Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Attribution of Primary and Secondary Emotions to the In-Group and to the Out-Group: The Case of Equal Status Countries

ABSTRACT We examined the attribution of primary and secondary emotions in the context of equal status groups with a non-conflictual relationship, that is, Germans and French. In Study 1 (N = 169), we found that in such an intergroup context, there was no differential attribution of secondary emotions but an over-attribution of primary emotions to the out-group. Only high identifiers tended to attribute more secondary emotions to the in-group than to the out-group. In Study 2 (N = 423), the role of the identification with the in-group and a superordinate group (Europe) in the process of infrahumanization was examined. Participants' national versus European identification was primed. The results did not differ between these two conditions. As in Study 1, an over-attribution of primary emotions to the out-group was observed. Concerning the secondary emotions, the classical infrahumanization effect occurred, that is, an over-attribution of secondary emotions to the in-group.
The interaction of sterically stabilized magnetic nanoparticles with fresh human red blood cells

Sterically stabilized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were incubated with fresh human erythrocytes (red blood cells [RBCs]) to explore their potential application as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. The chemical shift and linewidth of 133Cs+ resonances from inside and outside the RBCs in 133Cs nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were monitored as a function of time. Thus, we investigated whether SPIONs of two different core sizes and with three different types of polymeric stabilizers entered metabolically active RBCs, consuming glucose at 37°C. The SPIONs broadened the extracellular 133Cs+ nuclear magnetic resonance, and brought about a small change in its chemical shift to a higher frequency; while the intracellular resonance remained unchanged in both amplitude and chemical shift. This situation pertained over incubation times of up to 90 minutes. If the SPIONs had entered the RBCs, the intracellular resonance would have become broader and possibly even shifted. Therefore, we concluded that our SPIONs did not enter the RBCs. In addition, the T2 relaxivity of the small and large particles was 368 and 953 mM−1 s−1, respectively (three and nine times that of the most effective commercially available samples). This suggests that these new SPIONs will provide a superior performance to any others reported thus far as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.
MEG Beamformer-Based Reconstructions of Functional Networks in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and their functional brain networks are presumably already altered. To test this hypothesis, we compared magnetoencephalography (MEG) eyes-closed resting-state recordings from 29 MCI subjects and 29 healthy elderly subjects in the present exploratory study. Functional connectivity in different frequency bands was assessed with the phase lag index (PLI) in source space. Normalized weighted clustering coefficient (normalized Cw) and path length (normalized Lw), as well as network measures derived from the minimum spanning tree [MST; i.e., betweenness centrality (BC) and node degree], were calculated. First, we found altered PLI values in the lower and upper alpha bands in MCI patients compared to controls. Thereafter, we explored network differences in these frequency bands. Normalized Cw and Lw did not differ between the groups, whereas BC and node degree of the MST differed, although these differences did not survive correction for multiple testing using the False Discovery Rate (FDR). As an exploratory study, we may conclude that: (1) the increases and decreases observed in PLI values in lower and upper alpha bands in MCI patients may be interpreted as a dual pattern of disconnection and aberrant functioning; (2) network measures are in line with connectivity findings, indicating a lower efficiency of the brain networks in MCI patients; (3) the MST centrality measures are more sensitive to detect subtle differences in the functional brain networks in MCI than traditional graph theoretical metrics.
Editorial Peer Reviewers' Recommendations at a General Medical Journal: Are They Reliable and Do Editors Care?

Background Editorial peer review is universally used but little studied. We examined the relationship between external reviewers' recommendations and the editorial outcome of manuscripts undergoing external peer-review at the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM). Methodology/Principal Findings We examined reviewer recommendations and editors' decisions at JGIM between 2004 and 2008. For manuscripts undergoing peer review, we calculated chance-corrected agreement among reviewers on recommendations to reject versus accept or revise. Using mixed effects logistic regression models, we estimated intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) at the reviewer and manuscript level. Finally, we examined the probability of rejection in relation to reviewer agreement and disagreement. The 2264 manuscripts sent for external review during the study period received 5881 reviews provided by 2916 reviewers; 28% of reviews recommended rejection. Chance corrected agreement (kappa statistic) on rejection among reviewers was 0.11 (p<.01). In mixed effects models adjusting for study year and manuscript type, the reviewer-level ICC was 0.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19–0.29) and the manuscript-level ICC was 0.17 (95% CI, 0.12–0.22). The editors' overall rejection rate was 48%: 88% when all reviewers for a manuscript agreed on rejection (7% of manuscripts) and 20% when all reviewers agreed that the manuscript should not be rejected (48% of manuscripts) (p<0.01). Conclusions/Significance Reviewers at JGIM agreed on recommendations to reject vs. accept/revise at levels barely beyond chance, yet editors placed considerable weight on reviewers' recommendations. Efforts are needed to improve the reliability of the peer-review process while helping editors understand the limitations of reviewers' recommendations.
Inhibition in selective memory retrieval: behavioral and electrophysiological insights

