Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory plasticity underlies visual deprivation‐induced loss of receptive field refinement in the adult superior colliculus

Increasing evidence shows that sensory experience is not necessary for initial patterning of neural circuitry but is essential for maintenance and plasticity. We have investigated the role of visual experience in development and plasticity of inhibitory synapses in the retinocollicular pathway of an altricial rodent, the Syrian hamster. We reported previously that visual receptive field (RF) refinement in superior colliculus (SC) occurs with the same time course in long‐term dark‐reared (LTDR) as in normally‐reared hamsters, but RFs in LTDR animals become unrefined in adulthood. Here we provide support for the hypothesis that this failure to maintain refined RFs into adulthood results from inhibitory plasticity at both pre‐ and postsynaptic levels. Iontophoretic application of gabazine, a GABAA receptor antagonist, or muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist, had less of an effect on RF size and excitability of adult LTDR animals than in short‐term DR animals or normal animals. Consistent with these physiological observations, the percentage of GABA‐immunoreactive neurons was significantly decreased in the SC of LTDR animals compared to normal animals and to animals exposed to a normal light cycle early in development, before LTDR. Thus GABAergic inhibition in the SC of LTDR animals is reduced, weakening the inhibitory surround and contributing significantly to the visual deprivation‐induced enlargement of RFs seen. Our results argue that early visually‐driven activity is necessary to maintain the inhibitory circuitry intrinsic to the adult SC and to protect against the consequences of visual deprivation.
The Impact on Effectiveness and User Satisfaction of Menu Positioning on Web Pages

The authors of this paper are conducting research into the usability of menu positioning on web pages. Other researchers have also done work in this area, but the results are not conclusive and therefore more work still needs to be done in this area. The design and results of an empirical experiment, investigating the usability of menu positioning on a supermarket web site, are presented in this paper. As a comparison, the authors tested a left vertical menu and a fisheye menu placed horizontally at the top of a page in a prototype supermarket web site against a real supermarket web site using a horizontal menu placed at the top of a page. Few significant results were observed, which gave rise to the conclusion that overall there were not many differences between the tested menu types. Furthermore, an explanation for the results observed is discussed in terms of cognitive, physical, functional and sensory affordances. It is suggested that observation of the affordances may be a more crucial aspect to menu design than the actual menu positioning.
Response and Resistance to Paradox-Breaking BRAF Inhibitor in Melanomas In Vivo and Ex Vivo

FDA-approved BRAF inhibitors produce high response rates and improve overall survival in patients with BRAF V600E/K–mutant melanoma, but are linked to pathologies associated with paradoxical ERK1/2 activation in wild-type BRAF cells. To overcome this limitation, a next-generation paradox-breaking RAF inhibitor (PLX8394) has been designed. Here, we show that by using a quantitative reporter assay, PLX8394 rapidly suppressed ERK1/2 reporter activity and growth of mutant BRAF melanoma xenografts. Ex vivo treatment of xenografts and use of a patient-derived explant system (PDeX) revealed that PLX8394 suppressed ERK1/2 signaling and elicited apoptosis more effectively than the FDA-approved BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib. Furthermore, PLX8394 was efficacious against vemurafenib-resistant BRAF splice variant–expressing tumors and reduced splice variant homodimerization. Importantly, PLX8394 did not induce paradoxical activation of ERK1/2 in wild-type BRAF cell lines or PDeX. Continued in vivo dosing of xenografts with PLX8394 led to the development of acquired resistance via ERK1/2 reactivation through heterogeneous mechanisms; however, resistant cells were found to have differential sensitivity to ERK1/2 inhibitor. These findings highlight the efficacy of a paradox-breaking selective BRAF inhibitor and the use of PDeX system to test the efficacy of therapeutic agents. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(1); 84–95. ©2017 AACR.
Principles of Development and Developmental Change Underlying Theories of Cognitive and Moral Development

My introduction to moral development came when I participated in a new program on values clarification being introduced in the public school system where I taught. I was excited to learn more about teaching values, and then astonished that a program on values was intentionally designed to be value-neutral. Shortly thereafter (and not by coincidence), I was enrolled in a graduate class in educational psychology that helped me put this program and my reaction in perspective. One influential reading criticized values clarification as an educational end. Aptly titled, “Development as the Aim of Education,” it opens with this sentence:
Social Distance Perceptions of Elementary School Children in Age-Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Classroom Settings

