Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The posterior insular-opercular region and the search of a primary cortex for pain

To be considered specific for nociception, a cortical region should (a) have plausible connections with ascending nociceptive pathways; (b) be activated by noxious stimuli; (c) trigger nociceptive sensations if directly stimulated, and (d) tone down nociception when injured. In addition, lesions in this area should have a potential to develop neuropathic pain, as is the case of all lesions in nociceptive pathways. The single cortical region approaching these requirements in humans encompasses the suprasylvian posterior insula and its adjoining medial operculum (referred to as “PIMO” in this review). This region does not contain, however, solely nociceptive networks, but represents in primates the main sensory receiving area of the spinothalamic system, and as such contributes to the processing of thermo-sensory, nociceptive, C-fibre tactile, and visceral input. Nociception (and, a fortiori, pain) should therefore not be considered as a separate sensory modality, but rather as one component of a global system subtending the most primitive forms of somatosensation. The medial opercular part of the PIMO is cytoarchitectonically and functionally distinct from the outer operculum containing the S2/PV sensory areas. Although a clear functional segregation of PIMO sub-areas has not yet been achieved, some preferential distribution has been described in humans: pain-related networks appear preferentially distributed within the posterior insula, and non-noxious thermal processing in the adjacent operculum. Thus, spinothalamic submodalities may be partially segregated in the PIMO, in analogy with the separate representation of dorsal column input from joint, muscle spindle and tactile afferents in S1. Specificity, however, may not wholly depend on ascending „labelled lines‟ but also on cortical network properties driven by intrinsic and extrinsic circuitry. Given its particular anatomo-functional properties, thalamic connections, and tight relations with limbic and multisensory cortices, the PIMO region deserves to be considered as a third somatosensory region (S3) devoted to the processing of spinothalamic inputs.
View-Angle Tilting and Slice-Encoding Metal Artifact Correction for Artifact Reduction in MRI: Experimental Sequence Optimization for Orthopaedic Tumor Endoprostheses and Clinical Application

Background MRI plays a major role in follow-up of patients with malignant bone tumors. However, after limb salvage surgery, orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses might cause significant metal-induced susceptibility artifacts. Purposes To evaluate the benefit of view-angle tilting (VAT) and slice-encoding metal artifact correction (SEMAC) for MRI of large-sized orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses in an experimental model and to demonstrate clinical benefits for assessment of periprosthetic soft tissue abnormalities. Methods In an experimental setting, tumor endoprostheses (n=4) were scanned at 1.5T with three versions of optimized high-bandwidth turbo-spin-echo pulse sequences: (i) standard, (ii) VAT and (iii) combined VAT and SEMAC (VAT&SEMAC). Pulse sequences included coronal short-tau-inversion-recovery (STIR), coronal T1-weighted (w), transverse T1-w and T2-w TSE sequences. For clinical evaluation, VAT&SEMAC was compared to conventional metal artifact-reducing MR sequences (conventional MR) in n=25 patients with metal implants and clinical suspicion of tumor recurrence or infection. Diameters of artifacts were measured quantitatively. Qualitative parameters were assessed on a five-point scale (1=best, 5=worst): “image distortion”, “artificial signal changes at the edges” and “diagnostic confidence”. Imaging findings were correlated with pathology. T-tests and Wilcoxon-signed rank tests were used for statistical analyses. Results The true size of the prostheses was overestimated on MRI (P<0.05). A significant reduction of artifacts was achieved by VAT (P<0.001) and VAT&SEMAC (P=0.003) compared to the standard group. Quantitative scores improved in the VAT and VAT&SEMAC group (P<0.05). On clinical MR images, artifact diameters were significantly reduced in the VAT&SEMAC-group as compared with the conventional-group (P<0.001). Distortion and artificial signal changes were reduced and diagnostic confidence improved (P<0.05). In two cases, tumor-recurrence, in ten cases infection and in thirteen cases other pathologies were diagnosed. Conclusions Significant reduction of metallic artifacts was achieved by VAT and SEMAC. Clinical results suggest, that these new techniques will be beneficial for detecting periprosthetic pathologies during postoperative follow-up.
Performance analysis of direct digital synthesizer architecture with amplitude sequencing

The paper presents an analysis of a novel DDS architecture based on direct amplitude algorithmic generation in its capacity to generate pure and high frequency signals. The algorithm implementation requires very few resources and is linear in digital precision length. In its simplest form includes one compare, two additions and several increments per iteration step. A solution to compensate the known major drawback of the algorithm, sample phase non uniformity in time, is presented. The versatility of direct digital synthesizers in frequency switching and phase modulation applications is shown to be preserved in the new architecture. The paper also presents an analysis of the potential of the proposed architecture performance as reflected in the low harmonic spectrum of the quadrature output signals. A FPGA implementation of the architecture was synthesized and simulated using a VHDL description to validate the solution as proposed. Synthesis reports are compared with other FPGA direct frequency synthesizer implementations as reported in recent literature.
Timing of migratory baleen whales at the Azores in relation to the North Atlantic spring bloom