Selectively retrieving information from memory often induces interference from related memories. It is widely assumed that inhibition resolves this competition by suppressing the interfering items' memory representations. However, the exact nature of the inhibitory process is not yet understood. The present work provides insight into the functioning and the effects of inhibition in selective memory from two perspectives. In two electrophysiological experiments, the dynamics of inhibition as it operates in the neural system were investigated by analyzing brain oscillations across repeated cycles of selective retrieval. Theta oscillations reflected the dynamics of inhibition during selective retrieval from episodic memory and predicted later retrieval-induced forgetting (Experiment 1). During retrieval from semantic memory (Experiment 2), however, inhibition was not reflected by theta oscillations. Instead, alpha and beta oscillations were related to retrieval from semantic memory and theta oscillations were related to the formation of new episodic memory traces. Two further behavioral experiments gave insight into the effects of inhibition on the absolute and relative strength of previously interfering items. The absolute item strength was investigated by employing a recognition test procedure (Experiment 3). Retrieval-induced forgetting was found in the selective retrieval but not the reexposure condition, a result in line with the view that inhibition affects the interfering items' memory representation. The relative item strength was assessed by analyzing recall latencies during free recall (Experiment 4). No effect of inhibition on the previously interfering material was found. Together, the results elucidate the nature of inhibitory mechanisms during retrieval from long-term memory, revealing the neural dynamics of inhibition during selective retrieval, and the effects of inhibition on the representation of interfering memory information.
Directional distributional similarity for lexical inference

Abstract Distributional word similarity is most commonly perceived as a symmetric relation. Yet, directional relations are abundant in lexical semantics and in many Natural Language Processing (NLP) settings that require lexical inference, making symmetric similarity measures less suitable for their identification. This paper investigates the nature of directional (asymmetric) similarity measures that aim to quantify distributional feature inclusion. We identify desired properties of such measures for lexical inference, specify a particular measure based on Average Precision that addresses these properties, and demonstrate the empirical benefit of directional measures for two different NLP datasets.
Down-Regulation of Integrin β1 and Focal Adhesion Kinase in Renal Glomeruli under Various Hemodynamic Conditions

Given that integrin β1 is an important component of the connection to maintain glomerular structural integrity, by binding with multiple extracellular matrix proteins and mediating intracellular signaling. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is the most essential intracellular integrator in the integrin β1-FAK signalling pathway. Here, we investigated the changes of the two molecules and visualized the possbile interaction between them under various hemodynamic conditions in podocytes. Mice kidney tissues were prepared using in vivo cryotechnique (IVCT) and then were stained and observed using light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. The expression of these molecules were examined by western blot. Under the normal condition, integrin β1 stained continually and evenly at the membrane, and FAK was located in the cytoplasm and nuclei of the podocytes. There were significant colocalized plaques of two molecules. But under acute hypertensive and cardiac arrest conditions, integrin β1 decreased and stained intermittently. Similarly, FAK decreased and appeared uneven. Additionally, FAK translocated to the nuclei of the podocytes. As a result, the colocalization of integrin β1 and FAK reduced obviously under these conditions. Western blot assay showed a consistent result with the immunostaining. Collectively, the abnormal redistribution and decreased expressions of integrin β1 and FAK are important molecular events in regulating the functions of podocytes under abnormal hemodynamic conditions. IVCT could offer considerable advantages for morphological analysis when researching renal diseases.
Immune-Mediated Regression of Established B16F10 Melanoma by Intratumoral Injection of Attenuated Toxoplasma gondii Protects against Rechallenge

