Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Nicotine on a Translational Model of Working Memory

Cognitive research with human non-smokers has demonstrated that nicotine generally enhances performance on tasks of attention but, working memory does not appear to be affected. In contrast, nicotine has been shown to produce robust enhancements of working memory in non-human animals. To address this disparity, the present study investigated the effects of nicotine (2mg, 4mg nicotine gum, and placebo) on the performance of 30 non-smokers (15 male) completing a working memory task developed for rodents (the odor span task, OST). Nicotine has been reported to enhance OST performance in rodents and the present study sought to determine whether the effect is generalizable to human performance. In addition to completing the OST, participants completed a cognitive battery of clinical and experimental tasks assessing working memory and attention. This allowed for a direct comparison of OST performance to other commonly used measures of human cognition. Findings showed that nicotine was associated with dose dependent enhancements in sustained attention, as evidenced by increased hit accuracy on the rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task. However, nicotine failed to produce main effects on OST performance or on alternative measures of working memory (digit span, spatial span, letter-number sequencing, 2-back) or attention (digits forward, 0-back). Interestingly, enhancement of RVIP performance occurred concomitant to significant reductions in self-reported attention/concentration. Human OST performance was significantly related to Nback performance and, as in rodents, OST accuracy declined with increasing memory load. Given the similarity of human and rodent OST performance and the strong association observed vi between OST and visual 0-back accuracy, the OST may be particular useful for preclinical studies of conditions characterized by inattention.
Mineralogical Preservation of Solid Samples Collected from Anoxic Subsurface Environments

Remedial technologies utilized at hazardous waste sites for the treatment of metal and metalloid contaminants often take advantage of reduction-oxidation (redox) processes to reach ground water clean up goals (Barcelona and Holm, 1991; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). This is because redox reactions, in many cases, govern the biogeochemical behavior of inorganic contaminants by affecting their solubility, reactivity, and bioavailability. Site characterization efforts, remedial investigations, and long-term post-remedial monitoring often involve sampling and analysis of solids. Solid-phase studies are needed to evaluate contaminant partitioning to various mineral fractions, to develop site conceptual models of contaminant transport and fate, and to assess whether or not remedial mechanisms are occurring as expected. Measurements to determine mineralogical compositions, contaminant-mineral associations, and metal/metalloid uptake capacities of subsurface solids or reactive media used for in situ treatment of the subsurface all depend upon proper sample collection and preservation practices. This Issue Paper discusses mineralogical preservation methods for solid samples that can be applied during site characterization studies and assessments of remedial performance. A preservation protocol is presented that is applicable to solids collected from anoxic subsurface environments, such as soils, aquifers, and sediments.
Gender Equality and Economic Diversification

We show that gender inequality decreases the variety of goods countries produce and export, in particular in low-income and developing countries. We argue that this happens through at least two channels: first, gender gaps in opportunity, such as lower educational enrollment rates for girls than for boys, harm diversification by constraining the potential pool of human capital available in an economy. Second, gender gaps in the labor market impede the development of new ideas by decreasing the efficiency of the labor force. Our empirical estimates support these hypotheses, providing evidence that gender-friendly policies could help countries diversify their economies.
Dissociation of in X ammatory markers and natural killer cell activity in major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder is associated with increases in infectious disease risk as well as the incidence of inXammatory disorders. Declines of natural killer (NK) cell activity are reliably found in depression, whereas other studies report evidence of inXammation in depressed patients. The potential association between NK activity and circulating markers of immune activation has not been previously examined in the context of major depression. In this study, we measured levels of NK activity, circulating levels of interleukin6 (IL-6), soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and acute phase proteins in 25 male patients with current major depressive disorder and 25 age, gender, and body weight comparable controls. As compared to controls, patients with major depressive disorder showed lower NK activity (p D .05) and higher circulating levels of IL-6 (p < .05). Levels of NK activity were not correlated with IL-6 or with other markers of immune activation. The independent eVect of depression on inXammatory markers and natural killer immune responses has implications for understanding individual diVerences in the adverse health eVects of major depressive disorder.  2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The effect of government educational expenditure on labor productivity in Turkish manufacturing sector

