Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Broca's Area, Sentence Comprehension, and Working Memory: An fMRI Study

The role of Broca's area in sentence processing remains controversial. According to one view, Broca's area is involved in processing a subcomponent of syntactic processing. Another view holds that it contributes to sentence processing via verbal working memory. Sub-regions of Broca's area have been identified that are more active during the processing of complex (object-relative clause) sentences compared to simple (subject-relative clause) sentences. The present study aimed to determine if this complexity effect can be accounted for in terms of the articulatory rehearsal component of verbal working memory. In a behavioral experiment, subjects were asked to comprehend sentences during concurrent speech articulation which minimizes articulatory rehearsal as a resource for sentence comprehension. A finger-tapping task was used as a control concurrent task. Only the object-relative clause sentences were more difficult to comprehend during speech articulation than during the manual task, showing that articulatory rehearsal does contribute to sentence processing. A second experiment used fMRI to document the brain regions underlying this effect. Subjects judged the plausibility of sentences during speech articulation, a finger-tapping task, or without a concurrent task. In the absence of a secondary task, Broca's area (pars triangularis and pars opercularis) demonstrated an increase in activity as a function of syntactic complexity. However, during concurrent speech articulation (but not finger-tapping) this complexity effect was eliminated in the pars opercularis suggesting that this region supports sentence comprehension via its role in articulatory rehearsal. Activity in the pars triangularis was modulated by the finger-tapping task, but not the speech articulation task.
Holistic Atlases of Functional Networks and Interactions Reveal Reciprocal Organizational Architecture of Cortical Function

For decades, it has been largely unknown to what extent multiple functional networks spatially overlap/interact with each other and jointly realize the total cortical function. Here, by developing novel sparse representation of whole-brain fMRI signals and by using the recently publicly released large-scale Human Connectome Project high-quality fMRI data, we show that a number of reproducible and robust functional networks, including both task-evoked and resting state networks, are simultaneously distributed in distant neuroanatomic areas and substantially spatially overlapping with each other, thus forming an initial collection of holistic atlases of functional networks and interactions (HAFNIs). More interestingly, the HAFNIs revealed two distinct patterns of highly overlapped regions and highly specialized regions and exhibited that these two patterns of areas are reciprocally localized, revealing a novel organizational principle of cortical function.
Emx1 and Emx2 cooperate to regulate cortical size, lamination, neuronal differentiation, development of cortical efferents, and thalamocortical pathfinding

The homeobox transcription factors Emx1 and Emx2 are expressed in overlapping patterns that include cortical progenitors in the dorsal telencephalic neuroepithelium. We have addressed cooperation of Emx1 and Emx2 in cortical development by comparing phenotypes in Emx1; Emx2 double mutant mice with wild‐type and Emx1 and Emx2 single mutants. Emx double mutant cortex is greatly reduced compared with wild types and Emx single mutants; the hippocampus and dentate gyrus are absent, and growth and lamination of the olfactory bulbs are defective. Cell proliferation and death are relatively normal early in cortical neurogenesis, suggesting that hypoplasia of the double mutant cortex is primarily due to earlier patterning defects. Expression of cortical markers persists in the reduced double mutant neocortex, but the laminar patterns exhibited are less sharp than normal, consistent with deficient cytoarchitecture, probably due in part to reduced numbers of preplate and Reelin‐positive Cajal‐Retzius neurons. Subplate neurons also exhibit abnormal differentiation in double mutants. Cortical efferent axons fail to exit the double mutant cortex, and TCAs pass through the striatum and approach the cortex but do not enter it. This TCA pathfinding defect appears to be non‐cell autonomous and supports the hypothesis that cortical efferents are required scaffolds to guide TCAs into cortex. In double mutants, some TCAs fail to turn into ventral telencephalon and take an aberrant ventral trajectory; this pathfinding defect correlates with an Emx2 expression domain in ventral telencephalon. The more severe phenotypes in Emx double mutants suggest that Emx1 and Emx2 cooperate to regulate multiple features of cortical development. J. Comp. Neurol. 457:345–360, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Signs and Symptoms of Temporomandibular Dysfunction in Fibromyalgic Patients

