Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Neural Correlates of Religious and Nonreligious Belief

Background While religious faith remains one of the most significant features of human life, little is known about its relationship to ordinary belief at the level of the brain. Nor is it known whether religious believers and nonbelievers differ in how they evaluate statements of fact. Our lab previously has used functional neuroimaging to study belief as a general mode of cognition [1], and others have looked specifically at religious belief [2]. However, no research has compared these two states of mind directly. Methodology/Principal Findings We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure signal changes in the brains of thirty subjects—fifteen committed Christians and fifteen nonbelievers—as they evaluated the truth and falsity of religious and nonreligious propositions. For both groups, and in both categories of stimuli, belief (judgments of “true” vs judgments of “false”) was associated with greater signal in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area important for self-representation [3], [4], [5], [6], emotional associations [7], reward [8], [9], [10], and goal-driven behavior [11]. This region showed greater signal whether subjects believed statements about God, the Virgin Birth, etc. or statements about ordinary facts. A comparison of both stimulus categories suggests that religious thinking is more associated with brain regions that govern emotion, self-representation, and cognitive conflict, while thinking about ordinary facts is more reliant upon memory retrieval networks. Conclusions/Significance While religious and nonreligious thinking differentially engage broad regions of the frontal, parietal, and medial temporal lobes, the difference between belief and disbelief appears to be content-independent. Our study compares religious thinking with ordinary cognition and, as such, constitutes a step toward developing a neuropsychology of religion. However, these findings may also further our understanding of how the brain accepts statements of all kinds to be valid descriptions of the world.
Host resistance and coevolution in spatially structured populations

Natural, agricultural and human populations are structured, with a proportion of interactions occurring locally or within social groups rather than at random. This within-population spatial and social structure is important to the evolution of parasites but little attention has been paid to how spatial structure affects the evolution of host resistance, and as a consequence the coevolutionary outcome. We examine the evolution of resistance across a range of mixing patterns using an approximate mathematical model and stochastic simulations. As reproduction becomes increasingly local, hosts are always selected to increase resistance. More localized transmission also selects for higher resistance, but only if reproduction is also predominantly local. If the hosts disperse, lower resistance evolves as transmission becomes more local. These effects can be understood as a combination of genetic (kin) and ecological structuring on individual fitness. When hosts and parasites coevolve, local interactions select for hosts with high defence and parasites with low transmissibility and virulence. Crucially, this means that more population mixing may lead to the evolution of both fast-transmitting highly virulent parasites and reduced resistance in the host.
Using Model-Based Reasoning for Locating Faults in VHDL Designs

Model-based reasoning has seen successful application in hardware oriented and physical domains and many models of physical devices are currently available. In the software domain is still ongoing work. In this paper we describe two kinds of models for programs which are used for locating faults in VHDL designs, suitable for embedding into the VHDL development process and with the actual system description automatically derivable from the code of the program under scrutiny.
Patterns of Cerebral Hypoperfusion in Amnestic and Dysexecutive MCI

Although early studies on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) focused on memory dysfunction; more recent studies suggest that MCI is clinically heterogeneous. The objective of this study is to examine patterns of cerebral perfusion in anmestic (N=12) and nonamnestic (N=12) single-domain MCI patients from 4 a priori regions of interest: middle and superior frontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and precuneus, to compare them relative to healthy controls (N=12), and to correlate perfusion with neuropsychologic measures. Relative to controls, all MCI patients had hypoperfusion in the posterior cingulate, bilaterally. MCI patients with executive dysfunctions also showed hypoperfusion in bilateral middle frontal cortex and the left precuneus relative to controls and in the left middle frontal cortex, left posterior cingulate, and left precuneus relative to amnestic MCI patients. Perfusion in the posterior cingulate correlated positively with memory performance whereas perfusion in all 4 a priori regions of interest, predominately on the left side, correlated with executive function performance. The finding that single-domain MCI patients with prominent deficits in different cognitive domains exhibited different patterns of hypoperfusion relative to controls supports the existence of distinct subgroups of MCI. These data further suggest that cognitive impairment in MCI is related to cerebral hypoperfusion.
Low-Grade Metabolically-Induced Inflammation Mediators Interleukin-6, Adiponectin, and TNF-α Serum Levels in Obese Pregnant Patients in the Perinatal Period

