Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The unexpected finding of Parapholidoptera castaneoviridis in south-eastern Romania (Insecta, Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae)

Abstract The Balkano-Anatolian genus Parapholidoptera comprises 21 species and the westernmost one, Parapholidoptera castaneoviridis, previously recognized to occur in western Turkey, north-eastern Greece and south-eastern Bulgaria is recorded for the first time from south-eastern Romania, almost 300 km away from the closest known locality. Illustrations and measurements of morphological characters are given and the male calling song from this new, northernmost population is described.
Dynamic mutation testing in integrated regression analysis

A new method of integrated regression analysis is proposed. Its core is the clustering, a method for automatic identification of program modifications. Clustering is used to formulate a hypothesis about the existence of a fault in the modified program, and to guide the process of testing this hypothesis. It is postulated that static and dynamic program analysis be used for that purpose. Specifically, the authors introduce dynamic mutation testing (DMT), an experimental technique for testing the fault hypothesis. DMT estimates the sensitivity of the test-induced program state to reveal the postulated fault in the modified program. If all tests pass and are found to have a high sensitivity, the fault hypothesis can be rejected at a high level of confidence. <<ETX>>
Complex dendritic fields of pyramidal cells in the frontal eye field of the macaque monkey: comparison with parietal areas 7a and LIP

LAYER III pyramidal neurones were injected with Lucifer Yellow in cortical slices taken from the medial subdivision of the frontal eye field (FEF) of the macaque monkey. The average area covered by basal dendritic fields, in the dimension parallel to the cortical layers, was 115.1 ± 2.9 × 103 μm2, significantly larger than that observed among layer III cells in eye movement-related visual areas of the parietal lobe. Furthermore, the dendritic fields of pyramidal cells in the FEF were considerably more complex than those of their counterparts in the parietal lobe, as evaluated by Sholl analysis. Spine density varied along the basal dendritic tree, reaching a maximum of 8.5 ± 0.8 spines/10 μm at a distance of 70–90 μm from the centre of the cell body. Such highly complex basal dendritic fields of layer III pyramidal neurones in the FEF may enable the integration of a diverse set of inputs from visual, motor, polysensory and memory-related periprincipal cortical areas.
Creation of virtual auditory spaces

High-quality virtual audio scene rendering is a must for emerging virtual/augmented reality applications and for perceptual user interfaces. We describe algorithms for creation of virtual auditory spaces using measured and non-individualized HRTFs and head tracking. Details of algorithms for HRTF interpolation, room impulse response creation, and audio scene presentation are presented. Tests show that individuals externalize well, and find our interface natural. The system runs in real time with latency of less than 30 ms on an office PC without specialized DSP.
Comparison of two platelet activation markers using flow cytometry after in vitro shear stress exposure of whole human blood.

Platelet activation is the initiating step to thromboembolic complications in blood-contacting medical devices. Currently, there are no widely accepted testing protocols or relevant metrics to assess platelet activation during the in vitro evaluation of new medical devices. In this article, two commonly used platelet activation marker antibodies, CD62P (platelet surface P-selectin) and PAC1 (activated GP IIb/IIIa), were evaluated using flow cytometry. Anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution A (ACDA) and heparin anticoagulated human blood from healthy donors were separately exposed to shear stresses of 0, 10, 15, and 20 Pa for 120 s using a cone-plate rheometer model, and immediately mixed with the platelet marker antibodies for analysis. To monitor for changes in platelet reactivity between donors and over time, blood samples were also evaluated after exposure to 0, 2, and 20 µM of adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Following ADP stimulation, the percentage of both CD62P and PAC1 positive platelets increased in a dose dependent fashion, even 8 h after the blood was collected. After shear stress stimulation, both CD62P and PAC1 positive platelets increased significantly at shear stress levels of 15 and 20 Pa when ACDA was used as the anticoagulant. However, for heparinized blood, the PAC1 positive platelets decreased with increasing shear stress, while the CD62P positive platelets increased. Besides the anticoagulant effect, the platelet staining buffer also impacted PAC1 response, but had little effect on CD62P positive platelets. These data suggest that CD62P is a more reliable marker compared with PAC1 for measuring shear-dependent platelet activation and it has the potential for use during in vitro medical device testing.
Drug dose as mediator of treatment effect in antidepressant drug trials: the case of fluoxetine

