Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential projections of thermoreceptive and nociceptive lamina I trigeminothalamic and spinothalamic neurons in the cat.

The projections of 40 trigeminothalamic or spinothalamic (TSTT) lamina I neurons were mapped using antidromic activation from a mobile electrode array in barbiturate anesthetized cats. Single units were identified as projection cells from the initial array position and characterized with natural cutaneous stimuli as nociceptive-specific (NS, n = 9), polymodal nociceptive (HPC, n = 8), or thermoreceptive-specific (COOL, n = 22; WARM, n = 1) cells. Thresholds for antidromic activation were measured from each electrode in the mediolateral array at vertical steps of 250 microm over a 7-mm dorsoventral extent in two to eight (median = 6.0) anteroposterior planes. Histological reconstructions showed that the maps encompassed all three of the main lamina I projection targets observed in prior anatomical work, i.e., the ventral aspect of the ventroposterior complex (vVP), the dorsomedial aspect of the ventroposterior medial nucleus (dmVPM), and the submedial nucleus (Sm). The antidromic activation foci were localized to these sites (and occasional projections to other sites were also observed, such as the parafascicular nucleus and zona incerta). The projections of thermoreceptive and nociceptive cells differed. The projections of the thermoreceptive-specific cells were 20/23 to dmVPM, 21/23 to vVP, and 17/23 to Sm, whereas the projections of the NS cells were 1/9 to dmVPM, 9/9 to vVP, and 9/9 to Sm and the projections of the HPC cells were 0/8 to dmVPM, 7/8 to vVP, and 6/8 to Sm. Thus nearly all thermoreceptive cells projected to dmVPM, but almost no nociceptive cells did. Further, thermoreceptive cells projected medially within vVP (including the basal ventral medial nucleus), while nociceptive cells projected both medially and more laterally, and the ascending axons of thermoreceptive cells were concentrated in the medial mesencephalon, while the axons of nociceptive cells ascended in the lateral mesencephalon. These findings provide evidence for anatomical differences between these physiological classes of lamina I cells, and they corroborate prior anatomical localization of the lamina I TSTT projection targets in the cat. These results support evidence indicating that the ventral aspect of the basal ventral medial nucleus is important for thermosensory behavior in cats, consistent with the view that this region is a primordial homologue of the posterior ventral medial nucleus in primates.
STAT1 is Activated in Neurons after Ischemia and Contributes to Ischemic Brain Injury

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins are a family of transcription factors that play a crucial role in growth and differentiation in a variety of cell types. Among them, STAT1, which is expressed in the brain and directly activated by reactive oxygen species, participates in the regulation of cytokine-signaling and cellular responses, particularly to interferon-γ. Very little, however, is known about the importance of STAT1 during brain injury. The authors found that STAT1 was phosphorylated at tyrosine701 and serine727 and translocated into neuronal nuclei within hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion. At later time points, STAT1 immunoreactivity colocalized with TUNEL-positive neurons, thereby suggesting a role in cell death. In mice genetically deficient in STAT1 expression, the volume of ischemic brain injury was reduced, neurologic deficits were less severe, and TUNEL-positive neurons were also less numerous compared with wild-type mice. STAT1-knockout mice showed increased phosphorylated Akt and decreased pro-***caspase-3 cleavage. Major strain differences in phosphorylated STAT3 or cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression were not found after ischemia. These results indicate that STAT1 is activated and translocated within ischemic neurons and may contribute to brain injury by regulating transcription and phosphorylation of proteins related to apoptosis and cell death.
Open Release of Male Mosquitoes Infected with a Wolbachia Biopesticide: Field Performance and Infection Containment

Background Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a globally significant disease, with 1.3 billion persons in 83 countries at risk. A coordinated effort of administering annual macrofilaricidal prophylactics to the entire at-risk population has succeeded in impacting and eliminating LF transmission in multiple regions. However, some areas in the South Pacific are predicted to persist as transmission sites, due in part to the biology of the mosquito vector, which has led to a call for additional tools to augment drug treatments. Autocidal strategies against mosquitoes are resurging in the effort against invasive mosquitoes and vector borne disease, with examples that include field trials of genetically modified mosquitoes and Wolbachia population replacement. However, critical questions must be addressed in anticipation of full field trials, including assessments of field competitiveness of transfected males and the risk of unintended population replacement. Methodology/Principal Findings We report the outcome of field experiments testing a strategy that employs Wolbachia as a biopesticide. The strategy is based upon Wolbachia-induced conditional sterility, known as cytoplasmic incompatibility, and the repeated release of incompatible males to suppress a population. A criticism of the Wolbachia biopesticide approach is that unintended female release or horizontal Wolbachia transmission can result in population replacement instead of suppression. We present the outcome of laboratory and field experiments assessing the competitiveness of transfected males and their ability to transmit Wolbachia via horizontal transmission. Conclusions/Significance The results demonstrate that Wolbachia-transfected Aedes polynesiensis males are competitive under field conditions during a thirty-week open release period, as indicated by mark, release, recapture and brood-hatch failure among females at the release site. Experiments demonstrate the males to be ‘dead end hosts’ for Wolbachia and that methods were adequate to prevent population replacement at the field site. The findings encourage the continued development and extension of a Wolbachia autocidal approach to additional medically important mosquito species.
Predicting the unpredictable: critical analysis and practical implications of predictive anticipatory activity

