Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural Variability in Premotor Cortex Provides a Signature of Motor Preparation

We present experiments and analyses designed to test the idea that firing rates in premotor cortex become optimized during motor preparation, approaching their ideal values over time. We measured the across-trial variability of neural responses in dorsal premotor cortex of three monkeys performing a delayed-reach task. Such variability was initially high, but declined after target onset, and was maintained at a rough plateau during the delay. An additional decline was observed after the go cue. Between target onset and movement onset, variability declined by an average of 34%. This decline in variability was observed even when mean firing rate changed little. We hypothesize that this effect is related to the progress of motor preparation. In this interpretation, firing rates are initially variable across trials but are brought, over time, to their “appropriate” values, becoming consistent in the process. Consistent with this hypothesis, reaction times were longer if the go cue was presented shortly after target onset, when variability was still high, and were shorter if the go cue was presented well after target onset, when variability had fallen to its plateau. A similar effect was observed for the natural variability in reaction time: longer (shorter) reaction times tended to occur on trials in which firing rates were more (less) variable. These results reveal a remarkable degree of temporal structure in the variability of cortical neurons. The relationship with reaction time argues that the changes in variability approximately track the progress of motor preparation.
Immunobiology and the future of myoblast transfer therapy.

Myoblast transfer therapy (MTT) is a cell-mediated gene transfer method aimed at the restoration of normal dystrophin expression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Initial clinical MTT trials were conducted amid much controversy, as they were based on very few animal studies. Unfortunately, the trials were of little therapeutic benefit. As a result, there has been a renaissance of interest in experimental studies in animal models. In MTT, myoblasts are obtained by muscle biopsy from normal, i.e., dystrophin-positive, donors, expanded in culture, and injected directly into the muscles of dystrophic recipients. The major requirement for successful MTT is the survival of injected donor myoblasts in the host environment. However, a vast majority of donor cells fail to survive for more than 1 h after injection, and very few last beyond the first week. This review on the immunological aspects of MTT focuses in particular on the roles of specific components of the host immune response, the effects of tissue culture on donor cells, and strategies under development to circumvent the problem of donor myoblast death after injection in vivo.
Deep Impact: Excavating Comet Tempel 1

Deep Impact collided with comet Tempel 1, excavating a crater controlled by gravity. The comet's outer layer is composed of 1- to 100-micrometer fine particles with negligible strength (<65 pascals). Local gravitational field and average nucleus density (600 kilograms per cubic meter) are estimated from ejecta fallback. Initial ejecta were hot (>1000 kelvins). A large increase in organic material occurred during and after the event, with smaller changes in carbon dioxide relative to water. On approach, the spacecraft observed frequent natural outbursts, a mean radius of 3.0 ± 0.1 kilometers, smooth and rough terrain, scarps, and impact craters. A thermal map indicates a surface in equilibrium with sunlight.
Distributed algorithmic mechanism design: recent results and future directions

Distributed Algorithmic Mechanism Design (DAMD) combines theoretical computer science's traditional focus on computational tractability with its more recent interest in incentive compatibility and distributed computing. The Internet's decentralized nature, in which distributed computation and autonomous agents prevail, makes DAMD a very natural approach for many Internet problems. This paper first outlines the basics of DAMD and then reviews previous DAMD results on multicast cost sharing and interdomain routing. The remainder of the paper describes several promising research directions and poses some specific open problems.
Apoptotic changes induced in mice splenic tissue due to malaria infection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes and causing multiple alterations in the infected host. The objective of this study was to investigate the apoptotic changes in murine splenic tissue due to infection with Plasmodium chabaudi. METHODS Flow cytometric analysis was used to quantify normal and apoptotic spleen cells in P. chabaudi-infected female C57BL/6 mice. Splenic tissue was also examined for histological study. RESULTS Challenge of mice with parasitized erythrocytes induced damage to splenic tissue. Splenomegaly and changes in splenic cell numbers were the most common changes linked to P. chabaudi. Also noteworthy was that apoptotic splenic cell numbers correlated with changes in parasitemia. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that reversible splenic lesions might develop after persistent low-grade parasitemia. Rapid changes in cellular splenic populations are influenced by apoptotic events, proving the role of the spleen in protective immunity against blood-borne infections due to P. chabaudi malaria.
Severe acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis secondary to cholelithiasis as a rare cause of sudden unexpected death in medico-legal case: A case report

