02), however, were significantly higher in ε3/ε4 patients. Similar differences were seen when comparing patients with at least one ε4 allele with the remainder of the group. CONCLUSIONS These data support speculations on a modulation of multiple sclerosis severity by the apoE genotype which can be attributed to more extensive tissue destruction or less efficient repair in carriers of the ε4 allele.
Survivability techniques for NG-PONs and FiWi access networks

Survivability will play a more prominent role in emerging high-speed, multichannel, long-reach next-generation passive optical networks (NG-PONs) than it did in conventional PONs. In this paper, we report on some of the most promising NG-PON survivability techniques such as dual homing, hitless protection switching by means of equalization delays, interconnection fibers, protection rings, and meshed PON topologies, including their cost-benefit analysis for different population densities. We pay particular attention to the design of advanced in-service monitoring techniques for fault detection and localization in PON distribution fibers and study the merits of combining partial optical protection with wireless protection for realizing reliable fiber-wireless (FiWi) access networks and exploiting them to improve the survivability of other critical networks such as the future smart grid.
Temporomandibular disorders: a report of 124 patients.

AIM This study aims to present both the features of 124 consecutive patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and the results of a reversible, conservative, and low-tech treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS One hundred fifty-eight records of consecutive patients treated in School of Dentistry at the Univag-University Center in Várzea Grande-MT, Brazil, 124 of whom were considered TMD patients, were examined. The following data were obtained: gender, age, main complaint, diagnosis, co-morbidities, type of treatment performed, and treatment results. The patients who received a successful treatment were contacted for reevaluation four to six years after the conclusion of treatment. RESULTS Pain was the main complaint for 92.7 percent of the patients. The majority of patients were female (female:male ratio of 4.1:1), with a peak age range between 20 and 30 years. Roughly 59.7 percent of the patients were diagnosed as having a muscular TMD, 12.9 percent as an articular TMD, and 27.4 percent as a mixed TMD. The success rate for treatment was 91.7 percent, and there was a tendency toward the long-term maintenance of good results. CONCLUSION The features of the 124 TMD patients treated were similar to those reported in the literature with regard to gender, age, and diagnostic prevalence. Most of the disorders were of a muscular origin, and there was a predominance of women between 20 and 30 years of age. The conservative, reversible, and low-tech treatment success rate for TMD can reach values above 90 percent. Therefore, there is no need for invasive, irreversible, expensive, or high-tech treatments for the majority of patients. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The majority of TMD patients can benefit from reversible, conservative, and low-tech treatments such as parafunction control and therapeutic exercises that can be performed by any clinician once an accurate diagnosis has been made.
What Else Transfers

In his seminal paper on the ‘fundamental difference’ between first and second language (L1 and L2) acquisition, Bley-Vroman (1990) proposed that this disparity is due to the lack of continued access to Universal Grammar and the unavailability of ‘domain-specific learning procedures’ beyond a critical period in child language development. He considered four possible alternative accounts of this difference, arguing that each falls short of providing a convincing explanation: (i) the input hypothesis; (ii) the affect or socialization hypothesis; (iii) competing cognitive systems; and (iv) L1 interference. Whilst various interrelated factors are needed to comprehensively explain the many differences between L1 and L2 acquisition, this paper argues that the importance of (iv) is still significantly underestimated. Despite the increased importance attributed to in syntactic and phonological transfer in recent years (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1994, 1996; Archibald, 1998; Brown, 2000), transfer accounts have largely ignored the acquisition of the lexicon. If lexical representations are not universal but relative, and if the L1 lexicon constitutes the initial state of the interlanguage lexicon (Sprouse, 2006), then L2 lexical acquisition involves the relexification of the entire L1 lexicon, with all the syntactic information it contains. This paper re-examines the role of the L1 lexicon in L2 acquisition, and suggests that the problem of relexification goes a considerable way toward explaining L2 learners’ general lack of convergence on the target language. In Section 2, I review the basic tenets of the Fundamantal Difference Hypothesis, and consider the growing emphasis on the role of the L1 in L2 research. Sections 3 and 4 present two concepts which are pivotal to the understanding of lexical acquisition in a second language: lexical relativity, and lexical transfer. The implications of these two phenomena are considered in Section 5, in terms of four types of L1-L2 lexical mapping problems. Finally, the learnability problem is set in the light of the vastness of the task of vocabulary acquisition.
Study of the group-based approach to disseminate control information in wireless networks