Labor productivity is very important phenomena to maintain the sustainable economic growth. Actually, there are many studies in the economic literature about determining the factors affecting labor productivity. At this point, this study aims to investigate the relationship between labor productivity and government educational expenditure by using the data covering the period of 1971-2015 for Turkey. To this aim, it is applied linear and non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL). By using the bound testing approach, the long run relationship between variables has been investigated. Both models have been applied to determine whether the relationship between variables is linear or nonlinear. An asymmetric relationship between labor productivity and government educational expenditure was determined. For this reason, nonlinear model is preferred. The empirical findings indicate that positive changes in educational expenditure has negative effect on labor productivity and negative changes in educational expenditure has positive effect on labor productivity. The long run coefficient of openness is significantly positive; the short run coefficient of it is significantly negative for all lags. On the other hand, the effect of GDP growth on the labor productivity is significantly positive in both short and long run. While the effect of average annual labor worked hours is significantly negative for the first two lags, it is significantly positive the last two lags in short run, it is positive but not significant in long run.
Effective Health Care Complications of diabetes : Renal disease

s Over a million people in the United Kingdom have Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes. s The urine of people with Type 2 diabetes should be tested regularly (at least annually) for proteinuria and, if this is negative, for microalbuminuria. Two or more measurements should be carried out. s The blood pressure of people with diabetes should be checked at regular intervals and treatment offered if it is found to be consistently higher than 140/90. s In people with above-normal levels of protein in their urine, treatment with ACE inhibitors is appropriate, even if blood pressure is within the normal range. Treatment of other cardiovascular risk factors should also be considered. s Blood glucose levels should be kept as near to normal as is consistent with an acceptable quality of life. s People with Type 2 diabetes should be actively encouraged to be involved in their own care. s Further research is necessary to determine whether interventions to promote self-management have positive significant long-term effects on outcomes such as weight and HbA1c levels. s All future research should consider clinically relevant outcomes such as morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. This bulletin reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for Type 2 diabetes. It focuses on the treatment of renal disease and the promotion of self-management.
Report on the SOLID participatory research from Romania : Assessing the effects of inclusion of Camelina meal and grape marc on dairy cows ’ performances

with financial support from the European Community under the 7th Framework Programme. The publication reflects the views of the author(s) and not those of the European Community, which is not to be held liable for any use that may be made of the information contained. Report on the SOLID participatory research from Romania: Assessing the effects of inclusion of Camelina meal and grape marc on dairy cows’ performances
Combining satellite imagery and machine learning to predict poverty

Measuring consumption and wealth remotely Nighttime lighting is a rough proxy for economic wealth, and nighttime maps of the world show that many developing countries are sparsely illuminated. Jean et al. combined nighttime maps with high-resolution daytime satellite images (see the Perspective by Blumenstock). With a bit of machine-learning wizardry, the combined images can be converted into accurate estimates of household consumption and assets, both of which are hard to measure in poorer countries. Furthermore, the night- and day-time data are publicly available and nonproprietary. Science, this issue p. 790; see also p. 753 Satellites collect data that can be used to measure income and wealth. Reliable data on economic livelihoods remain scarce in the developing world, hampering efforts to study these outcomes and to design policies that improve them. Here we demonstrate an accurate, inexpensive, and scalable method for estimating consumption expenditure and asset wealth from high-resolution satellite imagery. Using survey and satellite data from five African countries—Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, and Rwanda—we show how a convolutional neural network can be trained to identify image features that can explain up to 75% of the variation in local-level economic outcomes. Our method, which requires only publicly available data, could transform efforts to track and target poverty in developing countries. It also demonstrates how powerful machine learning techniques can be applied in a setting with limited training data, suggesting broad potential application across many scientific domains.
Ultrasonographically measured testicular volumes in 0- to 6-year-old boys.

BACKGROUND Aside from converted data from orchidometer measurements, there are no referential values for testicular volume ultrasound measurements in children available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain ultrasonographically measured normative data for testicular volumes in 0- to 6-year-old boys. METHODS A total of 344 boys from different ethnic backgrounds were studied. For the ultrasound measurements, an Aloka SSD-900 was used with a 7.5 mHz linear transducer. Testicular volume was calculated using the formula: length x width x height x (pi/6). RESULTS No differences were found either between the various ethnic groups or between the left and right testicle. Mean testicular volume was compared between the different age categories. Mean testicular volume increases significantly in the first 5 months from 0.27 to 0.44 cm(3) after which the volume decreases to 0.31 cm(3) at approximately 9 months. During the following years, testicular volume remains stable. CONCLUSIONS This study provides normal values for ultrasonographically measured testicular volumes in 0- to 6-year-old boys. Ultrasound is a valid method to measure small pre-pubertal testicles as it is able to detect minor changes in volume in relation to established physiological changes in the first year of life.
Projecting Temporal Properties, Events and Actions