Background Obesity is a major clinical problem. The number of obese pregnant women is rising rapidly. The consequences of obesity are significant and affect every aspect of perinatal care for both the mother and the developing fetus. Adipose tissue may be responsible for chronic subclinical inflammation in obesity, being a source of inflammatory mediators. The study was designed to evaluate the analysis of the serum concentration of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and adiponectin, in obese pregnant women at full-term pregnancies. Material/Methods The study included 40 women with body mass index (BMI) less than 30 and 24 pregnant women with BMI equal to or greater than 30, admitted to the Perinatology and Obstetrics Department of the University Hospital in Cracow in the first stage of labor. Blood samples were taken from patients to detect the serum concentration of cytokines. Ultrasound was used to evaluate the development of the fetus, including estimated fetal weight, Doppler flows, and the amount of amniotic fluid. We also included the history of chronic diseases and other complications of the pregnancy. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results The level of adiponectin in obese patients as compared to controls was significantly lower. There was no statistically significant difference in either group when TNF-α and IL-6 were measured. The results of the survey are consistent with previous reports. Conclusions The exact role of inflammation in pregnancy is not well understood. Determining the exact functions of the different cytokines in physiological pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by obesity requires further study.
Depletion of cellular polyamines, spermidine and spermine, causes a total arrest in translation and growth in mammalian cells

The polyamines, putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are essential polycations, intimately involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation. Although polyamines exert dynamic effects on the conformation of nucleic acids and macromolecular synthesis in vitro, their specific functions in vivo are poorly understood. We investigated the cellular function of polyamines by overexpression of a key catabolic enzyme, spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1) in mammalian cells. Transient cotransfection of HeLa cells with GFP and SAT1 vectors suppressed GFP protein expression without lowering its mRNA level, an indication that the block in GFP expression was not at transcription, but at translation. Fluorescence single-cell imaging also revealed specific inhibition of endogenous protein synthesis in the SAT1 overexpressing cells, without any inhibition of synthesis of DNA or RNA. Overexpression of SAT1 using a SAT1 adenovirus led to rapid depletion of cellular spermidine and spermine, total inhibition of protein synthesis, and growth arrest within 24 h. The SAT1 effect is most likely due to depletion of spermidine and spermine, because stable polyamine analogs that are not substrates for SAT1 restored GFP and endogenous protein synthesis. Loss of polysomes with increased 80S monosomes in the polyamine-depleted cells suggests a direct role for polyamines in translation initiation. Our data provide strong evidence for a primary function of polyamines, spermidine and spermine, in translation in mammalian cells.
Keterkaitan Pola Pangan Harapan (Pph) dengan Kejadian Stunting Pada Balita

Dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan gizi balita, pola konsumsi makanan berperan penting sehingga pola konsumsi makanan yang baik perlu diperhatikan. Data Dinkes Kab. Sleman tahun 2014 angka kejadian stunting di Provinsi DIY sebesar 14,32%, Kab. Sleman sebesar 12,87%, dari 12,87% tersebar di 3 Kecamatan yang memiliki prevalensi tinggi yaitu Kecamatan Minggir 1,67%, Kecamatan Ngemplak 1,44%, dan Kecamatan Moyudan 1,43%. Tujuandari penelitian ini adalah Mengetahui hubungan pola pangan harapan dengan kejadian stunting pada balita di Kecamatan Ngemplak, Sleman, Yogyakarta. Jenis penelitian adalah observasional menggunakan desain cross sectional . Penelitian ini menggunakan sampel berjumalah 39 balita. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah form skor PPH dan form recall 24 jam untuk melihat keragaman, kejadian stunting diperoleh dengan menggunakan indeks TB/U dari pengukuran antropometri TB. Hasil penelitian ini adalah Terdapat 21 sampel dalam kategori beragam, dari 21 sampel tersebut terdapat 20 sampel normal dan 1 sampel stunting , sampel tidak beragam sebanyak 18 sampel, dari 18 sampel 8 sampel normal dan 10 sampel stunting . Dari analisis chi-square diperoleh nilai X 2 = 12.349 dan nilai p = 0,000. Sehingga dapat disimpulan bahwa ada hubungan antara Pola Pangan Harapan dengan kejadian stunting pada balita di Kecamatan Ngemplak, Sleman, Yogyakarta. Kata Kunci: Pola Pangan Harapan, Stunting .
Management of Fatigue in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Despite advances in pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment, fatigue continues to be the disabling symptom in persons with MS (pwMS), affecting almost 80% of pwMS. In current practice, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are used in combination, encompassing a multi-disciplinary approach. The body of research investigating the effect of these interventions is growing. This review systematically evaluated the existing evidence on the effectiveness and safety of different interventions currently applied for the management of fatigue in person with multiple sclerosis in improving patient outcomes, to guide treating clinicians.
Members of the Candida parapsilosis Complex and Candida albicans are Differentially Recognized by Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

The systemic infections caused by members of the Candida parapsilosis complex are currently associated to high morbility and mortality rates, and are considered as relevant as those caused by Candida albicans. Since the fungal cell wall is the first point of contact with the host cells, here we performed a comparison of this organelle in members of the C. parapsilosis complex, and its relevance during interaction with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We found that the wall of the C. parapsilosis complex members is similar in composition, but differs to that from C. albicans, with less mannan content and more β-glucan and porosity levels. Furthermore, lectin-based analysis showed increased chitin and β1,3-glucan exposure at the surface of C. parapsilosis sensu lato when compared to C. albicans. Yeast cells of members of the C. parapsilosis complex stimulated more cytokine production by human PBMCs than C. albicans cells; and this significantly changed upon removal of O-linked mannans, indicating this wall component plays a significant role in cytokine stimulation by C. parapsilosis sensu lato. When inner wall components were exposed on the wall surface, C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and C. metapsilosis, but not C. orthopsilosis, stimulated higher cytokine production. Moreover, we found a strong dependency on β1,3-glucan recognition for the members of the C. parapsilosis complex, but not for live C. albicans cells; whereas TLR4 was required for TNFα production by the three members of the complex, and stimulation of IL-6 by C. orthopsilosis. Mannose receptor had a significant role during TNFα and IL-1β stimulation by members of the complex. Finally, we demonstrated that purified N- and O-mannans from either C. parapsilosis sensu lato or C. albicans are capable to block the recognition of these pathogens by human PBMCs. Together; our results suggest that the innate immune recognition of the members of the C. parapsilosis complex is differential of that reported for C. albicans. In addition, we propose that purified cell wall mannans can be used as antagonist to block specific receptors on innate immune cells.
Selection of a semivariogram model in the study of spatial distribution of soil moisture

Abstract The paper presents a selection of a semivariogram model in the study of spatial variability of soil moisture in a loess agricultural catchment. Soil moisture tests were carried out in the Moszenki village, 15 km northwest of Lublin. Soil moisture measurements were performed at two dates at 104 points, located on a rectangular surface measuring 700 × 1200 m. These points were laid out in the corners of a grid of squares with sides 100 m. In addition, 6 measurements were made at a distance of less than 100 m from the nearest points. Soil moisture was measured in the soil surface (0–5 cm). ArcGis software with Geostatistical Analyst extension was used for modelling semivariograms. In both terms, five models of semivariograms were used: stable, circular, spherical, exponential and Gaussian. Kriging was used for the estimation of soil moisture values. Among the semivariogram models analyzed in this study, the largest errors in the determined values of soil moisture relative to the empirical data were observed for the exponential model, and the smallest for the Gaussian model. However, it should be emphasized that the values of the analysed errors for the individual semivariogram models were similar. Application of the ordinary kriging method for interpolation of spatial distribution of soil moisture yields good results, but it has to be kept in mind that the final shape of the spatial distribution is influenced by the choice of the semivariance function model.
Whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of skeletal metastases in patients with prostate cancer