A recent meta-analysis of experiments from seven independent laboratories (n = 26) indicates that the human body can apparently detect randomly delivered stimuli occurring 1–10 s in the future (Mossbridge etal., 2012). The key observation in these studies is that human physiology appears to be able to distinguish between unpredictable dichotomous future stimuli, such as emotional vs. neutral images or sound vs. silence. This phenomenon has been called presentiment (as in “feeling the future”). In this paper we call it predictive anticipatory activity (PAA). The phenomenon is “predictive” because it can distinguish between upcoming stimuli; it is “anticipatory” because the physiological changes occur before a future event; and it is an “activity” because it involves changes in the cardiopulmonary, skin, and/or nervous systems. PAA is an unconscious phenomenon that seems to be a time-reversed reflection of the usual physiological response to a stimulus. It appears to resemble precognition (consciously knowing something is going to happen before it does), but PAA specifically refers to unconscious physiological reactions as opposed to conscious premonitions. Though it is possible that PAA underlies the conscious experience of precognition, experiments testing this idea have not produced clear results. The first part of this paper reviews the evidence for PAA and examines the two most difficult challenges for obtaining valid evidence for it: expectation bias and multiple analyses. The second part speculates on possible mechanisms and the theoretical implications of PAA for understanding physiology and consciousness. The third part examines potential practical applications.
Absorption Cross-Section Measurements of a Human Model in a Reverberation Chamber

We provide the results of human body absorption cross-section (ACS) measurements. The setup was based on the reverberation chamber as a well-known measurement environment capable of performing ACS measurements. The approach was supported by reference measurements on canonically shaped objects which were convenient for analytical (Mie scattering theory) ACS calculations. Measured ACS of canonical objects was in excellent agreement with calculated values. The ACS measurements of a human model were performed: 1) on an actual human body in an upright posture and 2) on a cylindrical water model made of vertically stacked water-filled jugs. The cylindrical model had the same water content as an average human body. Comparison between these two models showed a small difference in measured ACS within the measurement uncertainty of our setup. Thus, the cylindrical water model proved to be a useful artifact, especially for time-consuming broadband ACS measurements.
Asymmetric Photocross-linking Pattern of Restriction EndonucleaseEcoRII to the DNA Recognition Sequence*

The EcoRII homodimer engages two of its recognition sequences (5′-CCWGG) simultaneously and is therefore a type IIE restriction endonuclease. To identify the amino acids ofEcoRII that interact specifically with the recognition sequence, we photocross-linked EcoRII with oligonucleotide substrates that contained only one recognition sequence forEcoRII. In this recognition sequence, we substituted either 5-iododeoxycytidine for each C or 5-iododeoxyuridine for A, G, or T. These iodo-pyrimidine bases were excited using a UV laser to result in covalent cross-linking products. The yield of EcoRII photocross-linked to the 5′-C of the 5′-CCAGG strand of the recognition sequence was 45%. However, we could not photocross-linkEcoRII to the 5′-C of the 5′-CCTGG strand. Thus, the contact of EcoRII to the bases of the recognition sequence appears to be asymmetric, unlike that expected for most type II restriction endonucleases. Tryptic digestion of free and of cross-linked EcoRII, followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of the individual peptides and Edman degradation, identified amino acids 25–49 of EcoRII as the cross-linking peptide. Mutational analysis of the electron-rich amino acids His36 and Tyr41 of this peptide indicates that Tyr41 is the amino acid involved in the cross-link and that it therefore contributes to specific DNA recognition by EcoRII.
A delay damage model selection algorithm for NARX neural networks

Recurrent neural networks have become popular models for system identification and time series prediction. Nonlinear autoregressive models with exogenous inputs (NARX) neural network models are a popular subclass of recurrent networks and have been used in many applications. Although embedded memory can be found in all recurrent network models, it is particularly prominent in NARX models. We show that using intelligent memory order selection through pruning and good initial heuristics significantly improves the generalization and predictive performance of these nonlinear systems on problems as diverse as grammatical inference and time series prediction.
The Star Formation History of Field Galaxies