Introduction:Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an uncommon disease with a wide clinical course varying from mild and self-limiting to severe with eventual death. However, death caused by AP is rare. Most cases of AP reported in the English-language literature are based on clinical data; few are medico-legal studies. Case presentation:The author recently experienced a case of sudden unexpected death in a young man caused by extensive severe hemorrhagic AP secondary to cholelithiasis, not chronic alcoholism, which is a much more prominent etiology of AP in medico-legal perspectives. The deceased had complained of dizziness, nausea, and fatigue without significant abdominal pain for about 1 week and received some home medications for symptomatic treatment including an antibiotic drug from a clinic just 2 days prior to his death. He had complained of lower extremity weakness, intense thirst, and subsequently collapsed and was brought to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after his admission following unsuccessful advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts. Conclusion:This case is herein reported with an extensive review of the pertinent literature to highlight the findings of the case and raise awareness within the medico-legal profession and also the medical profession.
Do men and women report their sexual partnerships differently? Evidence from Kisumu, Kenya.

CONTEXT It is generally believed that men and women misreport their sexual behaviors, which undermines the ability of researchers, program designers and health care providers to assess whether these behaviors compromise individuals' sexual and reproductive health. METHODS Data on 1,299 recent sexual partnerships were collected in a 2007 survey of 1,275 men and women aged 18-24 and living in Kisumu, Kenya. Chi-square and t tests were used to examine how sample selection bias and selective partnership reporting may result in gender differences in reported sexual behaviors. Correlation coefficients and kappa statistics were calculated in further analysis of a sample of 280 matched marital and nonmarital couples to assess agreement on reported behaviors. RESULTS Even after adjustment for sample selection bias, men reported twice as many partnerships as women (0.5 vs. 0.2), as well as more casual partnerships. However, when selective reporting was controlled for, aggregate gender differences in sexual behaviors almost entirely disappeared. In the matched-couples sample, men and women exhibited moderate to substantial levels of agreement for most relationship characteristics and behaviors, including type of relationship, frequency of sex and condom use. Finally, men and women tended to agree about whether men had other nonmarital partners, but disagreed about women's nonmarital partners. CONCLUSIONS Both sample selection bias and selective partnership reporting can influence the level of agreement between men's and women's reports of sexual behaviors. Although men report more casual partners than do women, accounts of sexual behavior within reported relationships are generally reliable.
Ieee Computer Graphics and Applications Challenges for Large-display Groupware Secrets to Success and Fatal Flaws: the Design of Large-display Groupware

R esearch in the field of large-display group-ware applications has yet to yield a killer app, a common look and feel for applications, or a set of broadly applicable design principles. It's therefore difficult to understand what constitutes a successful large-display groupware application and what affects their adoption. Although large-display groupware faces many of the same adoption and use challenges as conventional desktop groupware, how people perceive and interact with large-display groupware yields some unique challenges. We've built and evaluated several large-display groupware systems that address various workgroups, functions, and environments. This experience has given us broad expertise regarding the social dynamics and technical challenges surrounding large-display group-ware's design. To enhance our understanding of these challenges, we've also undertaken a broad survey of existing large-display groupware systems to understand how their purpose, design, and deployment affect the success of their integration into everyday tasks and practices. Large-display applications exist for many purpos-esfrom single-user desktop workspace (such as for magazine layout) to output-only information displays in highly public locations such as airports. Our study examines an emerging subclass of large-display applications that seek to enhance workgroup interaction by supporting informal, nonurgent communication, collaboration , and awareness. Unlike more formal large-display applications, such as meeting room or classroom systems, 1,2 the systems we consider here are designed for casual, ad hoc use and are persistently available to workgroup members. We're especially interested in systems that exploit the physical properties of large displays , such as size and visibility, that make them appealing for multiuser interaction as well as for passive or opportunistic information display. We therefore focus on the subset of large-display applications encompassing groupware systems that use wall displays. Wall displays, including vertically oriented free-standing , wall-mounted, and wall-projected configurations, foster a combination of interactive use and passive value. Unlike desktop displays, they offer content visibility from a distance and can therefore benefit users through ambient or opportunistic information even when users aren't directly in front of the display or actively interacting with it. The systems we examine in this article were deployed in a variety of office environments, targeting workgroup communication, information sharing, or work tasks. Some systems were situated in col-located workspaces in which users shared a single contiguous work-space, others were in shared group spaces such as hallways or lounges where users had individual offices or partitioned workspaces. Still others were intended to support remote interactions among users …
NMDA Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Activity in Dorsal Motor Nucleus of Vagus Mediates the Enhancement of Gastric Motility by Stimulating ST36

Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of electroacupuncture at ST36 for patients with gastrointestinal motility disorders. While several lines of evidence suggest that the effect may involve vagal reflex, the precise molecular mechanism underlying this process still remains unclear. Here we report that the intragastric pressure increase induced by low frequency electric stimulation at ST36 was blocked by AP-5, an antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Indeed, stimulating ST36 enhanced NMDAR-mediated, but not 2-amino-3-(5-methyl-3-oxo-1,2-oxazol-4-yl)propanoic-acid-(AMPA-) receptor-(AMPAR-) mediated synaptic transmission in gastric-projecting neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). We also identified that suppression of presynaptic μ-opioid receptors may contribute to upregulation of NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission induced by electroacupuncture at ST36. Furthermore, we determined that the glutamate-receptor-2a-(NR2A-) containing NMDARs are essential for NMDAR-mediated enhancement of gastric motility caused by stimulating ST36. Taken together, our results reveal an important role of NMDA receptors in mediating enhancement of gastric motility induced by stimulating ST36.
The effect of a peer on VO2 and game choice in 6–10 year old children

Relative to sedentary video games (e.g., Playstation 2®), playing physically active video games (e.g., Nintendo Wii Sports Boxing®) significantly increases caloric expenditure in children. Studies have demonstrated that the presence of a peer increases physical activity in children. We sought to determine if children would expend more energy and find playing the “exergame” (Wii) more motivating than the sedentary video game (Playstation 2) when with a peer. Seventeen children (age 8.5 ± 0.4 years) rested, played the sedentary video game and “exergame” for 10 min each, in two conditions: one in which the children rested/played the games alone (alone condition) and another in which they played with a peer (peer condition). Oxygen consumption (VO2), and liking (visual analog scale) was assessed for each 10-min condition. After three 10-min resting/gaming conditions, motivation was assessed using a relative reinforcing value task in which children performed computer mouse presses to gain additional access for either the sedentary video game or “exergame. ” VO2 was greater (p < 0.001) during “exergame” play (mean = 12.17 ± 4.1 ml·kg−1·min−1) vs. rest (mean = 5.14 ± 1.46 ml·kg−1·min−1) and the sedentary video game (mean = 5.83 ± 2.1 ml·kg−1·min−1). During the peer condition, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in VO2 relative to the alone condition. In an exploratory analysis boys exhibited a greater (p = 0.02) increase in VO2 from rest to “exergame” (Δ 9.0 ± 3.7 ml·kg−1·min−1), relative to girls (Δ 4.9 ± 2.9 ml·kg−1·min−1). Boys showed a significantly greater increase (p = 0.05) in VO2 from the resting condition to “exergame” in the presence of a peer (Δ 11.1 ± 5.3 ml·kg−1·min−1) vs. the alone condition (Δ 6.8 ± 3.1 ml·kg−1 ·min−1). Liking was significantly (p < 0.001) greater for “exergame” (7.7 ± 1.9 cm) and the sedentary video game (8.3 ± 1.3 cm) relative to rest (4.0 ± 2.8 cm). Motivation for “exergame” significantly decreased (p = 0.03) from alone (340.8 ± 106.8 presses) to the peer condition (147.8 ± 81.6 presses). Conclusion: VO2 was greater during “exergame” play relative to the sedentary video game. The presence of a peer did not increase VO2 during “exergame” play. Surprisingly, the presence of a peer decreased children's motivation to play “exergame” vs. the sedentary video game.
Distributed Deployment Algorithms for Coverage Improvement in a Network of Wireless Mobile Sensors: Relocation by Virtual Force

Efficient deployment algorithms are developed in this paper to increase the coverage area in a network of wireless mobile sensors. The proposed strategies iteratively compute the new candidate position of each sensor based on the existing coverage holes. These holes are obtained using a Voronoi diagram for the case of sensors with the same sensing ranges, and a multiplicatively weighted Voronoi (MW-Voronoi) diagram for the case of sensors with different sensing ranges. Each sensor is driven by some virtual forces which are applied to it from the vertices and boundaries of its Voronoi cell. These forces are obtained in such a way that when the sensor is relocated, the covered area of the corresponding cell increases. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed strategies, and their superiority to existing algorithms.
IL-10- and TGFβ-mediated Th9 Responses in a Human Helminth Infection