Whole‐body MRI is an effective method for evaluating the entire skeletal system in patients with metastatic disease. This study aimed to compare whole‐body MRI and radionuclide bone scintigraph in the detection of skeletal metastases in patients with prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer at high risk of skeletal metastasis with (i) prostate‐specific antigen of ≥50 ng/mL; (ii) composite Gleason score of ≥8 with prostate‐specific antigen of >20 ng/mL; or (iii) node‐positive disease were enrolled in this prospective study before systemic treatment was initiated. Whole‐body MR images and bone scans of 39 patients were analysed. Seven patients had bone metastases on bone scans, while seven patients had skeletal metastases by whole‐body MRI, with concordant findings only in four patients. Compared with the ‘gold standard’, derived from clinical and radiological follow‐up, the sensitivity for both bone scans and MRI was 70%, and the specificity for both was 100%. Magnetic resonance imaging detected 26 individual lesions compared with 18 lesions on bone scans. Only eight lesions were positive on both. Bone scans detected more rib metastases, while MRI identified more metastatic lesions in the spine. Whole‐body MRI and radionuclide bone scintigraphy have similar specificity and sensitivity and may be used as complementary investigations to detect skeletal metastases from prostate cancer.
The Angular bispectrum of the cosmic microwave background

COBE has provided us with a whole-sky map of the CBR anisotropies. However, even if the noise level is negligible when the four year COBE data are available, the cosmic variance will prevent us from obtaining information about the Gaussian nature of the primordial fluctuations. This important issue is addressed here by studying the angular bispectrum of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies. A general form of the angular bispectrum is given and the cosmic variance of the angular bispectrum for Gaussian fluctuations is calculated. The advantage of using the angular bispectrum is that one can choose to use the multipole moments which minimize the cosmic variance term. The non-Gaussian signals in most physically motivated non-Gaussian models are small compared with cosmic variance. Unless the amplitudes are large, the non-Gaussian signals are only detectable in the COBE data in those models where the angular bispectrum is flat or increases with increasing multipole moment.
Factors predicting the rate of functional progression in early and suspected glaucoma.

PURPOSE Clinical trials in glaucoma have often sought to predict whether a patient will progress or remain stable. This study proposes to combine and support results from earlier studies, forming a model to predict the actual rate of functional change in glaucoma. METHODS Data were taken from 259 eyes of 150 participants with early or suspected glaucoma in the ongoing Portland Progression Project. A total of 3854 study visits were available, each consisting of visual acuity, confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO), and perimetry. The rate of functional change was calculated over each of 1541 series of six consecutive visits. Mixed effects models were formed to predict these rates using baseline perimetric measurements and CSLO parameters, together with IOP, age, and change in visual acuity through the series (to remove any confound from media changes). RESULTS Cup volume from CSLO was predictive of subsequent rate of functional change (P = 0.036), together with baseline mean deviation (P < 0.001) and pattern standard deviation (P = 0.097), age (P = 0.013), maximum IOP during the sequence (P = 0.004), and change in acuity during the sequence (P = 0.022). In a similar model, rim area was less predictive of functional change (P = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS A larger optic cup and/or a more damaged visual field are predictive of more rapid perimetric sensitivity loss. The structural parameters most closely correlated with current functional status may not be the parameters that are most useful for predicting the future course of a patient's disease. Maximum IOP may be a more important risk factor than mean IOP over the same time period.
Computing the Numerical Scale of the Linguistic Term Set for the 2-Tuple Fuzzy Linguistic Representation Model