Immune recognition of tumors can limit cancer development, but antitumor immune responses are often blocked by tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Because microbes or microbial constituents are powerful adjuvants to stimulate immune responses, we evaluated whether intratumoral administration of a highly immunogenic but attenuated parasite could induce rejection of an established poorly immunogenic tumor. We treated intradermal B16F10 murine melanoma by intratumoral injection of an attenuated strain of Toxoplasma gondii (cps) that cannot replicate in vivo and therefore is not infective. The cps treatment stimulated a strong CD8+ T cell–mediated antitumor immune response in vivo that regressed established primary melanoma. The cps monotherapy rapidly modified the tumor microenvironment, halting tumor growth, and subsequently, as tumor-reactive T cells expanded, the tumors disappeared and rarely returned. The treatment required live cps that could invade cells and also required CD8+ T cells and NK cells, but did not require CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that IL-12, IFN-γ, and the CXCR3-stimulating cytokines are required for full treatment efficacy. The treatment developed systemic antitumor immune activity as well as antitumor immune memory and therefore might have an impact against human metastatic disease. The approach is not specific for either B16F10 or melanoma. Direct intratumoral injection of cps has efficacy against an inducible genetic melanoma model and transplantable lung and ovarian tumors, demonstrating potential for broad clinical use. The combination of efficacy, systemic antitumor immune response, and complete attenuation with no observed host toxicity demonstrates the potential value of this novel cancer therapy.
Pediatric Transplantation in the United States, 1995–2004

This article reviews trends in pediatric solid organ transplantation over the last decade, as reflected in OPTN/SRTR data. In 2004, children younger than 18 years made up nearly 3% of the 86 378 candidates for organ transplantation and nearly 7% of the 27 031 organ transplant recipients. Children accounted for nearly 14% of the 7152 deceased organ donors. The transplant community recognizes important differences between pediatric and adult organ transplant recipients, including different etiologies of organ failure, surgical procedures that are more complex or technically challenging, effects of development on the pharmacokinetic properties of common immunosuppressants, unique immunological aspects of transplant in the developing immune system and increased susceptibility to posttransplant complications, particularly infectious diseases. For these reasons, and because of the impact of end‐stage organ failure on growth and development, the transplant community has generally provided pediatric candidates with special consideration in the allocation of deceased donor organs. Outcomes following kidney, liver and heart transplantation in children often rank among the best. This article emphasizes that the prospects for solid organ transplantation in children, especially those aged 1–10 years are excellent. It also identifies themes warranting further consideration, including organ availability, adolescent survival and challenges facing pediatric transplant clinical research.
Measuring, Predicting and Visualizing Short-Term Change in Word Representation and Usage in VKontakte Social Network

Language in social media is extremely dynamic: new words emerge, trend and disappear, while the meaning of existing words can fluctuate over time. This work addresses several important tasks of visualizing and predicting short term text representation shift, i.e. the change in a word's contextual semantics. We study the relationship between short-term concept drift and representation shift on a large social media corpus — VKontakte collected during the Russia-Ukraine crisis in 2014 — 2015. We visualize short-term representation shift for example keywords and build predictive models to forecast short-term shifts in meaning from previous meaning as well as from concept drift. We show that short-term representation shift can be accurately predicted up to several weeks in advance and that visualization provides insight into meaning change. Our approach can be used to explore and characterize specific aspects of the streaming corpus during crisis events and potentially improve other downstream classification tasks including real-time event forecasting in social media.
The extraordinary hope of antiretroviral therapy in South Africa (even for patients with tuberculosis or kaposi sarcoma!).

HIV and AIDS treatment in North America and Europe was revolutionized by the use of triple combination ART which resulted in dramatic decreases in morbidity and mortality. As the potency adverse effects and ease of ART administration continue to improve HIV is becoming more and more manageable within the developed world. The hallmark of triple combination ART has been profound suppression of viral load to undetectable levels (<400 copies/mL) with increases in CD4+ cell counts. Moreover ART has uniformly translated to improved health for HIV-infected persons by decreasing the risk of AIDS-related complications and death as well as by decreasing the overall cost of medical care. Unfortunately the benefits of ART have been slow to arrive in the developing world particularly in sub-Saharan Africa which bears a disproportionate burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As ART has percolated slowly into the developing world 2 myths have been propagated. The first myth is that the benefits of ART observed in developed areas of the world cannot be replicated in resource-poor settings. This myth gave rise to many arguments that have been made to discourage the introduction of this extraordinary life-saving therapy in the areas of the world that need it the most. (excerpt)
Clinicopathological Studies of the Dementias from an Epidemiological Viewpoint

Studies which examine patients with and without dementia during life and then examine brain tissue after death are extremely difficult to conduct. There are now several such studies published, representing a major contribution to the understanding of the pathologies of the dementias. These studies were not designed to represent population samples and, from an epidemiological viewpoint, they are flawed because none are population-based and none represent the full range of function observed during life. It is therefore important to examine the available studies for their contributions and biases.
The effects of age and metabolic status on cognitive performance