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the frequency of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in fibromyalgic patients. MethodsSixty subjects of both sexes (mean age, 49.2 ± 13.8 years) with fibromyalgia (FM) diagnosis were included in this study. All patients were examined by a calibrated investigator to identify the presence of TMD using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. ResultsThe most common signs (A) and symptoms (B) reported by FM patients were (A) pain in the masticatory muscles (masseter, 80%; posterior digastric, 76.7%), pain in the temporomandibular joint (83.3%), and 33.3% and 28.3%, respectively, presented joint sounds when opening and closing the mouth; (B) headache (97%) and facial pain (81.7%). In regard to the classic triad for the diagnosis of the TMD, it was found that 35% of the FM patients presented, at the same time, pain, joint sounds, and alteration of the mandibular movements. It was verified that myofascial pain without limitation of mouth opening was the most prevalent diagnosis (47%) for the RDC subgroup I. For the subgroup II, the disk displacement with reduction was the most prevalent diagnosis (21.6%). For the subgroup III, 36.7% of the subjects presented osteoarthritis. ConclusionsThus, there is a high prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD in FM patients, indicating the need for an integrated diagnosis and treatment of these patients, which suggest that the FM could be a medium- or long-term risk factor for the development of TMD.
Characterization of Nucleotide Transport into Rat Brain Synaptic Vesicles

Abstract : ATP transport to synaptic vesicles from rat brain has been studied using the fluorescent substrate analogue 1,N6‐ethenoadenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ε‐ATP), The increase in intravesicular concentration was time dependent for the first 30 min, ε‐ATP being the most abundant nucleotide. The complexity of the saturation curve indicates the existence of kinetic and allosteric cooperativity in the nucleotide transport, which exhibits various affinity states with K0.5 values of 0.39 ± 0.06 and 3.8 ± 0.1 mM with ε‐ATP as substrate. The Vmax values obtained were 13.5 ± 1.4 pmol · min‐1· mg of protein‐1 for the first curve and 28.3 ± 1.6 pmol · min‐1· mg of protein‐1 considering both components. This kinetic behavior can be explained on the basis of a mnemonic model. The nonhydrolyzable adenine nucleotide analogues adenosine 5′‐O‐3‐(thiotriphosphate), adenosine 5′‐(β,γ‐imino)triphosphate and the diadenosine polyphosphates P1,P3‐di(adenosine)triphosphate, P1,P4‐di(adenosine)tetraphosphate, and P1,P5‐di(adenosine)pentaphosphae the nucleotide transport. The mitochondrial ATP/ADP exchange inhibitor atractyloside, N‐ethylmaleimide, and polysulfonic aromatic compounds such as Evans blue and 4,4′‐diisothiocyanostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid also inhibit ε‐ATP vesicular transport.
The Evolving Concepts of Haemodynamic Support: From Pulmonary Artery Catheter to Echocardiography and Theragnostics

Echocardiography is a non-invasive tool, aimed towards the anatomical and functional characterization of the heart. In Intensive Care it is considered nowadays as a necessary tool for patient evaluation. However, the information obtained using echocardiography is not the same as provided by other means, namely the invasive ones. In recent years there has been a significant evolution in the general concepts of haemodynamic support for the critically ill patient. In this new environment, echocardiography has gained particular relevance. In this text the new positioning of echocardiography in the light of the new concepts for hemodynamic support is described, as well as, the need for a specific formative program directed towards Intensive Care physicians. A new generation of biomarkers can also add relevant information and start a new era in haemodynamic support. They may help to further characterize the disease process, identifying patients at risk, as well as, characterize specific organ failure as well as monitoring therapy.
Supplementation With Galactooligosaccharides and Inulin Increases Bacterial Translocation in Artificially Reared Newborn Rats