This study aimed at investigating whether dose is a mediator of treatment effect in fluoxetine‐randomized trials. Specifically, we investigated whether dose was higher in trials in which the aim was to demonstrate fluoxetine efficacy in comparison with older antidepressants and lower in trials in which the aim was to demonstrate a new drug's efficacy against fluoxetine.
Network Coding in Ad Hoc Networks: A Realistic Simulation Study

In this paper, we evaluate the impact of random linear network coding, in a realistic ad hoc network environment through the network simulator ns-2. Using a realistic MAC layer, we observe the effects of packets loss and propagation delay on network coding. Next, we compare the performance of broadcasting based on network coding with that of two simpler schemes, namely flooding-based and deferred broadcasting.
SOFA: an online social network for engaging and motivating families to adopt a healthy lifestyle

Overweight and obesity have become a global epidemic and are increasing rapidly. Previous research has shown that providing social support and family support has profound roles on the weight management of individuals. However, the support provided by online health communities is outside the family context and is targeted at individuals. We are proposing SOFA (SOcial FAmily), an online social networking system aimed to engage and motivate families to adopt a healthy lifestyle through exposure to educational information on diet exercise and a range of other healthy living information. In this paper, we describe SOFA's features, the research questions that we are investigating and some preliminary results from a live deployment. The results showed that adding a social layer can considerably increase user engagement with static educational content and showed that the provision of family based profiles reduced the activity levels of individual family members when compared to those with individual profiles.
Pretreatment or Posttreatment with Aripiprazole Attenuates Methamphetamine-induced Stereotyped Behavior in Mice

Aripiprazole is a third-generation atypical antipsychotic and a dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist. In the present study, we investigated whether a single administration of aripiprazole to mice, either as a pretreatment or as a posttreatment, would affect stereotypy induced by methamphetamine (METH). Pretreatment of male ICR mice with aripiprazole (1 or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated the incidence of METH-induced stereotypical behavior in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of mice with 1 mg/kg aripiprazole produced an increase in the locomotor activity in mice treated with METH compared with mice treated with vehicle plus METH and with 10 mg/kg aripiprazole plus METH. This increase in locomotion is indicative of a rightward shift in the dose-response curve for METH, consistent with a shift in the type of stereotypical behavior observed from biting to sniffing. Aripiprazole posttreatment, after METH-induced stereotypical behavior, was fully expressed and also significantly attenuated overall stereotypy in an aripiprazole dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that the antagonism of METH effects by aripiprazole should be investigated as a potential treatment for acute METH overdose.
Measuring Production Loss due to Health and Work Environment Problems: Construct Validity and Implications

Objective: The aim was to validate two measures of production loss, health-related and work environment–related production loss, concerning their associations with health status and work environment factors. Methods: Validity was assessed by evaluating the construct validity. Health problems related and work environment–related problems (or factors) were included in separate analyses and evaluated regarding the significant difference in proportion of explained variation (R2) of production loss. Result: health problems production loss was not found to fulfill the criteria for convergent validity in this study; however, the measure of work environment–related production loss did fulfill the criteria that were set up. Conclusion: The measure of work environment–related production loss can be used to screen for production loss due to work environment problems as well as an outcome measure when evaluating the effect of organizational interventions.
Trait Anxiety and Reactions to Patient-Centered and Doctor-Centered Styles of Communication: An Experimental Study

Objective: A patient-centered model of communication has often been advocated in preference to a doctor-centered model. The aim of the present study was to assess in an experimental setting how subjects’ general level of anxiety affects their reactions to these two communication styles as measured by emotional reactions and satisfaction immediately after consultation. Methods: Twenty students with low trait anxiety and 21 students with high trait anxiety each had a single consultation with a physician who performed the consultation using either a patient-centered or doctor-centered style of communication. Questionnaires about emotional state were completed by the students before and after the consultation, and a questionnaire about satisfaction was completed after the consultation. Results: Students with low trait anxiety were significantly more satisfied with a patient-centered than a doctor-centered style of communication. There were no significant differences in emotional response to the two styles of communication. Students with high trait anxiety reacted emotionally more positively to a doctor-centered communication style, with significant and nearly significant change scores for the emotions of tension/anxiety and vigor/activity, respectively. No significant difference was found between satisfaction scores. Conclusions: Data indicate that differences between subjects’ emotional traits may be of importance for a differentiated response to patient-centered and doctor-centered communication styles. Subjects’ trait anxiety seems to be a significant factor that should be taken into account when assessing the effects of different communication styles.
Single-molecule fluorimetry and gating currents inspire an improved optical voltage indicator

Voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) underlie the movement of voltage-gated ion channels, as well as the voltage-sensitive fluorescent responses observed from a common class of genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs). Despite the widespread use and potential utility of these GEVIs, the biophysical underpinnings of the relationship between VSD movement and fluorophore response remain unclear. We investigated the recently developed GEVI ArcLight, and its close variant Arclight', at both the single-molecule and macroscopic levels to better understand their characteristics and mechanisms of activity. These studies revealed a number of previously unobserved features of ArcLight's behavior, including millisecond-scale fluorescence fluctuations in single molecules as well as a previously unreported delay prior to macroscopic fluorescence onset. Finally, these mechanistic insights allowed us to improve the optical response of ArcLight to fast or repetitive pulses with the development of ArcLightning, a novel GEVI with improved kinetics. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.10482. 001
The relationship between functional outcomes and the treatment of anxious and painful somatic symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between global functional impairment and the treatment of anxious symptoms and painful somatic symptoms (PSS) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data from two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in adult outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for GAD were pooled. In the first trial (9-week, fixed-dose treatment period), patients were randomized to duloxetine 60 mg QD (n=168), duloxetine 120 mg QD (n=170), or placebo (n=175). In the second trial (10-week, flexible-dose treatment period), patients were randomized to 60-120 mg QD of duloxetine (n=168) or placebo (n=159). Path analysis was used to assess the relative contributions of changes in psychic and somatic anxiety and PSS on improved functional outcomes. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION Study 1: NCT00122824; Study 2: study completed before registration required. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Visual Analog Scale for overall pain (VAS). RESULTS There was a moderate correlation (0.45, p<0.05) at endpoint between changes in global functional impairment and changes in psychic anxiety (controlling for somatic anxiety and PSS); whereas the correlation between changes in global functional impairment and changes in somatic anxiety (controlling for psychic anxiety and PSS) was weak (0.09, p<0.05). The correlation between changes in global functional impairment and changes in PSS (controlling for psychic and somatic anxiety) was weak (0.27, p<0.05). Path analysis revealed that 37% of the total improvement in functional impairment (Sheehan Disability Scale total score) due to duloxetine treatment was independent of improvement in the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) psychic and somatic anxiety subscale scores or Visual Analog Scale for overall pain (VAS) score. Improvement in psychic anxiety accounted for 47% of the total treatment effect on improvement of functional impairment, whereas 7% and 9% of the improvement in functional impairment was accounted for by improvements in somatic anxiety and overall pain, respectively.
The Actinobacterial mce4 Locus Encodes a Steroid Transporter*

Bioinformatic analyses have suggested that Mce proteins in diverse actinobacteria are components of complex ATP-binding cassette transporter systems, comprising more than eight distinct proteins. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, these proteins are implicated in interactions of this deadly pathogen with its human host. Here, we provide direct evidence that the Mce4 system of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 is a steroid uptake system. Transcriptional analyses indicate that the system is encoded by an 11-gene operon, up-regulated 4.0-fold during growth on cholesterol versus on pyruvate. Growth of RHA1 on cholesterol and uptake of radiolabeled cholesterol both required expression of genes in the mce4 operon encoding two permeases plus eight additional proteins of unknown function. Cholesterol uptake was ATP-dependent and exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a Km of 0.6 ± 0.1 μm. This uptake system was also essential for growth of RHA1 on β-sitosterol, 5-α-cholestanol, and 5-α-cholestanone. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that all mce4 loci in sequenced genomes are linked to steroid metabolism genes. Thus, we predict that all Mce4 systems are steroid transporters. The transport function of the Mce4 system is consistent with proposed roles of cholesterol and its metabolism in the pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis.
Early Life Experience and Gut Microbiome: The Brain–Gut–Microbiota Signaling System

Background:Over the past decades, advances in neonatal care have led to substantial increases in survival among preterm infants. With these gains, recent concerns have focused on increases in neurodevelopment morbidity related to the interplay between stressful early life experiences and the immature neuroimmune systems. This interplay between these complex mechanisms is often described as the brain–gut signaling system. The role of the gut microbiome and the brain–gut signaling system have been found to be remarkably related to both short- and long-term stress and health. Recent evidence supports that microbial species, ligands, and/or products within the developing intestine play a key role in early programming of the central nervous system and regulation of the intestinal innate immunity. Purpose:The purpose of this state-of-the-science review is to explore the supporting evidence demonstrating the importance of the brain–gut–microbiota axis in regulation of early life experience. We also discuss the role of gut microbiome in modulating stress and pain responses in high-risk infants. A conceptual framework has been developed to illustrate the regulation mechanisms involved in early life experience. Conclusions:The science in this area is just beginning to be uncovered; having a fundamental understanding of these relationships will be important as new discoveries continue to change our thinking, leading potentially to changes in practice and targeted interventions.
Revealing conformational substates of lipidated N-Ras protein by pressure modulation