Temporal notions based on a finite set A of properties are represented in strings, on which projections are defined that vary the granularity A. The structure of properties in A is elaborated to describe statives, events and actions, subject to a distinction in meaning (advocated by Levin and Rappaport Hovav) between what the lexicon prescribes and what a context of use supplies. The projections proposed are deployed as labels for records and record types amenable to finite-state methods.
Nanohole design for high performance polymer solar cell

A novel design of nanohole polymer solar cell (NHPSC) is reported for light trapping improvement. The proposed design has shown a considerable enhancement in the optical and electrical parameters of the polymer solar cell based on a conventional blend of poly-3-hexylthiophene/ [6, 6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) as an active material. In this study, 3D finite difference time domain method is used to simulate the light absorption in the nanohole structure. In addition, an electrical model is developed to calculate the electrical parameters of the polymer solar cell. The reported design has shown 28% improvement in short circuit current density and overall efficiency alike.
Payout Taxation and Corporate Investment: The Agency Channel

This paper demonstrates a new agency channel through which payout taxation affects corporate investment. Lower payout taxes increase managers' cash flow right to the firm via managerial ownership, which further aligns shareholder-manager incentives but exacerbates managerial risk exposures to the firm. I develop a framework to test this channel and provide supporting evidence using a setting of innovation investments around the 2003 Dividend Tax Cut. Aligning incentives stimulates the innovation input and output. Aggravated managerial risk aversion impedes innovation quantity and also shifts innovation to safer and more incremental directions. I also explore underlying operational channels and interactive mechanisms.
A Two Decadal (1993–2012) Numerical Assessment of Sediment Dynamics in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

We adapted the coupled ocean-sediment transport model to the northern Gulf of Mexico to examine sediment dynamics on seasonal-to-decadal time scales as well as its response to decreased fluvial inputs from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River. Sediment transport on the shelf exhibited contrasting conditions in a year, with strong westward transport in spring, fall, and winter, and relatively weak eastward transport in summer. Sedimentation rate varied from almost zero on the open shelf to more than 10 cm/year near river mouths. A phase shift in river discharge was detected in 1999 and was associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event, after which, water and sediment fluxes decreased by ~20% and ~40%, respectively. Two sensitivity tests were carried out to examine the response of sediment dynamics to high and low river discharge, respectively. With a decreased fluvial supply, sediment flux and sedimentation rate were largely reduced in areas proximal to the deltas, which might accelerate the land loss in down-coast bays and estuaries. The results of two sensitivity tests indicated the decreased river discharge would largely affect sediment balance in waters around the delta. The impact from decreased fluvial input was minimum on the sandy shoals ~100 km west of the Mississippi Delta, where deposition of fluvial sediments was highly affected by winds.
Privatization of a Tourism Event: Do Attendees Perceive it as a Risky Cultural Lottery?

Individuals might have different views about the benefits and the costs of privatizing a cultural event. On the one hand, privatization may increase the quality of the event due to expanding investments. On the other hand, it may lead to the dissipation of important cultural and traditional connotations. Since benefits and costs are uncertain, we frame an individual’s choice regarding privatization as a lottery choice, where risk aversion and other individual traits play a role. We empirically investigate attendees’ preferences for privatizing a mass gathering festival in Italy. The festival is attended by almost 100,000 tourists each year. Over a three-year period, we collected a large dataset of survey questions. We find that willingness to accept privatization is decreasing in tourists’ risk aversion, while it is increasing in their sensitivity to the festival’s quality. Cultural tourists perceive a higher risk of commodification in the case of privatization. Authenticity-seeking tourists act as gatekeepers of the genuine roots of local traditions. They demand original values, ultimately contributing to the festival’s cultural sustainability. The purpose of attracting visitors is in fact commonly assumed to alter local culture, resulting in a staged authenticity; and privatization of cultural goods is often associated with commodification.
Improvement of Corn Yield by Seed Biofertilization and Urea Application

To study effect of biofertilizer and urea application on yield of Corn (Zea mays L.) a factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design. Treatments were urea rate (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg.ha ) and nitragin as a biofertilizer. When seeds inoculated with biofertilizer, leaf area index 1
The Common Traits of the ACC and PFC in Anxiety Disorders in the DSM-5: Meta-Analysis of Voxel-Based Morphometry Studies

