Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical Processing for Speech in Human Auditory Cortex and Beyond

The anatomical connectivity of the primate auditory system suggests that sound perception involves several hierarchical stages of analysis (Kaas et al., 1999), raising the question of how the processes required for human speech comprehension might map onto such a system. One intriguing possibility is that earlier areas of auditory cortex respond to acoustic differences in speech stimuli, but that later areas are insensitive to such features. Providing a consistent neural response to speech content despite variation in the acoustic signal is a critical feature of “higher level” speech processing regions because it indicates they respond to categorical speech information, such as phonemes and words, rather than idiosyncratic acoustic tokens. In a recent fMRI study, Okada et al. (2010) used multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to investigate neural responses to spoken sentences in canonical auditory cortex (i.e., superior temporal cortex), using a design modeled after Scott et al. (2000). Okada et al. (2010) used a factorial design that crossed speech clarity (clear speech vs. intelligible noise vocoded speech) with frequency order (normal vs. spectrally rotated). Noise vocoding reduces the amount of spectral detail in the speech signal but faithfully preserves temporal information. Depending on the reduction in spectral resolution (i.e., the number of bands used in vocoding), noise vocoded speech can be highly intelligible, especially following training. By contrast, spectral rotation of the speech signal renders it almost entirely unintelligible without any change in overall level of spectral detail. Thus, the clear and vocoded sentences used by Okada et al. (2010) provided two physically dissimilar presentations of intelligible speech that the authors could use to identify acoustically insensitive neural responses; spectrally rotated stimuli allowed the authors to look for response changes due to intelligibility, independent of reductions in spectral detail.
Genetic parameters for sex-specific traits in beef cattle.

Data from 3,593 beef heifers and 4,079 of their steer paternal half-sibs were used to estimate genetic parameters of and among female growth and reproductive traits and male carcass traits. Estimates of heritability for adjusted 205-d weight, adjusted 365-d weight, age at puberty, calving rate, and calving difficulty measured on females were . 16, . 38, . 47, . 19, and . 18, respectively; estimates for calving rate and calving difficulty were expressed on a normal scale. Estimates of heritability for hot carcass weight; retail product percentage; fat percentage; bone percentage; rib eye area; kidney, pelvic, and heart fat percentage; adjusted fat thickness; marbling score; Warner-Bratzler shear force; taste panel tenderness; taste panel juiciness; and taste panel flavor that were measured on steers at an average age of 447 d (weaning age = 185, days on feed = 262) were . 50, . 66, . 58, . 54, . 61, . 48, . 66, . 71, . 26, . 31, . 00, and . 04, respectively. Genetic correlations were positive for heifer weights with hot carcass weight, fat percentage, rib eye area, adjusted fat thickness, marbling score, and Warner-Bratzler shear force, and they were negative with retail product percentage and kidney, pelvic, and heart fat percentage of steers. Age at puberty was genetically correlated with taste panel tenderness but not with other carcass traits. Calving rate had positive genetic correlations with fat percentage, rib eye area, adjusted fat thickness, and taste panel flavor, and it had negative genetic correlations with retail product percentage; bone percentage; and kidney, pelvic, and heart fat percentage. Calving difficulty had favorable genetic correlations with hot carcass weight, retail product percentage, and measures of carcass tenderness, but it was unfavorably correlated with traits that involve carcass fatness. These results indicate that selection for some traits expressed in one sex of beef cattle may result in undesirable responses in traits expressed in the opposite sex.
Apoptosis of bovine neutrophils during mastitis experimentally induced with Escherichia coli or endotoxin.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether apoptosis of neutrophils was accelerated during mastits experimentally induced by use of Escherichia coli or E coli endotoxin and whether differences were apparent in the response to E coli or endotoxin. ANIMALS 11 healthy lactating Holstein cows. PROCEDURE Blood samples were collected from cows at various intervals after intramammary inoculation with E coli or endotoxin. Percentage of apoptotic neutrophils detected after in vitro incubation for 3 hours was determined. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled annexin-V in combination with propidium iodide was used to distinguish apoptosis and necrosis of neutrophils. Total and differential circulating leukocyte counts and rectal temperature were determined at the time of collection of blood samples. Milk yield and milk somatic cell counts were determined at the time of milking. RESULTS Inoculation of endotoxin did not accelerate in vitro induction of neutrophil apoptosis. However, inoculation of E coli increased the percentage of apoptotic neutrophils. At 18 hours after inoculation, 20% of the neutrophils were apoptotic, compared with 5% before inoculation. Milk somatic cell count and rectal temperature increased, milk production and total leukocyte count decreased, and percentage of immature neutrophils increased after inoculation with E coli or endotoxin. However, kinetics of the responses were more rapid, more severe, and of shorter duration during endotoxin-induced mastitis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In vitro induction of apoptosis of neutrophils was accelerated only during E coli-induced mastitis and not during endotoxin-induced mastitis. Endotoxin inoculation as a model for studying coliform mastitis in dairy cows should be viewed with caution.
Differential Distribution of HLA-DQβ/DRβ Epitopes in the Two Forms of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy and Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP): Identification of DQβ Epitopes Associated with Susceptibility to and Protection from AIDP1