Supplementation of formulas with prebiotics enhances the growth of lactate producing bacteria, and fecal lactate, and acetate levels in infants. High concentrations of organic acids in intestinal lumen have, however, been shown to impair the intestinal barrier function. To determine whether stimulating the colonic microbiotal metabolism with prebiotics would impair the neonatal intestinal barrier function, artificially reared rats were fed milk formula with or without a mixture of galactooligosaccharides/inulin (GOS/Inulin, 88/12; 5.6 g/L) from the 7th d of life (d7) until weaning (d20). At d18, GOS/inulin supplementation had increased the concentrations of acetate and lactate in colonic lumen. Although neither ileum-associated microbiota nor colonic permeability (assessed in Ussing chambers), nor the expression of tight junction claudin-2 and claudin-3 mRNA were altered, GOS/inulin supplementation was associated with increased bacterial translocation (BT) toward spleen. None of these effects persisted at d40. We conclude that GOS/inulin supplementation may increase BT in an immature gut. The balance between the potential infectious risk of BT vs. its putative beneficial effect on the maturation of neonatal immune system clearly warrants further study.
A 28nm programmable and low power ultra-HD video codec engine

Video codec standards like H.264 and HEVC are driving the need for high computation and high memory bandwidth in current SOCs. On the other hand, portable devices like smartphones and tablets are driving the need to reduce power consumption for enhanced battery life. In this paper, we present a scalable H.264 Ultra-HD video codec engine that dissipates 9 mW of decode and 18 mW of encode power (for a typical HP H.264 1080p30 bit-stream) in 28 nm low power process technology node using various low power optimization techniques across architecture, design, circuit, software and systems.
Structuring multi-dimensional subshifts

We study two relations on multi-dimensional subshifts: A pre-order based on the patterns configurations contain and the Cantor-Bendixson rank. We exhibit several structural properties of two-dimensional subshifts: We characterize the simplest aperiodic configurations in countable SFTs, we give a combinatorial characterization of uncountable subshifts, we prove that there always exists configurations without any periodicity but that have the simplest possible combinatorics in countable SFTs. Finally, we prove that some Cantor-Bendixson ranks are impossible for countable SFTs, leaving only a few unknown cases.
Lexical Coherence Graph Modeling Using Word Embeddings

Coherence is established by semantic connections between sentences of a text which can be modeled by lexical relations. In this paper, we introduce the lexical coherence graph (LCG), a new graph-based model to represent lexical relations among sentences. The frequency of subgraphs (coherence patterns) of this graph captures the connectivity style of sentence nodes in this graph. The coherence of a text is encoded by a vector of these frequencies. We evaluate the LCG model on the readability ranking task. The results of the experiments show that the LCG model obtains higher accuracy than state-of-the-art coherence models. Using larger subgraphs yields higher accuracy, because they capture more structural information. However, larger subgraphs can be sparse. We adapt Kneser-Ney smoothing to smooth subgraphs’ frequencies. Smoothing improves performance.
Robust Adaptive Control of a Highly Nonlinear Ill-Conditioned Plant

An adaptive procedure is proposed for the robust control of a highly nonlinear ill-conditioned plant - the Flying Test Bed (FTB): a rocket that will be used to carry an Air-Turbo Ram jet (ATR) engine during engine tests. Three models - a nonlinear model, a linear time-varying model with nonlinear gravity compensation and a linear model in the form of a transfer function - were developed. The third model is used for designing robust controllers. For airspeeds below 100m/s a fixed robust controller can be designed for large variations in all parameters; however, for higher rocket velocities the range of allowable parameter variations must be reduced in order to find a fixed controller. The second model is used for the identification of the rocket's uncertain parameters: C Lα , C Lδ and lcp. As they are nearly unidentifiable at lcp approximately equal to 0, i.e., close to the rocket's instability, a method running a set of parallel models - observers is proposed, and the nearest neighbor in the dynamic response is used as the resulting model. The first model is used to test the proposed procedure by the simulation of the rocket in a dive-recovery experiment. The simulation results proved the robustness of the proposed control scheme.
The Effect of Sibmating on the Infection Dynamics of Male-Killing Bacteria