When using linguistic approaches to solve decision problems, we need the techniques for computing with words (CW). Together with the 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation models (i.e., the Herrera and Martinez model and the Wang and Hao model), some computational techniques for CW are also developed. In this paper, we define the concept of numerical scale and extend the 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation models under the numerical scale. We find that the key of computational techniques based on linguistic 2-tuples is to set suitable numerical scale with the purpose of making transformations between linguistic 2-tuples and numerical values. By defining the concept of the transitive calibration matrix and its consistent index, this paper develops an optimization model to compute the numerical scale of the linguistic term set. The desired properties of the optimization model are also presented. Furthermore, we discuss how to construct the transitive calibration matrix for decision problems using linguistic preference relations and analyze the linkage between the consistent index of the transitive calibration matrix and one of the linguistic preference relations. The results in this paper are pretty helpful to complete the fuzzy 2-tuple representation models for CW.
A pilot study evaluating concordance between blood-based and patient-matched tumor molecular testing within pancreatic cancer patients participating in the Know Your Tumor (KYT) initiative

Recent improvements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology have enabled detection of biomarkers in cell-free DNA in blood and may ultimately replace invasive tissue biopsies. However, a better understanding of the performance of blood-based NGS assays is needed prior to routine clinical use. As part of an IRB-approved molecular profiling registry trial of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients, we facilitated blood-based NGS testing of 34 patients from multiple community-based and high-volume academic oncology practices. 23 of these patients also underwent traditional tumor tissue-based NGS testing. cfDNA was not detected in 9/34 (26%) patients. Overall concordance between blood and tumor tissue NGS assays was low, with only 25% sensitivity of blood-based NGS for tumor tissue NGS. Mutations in KRAS, the major PDA oncogene, were only detected in 10/34 (29%) blood samples, compared to 20/23 (87%) tumor tissue biopsies. The presence of mutations in circulating DNA was associated with reduced overall survival (54% in mutation-positive versus 90% in mutation-negative). Our results suggest that in the setting of previously treated, advanced PDA, liquid biopsies are not yet an adequate substitute for tissue biopsies. Further refinement in defining the optimal patient population and timing of blood sampling may improve the value of a blood-based test.
Charge-induced nematicity in FeSe

Significance Anisotropic electron liquids are ubiquitous in many correlated electron systems. Among them, electron nematics, which break rotation but not translation symmetry, are believed to play a key role in the physics of both cuprates and iron-based superconductors (Fe SC). However the study of electron nematicity has been hampered by the lack of an adequate probe of its associated fluctuations and susceptibility, making it difficult to track its origin. Here, using polarization-resolved Raman scattering, we report the detection of critical nematic fluctuations in the charge channel in the Fe SC compound FeSe. The strong enhancement of the associated nematic susceptibility allows us to link the appearance of nematicity to a symmetry-breaking distortion of the Fermi surface. The spontaneous appearance of nematicity, a state of matter that breaks rotation but not translation symmetry, is one of the most intriguing properties of the iron-based superconductors (Fe SC), and has relevance for the cuprates as well. Establishing the critical electronic modes behind nematicity remains a challenge, however, because their associated susceptibilities are not easily accessible by conventional probes. Here, using FeSe as a model system, and symmetry-resolved electronic Raman scattering as a probe, we unravel the presence of critical charge nematic fluctuations near the structural/nematic transition temperature, TS∼ 90 K. The diverging behavior of the associated nematic susceptibility foretells the presence of a Pomeranchuk instability of the Fermi surface with d-wave symmetry. The excellent scaling between the observed nematic susceptibility and elastic modulus data demonstrates that the structural distortion is driven by this d-wave Pomeranchuk transition. Our results make a strong case for charge-induced nematicity in FeSe.