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute, immune-mediated paralytic disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system, is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in the postpolio era. GBS is classified into several subtypes based on clinical and pathologic criteria, with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) being the most common forms observed. To better understand the pathogenesis of GBS and host susceptibility to developing the disease, the distribution of HLA class II Ags along with the seroreactivity to Campylobacter jejuni were investigated in a population of GBS patients from northern China. Using DNA-based typing methods, 47 patients with AMAN, 25 patients with AIDP, and 97 healthy controls were studied for the distribution of class II alleles. We found that the DQβ RLD55–57/ED70–71 and DRβ E9V11H13 epitopes were associated with susceptibility to AIDP (p = 0.009 and p = 0.004, respectively), and the DQβ RPD55–57 epitope was associated with protection (p = 0.05) from AIDP. These DQβ/DRβ positional residues are a part of pockets 4 (DQβ 70, 71, DRβ13), 6 (DRβ11), and 9 (DQβ 56, 57, DRβ9); have been demonstrated to be important in peptide binding and T cell recognition; and are associated with other diseases that have a pathoimmunological basis. Class II HLA associations were not identified with AMAN, suggesting a different immunological mechanism of disease induction in the two forms of GBS. These findings provide immunogenetic evidence for differentiating the two disease entities (AMAN and AIDP) and focuses our attention on particular DRβ/DQβ residues that may be instrumental in understanding the pathophysiology of AIDP.
Proactive handover for IEEE 802.11r networks

The handover performance is critical to support multimedia services in the wireless networks. The algorithm should allow fast selection of the most suitable Access Point. However, in most solutions the handover is reactive and causes Mobile Station to reassociate with the Access Point that offers the strongest received strength signal at a time. The station may miss the chance to handover to the Access Point that offers better traffic conditions until the current association is maintained. In the paper the novel Proactive Handover Algorithm is proposed that incorporates 802.11k measurements for better characterization of the access point. Moreover, the protocol is proactive and allows reassociation with the best Access Point at a time. Finally, the handover delay is limited to 3 milliseconds excluding time required to switch the channel. The results were proved via simulation experiments.
Calibration of Electric Field Sensors Onboard the Resonance Satellite

Strategies and results for calibrating electric field sensors (antennas), as used in radio astronomy, onboard the spacecraft “Resonance” are presented. Calibration is performed for four boom antennas and four cylindrical sensors at the boom tips. These antennas are devised for the measurement of electric fields and plasma parameters. It is shown that the electrical representations of the antennas, the effective length vectors, differ from their mechanical originals and are shortened and tilted by several degrees of angle. The knowledge of the acquired parameters is of great benefit to the Resonance mission. In particular, goniopolarimetry techniques like polarization analysis and direction finding depend crucially on the effective axes. For the first time, this kind of analysis is performed for a space-borne antenna system consisting of boom monopoles and cylindrical tip antennas.
A Prospective Study of Dietary Acrylamide Intake and the Risk of Endometrial, Ovarian, and Breast Cancer