Regulation of protein function is often linked to a conformational switch triggered by chemical or physical signals. To evaluate such conformational changes and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of subsequent protein function, experimental identification of conformational substates and characterization of conformational equilibria are mandatory. We apply pressure modulation in combination with FTIR spectroscopy to reveal equilibria between spectroscopically resolved substates of the lipidated signaling protein N-Ras. Pressure has the advantage that its thermodynamic conjugate is volume, a parameter that is directly related to structure. The conformational dynamics of N-Ras in its different nucleotide binding states in the absence and presence of a model biomembrane was probed by pressure perturbation. We show that not only nucleotide binding but also the presence of the membrane has a drastic effect on the conformational dynamics and selection of conformational substates of the protein, and a new substate appearing upon membrane binding could be uncovered. Population of this new substate is accompanied by structural reorientations of the G domain, as also indicated by complementary ATR-FTIR and IRRAS measurements. These findings thus illustrate that the membrane controls signaling conformations by acting as an effective interaction partner, which has consequences for the G-domain orientation of membrane-associated N-Ras, which in turn is known to be critical for its effector and modulator interactions. Finally, these results provide insights into the influence of pressure on Ras-controlled signaling events in organisms living under extreme environmental conditions as they are encountered in the deep sea where pressures reach the kbar range.
Multiple Myeloma Patients at Various Cytogenetic Risks Benefit Differently from Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation as a Consolidation Therapy

Aim. To evaluate whether patients with multiple myeloma at various risks can still benefit the same from autologous stem cell transplantation consolidation in the era of novel agents. We retrospectively analyzed 67 consecutive myeloma patients receiving autologous stem cell transplantation after bortezomib and/or thalidomide based inductions. Totally 17 high-risk, 24 intermediate-risk, and 26 low-risk patients were enrolled, based on fluorescence in situ hybridization and ISS stage. Meanwhile, another 67 risk-, response depth-, and age-matched patients not proceeding to autologous stem cell transplantation were chosen as controls. Our preliminary data indicated that, in the high-risk subgroup, progression-free survival and overall survival were both significantly prolonged after autologous stem cell transplantation (P < 0.001 and P = 0.015) while, in the intermediate-risk subgroup, neither progression-free survival nor overall survival was prolonged significantly after autologous stem cell transplantation (P > 0.05), and in the low-risk subgroup, only progression-free survival was extended significantly (P = 0.012) after autologous stem cell transplantation. Multiple variables analysis further indicated that autologous stem cell transplantation and risk stratification were two independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Our results indicated that myeloma patients at different risks all benefit from autologous stem cell transplantation consolidation even in the era of novel agents.
Cross-validation of non-exercise predictions of VO2peak in women.

The purpose of this investigation was to cross-validate non-exercise (N-Ex %fat and N-Ex BMI) models for predicting VO2peak in females, and to evaluate the validity of these models in estimating fitness status, based on a < 9 METs cardiovascular fitness/health-risk criterion. Subjects were 165 females who completed the PA-R activity scale and were evaluated for VO2peak and body composition. The cross-validation statistics for the N-Ex %fat and N-Ex BMI models were: ryy' = 0.86, E = 6.3 (ml.kg-1.min-1), and ryy' = 0.81, E = 6.9 (ml.kg-1.min-1), respectively. Both models were found to accurately identify 87% of the subjects with VO2peak < 9 METs. The statistics associated with the < 9 MET criterion were: ryy' = 0.73, E = 3.4 (ml.kg-1.min-1), and ryy' = 0.80, E = 4.5 (ml.kg-1.min-1), for N-Ex %fat and N-Ex BMI, respectively. The N-Ex models yielded values similar to those reported previously (Jackson, A. S., S. N. Blair, M. T. Mahar, L. T. Wier, R. M. Ross, and J. E. Stuteville. Prediction of functional aerobic capacity without exercise testing. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 22:863-870, 1990). When exercise testing is not an option, the present N-Ex models provide an alternative method for predicting VO2peak in females.