Social distance ratings of the same 87 8-, 9-, and 10-yr. -old children in both age-heterogeneous and age-homogeneous classrooms were examined. Cross-age/same-age and cross-sex/same-sex ratings as well as differences between age-heterogeneous and -homogeneous settings were examined utilizing a complex within-subjects analysis of variance design. Children's social distance indices were significantly differentiated by their age, their sex, and the age and sex of the children who rated them. Cross-age and cross-sex ratings were significantly greater than same-age/sex ratings. Older children had the least while younger children had the greatest mean social distance scores. Ratings by same-age peers in age-heterogeneous settings were significantly lower than in age-homogeneous settings. The data are explained using Tajfel's (1982) and Reykowski's (1982) theories concerning differential intergroup behavior and social motivation. Social distance patterns are discussed and related to differential development of social competence of boys and girls. The effects of multi-age grouping practices upon children's perceptions of social distance are discussed with regard to the development of healthy classroom climates.
TMS-Induced Cortical Potentiation during Wakefulness Locally Increases Slow Wave Activity during Sleep

Background Sleep slow wave activity (SWA) is thought to reflect sleep need, increasing in proportion to the length of prior wakefulness and decreasing during sleep. However, the process responsible for SWA regulation is not known. We showed recently that SWA increases locally after a learning task involving a circumscribed brain region, suggesting that SWA may reflect plastic changes triggered by learning. Methodology/Principal Findings To test this hypothesis directly, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in conjunction with high-density EEG in humans. We show that 5-Hz TMS applied to motor cortex induces a localized potentiation of TMS-evoked cortical EEG responses. We then show that, in the sleep episode following 5-Hz TMS, SWA increases markedly (+39.1±17.4%, p<0.01, n = 10). Electrode coregistration with magnetic resonance images localized the increase in SWA to the same premotor site as the maximum TMS-induced potentiation during wakefulness. Moreover, the magnitude of potentiation during wakefulness predicts the local increase in SWA during sleep. Conclusions/Significance These results provide direct evidence for a link between plastic changes and the local regulation of sleep need.
Behavioral Adaptation of Alpine Skiers to Climate Change: Examining Activity Involvement and Place Loyalty

ABSTRACT This study employed a visitor survey to analyze the influence that changing climatic conditions have on the substitution behaviors of alpine skiers (activity, spatial, temporal). It further focuses on the role that activity involvement plays in influencing behavioral adaptations (i.e., substitution) and also the extent to which place loyalty is affected. The Modified Involvement Scale (MIS) was used to segment respondents based on high, medium, and low levels of leisure involvement with activity. Highly involved skiers were more likely to change their skiing behavior as a result of poor snow conditions than were less involved individuals. Pritchard's Psychological Commitment Index (PCI) provided evidence that less involved skiers exhibit lower levels of commitment to particular service providers than do highly involved individuals.
Fractures in rheumatoid arthritis: an evaluation of associated risk factors.

OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to identify factors indicative of a high fracture risk during the disease course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS In 1110 patients (879 women and 231 men) with RA from five Arthritis, Rheumatism and Aging Medical Information System centers, information from history, clinical and laboratory examination, outcome assessment, and therapy was evaluated for association with the 226 first fractures having occurred during the years from 1975 to 1988. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 54 years, the mean time of observation was 8 years. Multivariate analyses identified the following factors to be associated with fracturing: years taking prednisone, previous diagnosis of osteoporosis, disability, age, lack of physical activity, female sex, disease duration, impaired grip strength, and low body mass. CONCLUSION We conclude that patients with RA at greatest risk for fracturing are easily identified by using a few clinical variables. These findings support encouragement of active lifestyle habits and avoidance of longterm administration of corticosteroids in patients with RA.
The effects of a professional development programme on primary school teachers’ perceptions of physical education

The impact of a professional development programme on primary school teachers’ perceptions of physical education was investigated. Primary school teachers from five local education authorities in England provided data for the study via pre‐course audits, course evaluations immediately following the programme, and focus groups and individual interviews up to 18 months after the programme. The programme was considered by the teachers to have positively affected their perceptions of physical education (in terms of their confidence in, knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject) and, in turn, improved their practice (particularly in terms of content ideas and inclusion). Key limitations of the programme were identified as insufficient attention to specific pedagogical issues (such as medium to long‐term planning and assessment) and the absence of follow‐up support. In conclusion, the programme positively contributed to teachers’ perceptions of physical education; however, beyond this, its impact was limited by a range of factors.
Deafening-Induced Vocal Deterioration in Adult Songbirds Is Reversed by Disrupting a Basal Ganglia-Forebrain Circuit