Various networking protocols disseminate much control information. An important task is to reduce the amount of such information in order to free channel resources for user data. In the paper, we study a novel group-based approach for dissemination of control information introduced in the latest version of the IEEE 802.11 standard. The key idea of this approach is to join various pieces of information into a small number of groups and send differential updates related only to those groups which content is changed. However, the group management algorithm (GMA) which directly affects the performance of such an approach is not specified. We consider a simple GMA, develop an analytical model to estimate the amount of sent control information, and show that this amount is significantly less than for the classical full dump approach.
Effects of 5,7‐dihydroxytryptamine depletion of tissue serotonin levels on extracellular serotonin in the striatum assessed with in vivo microdialysis: Relationship to behavior

Effects of i.c. v. administration of 5,7‐dihydroxytryptamine (5,7‐DHT) on biochemistry and behavior were studied in awake Sprague‐Dawley rats. It was found that 5,7‐DHT depletion of striatal tissue levels of serotonin (5‐HT) does not diminish extracellular levels until substantial depletions occur. This finding is similar to those observed after 6‐hydroxydopamine lesions of the brain dopamine systems. Although varying amounts of 5,7‐DHT produced serotonin depletions in striatal tissue, decreases in extracellular levels were only observed at tissue depletions greater than 60% compared to saline‐injected control subjects. Thus, the effects of serotonin lesions which produce only moderate depletions may not be the result of decreased extracellular serotonin, but instead may be the result of compensatory changes in remaining neurons which maintain normal extracellular serotonin concentrations. Different degrees of striatal serotonin depletion were associated with opposite behavioral effects. Moderate levels of serotonin depletion (50–75%) produced evidence of increased anxiety, while these effects were no longer seen in rats with more severe 5‐HT depletions (>75%). Synapse 33:16–25, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Three Adoption Studies of Heredity in the Schizophrenic Disorders

Research in the "genetics" of human behavioral disorders* confronts a complex of problems from the moment of its inception. First of all, how does one go about doing this "genetic" research when one obviously has no leverage on the implicated genes per se? One cannot engage in the traditional forms of experimental breeding, so that one has no control at all over the breeding of his sample population; and that is as it should be. No matter which behavioral disorder one studies, it is apparent from the outsetand always has beenthat its distribution in families follows no Mendelian pattern. What are we talking about, then, when we talk about the "genetics" of such disorders? The truth is that much of psychiatric "genetics" has been devoted to explaining awaynot explainingthe non-Mendelian distributions found. Initially, there was a predilection for positing such factors as reduced penetrance and varying manifestation in homozygotes and heterozygotes, depending on whether one's own preference was for a "theory" of dominance or recessiveness. Such "theories? are based, in turn, on empirical statistical distributions that are fallibly determined and that vary appreciably from sample to sample and from study to study. In more recent times, the tendency has been to turn away from such theorizing and either to postulate a simple, additive, polygenic system to explain away the non-Mendelian distributions or to speculate that such disorders are genetically heterogeneous, i.e., that there are a number of different major single-genes at different loci that can lead to the same type of disorder. It is a simple matter for any investigator to choose to believe one kind of "theory" rather than another, and the fact is that the variety and abundance of "genetic theories" that have been proposed in the past fifty years constitute an eloquent testimonial to the fact that we have been offered articles of faith and fancy rather than hard substance on which to develop a genetic theory of human behavioral disorders.
Probing the wind–wind collision in γ2 Velorum with high-resolution Chandra X-ray spectroscopy: evidence for sudden radiative braking and non-equilibrium ionization

We present a new analysis of an archived Chandra HETGS X-ray spectrum of the WR+O colliding wind binary γ 2 Velorum. The spectrum is dominated by emission lines from astrophysically abundant elements: Ne, Mg, Si, S and Fe. From a combination of broad-band spectral analysis and an analysis of line flux ratios we infer a wide range of temperatures in the X-ray-emitting plasma (∼4‐40 MK). As in the previously published analysis, we find the X-ray emission lines are essentially unshifted, with a mean FWHM of 1240 ± 30 km s −1 . Calculations of line profiles based on hydrodynamical simulations of the wind‐wind collision predict lines that are blueshifted by a few hundred km s −1 . The lack of any observed shift in the lines may be evidence of a large shock-cone opening half-angle (>85 ◦ ), and we suggest this may be evidence of sudden radiative braking. From the R and G ratios measured from He-like forbidden-intercombination-resonance triplets we find evidence that the Mg XI emission originates from hotter gas closer to the O star than the Si XIII emission, which suggests that non-equilibrium ionization may be present.
Influence of Chest Wall Distortion and Esophageal Catheter Position on Esophageal Manometry in Preterm Infants