Background: Acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen, was detected in various heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods in 2002. The few epidemiologic studies done thus far have not shown a relationship with cancer. Our aim was to investigate the association between acrylamide intake and endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer risk. Methods: The Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer includes 62,573 women, aged 55-69 years. At baseline (1986), a random subcohort of 2,589 women was selected using a case cohort analysis approach for analysis. The acrylamide intake of subcohort members and cases was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire and was based on chemical analysis of all relevant Dutch foods. Subgroup analyses were done for never-smokers to eliminate the influence of smoking; an important source of acrylamide. Results: After 11.3 years of follow-up, 327, 300, and 1,835 cases of endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer, respectively, were documented. Compared with the lowest quintile of acrylamide intake (mean intake, 8.9 μg/day), multivariable-adjusted hazard rate ratios (HR) for endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer in the highest quintile (mean intake, 40.2 μg/day) were 1.29 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.81-2.07; Ptrend = 0.18], 1.78 (95% CI, 1.10-2.88; Ptrend = 0.02), and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.73-1.19; Ptrend = 0.79), respectively. For never-smokers, the corresponding HRs were 1.99 (95% CI, 1.12-3.52; Ptrend = 0.03), 2.22 (95% CI, 1.20-4.08; Ptrend = 0.01), and 1.10 (95% CI, 0.80-1.52; Ptrend = 0.55). Conclusions: We observed increased risks of postmenopausal endometrial and ovarian cancer with increasing dietary acrylamide intake, particularly among never-smokers. Risk of breast cancer was not associated with acrylamide intake. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(11):2304–13)
Evaluation of spin-Hall-assisted STT-MRAM for cache replacement

Emerging spin orbit torque (SOT) promises to achieve high-speed write operation for magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) since it can eliminate the incubation delay of the conventional spin transfer torque (STT). Such a speed improvement allows the MRAM to be used as low-level cache in the computer architecture. Among various SOT technologies, spin-Hall-assisted STT is a potential candidate thanks to its magnetic-field-free benefit. In this work, we evaluate the potential of the spin-Hall-assisted STT-MRAM in the cache replacement. Firstly, the bit-cell parameters are obtained from the circuit-level simulation. Then, the cache evaluation and system-level simulation are performed with NVSim and Gem5 simulators. Simulation results validate the advantage of the spin-Hall-assisted STT in the write speed and energy. Moreover, for the large capacity (about >2 MB), the spin-Hall-assisted STT-MRAM is a competitive candidate for replacing the conventional SRAM-based cache.
Atlas of the Human Planet 2017: Global Exposure to Natural Hazards

The Atlas of the Human Planet 2017. Global Exposure to Natural Hazards summarizes the global multi-temporal analysis of exposure to six major natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, tropical cyclone winds, and sea level surge. The exposure focuses on human settlements assessed through two variables: the global built-up and the global resident population. The two datasets are generated within the Global Human Settlement Project of the Joint Research Centre. They represent the core dataset of the Atlas of the Human Planet 2016 which provides empirical evidence on urbanization trends and dynamics. The figures presented in the Atlas 2017 show that exposure to natural hazards doubled in the last 40 years, both for built-up area and population. Earthquake is the hazard that accounts for the highest number of people potentially exposed. Flood, the most frequent natural disaster, potentially affects more people in Asia (76.9% of the global population exposed) and Africa (12.2%) than in other regions. Tropical cyclone winds threaten 89 countries in the world and the population exposed to cyclones increased from 1 billion in 1975 up to 1.6 billion in 2015. The country most at risk to tsunamis is Japan, whose population is 4 times more exposed than China, the second country on the ranking. Sea level surge affects the countries across the tropical region and China has one of the largest increase of population over the last four decades (plus 200 million people from 1990 to 2015). The figures presented in the Atlas are aggregate estimates at country level. The value of the GHSL layers used to generate the figures in this Atlas is that the data are available at fine scale and exposure and the rate of change in exposure can be computed for any area of the world. Researchers and policy makers are now allowed to aggregate exposure information at all geographical scale of analysis from the country level to the region, continent and global. Atlas of the Human Planet 2017 Global Exposure to Natural Hazards Martino Pesaresi, Daniele Ehrlich, Thomas Kemper, Alice Siragusa, Aneta J. Florczyk, Sergio Freire, Christina Corbane
Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator from Chinese Hamster Ovary and Insect Cells (*)

