Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Event-Related Potential Correlates of Performance-Monitoring in a Lateralized Time-Estimation Task

Performance-monitoring as a key function of cognitive control covers a wide range of diverse processes to enable goal directed behavior and to avoid maladjustments. Several event-related brain potentials (ERP) are associated with performance-monitoring, but their conceptual background differs. For example, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) is associated with unexpected performance feedback and might serve as a teaching signal for adaptational processes, whereas the error-related negativity (ERN) is associated with error commission and subsequent behavioral adaptation. The N2 is visible in the EEG when the participant successfully inhibits a response following a cue and thereby adapts to a given stop-signal. Here, we present an innovative paradigm to concurrently study these different performance-monitoring-related ERPs. In 24 participants a tactile time-estimation task interspersed with infrequent stop-signal trials reliably elicited all three ERPs. Sensory input and motor output were completely lateralized, in order to estimate any hemispheric processing preferences for the different aspects of performance monitoring associated with these ERPs. In accordance with the literature our data suggest augmented inhibitory capabilities in the right hemisphere given that stop-trial performance was significantly better with left- as compared to right-hand stop-signals. In line with this, the N2 scalp distribution was generally shifted to the right in addition to an ipsilateral shift in relation to the response hand. Other than that, task lateralization affected neither behavior related to error and feedback processing nor ERN or FRN. Comparing the ERP topographies using the Global Map Dissimilarity index, a large topographic overlap was found between all considered components.With an evenly distributed set of trials and a split-half reliability for all ERP components ≥. 85 the task is well suited to efficiently study N2, ERN, and FRN concurrently which might prove useful for group comparisons, especially in clinical populations.
Testing sprite initiation theory using lightning measurements and modeled electromagnetic fields

[1] Previous research has shown that the statistical measurements of charge moment changes in sprite-producing lightning are in general agreement with the predictions based on the conventional breakdown theory for sprite initiation in the mesosphere. Measurements have progressed to the point where a detailed, event-level quantitative comparison between the measurements and predictions could more rigorously test the existing theories by estimating the electric fields above the thunderstorm clouds responsible for sprite initiation. We selected for this analysis a set of sprite events from the summer of 2004 whose initiation times are well bounded. Then we measured the current moments and charge moment changes of the parent lightning discharges using the radiated electromagnetic fields recorded by our extremely low frequency/ultra low frequency lightning remote sensing systems. The measured current moments were then used as the input of a two-dimensional cylindrical full-wave finite-difference time-domain model for lightning-generated electromagnetic field simulations. We compared the simulated mesospheric electric fields to the threshold electric field for conventional breakdown to see whether, according to theory, conventional breakdown (and thus a sprite) would be initiated by that electric field and at what altitude. By analyzing sprites that are both short and long delayed from the source lightning strokes, we compared measurements and theory across a wide range of timescales. The results show that for bright, short-delayed sprites, the measurement-inferred mesospheric electric field agrees within 20% with the threshold electric field for conventional breakdown. However, for long delayed sprite events and dimmer sprites, the measurement-inferred mesospheric electric field for sprite initiation is somewhat below the threshold for conventional breakdown.
Noncardiac implantable pacemakers and stimulators: current role and radiographic appearance.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this pictorial essay is to familiarize radiologists with the clinical functioning, proper anatomic positioning, appearance on radiographs and CT scans, potential complications, and MRI safety issues of several implantable noncardiac pacemaker and stimulator devices. CONCLUSIONS The use of noncardiac pacemakers and stimulators is rapidly increasing because of the utility of these devices in the management of surgically and medically refractory conditions. Unlike cardiac pacemakers, electrical stimulators are MRI compatible under certain circumstances.
Ultraviolet sensitivity and colour vision in raptor foraging