Each year, a phytoplankton spring bloom starts just north of the North Atlantic Sub- tropical Gyre, and then expands northwards across the entire North Atlantic. Here, we investigate whether the timing of the spring migration of baleen whales is related to the timing of the phyto- plankton spring bloom, using 4 yr of dedicated whale observations at the Azores in combination with satellite data on ocean chlorophyll concentration. Peak abundances of blue whale Bal- aenoptera musculus, fin whale B. physalus, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae and sei whale B. borealis were recorded in April-May. The timing of their presence tracked the onset of the spring bloom with mean time lags of 13, 15, 15 and 16 wk, respectively, and was more strongly related to the onset of the spring bloom than to the actual time of year. Baleen whales were actively feeding on northern krill Meganyctiphanes norvegica in the area, and some photo-iden- tified individuals stayed in Azorean waters for at least 17 d. Baleen whales were not observed in this area in autumn, during their southward migration, consistent with low chlorophyll concentra- tions during summer and autumn. Our results support the hypothesis that baleen whales track the secondary production generated by the North Atlantic spring bloom, utilizing mid-latitude areas such as the Azores as foraging areas en route towards their summer feeding grounds.
The role of the salience network in processing lexical and nonlexical stimuli in cochlear implant users

Previous positron emission tomography (PET) studies have shown that various cortical areas are activated to process speech signal in cochlear implant (CI) users. Nonetheless, differences in task dimension among studies and low statistical power preclude from understanding sound processing mechanism in CI users. Hence, we performed activation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis of PET studies in CI users and normal hearing (NH) controls to compare the two groups. Eight studies (58 CI subjects/92 peak coordinates; 45 NH subjects/40 peak coordinates) were included and analyzed, retrieving areas significantly activated by lexical and nonlexical stimuli. For lexical and nonlexical stimuli, both groups showed activations in the components of the dual‐stream model such as bilateral superior temporal gyrus/sulcus, middle temporal gyrus, left posterior inferior frontal gyrus, and left insula. However, CI users displayed additional unique activation patterns by lexical and nonlexical stimuli. That is, for the lexical stimuli, significant activations were observed in areas comprising salience network (SN), also known as the intrinsic alertness network, such as the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), left insula, and right supplementary motor area in the CI user group. Also, for the nonlexical stimuli, CI users activated areas comprising SN such as the right insula and left dACC. Previous episodic observations on lexical stimuli processing using the dual auditory stream in CI users were reconfirmed in this study. However, this study also suggests that dual‐stream auditory processing in CI users may need supports from the SN. In other words, CI users need to pay extra attention to cope with degraded auditory signal provided by the implant. Hum Brain Mapp 36:1982–1994, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Individually variable energy management during egg production is repeatable across breeding attempts

SUMMARY It is axiomatic that whole-animal metabolism, measured for example as daily energy expenditure (DEE), plays a central role in determining reproductive success and survival (fitness) in all organisms. Nevertheless, strong evidence for consistent systematic relationships between DEE and either individual traits (age, sex, body size), environmental factors (e.g. food availability, temperature) or `fitness' traits (e.g. number of offspring, survival) remains far from compelling in birds and mammals. Recently, we suggested that female birds might utilise complex, individually variable energy management strategies to meet the metabolic demands of reproduction, generating a wide spectrum of effects on reproductive DEE, from overcompensation (net decrease in DEE) to additive effects (net increase in DEE). Here we show that this individually variable adjustment or `plasticity' in energy expenditure associated with egg production is repeatable among individuals between successive breeding attempts in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Our study highlights the importance (a) of measuring `plasticity' or change associated with transitions of physiological state (e.g. non-breeding to breeding) based on multiple measurements of the same individual, and (b) of extending consideration of how selection might drive the evolution of phenotypic plasticity per se to include physiological and metabolic traits.
Variability of the relationship between the particulate backscattering coefficient and the volume scattering function measured at fixed angles