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of vascular and metabolic risk factors that frequently occur in combination, including obesity, raised triglycerides, reduced HDL cholesterol, raised blood pressure, and raised fasting plasma glucose, with the presence of 3 out of 5 risk factors constituting a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased rates of mortality and increased risk for developing dementia. Changes in brain structure and cognitive functioning have been reported within the literature. However, research examining cognitive performance in individuals with metabolic syndrome is limited, inconclusive and focuses primarily on older cohorts. As such, the effect of metabolic syndrome on cognitive functioning earlier in the lifespan is unclear. This study aimed to investigate cognitive performance in young, middle-aged, and older adults with multiple metabolic and vascular risk factors in a sample of 91 community dwelling participants. The following tests were administered: Dementia Rating Scale, Mini-Mental State Exam, reading subtest from the Wide Ranged Achievement Test-4, Digit Span from the Wechsler Memory Scale-III, Boston Naming Test-2 (BNT), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT -R), California Verbal Learning Test-II (CLVT-II), and several tests from the D-KEFS (Trail Making Test, Verbal Fluency, Design Fluency, and Color-Word Interference Test). As expected, older adults performed more poorly than young and middle-aged adults on measures of information processing speed, attention, memory, and executive functioning. Individuals with metabolic syndrome self-report greater disinhibited eating relative to normal controls. Additionally, individuals with metabolic syndrome performed more poorly on figural memory and figural fluency. These findings suggest that aspects of higher-order, executive functions of visuospatial processing are impaired in metabolic syndrome. Given that individuals with metabolic syndrome had significantly greater self-reported disinihibited eating and performed more poorly on higher-order measures of visuospatial processing (e.g., memory, initiation, planning, multitasking, inhibition), future studies aimed at investigating potential causal relationships between metabolic syndrome, disinhibited eating, and executive dysfunction may provide insight into effective intervention targets to delay or prevent metabolic syndrome. Last, results indicated that incorporating measures of visuospatial abilities in future studies would improve the characterization of cognitive declines in individuals with metabolic syndrome
Electroacupuncture at the Baihui acupoint alleviates cognitive impairment and exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating the expression and processing of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in APP/PS1 transgenic mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common human neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of cognition and memory. Acupuncture at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint has long been used in China to clinically treat cognitive impairment. However, the precise mechanism underlying its neuroprotective effects remains to be elucidated. In the present study, electroacupuncture (EA) at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint was observed to markedly ameliorate cognitive impairments, reduce the aberrant overexpression of β-amyloid(1-42), and inhibit neuronal apoptosis in APP/PS1 mice. As brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD, the expression and processing of BDNF in APP/PS1 mice was investigated. EA at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint was indicated to significantly enhance the expression levels of mature BDNF and proBDNF in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, an increase in the BDNF/proBDNF ratio, upregulation of the expression levels of phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B and a decrease in the expression level of p75 neurotrophin receptor were also observed in the APP/PS1 mice. The present study demonstrates the efficacy of EA at the Baihui (DU20) acupoint in the treatment of cognitive impairments in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. The present study hypothesized that modulation of BDNF expression and processing may be the underlying mechanism by which stimulation of the Baihui (DU20) acupoint exerts its neuroprotective effect.
Mechanical and rheological properties of wood plastic composites based on polypropylene and birch plywood sanding dust

Article summarizes investigation results of thermal, mechanical and rheological properties of industrially prepared two new wood plastic composites, based on a virgin polypropylene (PP) and birch plywood production residues-plywood sanding dust (PSD). The studies revealed that the tensile strength of composites increased about 25-30% and the modulus for 4.0-4.5 times, but the lightness, the whiteness degree and the common colour changes are smaller in comparison with previously investigated similar composites [5,6]. The softening temperatures by VIKA of approbated composites are 154.4 and 158.6°C. The starting temperatures of thermal oxidation are 250.5 and 253.5°C and the thermal expansion of samples at 90°C is only 3%. The rheological experiments showed the decrease of composite melts viscosity with the increase of temperature and the shear rate, but the fluidity index is smaller than 1, that is typical phenomenon for pseudoplastic polymer liquids. The SEM pictures of the fractured surface replicas confirmed that the composites failure has mixed character: partially fracture the polymer matrix and the border surface of polymer matrix and wood fibre.