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chest wall distortion on esophageal manometry by measuring simultaneous esophageal pressure changes at two sites in preterm infants. Fourteen infants were studied (mean ± SD: birth weight, 1340 ± 260 g; age, 8.5 ± 4 d). Esophageal pressure was measured through two water-filled catheters, one placed just above the cardia (Pes1) and the other at the level of the carina (Pes2). Chest wall distortion was measured by inductance plethysmography, and inspiratory and expiratory flow by pneumotachography. No significant differences were found between the peak to peak esophageal pressure changes measured through the lower and higher catheters during both airway occlusion (18.7 ± 4.4 versus 18.3 ± 2.6 cm H2O) and spontaneous breathing (9.4 ±1.8 versus 9.0 ± 1.8 cm H2O), although half of the infants had significant chest wall distortion. Mean pulmonary compliance and resistance measures calculated from the two pressures for individual infants showed small differences consistent with the difference between Pes1 and Pes2. For the whole group of 14 infants, however, these differences were not significant. The pressure changes from the lower and higher measuring sites for each breath were analyzed using linear regression. The weighted average of the mean slopes of the 14 infants was significantly different from 1.0 (mean ± SD: 0.92 ± 0.10, range: 0.75-1.10; p < 0.05). In some of the infants, the slopes for different breaths were not consistent, but varied from breath to breath. Neither this breath to breath variability in the relationship between Pesl and Pes2, nor the mean slopes were related to the degree of chest wall distortion. The results indicate that esophageal pressure measurements in preterm infants are not as dependent on the position of the catheter tip and the degree of chest wall distortion as previously suggested. A tip positioned between the cardia and the level of the carina transmits pleural pressure changes reliably.
Neuronal and behavioral sensitivity to binaural time differences in the owl

We demonstrated that ongoing time disparity (OTD) was a sufficient cue for the azimuthal component of receptive fields of auditory neurons in the owl (Tyto alba) midbrain and that OTDs were sufficient to mediate meaningful behavioral responses. We devised a technique which enabled us to change easily between free field and dichotic stimuli while recording from single auditory neurons in the owl mesencephalicus lateralis pars dorsalis (MLD). MLD neurons with restricted spatial receptive fields (“space-mapped neurons”) showed marked sensitivity to specific ongoing time disparities. The magnitudes of these disparities were in the behaviorally significant range of tens of microseconds. The ongoing time disparities were correlated significantly with the azimuthal center of receptor fields. Space-mapped neurons were insensitive to transient disparities. MLD neurons which were not space- mapped, i.e., were omnidirectional, did not show any sensitivity to specific OTDs. We confirmed the behavioral relevance of OTD as a cue for localizing a sound in azimuth by presenting OTD differences to tame owls. Using head turning as an assay, we showed that OTD was a sufficient cue for the azimuth of a sound. The relationship between azimuth and OTD obtained from our neurophysiological experiments matched closely the relationship obtained from our behavioral experiments.
Mechanism of neutralization of influenza virus by secretory IgA is different from that of monomeric IgA or IgG

We have found that bile is a useful source of secretory IgA (scIgA) which can specifically neutralize influenza virus infectivity. Using purified scIgA, we compared the mechanism of neutralization with that mediated by IgA monomers (prepared from scIgA by differential reduction) and IgG. At 4 degrees C, scIgA prevented the attachment of neutralized virus, while neither monomeric IgA nor IgG had any affect on this process or on the subsequent stages of infection by which virion RNA accumulates in nuclei. At 25 and 37 degrees C, scIgA permitted the attachment of approximately half the neutralized virus, but the virus was not internalized. Clearly, the neutralization depends on the character of the antibody used. scIgA may act by steric hindrance (with attachment or penetration, depending on temperature), whereas IgA and IgG neutralize infectivity at a stage subsequent to accumulation of the virus genome in the nucleus.
Incorporating track uncertainty into the OSPA metric