We have developed procedures to purify highly functional recombinant cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells to high homogeneity. Purification of CHO-CFTR was achieved using a combination of alkali stripping, α-lysophosphatidylcholine extraction, DEAE ion-exchange, and immunoaffinity chromatography. Insect CFTR from Sf9 cells was purified using a modification of the method of Bear et al. (Bear, C. E., Li, C., Kartner, N., Bridges, R. J., Jensen, T. J., Ramjeesingh, M. and Riordan, J. R.(1992) Cell 68, 809-818), which included extraction with sodium dodecyl sulfate, hydroxyapatite, and gel filtration chromatography. Characterization of the properties of purified CFTR from both cell sources using a variety of electrophysiological and biochemical assays indicated that they were very similar. Both the purified CHO-CFTR and Sf9-CFTR when reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers exhibited a low pS, chloride-selective ion channel activity that was protein kinase A- and ATP-dependent. Both the purified CHO-CFTR and Sf9-CFTR were able to interact specifically with the nucleotide photoanalogue 8-N3-[α-P]ATP with half-maximal binding at 25 and 50 μM, respectively. These values compare well with those reported for 8-N3-[α-P]ATP binding to CFTR in its native membrane form. Thus CFTR from either insect or CHO cells can be purified to high homogeneity with retention of many of the biochemical and electrophysiological characteristics of the protein associated in its native plasma membrane form. The availability of these reagents will facilitate further investigation and study of the structure and function of CFTR and its interactions with cellular proteins.
A Novel Gas Sensor Transducer Based on Phthalocyanine Heterojunction Devices

Experimental data concerning the changes in the current-voltage (I-V) performances of a molecular material-based heterojunction consisting of hexadecafluorinated nickel phthalocyanine (Ni(F16Pc)) and nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc), (Au|Ni(F16Pc)|NiPc|Al) are introduced as an unprecedented principle of transduction for gas sensing performances. The respective n- and p-type doped-insulator behaviors of the respective materials are supported, owing to the observed changes in surface potential (using the Kelvin probe method) after submission to electron donor (ammonia) and electron acceptor gases (ozone). On the other hand, the bilayer device exhibits strong variations in the built-in potential of the junction and in its rectification ratio. Moreover, large increases occur in forward and reverse currents in presence of ammonia vapors. These make possible a multimodal principle of detection controlled by a combined effect between the heterojunction and the NiPc|Al contact. Indeed, this metal/organic junction plays a critical role regarding the steady asymmetry of the I-V profiles during the device's doping even using high ammonia concentrations. This approach offers a more sophisticated alternative to the classically studied, but at times rather operation-limited, resistive gas sensors.
Coupled hydromechanical and electromagnetic disturbances in unsaturated porous materials