SUMMARY Raptors have excellent vision, yet it is unclear how they use colour information. It has been suggested that raptors use ultraviolet (UV) reflections from vole urine to find good hunting grounds. In contrast, UV plumage colours in songbirds such as blue tits are assumed to be ‘hidden’ communication signals, inconspicuous to raptors. This ambiguity results from a lack of knowledge about raptor ocular media transmittance, which sets the limit for UV sensitivity. We measured ocular media transmittance in common buzzards (Buteo buteo), sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), red kites (Milvus milvus) and kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) so that, for the first time, raptor UV sensitivity can be fully described. With this information, and new measurements of vole urine reflectance, we show that (i) vole urine is unlikely to provide a reliable visual signal to hunting raptors and (ii) blue tit plumage colours are more contrasting to blue tits than to sparrowhawks because of UV reflectance. However, as the difference between blue tit and sparrowhawk vision is subtle, we suggest that behavioural data are needed to fully resolve this issue. UV cues are of little or no importance to raptors in both vole and songbird interactions and the role of colour vision in raptor foraging remains unclear.
Efficient representation of Recurrent Neural Networks for markovian/non-markovian non-linear control problems

A novel representation of Recurrent Artificial neural network is proposed for non-linear markovian and non-markovian control problems. The network architecture is inspired by Cartesian Genetic Programming. The neural network attributes namely weights, topology and functions are encoded using Cartesian Genetic Programming. The proposed algorithm is applied on the standard benchmark control problem: double pole balancing for both markovian and non-markovian cases. Results demonstrate that the network has the ability to generate neural architecture and parameters that can solve these problems in substantially fewer number of evaluations in comparison to earlier neuroevolutionary techniques. The power of Recurrent Cartesian Genetic Programming Artificial Neural Network (RCGPANN) is its representation which leads to a thorough evolutionary search producing generalized networks.
Class XI Myosins Are Required for Development, Cell Expansion, and F-Actin Organization in Arabidopsis[W][OA]

The molecular motors termed myosins are involved in transport of subcellular particles in diverse organisms from fungi to animals to plants. Here, we show that myosin-dependent transport is critical for the growth of plant cells and entire plants as well as for proper organization of the cell interior. The actomyosin system is conserved throughout eukaryotes. Although F-actin is essential for cell growth and plant development, roles of the associated myosins are poorly understood. Using multiple gene knockouts in Arabidopsis thaliana, we investigated functional profiles of five class XI myosins, XI-K, XI-1, XI-2, XI-B, and XI-I. Plants lacking three myosins XI showed stunted growth and delayed flowering, whereas elimination of four myosins further exacerbated these defects. Loss of myosins led to decreased leaf cell expansion, with the most severe defects observed in the larger leaf cells. Root hair length in myosin-deficient plants was reduced ∼10-fold, with quadruple knockouts showing morphological abnormalities. It was also found that trafficking of Golgi and peroxisomes was entirely myosin dependent. Surprisingly, myosins were required for proper organization of F-actin and the associated endoplasmic reticulum networks, revealing a novel, architectural function of the class XI myosins. These results establish critical roles of myosin-driven transport and F-actin organization during polarized and diffuse cell growth and indicate that myosins are key factors in plant growth and development.
The effects of a nucleating agent and of fibers on the crystallization of nylon 66 matrices

Crystallization from the melt of nylon 66 in the presence of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, or nucleating agent was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and hot stage microscopy. The use of the nucleating agent resulted in an increase in crystallization rate and a decrease of induction time under both isothermal and nonisothermal conditions. The fibers were found to behave like a giant nucleating site producing a uniform transcrystalline layer having morphology and crystallization kinetics different from those of the bulk matrix. The influence of the cooling rate on the process of nonisothermal crystallization was analyzed, and the values of activation energy, calculated from the cooling rate—crystallization temperature relationship, appeared to be higher for the nucleated and for the reinforced nylon compared with that of the neat nylon 66. This implied that the presence of fibers or nucleating agent led to the development of a more ordered structure, which required a larger amount of energy for crystallization.
Effect of ACE inhibitor captopril and L-arginine on the metabolism and on ischemia-reperfusion injury of the isolated rat heart.