Motor exploration can be an adaptive strategy when behavior fails to achieve an expected outcome. For example, like humans, adult songbirds change their vocal output when auditory feedback is altered or absent. Here, we show that the output of an anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) through the avian basal ganglia directly contributes to the expression of deafening-induced vocal changes in adulthood. Lesioning the output nucleus of this circuit in adult male zebra finches reverses moderate changes in song structure and variability caused by deafening. Furthermore, the results indicate that more severe deafening-induced changes in vocal behavior likely reflect altered function outside the AFP (e.g., within the vocal motor pathway). AFP lesions do not promote recovery if songs are severely deteriorated at the time of lesion even though previous work shows that the AFP is required for such deterioration to emerge. Thus, in birds, as in mammals, the contribution of basal ganglia-thalamic-cortical circuits to motor control may change when feedback is absent or unexpected and includes both “active” and “permissive” roles.
Information-Theoretic Dictionary Learning for Image Classification

We present a two-stage approach for learning dictionaries for object classification tasks based on the principle of information maximization. The proposed method seeks a dictionary that is compact, discriminative, and generative. In the first stage, dictionary atoms are selected from an initial dictionary by maximizing the mutual information measure on dictionary compactness, discrimination and reconstruction. In the second stage, the selected dictionary atoms are updated for improved reconstructive and discriminative power using a simple gradient ascent algorithm on mutual information. Experiments using real data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach for image classification tasks.
Symbolic dynamics of pulse transit time and heart period in children with upper airway obstruction

Upper airway obstruction (UAO) is a relatively common condition during childhood that is characterized by periods of partial or complete upper airway closure, resulting in restless sleep. It has also been suggested that UAO triggers early cardiovascular changes that may predispose to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases later in life. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal dynamics of heart period (HP) and pulse transit time (PTT) during quite, event-free periods of sleep in children with UAO (n = 40) and matched healthy controls. The dynamics of HP and PTT were symbolized based on the sextiles of their distribution and words of length three were formed and classified into four types based on their patterns. Joint symbolic dynamics represent the concomitant occurrence of words in HP and PTT. Children with UAO showed a significantly increased frequency in word types of monotonously increasing and decreasing HP and PTT as well as joint dynamics across all stages of sleep. The dynamics of HP showed a marked sleep stage dependence, while PTT dynamics appeared to be relatively unaffected. In conclusion, cardiovascular dynamics are altered in children with UAO during scored event-free sleep, indicative of frequent bursts in sympathetic nervous system activity, possibly reflecting subcortical arousal responses to brief and subtle increases in UAO.
Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Personality Organization among Czech Elementary School Children

Rohner's Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) and Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) were administered to 228 elementary school children in South Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. Results of this study are com pared with findings obtained using the same tests on elementary school children in the Washington, D. C. metropolitan area, and in Monterrey, Mexico. Results of this comparison conform with the expectations of parental acceptance-rejection theory. That is, since Czech children score highest in parental warmth and affection, and lowest in parental hostility, neglect and undifferentiated rejection, they also score lowest in unfavorable personality traits. Comparisons of the three cultural groups make us hypothesize that the negative self-perception of school-age children is in fluenced primarily by parental rejection. Children's dependency seems to be related primarily to parental warmth whereas children's (defensive) independence seems to be influenced largely by parental hostility, neglect, and undifferentiated rejection. However, the nature of "self-protecting independence" (i.e. "defensive inde pendence") is not quite evident and needs further investigation.
Subcellular RNA profiling links splicing and nuclear DICER1 to alternative cleavage and polyadenylation

Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) plays a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression across eukaryotes. Although APA is extensively studied, its regulation within cellular compartments and its physiological impact remains largely enigmatic. Here, we used a rigorous subcellular fractionation approach to compare APA profiles of cytoplasmic and nuclear RNA fractions from human cell lines. This approach allowed us to extract APA isoforms that are subjected to differential regulation and provided us with a platform to interrogate the molecular regulatory pathways that shape APA profiles in different subcellular locations. Here, we show that APA isoforms with shorter 3′ UTRs tend to be overrepresented in the cytoplasm and appear to be cell-type–specific events. Nuclear retention of longer APA isoforms occurs and is partly a result of incomplete splicing contributing to the observed cytoplasmic bias of transcripts with shorter 3′ UTRs. We demonstrate that the endoribonuclease III, DICER1, contributes to the establishment of subcellular APA profiles not only by expected cytoplasmic miRNA-mediated destabilization of APA mRNA isoforms, but also by affecting polyadenylation site choice.
Importance of enjoyment when promoting physical exercise