Background Th9 cells are a subset of CD4+ T cells that express the protoypical cytokine, IL-9. Th9 cells are known to effect protective immunity in animal models of intestinal helminth infections. However, the role of Th9 cells in human intestinal helminth infections has never been examined. Methodology To examine the role of Th9 cells in Strongyloidis stercoralis (Ss), a common intestinal helminth infection, we compared the frequency of Th9 expressing IL-9 either singly (mono-functional) or co-expressing IL-4 or IL-10 (dual-functional) in Ss-infected individuals (INF) to frequencies in uninfected (UN) individuals. Principal Findings INF individuals exhibited a significant increase in the spontaneously expressed and/or antigen specific frequencies of both mono- and dual-functional Th9 cells as well as Th2 cells expressing IL-9 compared to UN. The differences in Th9 induction between INF and UN individuals was predominantly antigen-specific as the differences were no longer seen following control antigen or mitogen stimulation. In addition, the increased frequency of Th9 cells in response to parasite antigens was dependent on IL-10 and TGFx since neutralization of either of these cytokines resulted in diminished Th9 frequencies. Finally, following successful treatment of Ss infection, the frequencies of antigen-specific Th9 cells diminished in INF individuals, suggesting a role for the Th9 response in active Ss infection. Moreover, IL-9 levels in whole blood culture supernatants following Ss antigen stimulation were higher in INF compared to UN individuals. Conclusion Thus, Ss infection is characterized by an IL-10- and TGFβ dependent expansion of Th9 cells, an expansion found to reversible by anti-helmintic treatment.
Ieee Transactions on Communications, Accepted for Publication 1 Diversity Analysis for Linear Equalizers over Isi Channels

—It has been shown in the literature that, with zero-padding prefix (ZPP), the optimum diversity gain of frequency selective channels can be obtained by uncoded signals and zero forcing (ZF) equalizers. In this paper, we derive two important results about linear equalizers over frequency selective channels: 1) With cyclic prefix and any rate-1 unitary precoding, which includes the uncoded/coded-OFDM/SCFDMA systems as special cases, linear equalizers can only obtain order-1 diversity; and 2) Although linear equalizers can achieve the optimum diversity order with zero-padding prefix and uncoded signals, the required SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) is an increasing function of the symbol-length. The second result implies that we may not be able to take advantage of the diversity gain in practice due to the high SNR requirements. Special cases are also investigated to gain some physical insights about the effects of different prefixes on the performance of linear equalizers. The results in this paper can be utilized in the design of up/down-link LTE systems with linear equalizers.
Greater Cognitive Decline with Aging among Elders with High Serum Concentrations of Organochlorine Pesticides

Although cognitive decline is very common in elders, age-related cognitive decline substantially differs among elders and the determinants of the differences in age-related cognitive decline are unclear. We investigated our hypothesis that the association between age and cognition was stronger in those with higher serum concentrations of organochlorine (OC) pesticides, common persistent and strongly lipophilic neurotoxic chemicals. Participants were 644 elders aged 60-85, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Six OC pesticides (p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), p,p'-dichlorodipenyldichloroethylene (DDE), β-hexachlorocyclohexane, trans-nonachlor, oxychlordane, and heptachlor epoxide) were evaluated. “Lower cognitive function” was defined as having a low Digit-Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) score (<25th percentile of DSST score, cutpoint 28 symbols substituted). Higher levels of β-hexachlorocyclohexane, trans-nonachlor, oxychlordane, and heptachlor epoxide modified the associations between age and lower cognitive function (Pinteraction<0.01, 0.03, <0.01, and 0.02, respectively). Elders in the 3rd tertile of these chemicals demonstrated a greater risk of lower cognitive function with aging, compared to those in the combined 1st and 2nd tertiles. Among those with highest OC pesticides (3rd tertile), the odds ratio for the risk of lower cognitive function was about 6 to 11 for the highest quintile of age (80-85 years) vs. the first quintile of age (60-63 years), while the association between age and lower cognitive function became flatter in those with lower OC pesticides (combined 1st and 2nd tertiles). Both DDT and DDE showed no interaction, with lower DSST scores for higher age irrespective of serum concentrations of DDT or DDE. Even though DSST score measures only one aspect of cognition, several OC pesticides modified aging-related prevalence of low cognitive score, a finding which should be evaluated in prospective studies.
MULTI-CHANNEL ACOUSTIC ECHO CANCELLATION BASED ON RESIDUAL ECHO ENHANCEMENT WITH EFFECTIVE CHANNEL

The residual echo enhancement (REE) procedure proposed in [1] is able to improve the acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) performance in a very noisy acoustic mixing environment by utilizing the natural learning ability of the least-mean square (LMS) algorithm without precise estimation of the signal statistics. We demonstrate in this paper that the technique can also be applied effectively in a multichannel AEC (MCAEC) setting to indirectly assist in the recovery of lost AEC performance due to the non-uniqueness problem. In addition, we incorporate other techniques to further boost the REE-based MCAEC performance. One of the techniques is a new channel decorrelation procedure based on resampling that directly alleviates the non-uniqueness problem while introducing minimal distortion to signal quality and statistics.