Male-killing (MK) bacteria are vertically transmitted endosymbionts that selectively kill the male offspring of their hosts. Simple mathematical models describe the infection dynamics using two parameters, the bacterial transmission rate and a fitness compensation for siblings of killed males. These models cannot explain two phenomena that have been observed in nature: the persistence of extreme MK causing all-female broods, and the coexistence of two different strains of MK bacteria in the same host population. In the present study, we extend the simple MK models and investigate theoretically the effects of sibmating on the infection dynamics. We demonstrate analytically that, in general, sibmating reduces MK prevalence, and can even cause its extinction. As a special case of this finding, we show that sibmating allows a stable coexistence between no infection and extreme MK. Furthermore, we performed computer simulations and showed that, depending on male mating capacity, a stable coexistence of two strains is possible if sibmating occurs but is below a threshold. The results suggest that sibmating might be an important factor for understanding the infection dynamics of MK bacteria.
Physiology of the Femoral Chordotonal Organ in the Stick Insect, Cuniculina Impigra

SUMMARY The femoral chordotonal organ of the stick insect Cuniculina impigra Redtenbacher (Phasmida) can be stimulated precisely by moving the receptor apodeme. Single sensory units in the sensory nerve are recorded using glass microelectrodes. The units are classified according to their sensitivity to (a) position, (b) position and velocity and (c) velocity. Nearly all transitional forms exist between the position and velocity receptors. Both elongation- and relaxation-sensitive receptors exist, and also units which are bi-directionally sensitive. Many position receptors have their maximum frequency at one of the extreme joint positions, but others have their maximum frequency near the middle position of the joint. Some velocity-sensitive units respond with equal sensitivity over the whole operating range of the joint, whereas other velocity receptors respond only in a part of the operating range, thus providing further evidence of rangefractionation.
An investigation of anthelmintic efficacy against strongyles on equine yards in Scotland.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Cyathostomins comprise 50 helminth species, considered the most problematic equine endoparasites. Three classes of anthelmintic are currently licensed for their control, namely the benzimidazoles (fenbendazole), tetrahydropyrimidines (pyrantel) and macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin and moxidectin). Anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomins is common. With no new classes expected in the near future, it is essential to determine the efficacy of the available anthelmintics to inform future control programmes. OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy of all 3 anthelmintic classes against strongyles in equids on livery yards in east and central Scotland. STUDY DESIGN Anthelmintic efficacy testing using the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). METHODS FECRTs were performed on equids with initial strongyle faecal egg counts (FECs) of ≥50 eggs per gram. Efficacy was determined by comparing pretreatment (Day 0) and 14 days post treatment (Day 14) FECs. The following chemicals were tested: fenbendazole, pyrantel, ivermectin and moxidectin. Group arithmetic mean FECR of >90% for fenbendazole and pyrantel, and >95% for ivermectin and moxidectin, represented efficacy, whereas lower mean FECR indicated potential resistance. RESULTS A total of 447 FECRTs were performed on 15 yards, as follows (the numbers in parentheses represent the number of yards each anthelmintic was tested on): 55 equids (7 yards) fenbendazole, 111 (8 yards) pyrantel, 163 (13 yards) ivermectin and 118 (10 yards) moxidectin. Fenbendazole resistance was documented on all yards (range of mean FECR, 15.8-83.4%), whereas pyrantel (90.4-99.6%), ivermectin (99.5-100%) and moxidectin (99.4-100%) treatment had acceptable efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Reduced efficacy of fenbendazole was widespread, whereas >90% efficacy was found after pyrantel, and >95% efficacy after ivermectin and moxidectin. Overall, efficacies were higher than reported previously in Europe and the USA, potentially reflecting differences in management and anthelmintic use on the yards surveyed. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE The use of fenbendazole for strongyle control in Scotland should be questioned. Targeted use of pyrantel should be encouraged to reduce reliance on macrocyclic lactones. Further work to correlate management practices with the presence of anthelmintic resistance is warranted.
Finding a Good Price in Opaque Over-the-Counter Markets