We investigated the effects of in vivo treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) captopril and/or of in vitro administration of L-arginine on the metabolism and ischemia-reperfusion injury of the isolated perfused rat myocardium. Captopril (50 mg/l in drinking water, 4 weeks) raised the myocardial content of glycogen. After 25-min global ischemia, captopril treatment, compared with the controls, resulted in lower rates of lactate dehydrogenase release during reperfusion (8.58 +/- 1.12 vs. 13.39 +/- 1.88 U/heart/30 min, p<0.05), lower myocardial lactate contents (11.34 +/- 0.93 vs. 21.22 +/- 4.28 micromol/g d.w., p<0.05) and higher coronary flow recovery (by 25%), and prevented the decrease of NO release into the perfusate during reperfusion. In control hearts L-arginine added to the perfusate (1 mmol/l) 10 min before ischemia had no effect on the parameters evaluated under our experimental conditions, presumably because of sufficient saturation of the myocardium with L-arginine. In the hearts of captopril-treated rats, L-arginine further increased NO production during reperfusion and the cGMP content before ischemia. Our results have shown that long-term captopril treatment increases the energy potential and has a beneficial effect on tolerance of the isolated heart to ischemia. L-arginine added into the perfusate potentiates the effect of captopril on the NO signaling pathway.
Surrogate end points for clinical trials of kidney disease progression.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) worsens over time by transitions through a sequence of stages, regardless of the specific cause of kidney damage or rate of progression (Figure 1). Recent guidelines and public health campaigns have focused on early detection and treatment of CKD on the basis of the rationale that treatments that are initiated early in the disease course will have a greater effect on slowing the progression of kidney disease and delaying the onset of kidney failure. At this time, there is a paucity of therapies to slow kidney disease progression, reflecting, in part, the difficulty in selecting appropriate end points for clinical trials to prove the benefits of new interventions. Figure 1 . Conceptual model for stages in the initiation and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and therapeutic interventions. Shaded ellipses represent stages of CKD; unshaded ellipses represent potential antecedents or consequences of CKD. Thick arrows between ellipses represent “risk factors” that are associated with initiation and progression of disease that can be affected or detected by interventions: Susceptibility factors (black), initiation factors (dark gray), progression factors (light gray), and end-stage factors (white). Interventions for each stage are given beneath the stage. Complications refer to all complications of CKD and its treatment (27). Kidney failure (GFR <15 ml/min per 1.73 m2 or the initiation of dialysis or transplantation) is an accepted clinical end point for clinical trials that evaluate the progression of CKD but is usually impractical because many CKD progress slowly and predominantly affect older individuals (Figure 2). A long duration of follow-up therefore would be required and many patients would die of other complications of CKD, such as cardiovascular disease, before reaching kidney failure. Hence, use of surrogate end points could accelerate testing of new therapies, particularly in earlier stages of CKD. The purpose of this …
Evaluation of treponemal serum tests performed on cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis of neurosyphilis.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the use of treponemal serum tests in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to diagnose neurosyphilis since CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) is specific but lacks sensitivity. METHODS We tested CSF specimens using the following treponemal serum tests: INNO-LIA, Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TP-PA), Trep-Sure, and Maxi-Syph. The reference standard to calculate sensitivity and specificity was having two or more reactive/positive tests on CSF. RESULTS The reference standard group included 11 cases that fulfilled the definition of neurosyphilis (reactive CSF-VDRL plus symptoms) and three cases that did not fulfill the definition: two cases had neurologic symptoms but a nonreactive CSF-VDRL, and one had several positive CSF syphilis tests (reactive VDRL and positive treponemal and syphilis polymerase chain reaction) but no history (referred sample). Controls included 18 patients in whom a CSF-VDRL was performed the same week as patients in the reference group. The sensitivity was 85.7% (12/14) for CSF-VDRL, 92.9% (13/14) for Trep-Sure, 100% (10/10) for Maxi-Syph, 92.3% (12/13) for INNO-LIA, and 83.3% (10/12) for TP-PA. Specificity was 100% for all tests. CONCLUSIONS Treponemal serum tests performed on CSF were useful in identifying two patients with nonreactive CSF-VDRL.
The DeLone and McLean Model of Information Systems Success: A Ten-Year Update

