Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Brain Subfornical Organ Mediates Leptin-induced Increases in Renal Sympathetic Activity but not its Metabolic Effects

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin acts within the central nervous system to decrease food intake and body weight and to increase renal and thermogenic brown adipose tissue sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). Previous studies have focused on hypothalamic brain regions, although recent findings have identified leptin receptors (ObR) in a distributed brain network, including the circumventricular subfornical organ (SFO), a forebrain region devoid of a blood–brain barrier. We tested the hypothesis that ObR in the SFO are functionally linked to leptin-induced decreases in food intake and body weight and increases in SNA. SFO-targeted microinjections of an adenovirus encoding Cre-recombinase in ObRflox/flox mice resulted in selective ablation of ObR in the SFO. Interestingly, deletion of ObR in the SFO did not influence the decreases in either food intake or body weight in response to daily systemic or cerebroventricular administration of leptin. In line with these findings, reduction in SFO ObR did not attenuate leptin-mediated increases in thermogenic brown adipose tissue SNA. In contrast, increases in renal SNA induced by systemic or cerebroventricular administration of leptin were abolished in mice with SFO-targeted deletion of ObR. These results demonstrate that ObR in the SFO play an important role in leptin-induced renal sympathoexcitation, but not in the body weight, food intake, or brown adipose tissue SNA thermogenic effects of leptin. These findings highlight the concept of a distributed brain network of leptin action and illustrate that brain regions, including the SFO, can mediate distinct cardiovascular and metabolic responses to leptin.
The TNF-α -308 polymorphism may affect the severity of Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this project was to analyze the association between Crohn's disease, its clinical features, and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) -308 polymorphism. METHODS: This is a case-control and cross-sectional study that enrolled 91 patients with Crohn's disease and 91 controls. Patients with Crohn's disease were characterized according to the Montreal Classification, along with their clinical and surgical treatment history. Analysis of the TNF-α -308 polymorphism was performed using a commercial kit. A stratified analysis was applied using an OR (odds ratio) with a 95% confidence interval. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were utilized for analysis of the association between the polymorphism and the clinical features of Crohn's disease. RESULTS: The low producer predicted phenotype was present in 76.9% of Crohn's disease cases and 75.8% of controls (OR 0.94 [0.45-1.97]). The TNF2 allele and the high producer predicted phenotype were more frequent among patients with Crohn's disease penetrating behavior (p = 0.004). The TNF2 allele and the high producer predicted phenotype were also associated with a history of colectomy (p = 0.02), and the TNF2 allele was associated with small bowel resection (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The TNF-α -308 polymorphism appears to affect the severity of the disease. However, TNF-α -308 polymorphism does not appear to be important for the susceptibility in the development of Crohn's disease.
The Nuclear Ten Micron Emission of Spiral Galaxies

We examine the 10\m\ emission of the central regions of 281 spiral galaxies, after having compiled all ground-based, small-aperture ($\sim$5") broad-band photometric observations at \l$\sim$10\m\ (N magnitudes) published in the literature. We evaluate the compactness of the $\sim$10\m\ emission of galaxy nuclei by comparing these small-beam measures with the large-beam IRAS 12\m\ fluxes. In the analysis of different subsets of objects, we apply survival analysis techniques in order to exploit the information contained in ``censored'' data (i.e., upper limits on the fluxes). Seyferts are found to contain the most powerful nuclear sources of mid-infrared emission, which in $\sim$1/3 of cases provide the bulk of the emission of the entire galaxy; thus, mid-infrared emission in the outer disc regions is not uncommon in Seyferts. The 10\m\ emission of Seyferts appears to be unrelated to their X-ray emission. HII region-like nuclei are stronger mid-infrared sources than normal nuclei and LINER nuclei (whose level of emission is not distinguishable from that of normal nuclei). Interacting objects have, on average, greater 10\m\ luminosities than non-interacting ones and exhibit more compact emission. Early-type spirals have stronger and more compact 10\m\ emission than late-type ones. Barred spirals are brighter at $\sim$10\m\ than unbarred systems, essentially because they more frequently contain HII region-like nuclei. The results of our detailed comparison between the behaviour of various categories of objects stress that the 10\m\ emission of spiral nuclei is closely linked to the (predominantly non-thermal synchrotron) radio
Communicator physical attractiveness and persuasion.