This paper proposes the use of the Hellinger distance in evaluating the localisation error in the OSPA metric. The Hellinger distance provides a measure of the difference between two distributions and is used here to measure the difference between the true and estimated targets where the true and estimated single-target states are characterised by Gaussian distributions. The OSPA metric is used to evaluate the performance of several multisensor PHD and CPHD filters. The importance of introducing track covariance into the metric is demonstrated through the application on several multisensor PHD and CPHD filters. In particular, we are able to identify filters that provide a poor estimate of the uncertainty associated with each track.
A voxel-based morphometry study of disease severity correlates in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

Previous studies have shown a preferential loss of grey matter in fronto-temporal regions in patients with multiple sclerosis. Studies of correlates of disease severity are more controversial, because some studies have suggested an association between sensorimotor cortex atrophy and Expanded Disability Status Scale score, while others did not find such a correlation. The objective of this study was to assess the correlation of regional loss of grey matter and white matter with indexes of clinical and radiological severity in relapsing—remitting multiple sclerosis, including the Expanded Disability Status Scale and lesion load. Correlations between Expanded Disability Status Scale, lesion load and disease duration were assessed in 128 patients with relapsing—remitting multiple sclerosis (Expanded Disability Status Scale range 1.0—6.0) using optimized voxel-based morphometry. Bilateral loss of grey matter in sensorimotor cortices was correlated with Expanded Disability Status Scale, and tissue loss also involved adjacent white matter, extending along pyramidal tracts to the brainstem. Increasing lesion load was correlated with loss of deep grey matter and white matter. No specific region of grey matter or white matter showed a significant correlation with disease duration. These findings support the hypothesis that motor neuron involvement plays a major role in the progression of physical disability. Lesion load accrual affects mainly highly interconnected subcortical structures, while disease duration has a less significant impact on brain atrophy, probably owing to the inter-subject heterogeneity of the clinical course of the disease.
Classification of sparse high-dimensional vectors

We study the problem of classification of d-dimensional vectors into two classes (one of which is ‘pure noise’) based on a training sample of size m. The main specific feature is that the dimension d can be very large. We suppose that the difference between the distribution of the population and that of the noise is only in a shift, which is a sparse vector. For Gaussian noise, fixed sample size m, and dimension d that tends to infinity, we obtain the sharp classification boundary, i.e. the necessary and sufficient conditions for the possibility of successful classification. We propose classifiers attaining this boundary. We also give extensions of the result to the case where the sample size m depends on d and satisfies the condition , 0 ≤ γ < 1, and to the case of non-Gaussian noise satisfying the Cramér condition.
Distinct Role of Nitric Oxide and Endothelium-Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor in Renal Microcirculation

Background: Both nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) are established as important factors determining the vascular tone. The relative contribution of these factors to the renal microvascular tone, however, has not been delineated. Methods: Isolated perfused hydronephrotic rat kidneys were used to characterize the relative role of NO and EDHF in mediating the tone of interlobular arteries (ILA) and afferent arterioles (AFF). Results: During the norepinephrine constriction, acetylcholine (ACH, 1 µmol/l) induced a sustained vasodilation of ILA (90 ± 9% reversal) and AFF (117 ± 13% reversal). In the presence of nitro-L-arginine methylester (LNAME), the ACH-induced vasodilation of ILA and AFF was converted to transient dilation, with only 53 ± 7 and 32 ± 7% reversal observed 10 min after 1 µmol/l ACH (i.e sustained phase). In contrast, LNAME had no effect on the initial phase of ACH-induced dilation. In the presence of apamin + charybdotoxin, the initial vasodilator response to ACH (1 µmol/l) was diminished (ILA, from 108 ± 8 to 46 ± 9%; AFF, from 108 ± 14 to 58 ± 8%), whereas no impairment was observed in sustained phases. Furthermore, the magnitude of the vasoconstriction caused by LNAME was greater at smaller vessel segments. Finally, the LNAME-induced inhibition of the sustained phase of ACH-induced vasodilation was greater as the vessel diameter decreased. Conclusions: That the relative contribution of NO and EDHF differs, with a greater role of NO in the basal tone and ACH-induced vasodilation at smaller vascular segments of ILA and AFF.