[1] The particulate backscattering coefficient bbp is an inherent optical property that plays a central role in studies of ocean color remote sensing. Because of practical difficulties associated with measurements of the volume scattering function (VSF) over the whole backward hemisphere, bbp is currently derived using fixed-angle backscattering sensors and applying a conversion factor for particulate backscattering, referred to as χp. The underlying assumptions of the fixed-angle approach are as follows: (1) in the green band, χp is fairly constant in the angular range 100°–150° and (2) for a fixed scattering angle, χp is wavelength-independent. In this study we investigated the variability of χp based on spectral measurements of the full VSF, both in situ and for algal culture in the laboratory. The in situ data used in our study were acquired in a coastal environment outside of phytoplankton blooms, whereas the laboratory data were representative for phytoplankton bloom conditions in oceanic waters. At 555 nm, χp was found to vary significantly in the angular range 100°–130°, and at 140°, χp was found to be weakly variable in nonblooming waters only. The spectral variability of χp was studied for the first time, and the spectral slopes of χp, measured in situ, were found to vary within ±6%. Under the assumption that χp(140°) is wavelength-independent, the induced error in the estimates of bbp was found to be lower than 10%. The algal culture showed a much higher spectral variability in χp(±20%), which induced an error in the estimates of bbp up to ±25.8%.
Characterization of Admixture in an Urban Sample from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Using Uniparentally and Biparentally Inherited Genetic Markers

Abstract In this study we analyzed a sample of the urban population of La Plata, Argentina, using 17 mtDNA haplogroups, the DYS199 Y-chromosome polymorphism, and 5 autosomal population-associated alleles (PAAs). The contribution of native American maternal lineages to the population of La Plata was estimated as 45.6%, whereas the paternal contribution was much lower (10.6%), clearly indicating directional mating. Regarding autosomal evidence of admixture, the relative European, native American, and West African genetic contributions to the gene pool of La Plata were estimated to be 67.55% (_2.7), 25.9% (_4.3), and 6.5% (_6.4), respectively. When admixture was calculated at the individual level, we found a low correlation between the ancestral contribution estimated with uniparental lineages and autosomal markers. Most of the individuals from La Plata with a native American mtDNA haplogroup or the DYS199*T native American allele show a genetic contribution at the autosomal level that can be traced primarily to Europe. The results of this study emphasize the need to use both uniparentally and biparentally inherited genetic markers to understand the history of admixed populations.
Ocean processes at the Antarctic continental slope

The Antarctic continental shelves and slopes occupy relatively small areas, but, nevertheless, are important for global climate, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning. Processes of water mass transformation through sea ice formation/melting and ocean–atmosphere interaction are key to the formation of deep and bottom waters as well as determining the heat flux beneath ice shelves. Climate models, however, struggle to capture these physical processes and are unable to reproduce water mass properties of the region. Dynamics at the continental slope are key for correctly modelling climate, yet their small spatial scale presents challenges both for ocean modelling and for observational studies. Cross-slope exchange processes are also vital for the flux of nutrients such as iron from the continental shelf into the mixed layer of the Southern Ocean. An iron-cycling model embedded in an eddy-permitting ocean model reveals the importance of sedimentary iron in fertilizing parts of the Southern Ocean. Ocean gliders play a key role in improving our ability to observe and understand these small-scale processes at the continental shelf break. The Gliders: Excellent New Tools for Observing the Ocean (GENTOO) project deployed three Seagliders for up to two months in early 2012 to sample the water to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula in unprecedented temporal and spatial detail. The glider data resolve small-scale exchange processes across the shelf-break front (the Antarctic Slope Front) and the front's biogeochemical signature. GENTOO demonstrated the capability of ocean gliders to play a key role in a future multi-disciplinary Southern Ocean observing system.
Density Imaging Using a Multiple-Frequency

Current inverse scattering methods for quantitative density imaging have limitations that keep them from practical experimental implementations. In this work, an improved approach, termed the multiple-frequency distorted Born iterative method (MF-DBIM) algorithm, was developed for imaging density variations. The MF-DBIM approach consists of inverting the wave equation by solving for a single function that depends on both sound speed and density variations at multiple frequencies. Density information was isolated by using a linear combination of the reconstructed single-frequency profiles. Reconstructions of targets using MF-DBIM from simulated data were compared with reconstructions using methods currently available in the literature, i.e., the dual-frequency DBIM (DF-DBIM) and T-matrix approaches. Useful density reconstructions, i.e., root mean square errors (RMSEs) less than 30%, were obtained with MF-DBIM even with 2% Gaussian noise in the simulated data and using frequency ranges spanning less than an order of magnitude. Therefore, the MFDBIM approach outperformed both the DF-DBIM method (which has problems converging with noise even an order of magnitude smaller) and the T-matrix method (which requires a ka factor close to unity to achieve convergence). However, the convergence of all the density imaging algorithms was compromised when imaging targets with object functions exhibiting high spatial frequency content.
Profile of 6 microRNA in blood plasma distinguish early stage Alzheimer’s disease patients from non-demented subjects

Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most common age-related dementia. Among its major challenges is identifying molecular signatures characteristic for the early AD stage in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI-AD), which could serve for deciphering the AD pathomechanism and also as non-invasive, easy-to-access biomarkers. Using qRT-PCR we compared the microRNA (miRNA) profiles in blood plasma of 15 MCI-AD patients, whose diagnoses were confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, with 20 AD patients and 15 non-demented, age-matched individuals (CTR). To minimize methodological variability, we adhered to standardization of blood and CSF assays recommended by the international Joint Programming for Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND) BIOMARKAPD consortium, and we employed commercially available Exiqon qRT-PCR-assays. In the first screening, we assessed 179 miRNAs of plasma. We confirmed 23 miRNAs reported earlier as AD biomarker candidates in blood and found 26 novel differential miRNAs between AD and control subjects. For representative 15 differential miRNAs, the TargetScan, MirTarBase and KEGG database analysis indicated putative protein targets among such AD hallmarks as MAPT (Tau), proteins involved in amyloidogenic proteolysis, and in apoptosis. These 15 miRNAs were verified in separate, subsequent subject groups. Finally, 6 miRNAs (3 not yet reported in AD context and 3 reported in AD blood) were selected as the most promising biomarker candidates differentiating early AD from controls with the highest fold changes (from 1.32 to 14.72), consistent significance, specificities from 0.78 to 1 and sensitivities from 0.75 to 1. (patent pending, PCT/IB2016/052440).
Supramolecular structure of helical ribbons self-assembled from a β-sheet peptide

We have investigated the supramolecular structure of helical ribbons formed during self-assembly of a β-sheet peptide using computer simulation. We tested a wide range of molecular packing geometries consistent with the experimental dimensions to identify the most stable structure, and then systematically changed the helical geometry to investigate its energy landscape. The effect of pH was incorporated by scaling the amount of charge on the side chains based on the electrostatic double layer theory. Our results suggest that these left-handed helical ribbons are comprised of a double β-sheet and that the experimentally measured dimensions correspond to a local energy minimum. Side chain interactions are found to be critical in determining the stability and curvature of the helix. Our approach has general applicability to the study of self-assembled nanostructures from β-sheet peptides where high resolution data are not yet available.
Planck 2015 results Special feature Planck 2015 results XXVII . The second Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich sources Planck Collaboration :

We present the all-sky Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) sources detected from the 29 month full-mission data. The catalogue (PSZ2) is the largest SZ-selected sample of galaxy clusters yet produced and the deepest systematic all-sky survey of galaxy clusters. It contains 1653 detections, of which 1203 are confirmed clusters with identified counterparts in external data sets, and is the first SZ-selected cluster survey containing >103 confirmed clusters. We present a detailed analysis of the survey selection function in terms of its completeness and statistical reliability, placing a lower limit of 83% on the purity. Using simulations, we find that the estimates of the SZ strength parameter Y5R500 are robust to pressureprofile variation and beam systematics, but accurate conversion to Y500 requires the use of prior information on the cluster extent. We describe the multi-wavelength search for counterparts in ancillary data, which makes use of radio, microwave, infra-red, optical, and X-ray data sets, and which places emphasis on the robustness of the counterpart match. We discuss the physical properties of the new sample and identify a population of low-redshift X-ray under-luminous clusters revealed by SZ selection. These objects appear in optical and SZ surveys with consistent properties for their mass, but are almost absent from ROSAT X-ray selected samples.
Woody plant biomass and carbon exchange depend on elephant‐fire interactions across a productivity gradient in African savanna

Elephants and fire are individually well‐known disturbance agents within savanna ecosystems, but their interactive role in governing tree‐cover dynamics and savanna–forest biome boundaries remains unresolved. Of central importance are the mechanisms by which elephants vs. fire affect tree biomass and cover, and how – over long time periods – both factors interact with rainfall and soils to govern tree biomass and carbon dynamics. Here, we evaluated the response of woody vegetation to 56 years of fire manipulation in South Africa's Kruger National Park, with three fire regimes (annual, triennial and unburned) replicated across a productivity gradient and subject to two periods of contrasting elephant abundances (generated by the cessation of culling in 1994). Higher fire frequencies had a negative effect on woody biomass in the low‐elephant period, but this effect was weak to negligible in the high‐elephant period as the difference among fire treatments diminished. Moreover, elephants removed increasing amounts of woody biomass as productivity increased across study sites, but fire did not. We infer that elephant‐induced tree mortality could overcome increases in woody‐plant productivity, while fire‐induced mortality alone could not. Elephants caused woody‐plant carbon to shift from a sink to a source; this effect was independent of fire treatment, with highest rates of net carbon removal in the wettest and most productive site. Synthesis. Our results reveal a context‐dependent interaction between fire and elephants as disturbance agents in savanna: the influence of fire on woody plants was sensitive to the abundance of elephants and diminished with increased plant productivity. In contrast, elephants were capable of shifting landscapes from relatively dense woodland to open savanna, even in unburned sites, and exerted strong impacts irrespective of site conditions and plant productivity.