In a field setting, physically attractive or unattractive male and female communicator-subjects delivered a persuasive message to target-subjec ts of each sex. Results indicated that attractive (vs. unattractive) communicators induced significantly greater persuasion on both a verbal and behavioral measure of target agreement. In addition, female targets indicated greater agreement than did male targets. Data gathered from communicator-subjects during an earlier laboratory session indicated that physically attractive and unattractive communicators differed with respect to several communication skills and other attributes relevant to communicator persuasiveness, including grade point average, Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, and several measures of self-evaluati on. These findings suggest that attractive individuals may be more persuasive than unattractive persons partly because they possess characteristics that dispose them to be more effective communicators. Experimental evidence regarding the effect of communicator physical attractiveness on persuasion is equivocal. Although two studies have demonstrated that attractiveness can significantly enhance a male communicator's persuasiveness with both male and female message recipients (Horai, Naccari, & Fatoullah, 1974; Snyder & Rothbart, 1971), the majority of published experiments have failed to obtain significant attractiveness effects or have obtained interactions between attractiveness and other variables (Chaiken, Eagly, Sejwacz, Gregory, & Christensen, 1978; Mills & Aronson, 1965; Blass, Alperstein, & Block, Note 1). For example, Mills and Aronson (196S), using a female communicator and male recipients, found no overall effect of communicator attractiveness on persuasion.
Human oral, gut, and plaque microbiota in patients with atherosclerosis

Periodontal disease has been associated with atherosclerosis, suggesting that bacteria from the oral cavity may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the gut microbiota may affect obesity, which is associated with atherosclerosis. Using qPCR, we show that bacterial DNA was present in the atherosclerotic plaque and that the amount of DNA correlated with the amount of leukocytes in the atherosclerotic plaque. To investigate the microbial composition of atherosclerotic plaques and test the hypothesis that the oral or gut microbiota may contribute to atherosclerosis in humans, we used 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes to survey the bacterial diversity of atherosclerotic plaque, oral, and gut samples of 15 patients with atherosclerosis, and oral and gut samples of healthy controls. We identified Chryseomonas in all atherosclerotic plaque samples, and Veillonella and Streptococcus in the majority. Interestingly, the combined abundances of Veillonella and Streptococcus in atherosclerotic plaques correlated with their abundance in the oral cavity. Moreover, several additional bacterial phylotypes were common to the atherosclerotic plaque and oral or gut samples within the same individual. Interestingly, several bacterial taxa in the oral cavity and the gut correlated with plasma cholesterol levels. Taken together, our findings suggest that bacteria from the oral cavity, and perhaps even the gut, may correlate with disease markers of atherosclerosis.
Watching you watch movies: Using eye tracking to inform cognitive film theory.

Smith 2 "The art of plastic composition consists in leading the spectator's attention through the exact path and with the exact sequence prescribed by the author of the composition. This applies to the eye's movement over the surface of a canvas if the composition is expressed in painting, or over the surface of the screen if we are dealing with a film-frame. " One of the key intentions of cognitive film theory is to understand the cognitive processes involved in the viewing of a film and how this relates to the intentions and decisions of a filmmaker. Film theorists have applied an array of intellectual approaches to this question including the psychoanalytical, philosophical, close formal analyses of films and the application of cultural and social theories (Bordwell & Carroll, 1996; pg. 444). These theoretical explorations have generated many rich and detailed hypotheses about how filmmaker decisions may influence viewers but these hypotheses generally remain untested. In order to identify evidence in support of or in disagreement with these hypotheses, cognitive film theorists can appeal to the methods and theories of empirical psychology and the allied disciplines of cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience. In order for empirical psychology methods to be applied to questions of cognitive film theory a framework is required that demonstrates how questions in one discipline can be mapped into another. In this chapter the Cognitive Computation Cinematics (CCC) approach will be presented. The CCC approach triangulates our understanding of how we watch films via three traditionally separate approaches: 1) cognitive psychology and associated methods of hypotheses testing; 2) computational methods in audiovisual analysis and computational modeling; and 3) the formal and statistical analysis of film (Cinematics; Salt, 2009). These methods can be combined to varying degrees depending on the question being investigated. Smith 3 For example, in order to understand why certain types of cuts are more "invisible" to viewers than others a CCC approach may be to first run an empirical study: viewers could be instructed to detect cuts during a movie, reaction times measured and compared across different types of cuts (e.g. Smith & Henderson, 2008). Differences between detection rates could then be investigated by recording viewer eye movements across each cut and examining how primitive audiovisual features, such as motion and loudness can account for eye movements across the cut using computational methods (see Mital, Smith, Hill, & Henderson, 2011). Finally, the evolution of such …
Associations between dietary methods and biomarkers, and between fruits and vegetables and risk of ischaemic heart disease, in the EPIC Norfolk Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Methods for assessing diet are prone to measurement error, which may be substantial in large cohort investigations. Biomarkers can be used as objective measures with which to compare estimates of nutritional exposure using different methods METHODS Cross sectional comparisons in 12 474 men and women of regression between biomarkers for vitamin C, sodium, potassium, fibre, carbohydrate, fat and phytoestrogens with intakes derived from food diaries and food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), and odds ratios for risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) by dietary and plasma vitamin C. RESULTS There were strong (P < 0.001) associations between biomarkers and intakes as assessed by food diary. Coefficients were markedly attenuated for data obtained from the FFQ, especially so for vitamin C, potassium and phytoestrogens (Z P < 0.05). Risk of IHD was associated with plasma vitamin C (P < 0.001) and intake of vitamin C and fruit and vegetables assessed by food diary (P quintile trends <0.001, 0.001) but not by the FFQ (P quintile trends 0.923, 0.186). CONCLUSIONS Nutritional data that reflect the findings from biomarkers reduce measurement error and will thus improve statistical power in studies of gene nutrient interactions in cohort studies.
Big data management processing with Hadoop MapReduce and spark technology: A comparison