Background The core domains of social anxiety disorder (SAD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD) with and without agoraphobia (GA), and specific phobia (SP) are cognitive and physical symptoms that are related to the experience of fear and anxiety. It remains unclear whether these highly comorbid conditions that constitute the anxiety disorder subgroups of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition (DSM-5) represent distinct disorders or alternative presentations of a single underlying pathology. Methods A systematic search of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies of SAD, GAD, PD, GA, and SP was performed with an effect-size signed differential mapping (ES-SDM) meta-analysis to estimate the clusters of significant gray matter differences between patients and controls. Results Twenty-four studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Reductions in the right anterior cingulate gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus gray matter volumes (GMVs) were noted in patients with anxiety disorders when potential confounders, such as comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD), age, and antidepressant use were controlled for. We also demonstrated increased GMVs in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in comorbid depression-anxiety (CDA), drug-naïve and adult patients. Furthermore, we identified a reduced left middle temporal gyrus and right precentral gyrus in anxiety patients without comorbid MDD. Conclusion Our findings indicate that a reduced volume of the right ventral anterior cingulate gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus is common in anxiety disorders and is independent of comorbid depression, medication use, and age. This generic effect supports the notion that the four types of anxiety disorders have a clear degree of overlap that may reflect shared etiological mechanisms. The results are consistent with neuroanatomical DLPFC models of physiological responses, such as worry and fear, and the importance of the ventral anterior cingulate (ACC)/medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mediating anxiety symptoms.
When chytrid fungus invades: integrating theory and data to understand disease-induced amphibian declines

12 Amphibian populations around the globe are experiencing declines, many of which are driven by the 13 fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). However, different species of amphibians, as well 14 as divergent populations of the same species of amphibian, can show drastically different responses to Bd 15 invasion. In this chapter we answer three questions: 1) What are the potential trajectories of amphibian 16 host populations following Bd invasion? 2) How are each of these trajectories influenced by both the 17 transmission dynamics and load dynamics governing an amphibian-Bd system? 3) How do ecological, 18 evolutionary, and environmental factors affect both Bd transmission and Bd load dynamics, which in turn 19 influence the population-level outcome of amphibian hosts? We build a general framework that identifies 20 eight population-level trajectories that amphibian populations can take upon Bd invasion that are a 21 result of five different branch points. Each of these branch points is affected by either the transmission 22 dynamics or the load dynamics underlying the system. By integrating relevant disease ecology theory as 23 well as empirical data, this framework can be used to guide context-dependent management strategies for 24 amphibian populations infected with Bd. While this framework is motivated by amphibian-Bd systems, 25 we anticipate that it will also provide a useful lens through which to view the relative importance of 26 transmission and load dynamics in other host-pathogen systems. 27 12.
The Y-STR Genetic Diversity of an Idaho Basque Population, with Comparison to European Basques and US Caucasians

Abstract Fifty unrelated Basque males from southwest Idaho were typed for the 17 Y-STR loci in the Yfiler multiplex kit (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, YGATA H4.1 and DYS385a/b). In total, 42 haplotypes were identified, with no more than two individuals sharing a single haplotype. The haplotype diversity (HD) was 0.9935, and gene diversity (D) over loci was 0.457 ± 0.137. The Idaho Basque population was compared to the source population from the Basque autonomous region of Northern Spain and Southern France, as well as a United States Caucasian population. The haplotype diversity for the immigrant Basque sample is within 0.4% of the haplotype diversity of the European Basques (0.9903); thus the power of discrimination is similar for each population. The Idaho Basque population has less diversity in 9 out of 16 loci (considering DYS385a/b together) and 3% less diversity across all loci, compared to the European Basque population. A multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) was created using pairwise RST values to compare the Idaho Basques to other populations. Based upon RST and FST measures, no significant differentiation was found between the Idaho and source European Basque population.
Improved Results on Stability of Time-delay Systems using Wirtinger-based Inequality

Abstract This paper concerns with the problem of delay-dependent stability analysis of time-delay systems. By help of Wirtinger based inequality which gives very close estimating bound of Jensen's inequality, an extended inequality is proposed. Using the new inequality and tuning parameters, a generalized criterion for stability of time-delay systems is established. Two numerical examples are given to describe the less conservatism of the proposed methods.
Measuring the Impact of Microfinance on Women Empowerment: A Cross Country Analysis with Special Reference to India

The outreach of microfinance program is considered to be a means to enhance the economic opportunities among the women section of the population and thus have its far reaching implications to the empowerment of women. In this respect, a wide variation in the outreach of microfinance program to the women poor households is observed across countries of the world. In India, the states having higher level of microfinance outreach are also the states with a relatively high level of women empowerment. It is, thus, predicted that an all-inclusive microfinance system would strengthen the process of financial inclusion in India and thereby would promote women’s empowerment.