We develop a method for interpreting faint galaxy data which focuses on the integrated light radiated from the galaxy population as a whole. The emission history of the universe at ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared wavelengths is modeled from the present epoch to z ≈ 4 by tracing the evolution with cosmic time of the galaxy luminosity density, as determined from several deep spectroscopic samples and the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) imaging survey. In a q0 = 0.5, h50 = 1 cosmology, the global spectrophotometric properties of field galaxies can be well fitted by a simple stellar evolution model, defined by a time-dependent star formation rate (SFR) per unit comoving volume and a universal initial mass function (IMF) extending from 0.1 to 125 M☉. While a Salpeter IMF with a modest amount of dust reddening or a somewhat steeper mass function, ϕ(m) ∝ m-2.7, can both reproduce the data reasonably well, a Scalo IMF produces too much long-wavelength light and is unable to match the observed mean galaxy colors. In the best-fit models, the global SFR rises sharply, by about an order of magnitude, from a redshift of zero to a peak value at z ≈ 1.5 in the range 0.12-0.17 M☉ yr-1 Mpc-3, to fall again at higher redshifts. After integrating the inferred star formation rate over cosmic time, we find a stellar mass density at the present epoch of Ωs h250≳0.005, hence a mean stellar mass-to-light ratio ≳4 in the B-band and ≳1 in K, consistent with the values observed in nearby galaxies of various morphological types. The models are able to account for the entire background light recorded in the galaxy counts down to the very faint magnitude levels probed by the HDF. Since only ~20% of the current stellar content of galaxies is produced at z > 2, a rather low cosmic metallicity is expected at these early times, in good agreement with the observed enrichment history of the damped Lyα systems. The biggest uncertainty is represented by the poorly constrained amount of starlight that was absorbed by dust and reradiated in the IR at early epochs. A "monolithic collapse" model, where half of the present-day stars formed at z > 2.5 and were shrouded by dust, can be made consistent with the global history of light, but overpredicts the metal mass density at high redshifts as sampled by quasi-stellar object absorbers.
The Cognitive Neuroplasticity of Reading Recovery following Chronic Stroke: A Representational Similarity Analysis Approach

Damage to certain left hemisphere regions leads to reading impairments, at least acutely, though some individuals eventually recover reading. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown a relationship between reading recovery and increases in contralesional and perilesional activation during word reading tasks, relative to controls. Questions remain about how to interpret these changes in activation. Do these changes reflect functional take-over, a reorganization of functions in the damaged brain? Or do they reveal compensatory masquerade or the use of alternative neural pathways to reading that are available in both patients and controls? We address these questions by studying a single individual, CH, who has made a partial recovery of reading familiar words following stroke. We use an fMRI analysis technique, representational similarity analysis (RSA), which allows us to decode cognitive function from distributed patterns of neural activity. Relative to controls, we find that CH shows a shift from visual to orthographic processing in contralesional regions, with a marginally significant result in perilesional regions as well. This pattern supports a contralesional reorganization of orthographic processing following stroke. More generally, these analyses demonstrate how powerful RSA can be for mapping the neural plasticity of language function.
Evidence for atmospheric pollution across the Permian-Triassic transition

Evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship between the emplacement of the Siberian Traps large igneous province and the Permian-Triassic marine mass extinction has been growing over the past decades. However, how the Siberian Traps volcanism affected the terrestrial vegetation is still a matter of controversy. Here, we demonstrate that a substantial part of plants’ life cycle, namely their reproductive organs, was adversely affected by environmental conditions. Effects include malformed spores and pollen grains, unseparated tetrads, and darkened walls of spores and pollen (sporoderm) from Permian-Triassic sediments from the Finnmark Platform offshore Norway. The co-occurrence of these morphological changes with the main carbon isotope excursion and the marine mass extinction may suggest that they were caused by atmospheric pollution linked to Siberian Traps emissions.
MOGE: GP classification problem decomposition using multi-objective optimization

A novel approach to classification is proposed in which a Pareto-based ranking of individuals is used to encourage multiple individuals to participate in the solution. To do so, the classification problem is re-expressed as a cluster consistency problem, thus allowing utilization of techniques from multi-objective optimization. Such a formulation enables classification problems to be automatically decomposed and solved by several specialist classifiers rather than by a single 'super' individual. In this paper, we demonstrate the proposed approach to two benchmark binary problems and recommend a natural extension to multi-class problems. Results indicate the general appropriateness of the approach.
The doctor–nurse relationship