Hadoop MapReduce is processed for analysis large volume of data through multiple nodes in parallel. However MapReduce has two function Map and Reduce, large data is stored through HDFS. Lack of facility involve in MapReduce so Spark is designed to run for real time stream data and for fast queries. Spark jobs perform work on Resilient Distributed Datasets and directed acyclic graph execution engine. In this paper, we extend Hadoop MapReduce working and Spark architecture with supporting kind of operation to perform. We also show the differences between Hadoop MapReduce and Spark through Map and Reduce phase individually.
A Novel Robust Nonlinear Motion Controller With Disturbance Observer

In this brief, a novel robust nonlinear motion controller with disturbance observer (DOB) for positioning control of a nonlinear single-input-single-output (SISO) mechanical system is proposed. The controller is designed in a backstepping manner. First, a proportional-integral (PI) controller is designed to stabilize the position error. Consequently, a novel robust nonlinear velocity controller with DOB is designed to stabilize the velocity error. With the help of nonlinear damping terms, the input-to-state stability (ISS) property of the overall nonlinear control system is proven, which leads to a major contribution of construction of a theoretically guaranteed robust nonlinear controller with DOB. The performance of the proposed controller is verified through application to a magnetic levitation system. Comparative studies with an adaptive robust nonlinear controller are also carried out. It is shown that the proposed novel controller while being simple is superior over the adaptive robust nonlinear controller for the experimental setup under study.
Packet Loss Estimation Using Distributed Adaptive Sampling

Packet losses are a critical metric for network performance assessment. In this paper we present a novel methodology to accurately estimate the packet loss ratio in realtime in a fully distributed scenario. The constraint such systems must face is the large amount of resources required for keeping live performance assessment. Our contribution has two main parts. On the one hand we study the behaviour of packet losses among the traffic sharing a path, and extend the classical definition of loss burst by the concept of density. On the other hand, with the knowledge acquired in the loss distribution study, we present an adaptive sampling technique that schedules the network resources in order to distributely estimate the packet losses with reasonable accuracy. In order to validate the proposal we perform some real tests over an European-wide testbed. The results show a great improvement in packet loss estimation over previous research, while using a controlled amount of resources.
University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics the Phonology of the Canadian Shift Revisited: Thunder Bay & Cape Breton the Phonology of the Canadian Shift Revisited: Thunder Bay & Cape Breton

Previous accounts of the Canadian Shift, which have interpreted this diachronic process as a purely phonetic consequence of the low back LOT-THOUGHT vowel merger, have not clearly explained the strong connection between phonetic TRAP vowel retraction and the phonological process of the low back merger. This paper addresses this issue in several ways. Relying on the Modified Contrastive Specification theory (Dresher et al. 1994) and the Contrastive Hierarchy approach (Dresher 2009), two phonological frameworks, as well as phonetic insights from Vowel Dispersion theory (Liljencrants and Lindblom 1972) and Dispersion-Focalization theory (Schwartz et al. 1997, Schwartz et al. 2007), we propose that the catalyst of the Canadian Shift is a three-way merger of the PALM, LOT and THOUGHT lexical sets, in combination with a simultaneous change in the underlying feature specifications of the TRAP vowel. This results in a phonology that allows for the TRAP and DRESS vowels, in particular, to undergo the influence of the phonetic principles of dispersion and focalization, which lead to lowering and retraction in the acoustic vowel space. Comparison of data from speakers in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, lends support to this hypothesis because the Cape Breton data reveals evidence of two concurrent phonological systems, despite no evidence of change over apparent time. Some Cape Breton speakers display the Ontario (i.e., inland Canada) Canadian Shifted vowel system, while others display a system that bears much greater resemblance to the Eastern New England non-shift dialect, where PALM merges with TRAP instead of LOT-THOUGHT. The current analysis thus predicts that the Canadian Shift or a similar change to the TRAP, DRESS, and KIT vowels will occur in any North American dialect where the PALM-LOT-THOUGHT merger occurs, unless an intervening phonological change alters the contrasts within the phonological system.
The neural encoding of self-generated and externally applied movement: implications for the perception of self-motion and spatial memory