Ten years ago, we presented the DeLone and McLean Information Systems (IS) Success Model as a framework and model for measuring the complex-dependent variable in IS research. In this paper, we discuss many of the important IS success research contributions of the last decade, focusing especially on research efforts that apply, validate, challenge, and propose enhancements to our original model. Based on our evaluation of those contributions, we propose minor refinements to the model and propose an updated DeLone and McLean IS Success Model. We discuss the utility of the updated model for measuring e-commerce system success. Finally, we make a series of recommendations regarding current and future measurement of IS success.
Comparison and Analysis of Geometric Correction Models of Spaceborne SAR

Following the development of synthetic aperture radar (SAR), SAR images have become increasingly common. Many researchers have conducted large studies on geolocation models, but little work has been conducted on the available models for the geometric correction of SAR images of different terrain. To address the terrain issue, four different models were compared and are described in this paper: a rigorous range-doppler (RD) model, a rational polynomial coefficients (RPC) model, a revised polynomial (PM) model and an elevation derivation (EDM) model. The results of comparisons of the geolocation capabilities of the models show that a proper model for a SAR image of a specific terrain can be determined. A solution table was obtained to recommend a suitable model for users. Three TerraSAR-X images, two ALOS-PALSAR images and one Envisat-ASAR image were used for the experiment, including flat terrain and mountain terrain SAR images as well as two large area images. Geolocation accuracies of the models for different terrain SAR images were computed and analyzed. The comparisons of the models show that the RD model was accurate but was the least efficient; therefore, it is not the ideal model for real-time implementations. The RPC model is sufficiently accurate and efficient for the geometric correction of SAR images of flat terrain, whose precision is below 0.001 pixels. The EDM model is suitable for the geolocation of SAR images of mountainous terrain, and its precision can reach 0.007 pixels. Although the PM model does not produce results as precise as the other models, its efficiency is excellent and its potential should not be underestimated. With respect to the geometric correction of SAR images over large areas, the EDM model has higher accuracy under one pixel, whereas the RPC model consumes one third of the time of the EDM model.
Glucose-containing peritoneal dialysis fluids regulate leptin secretion from 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

BACKGROUND A marked elevation of serum leptin is observed soon after the start of peritoneal dialysis (PD), suggesting that leptin production may be stimulated by this treatment. Glucose metabolism is the major factor regulating leptin. The current study was designed to test if glucose-based PD fluids might regulate leptin production in vitro. METHODS 3T3-L1 adipocytes were exposed to a 50:50 mixture of dialysis solutions and medium M199 containing 10% serum for <or=48 h. Leptin secretion in culture cell supernatants was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and leptin mRNA content by northern blot analysis. RESULTS The high glucose-based commercial dialysate PD4 produced a higher leptin secretion compared with an identical laboratory-manufactured dialysate (Lab-D), but with a physiological glucose concentration of 5 mM (P<0.05). Raising glucose concentration from 2.75 to 40 mM in Lab-D induced a dose-dependent increase in leptin secretion of <or=110+/-12% at 48 h (P<0.001) and leptin mRNA (P<0.05; glucose 2.75 vs 40 mM). Inhibition of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine biosynthesis, with 6-diazo-5-oxo-norleucine added to Lab-D, abolished most of the glucose-stimulated leptin release and downregulated leptin gene expression. Furthermore, glucose-free Lab-D supplemented with 1 mM glucosamine, an intermediate product in UDP-N-acetylglucosamine biosynthesis, increased leptin secretion by 28+/-11% over control (P<0.05), although without effect on leptin mRNA, after 48 h of culture. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the PD-induced hyperleptinaemia could, in part, be mediated by the effect of glucose-based dialysis fluids on leptin production by adipocytes via activation of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway.
Experimental Assessment of Stress Patterns in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms using the Photoelastic Method