In this article on getting on with colleagues in the workplace we explore how the nurse–doctor relationship in psychiatry has evolved and discuss its current status in both the in-patient ward and community mental health teams. In particular, we outline the changed roles and expanding responsibilities of nurses in the UK today. We suggest ways in which doctors can improve the relationship and give areas of possible future collaboration between doctors and nurses.
MEDICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS AMONG STROKE PATIENTS ADMITTED FOR INPATIENT CARE IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Medical and neurologic complications of acute stroke adversely impact patient outcome and in some cases can be preventable. There is scarcity of data in the African medical setup and none to date in our country to our knowledge. The current study aims to describe types and frequencies of neuro-medical complications occurring in hospitalized patients after an acute stroke and to identify risk factors for development of these complications and the role of these factors on mortality. METHODS A total of 71 patients with acute stroke (excluding Sub-arachnoid Hemorrhage) who were admitted to three hospitals in Addis Ababa from June 2008 to March 2009 were included in the study. These patients were prospectively followed until their discharge or death to look for the nature and frequency of neuro-medical complications. Basic demographic data, stroke related medical information, pre-existing medical conditions, admission laboratory and imaging findings were recorded. All events were documented for each patient using pre-defined medical complication using a data collection format. Descriptive and analytic statistical tests were performed to measure associations between risk and outcome factors. RESULTS Stroke-complications were detected in 71.8% (51/71) of the study participants and the most frequent complication was aspiration pneumonia which occurred in 33.8% (24/71). Miscellaneous complications such as sepsis, hypokalemia exposure keratitis were detected in 25% (17/71) of stroke patients. Complications were more common in patients with severe neurologic deficit as measured by Glasgow coma scale (GSC) and old age. GCS < 12 and age > 40 years were both significantly associated with developments of complications after stroke (p < 0.05). A total of 17 (23%) patients died during their in-patient stay. GCS < 12 was significantly associated with mortality related to stroke in the admitted patients (p = 0.0002) while there was no association between old age and mortality. CONCLUSIONS Complications after stroke are common and are major factors contributing to mortality. Being aware of the types of common complications and associated risk factors helps the clinical team involved in the care of stroke patients to make preparations and plans for the best possible care and to take preventive measures that will save a lot of lives with best possible use of meager resources available such as educating the population to avoid oral feeding for patients with altered mental state and physicians to evaluate gag reflex bedside swallowing test and proper positioning of patients to avoid aspiration pneumonia. GSC measurement at admission is an important predictor of complications and death following stroke.
Performance measurement in search of a path.

In this issue of the Journal, Landon and colleagues report on a Herculean undertaking — a study of quality-improvement interventions conducted at 44 community health centers.1 This study showed a modest improvement in some process measures and no improvement in intermediate or end-stage outcomes — results that are similar to those of most previous large-scale quality-improvement initiatives. As the authors correctly note, improved processes may not be accompanied by discernible improvements in outcomes for several reasons. A particularly important problem is that the majority of Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set–style performance measures used to guide most large-scale quality-improvement .
Modelling temperature, photoperiod and vernalization responses of Brunonia australis (Goodeniaceae) and Calandrinia sp. (Portulacaceae) to predict flowering time.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Crop models for herbaceous ornamental species typically include functions for temperature and photoperiod responses, but very few incorporate vernalization, which is a requirement of many traditional crops. This study investigated the development of floriculture crop models, which describe temperature responses, plus photoperiod or vernalization requirements, using Australian native ephemerals Brunonia australis and Calandrinia sp. METHODS A novel approach involved the use of a field crop modelling tool, DEVEL2. This optimization program estimates the parameters of selected functions within the development rate models using an iterative process that minimizes sum of squares residual between estimated and observed days for the phenological event. Parameter profiling and jack-knifing are included in DEVEL2 to remove bias from parameter estimates and introduce rigour into the parameter selection process. KEY RESULTS Development rate of B. australis from planting to first visible floral bud (VFB) was predicted using a multiplicative approach with a curvilinear function to describe temperature responses and a broken linear function to explain photoperiod responses. A similar model was used to describe the development rate of Calandrinia sp. , except the photoperiod function was replaced with an exponential vernalization function, which explained a facultative cold requirement and included a coefficient for determining the vernalization ceiling temperature. Temperature was the main environmental factor influencing development rate for VFB to anthesis of both species and was predicted using a linear model. CONCLUSIONS The phenology models for B. australis and Calandrinia sp. described development rate from planting to VFB and from VFB to anthesis in response to temperature and photoperiod or vernalization and may assist modelling efforts of other herbaceous ornamental plants. In addition to crop management, the vernalization function could be used to identify plant communities most at risk from predicted increases in temperature due to global warming.