The vestibular system is vital for maintaining an accurate representation of self-motion. As one moves (or is moved) toward a new place in the environment, signals from the vestibular sensors are relayed to higher-order centers. It is generally assumed the vestibular system provides a veridical representation of head motion to these centers for the perception of self-motion and spatial memory. In support of this idea, evidence from lesion studies suggests that vestibular inputs are required for the directional tuning of head direction cells in the limbic system as well as neurons in areas of multimodal association cortex. However, recent investigations in monkeys and mice challenge the notion that early vestibular pathways encode an absolute representation of head motion. Instead, processing at the first central stage is inherently multimodal. This minireview highlights recent progress that has been made towards understanding how the brain processes and interprets self-motion signals encoded by the vestibular otoliths and semicircular canals during everyday life. The following interrelated questions are considered. What information is available to the higher-order centers that contribute to self-motion perception? How do we distinguish between our own self-generated movements and those of the external world? And lastly, what are the implications of differences in the processing of these active vs. passive movements for spatial memory?
Raf-1 levels determine the migration rate of primary endometrial stromal cells of patients with endometriosis

Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the localization of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The differences observed in migration of human endometrial stromal cells (hESC) obtained from patients with endometriosis versus healthy controls were proposed to correlate with the abnormal activation of Raf‐1/ROCKII signalling pathway. To evaluate the mechanism by which Raf‐1 regulates cytoskeleton reorganization and motility, we used primary eutopic (Eu‐, n = 16) and ectopic (Ec‐, n = 8; isolated from ovarian cysts) hESC of patients with endometriosis and endometriosis‐free controls (Co‐hESC, n = 14). Raf‐1 siRNA knockdown in Co‐ and Eu‐hESC resulted in contraction and decreased migration versus siRNA controls. This phenotype was reversed following the re‐expression of Raf‐1 in these cells. Lowest Raf‐1 levels in Ec‐hESC were associated with hyperactivated ROCKII and ezrin/radixin/moesin (E/R/M), impaired migration and a contracted phenotype similar to Raf‐1 knockdown in Co‐ and Eu‐hESC. We further show that the mechanism by which Raf‐1 mediates migration in hESC includes direct myosin light chain phosphatase (MYPT1) phosphorylation and regulation of the levels of E/R/M, paxillin, MYPT1 and myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation indirectly via the hyperactivation of ROCKII kinase. Furthermore, we suggest that in contrast to Co‐and Eu‐hESC, where the cellular Raf‐1 levels regulate the rate of migration, the low cellular Raf‐1 content in Ec‐hESC, might ensure their restricted migration by preserving the contracted cellular phenotype. In conclusion, our findings suggest that cellular levels of Raf‐1 adjust the threshold of hESC migration in endometriosis.
Examining the Effects of Tourism Impacts on Resident Quality of Life : Evidence from Rural Midwestern Communities in USA

Abstract Tourism impacts studies have identified three major types of positive-negative tourism impacts that dynamically change residents’ life experiences and their evaluation of tourism development. This study examines three specific impacts, perceived social costs, environmental sustainability, and perceived economic benefit, to determine their effects on resident perceived quality of life. The results indicate that the social cost dimension has no significant effect on resident quality of life, however both environmental sustainability and perceived economic benefit dimensions significantly affect resident quality of life.
Baseline Quality of Life Factors Predict Long Term Survival after Elective Resection for Colorectal Cancer

Background. Studies have shown an association between baseline quality of life (Qol) and survival in advanced cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate their predictive value in long term survival after elective colorectal cancer resection. Methods. A consecutive series of patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery for nonmetastatic disease were recruited in 2003/04. Patients completed standardized quality of life questionnaires (HADS, FACTC, MRS, and PANAS) prior to and 6 weeks after surgery. Univariate (log-rank test) and multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazards) were performed to predict long term survival. Results. Ninety-seven patients met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-five (67%) were male and the median age of the group was 70 years. Forty-six (47.5%) patients had died and the mean survival was 1,741 days (median 2159, range 9–2923 days). Preoperative mood rating scale and functional assessment of cancer therapy-colorectal FACT C emotional well-being and postoperative FACT C additional concerns were independent predictors of long term survival. Conclusion. Incorporating psychosocial measures in preoperative assessment of cancer patients could help to identify patients who require assessment with a view to implementing psychosocial interventions. These active interventions to maximize mood and well-being should form an integral part of multidisciplinary treatment in these patients.