A theory of cross‐coupled flow equations in unsaturated soils is necessary to predict (1) electroosmotic flow with application to electroremediation and agriculture, (2) the electroseismic and the seismoelectric effects to develop new geophysical methods to characterize the vadose zone, and (3) the streaming current, which can be used to investigate remotely ground water flow in unsaturated conditions in the capillary water regime. To develop such a theory, the cross‐coupled generalized Darcy and Ohm constitutive equations of transport are extended to unsaturated conditions. This model accounts for inertial effects and for the polarization of porous materials. Rather than using the zeta potential, like in conventional theories for the saturated case, the key parameter used here is the quasi‐static volumetric charge density of the pore space, which can be directly computed from the quasi‐static permeability. The apparent permeability entering Darcy's law is also frequency dependent with a critical relaxation time that is, in turn, dependent on saturation. A decrease of saturation increases the associated relaxation frequency. The final form of the equations couples the Maxwell equations and a simplified form of two‐fluid phases Biot theory accounting for water saturation. A generalized expression of the Richard equation is derived, accounting for the effect of the vibration of the skeleton during the passage of seismic waves and the electrical field. A new expression is obtained for the effective stress tensor. The model is tested against experimental data regarding the saturation and frequency dependence of the streaming potential coupling coefficient. The model is also adapted for two‐phase flow conditions and a numerical application is shown for water flooding of a nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL, oil) contaminated aquifer. Seismoelectric conversions are mostly taking place at the NAPL (oil)/water encroachment front and can be therefore used to remotely track the position of this front. This is not the case for other geophysical methods.
ploidyNGS: Visually exploring ploidy with Next Generation Sequencing data

Summary ploidyNGS is a model-free, open source tool to visualize and explore ploidy levels in a newly sequenced genome, exploiting short read data. We tested ploidyNGS using both simulated and real NGS data of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ploidyNGS allows the identification of the ploidy level of a newly sequenced genome in a visual way. Availability and implementation ploidyNGS is available under the GNU General Public License (GPL) at https://github.com/diriano/ploidyNGS. ploidyNGS is implemented in Python and R. Contact diego.riano@bioetanol.org. br
Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition of Weibel-Palade Body Release in Cardiac Transplant Rejection

Background—Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, or NOS2) reduces the severity of accelerated graft arteriosclerosis (AGA) in transplanted organs, although the precise mechanism is unclear. Methods and Results—We transplanted wild-type murine hearts into either wild-type or NOS2-null recipient mice; we then measured cardiac allograft survival and analyzed tissue sections by immunohistochemistry. We have confirmed that NOS2 increases cardiac allograft survival. We now show that there is less inflammation of cardiac allografts in wild-type hosts than in NOS2-null hosts. Furthermore, staining for von Willebrand factor reveals that the presence of NOS2 is correlated with the presence of Weibel-Palade bodies inside endothelial cells, whereas the absence of NOS2 is correlated with the release of Weibel-Palade bodies. Conclusions—Weibel-Palade bodies contain mediators that promote thrombosis and inflammation. Therefore, nitric oxide (NO) may stabilize the vessel wall and prevent endothelial activation in part by inhibiting the release of the contents of Weibel-Palade bodies. Prevention of Weibel-Palade body release might be a mechanism by which NO protects the vessel wall from inflammatory disorders such as atherosclerosis or graft arteriosclerosis.
Differences in the genetic structure of Bacillus subitilis strains carrying the trpE26 mutation and strain 168

It was previously shown that in strains of Bacillus subtilis bearing the trpE26 mutation a chromosome segment (from trpD to ilvA) is translocated to a position near the thr region. Further PBS1-mediated transduction data have now revealed that these strains also possess an inversion of part of the chromosome from the origin of replication, down to the tre locus on one side and the cysB locus on the other. These data concern evidence of linkage of tre-12- to markers in the translocation (hisH2, tyrA1, and metB3) as well as linkage of the cysB3 marker to thi-86, gly-133, and catA. They explain the previously observed absence of linkage of markers in the translocated segment to cysB3. The model proposed for the formation of merodiploids in trpE26 strains, which calls for the fusion of two genetic elements, is not incompatible with this new finding.