This article offers a dynamic model of opaque over-the-counter markets. A seller searches for an attractive price by visiting multiple buyers, one at a time. The buyers do not observe contacts, quotes, or trades elsewhere in the market. A repeat contact with a buyer reveals the seller's reduced outside options and worsens the price offered by the revisited buyer. When the asset value is uncertain and common to all buyers, a visit by the seller suggests that other buyers could have quoted unattractive prices and thus worsens the visited buyer's inference regarding the asset value. The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. , Oxford University Press.
Review of experimental characterisation and modelling of asphalt binders at low temperature

Abstract Asphalt binder represents the main constituent of asphalt paving mixtures. The functional performance and durability of asphalt pavements strongly depend on the rheological and mechanical properties of the binder. Asphalt binder is a highly temperature susceptible material that becomes brittle and more prone to failure at low temperature, which may ultimately result in thermal cracking at the mixture level. Significant effort was devoted over the years to reduce the occurrence of this distress. For this purpose, a number of experimental methods were developed to characterise asphalt binders at low temperature. At the same time, different models were formulated to better understand and predict the material behaviour while extrapolating more information from the testing measurements. In this paper, a comprehensive review on the behaviour of asphalt binders at low temperature is presented. First, a synthetic introduction and background on the development of the criteria for asphalt binder low-temperature behaviour are provided. Then, the current testing procedures for characterising asphalt binders are presented and the validity of the current PG specification is discussed. Finally, the most significant modelling developments are reviewed.
Evidence of a Role for Local Complement Expression in a Murine Model of Progressive Glomerulonephritis

C57/B6 mice received intraperitoneal horse spleen apoferritin (4 mg) with lipopolysaccharide (0.05 mg); control mice received 0.15 M NaCl. Control and treated animals were killed weekly for 6 wk; blood and urine specimens were obtained, and tissue samples were secured. Treated animals showed evidence of significant chronic disease, with proteinuria, hematuria, and uremia. A mild glomerulonephritis was present at 2 wk, with significant proliferative glomerulonephritis at 4 wk, progressing to chronic disease with tubulointerstitial changes at 6 wk. Changes at each time period were uniform between animals. C3 mRNA was first detected by in situ hybridization at 3 wk. Message was restricted to proximal tubular and periglomerular epithelial cells. Presence of C3 message preceded the development of interstitial inflammation and fibrosis by 1–2 wk, and its location and intensity paralleled the evolving interstitial disease. Although extensive mesangial C3 protein deposits appeared early, there was never C3 message in glomeruli or infiltrating cells. Before C3 message became apparent, two cytokines known to up-regulate C3 transcription in vitro, IL-1 and IL-6, were detected by immunohistochemistry. The temporal sequence in this model is consistent with our hypothesis that local synthesis and activation of C3 in tubular epithelium is important to the interstitial component of chronic glomerulonephritis. The process is independent of the deposition of circulating complement in the glomerulus, but may be triggered by glomerular cytokines.
Stability and energy of low current surface discharges on wet surfaces

Low current discharges are of concern in the context of predicting the lifetime of outdoor polymeric insulators. The nature of ac surface discharges changes markedly between peak currents of 0.5 mA and 10 mA: the electrical characteristics typically changing from unstable to stable behavior when the peak current increases above 1 mA. This change is important because of the implications of energy transfer between the discharge and the underlying material surface, and resulting changes to ageing mechanisms. In this paper, tests with artificial wind and rain have been conducted to investigate the processes by which unstable discharges become stable. Results show that under the impact of wind and rain, low current (<; 1 mA) unstable discharges can transform to stable discharges. Discharge length compression was observed for the stable dry-band discharges in the current range between 5 mA and 10 mA under similar experimental conditions. Analysis of electrical energy in the discharge indicates that the energy density per cycle rises significantly during both the unstable to stable discharge transition, and during discharge compression. It is clear therefore that ageing as a result of surface discharges on outdoor insulation must be thought of as a dynamic process, rather than one in equilibrium. The implication is that short-term adventitious events may control insulator life expectancy rather than long-term 'average' conditions.