The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of enjoyment of exercise in a health care‐based intervention aimed at promoting physical exercise in primary health care patients. In a controlled study design, the intervention group was offered a wide range of group exercises over 3 months, followed by support in designing their own exercise program. The control group received usual care. Enjoyment of exercise and exercise level were measured. Associations between enjoyment and exercise level were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Changes in enjoyment between and within study groups were analyzed by the independent and paired t‐test. Associations were found between enjoyment and exercise level (r=0.36, P<0.01), as well as between changes in enjoyment and changes in exercise level (r=0.34, P<0.01). At the 12‐month follow‐up, enjoyment of exercise was 25% higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P<0.01). In this group of primary health care patients, enjoyment of exercise was associated with exercise level. Enjoyment of exercise seems to be a mediator of exercise level. Furthermore, health care‐based interventions seem to be able to affect enjoyment of exercise. Enjoyment of exercise may be important for the long‐term effectiveness, of health care‐based interventions.
Barriers to prostate cancer screening.

The revised prostate cancer screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society recommend that men be informed of the risks associated with prostate cancer screening. However, there are no published studies on men's fear of impotence and its impact on prostate cancer screening. In addition, little is known about barriers to prostate cancer screening when the two main barriers of cost and lack of knowledge are eliminated. This study reports the association between barriers and free prostate cancer screening after a prostate cancer education program. All men were called 1 month after a prostate cancer education program and asked: "What would (or did) make it hard for you to get your prostate checkup done? " A total postbarrier score was created to measure how many barriers each man indicated. The following barriers were significant in predicting participation in prostate cancer screening: "put it off," "doctor hours not convenient," "didn't know kind of doctor," "didn't know where to go," and "refuse to go. " Fear of impotence was not a significant barrier. Suggestions for reducing barriers to prostate cancer screening are given.
Alexithymia in Substance Abusers

The authors investigated the effects of detoxification on alexithymia scores in a sample of psychoactive substance-dependent patients. At baseline, 48 subjects were administered the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS–20); a second measurement was carried out 4–6 weeks later. The mean TAS–20 total score of these subjects at baseline (55.5 ± 12.0) was higher than healthy population norms (46.5 ± 10.3), and no significant change in totals was elicited after detoxification. The results suggest that, in substance abusers, alexithymia tends to be a stable trait and is not significantly altered as a result of abstinence.
Stability of Multiclass Queueing Networks Under FIFO Service Discipline

In this paper, we first formally identify a FIFO fluid network that corresponds to the queueing network under a first-in first-out FIFO service discipline, thus complementing the result of Dai Dai, J. G. 1995a. On positive Harris recurrence of multiclass queueing networks: A unified approach via fluid limit models. Ann. Appl. Probab.5 49--77. for the use of the fluid model for the stability of a multiclass queueing network under a FIFO service discipline. Then we establish two sufficient conditions for the stability of a multiclass FIFO queueing network. The results extend the previous work on the single class network, the single station network and a network studied by Rybko and Stolyar Rybko, A. N. , A. L. Stolyar. 1992. Ergodicity of stochastic processes describing the operations of open queueing networks. Problemy Peredachi Informatsii28 2--26. Finally we establish a fluid approximation theorem for the queueing network under FIFO service discipline.
A Review of Poll Everywhere Audience Response System

Poll Everywhere, an audience response system based on cell phone texting technology, was tested in two undergraduate social work classes with very positive results. A survey conducted in one class reveals that two-thirds of the students answered every question and 14% most of the questions; over 90% found text-based polling to be either easy or extremely easy to use; over 90% thought it helped them learn class material; and over 80% would recommend or highly recommend its use. The instructors, too, found many strengths to this system. It is very easy to use, proved to be an effective way to engage students and increase class participation, free for a class size up to 40 students, and free to students with cell phone plans with unlimited text messaging. With the vast majority of college students owning cell phones, and text messaging serving as their primary form of cell phone communication, this technology is an intuitive, cost-effective, user-friendly technology that can enhance students' learning and classroom experience, and instructors' effectiveness in teaching course material and assessing students' command of the same by examining the results of their polls.
Adults' Metacognitive Ability: An Examination of the Age-Deficient Hypothesis

A self-regulatory/recall task and a self-report questionnaire became operationally defined measures of metacognition, and dependent variables for an analysis designed to determine metacognitive functioning across age. Participants were 135 teachers-in-training and 21 retired teachers. All were exposed to a transfer propaganda lesson presented via the Merrill-Tennyson model. The elderly retired teachers performed less well on a concept mastery test after exposure to the lesson; also, their metacognitive ability was determined to be less effective. These results are consistent with much of the literature describing global and/or "meta" deficits among the elderly.