ABSTRACT: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sac size is a major clinical problem. The maximum sac diameter is the major determining factor for treatment. There is a direct correlation between the wall stress and rupture sites for AAA with maximum wall stress not being dependent on the maximum diameter of the vessel but on the morphology of vessel. The reflective photoelastic method was developed to experimentally evaluate the stresses and strains in a model AAA. The epoxy resin material was used as the self‐supporting structure and had similar mechanical properties to the aneurysmal aorta. For both static and dynamic fluid testing the high‐stressed regions were located proximally and distally to the aneurysm. This correlates to reported in vivo rupture sites. There was a low‐stress region at the location of greatest diameter at the centre of the aneurysm. The direction of the maximum principal stress was found to be in the circumferential direction. The maximum stress for a high blood pressure of 22.7 kPa (170 mmHg) was 35% greater than that for a normal blood pressure of 16.0 kPa (120 mmHg). The photoelastic method is a powerful and innovative method of analysing stresses in AAA models, producing results, which are visual and easy to interpret.
Vascular diseases await translation of blood vessels engineered from stem cells

The ability to build functional blood vessels nears clinical translation, but important hurdles remain. The discovery of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) might pave the way toward a long-sought solution for obtaining sufficient numbers of autologous cells for tissue engineering. Several methods exist for generating endothelial cells or perivascular cells from hiPSCs in vitro for use in the building of vascular tissue. We discuss current developments in the generation of vascular progenitor cells from hiPSCs and the assessment of their functional capacity in vivo, opportunities and challenges for the clinical translation of engineered vascular tissue, and modeling of vascular diseases using hiPSC-derived vascular progenitor cells.
The Inactivation of Cytochrome P450 3A5 by 17α-Ethynylestradiol Is Cytochrome b5-Dependent: Metabolic Activation of the Ethynyl Moiety Leads to the Formation of Glutathione Conjugates, a Heme Adduct, and Covalent Binding to the Apoprotein

17α-Ethynylestradiol (EE) inactivates cytochrome P450 3A5 (3A5) in the reconstituted system in a mechanism-based manner. The inactivation is dependent on NADPH, and it is irreversible. The inactivation of 3A5 by EE is also dependent on cytochrome b5 (b5). The values for the KI and kinact of the 7-benzyloxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin O-debenzylation activity of 3A5 are 26 μM and 0.06 min–1, respectively. Incubation of 3A5 with EE resulted in a 62% loss of catalytic activity, 60% loss in the reduced CO difference spectrum, and 40% decrease in native heme with the formation of a heme adduct. The partition ratio was ∼25, and the stoichiometry of binding was ∼0.3 mol of EE metabolite bound/mol of P450 inactivated. Four major metabolites were formed during the metabolism of EE by 3A5. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that [3H]EE was irreversibly bound to 3A5 apoprotein. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS/MS) revealed that two glutathione (GSH) conjugates with m/z values of 620 were formed only in the presence of b5. These two conjugates are formed from the reaction of GSH with the ethynyl group with the oxygen being inserted into either the internal or terminal carbon. A heme adduct with the ion at m/z 927 and two dipyrrole adducts with ions at m/z 579 were detected by LC-MS/MS analysis. In conclusion, 3A5 can activate EE to a 17α-oxirene-related reactive species that can then partition the oxygen between the internal and terminal carbons of the ethynyl group to form heme and apoprotein adducts, resulting in the inactivation of P450 3A5.
BRAIDED MOMENTUM IN THE Q-POINCARE GROUP

The q‐Poincare group of M. Schlieker et al. [Z. Phys. C 53, 79 (1992)] is shown to have the structure of a semidirect product and coproduct B× SOq(1,3) where B is a braided‐quantum group structure on the q‐Minkowski space of four‐momentum with braided‐coproduct Δ_p=p⊗1+1⊗p. Here the necessary B is not a usual kind of quantum group, but one with braid statistics. Similar braided vectors and covectors V(R’), V*(R’) exist for a general R‐matrix. The abstract structure of the q‐Lorentz group is also studied.