Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NMDA and non-NMDA receptors mediate visual responses of neurons in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus.

1. We have examined the effects of iontophoresing specific antagonists to excitatory amino acid receptors on the visual responses of cells in lamina A or A1 of the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). 2. Cells were classified as On- or Off-center, X or Y, and lagged or nonlagged. The effects of antagonists were studied while cells were stimulated with spots of the appropriate contrast covering the receptive-field center. 3. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists D-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-APV) and 3-(+/-)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)- propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP), when iontophoresed at doses that specifically antagonized NMDA-induced responses but not kainate-induced responses, reduced the responses of all cell types in the LGN, including X and Y cells, lagged and nonlagged cells, and On- and Off-center cells. 4. The non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), when applied at doses that specifically antagonized kainate-induced responses but not NMDA-induced responses, also reduced the visual responses of each of the cell types in the LGN. 5. We analyzed quantitatively the effects of D-APV and CNQX on LGN cells. D-APV reduced the responses of lagged cells to a greater extent than the responses of nonlagged cells. CNQX reduced the responses of lagged and nonlagged cells to a similar extent. There was no difference in the effect of D-APV or of CNQX on X and Y cells or on On- and Off-center cells. 6. We analyzed the effects of the antagonists on separate components of responses, including an early component comprising the first 100 ms of response and a late component comprising the next 300 ms of response. D-APV reduced the late component of lagged cell responses to a greater extent than either the early component of the same cells or the early or late component of nonlagged cells. CNQX had nearly equivalent effects on both response components of all cell types. 7. These data indicate that NMDA and non-NMDA receptors make similar contributions to the responses of On- and Off-center and X and Y cells in the LGN. Lagged and nonlagged cells are not differentiated with respect to the contribution of non-NMDA receptors to their visual responses. The greater contribution of NMDA receptors to the responses of lagged cells is consistent with the large contribution made by these receptors to the late response components of lagged cells. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Digital humor and the articulation of locality in an age of global flows

Abstract This paper uses the lens of internet-based humor to examine how, amidst massive global flows of content, young Israelis articulate a sense of local-national affinity. We analyzed verbal and visual comic email forwards to trace: (a) the extent to which Israelis share local versus global content and (b) the means through which national affinity is conveyed. Results show that while Israelis’ humorous diet is mainly non-local, a pervasive use of the Hebrew vernacular plays an important role in creating local affinity. Our analysis yielded five discursive frames that mark locality in humor: presumed locality, dramatized locality, ex(im)ported localization, clandestine localization, and conspicuous localization. We conclude by offering a typology that locates these frames along three analytical axes: origin, explicitness and diversity. The combination of these frames and axes suggests a nuanced map of comic global-local interplays and offers a model for future comparative research.
Prefrontal and Striatal Glutamate Differently Relate to Striatal Dopamine: Potential Regulatory Mechanisms of Striatal Presynaptic Dopamine Function?

Theoretical and animal work has proposed that prefrontal cortex (PFC) glutamate inhibits dopaminergic inputs to the ventral striatum (VS) indirectly, whereas direct VS glutamatergic afferents have been suggested to enhance dopaminergic inputs to the VS. In the present study, we aimed to investigate relationships of glutamate and dopamine measures in prefrontostriatal circuitries of healthy humans. We hypothesized that PFC and VS glutamate, as well as their balance, are differently associated with VS dopamine. Glutamate concentrations in the left lateral PFC and left striatum were assessed using 3-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity was measured by fluorine-18-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (F-18-FDOPA) positron emission tomography. First, a negative relationship was observed between glutamate concentrations in lateral PFC and VS dopamine synthesis capacity (n = 28). Second, a positive relationship was revealed between striatal glutamate and VS dopamine synthesis capacity (n = 26). Additionally, the intraindividual difference between PFC and striatal glutamate concentrations correlated negatively with VS dopamine synthesis capacity (n = 24). The present results indicate an involvement of a balance in PFC and striatal glutamate in the regulation of VS dopamine synthesis capacity. This notion points toward a potential mechanism how VS presynaptic dopamine levels are kept in a fine-tuned range. A disruption of this mechanism may account for alterations in striatal dopamine turnover as observed in mental diseases (e.g., in schizophrenia). SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The present work demonstrates complementary relationships between prefrontal and striatal glutamate and ventral striatal presynaptic dopamine using human imaging measures: a negative correlation between prefrontal glutamate and presynaptic dopamine and a positive relationship between striatal glutamate and presynaptic dopamine are revealed. The results may reflect a regulatory role of prefrontal and striatal glutamate for ventral striatal presynaptic dopamine levels. Such glutamate–dopamine relationships improve our understanding of neurochemical interactions in prefrontostriatal circuits and have implications for the neurobiology of mental disease.
Exponential Convergence of Langevin Diiusions and Their Discrete Approximations

In this paper we consider a continous time method of approximating a given distribution using the Langevin diiusion dL t = dW t + 1 2 r log (L t)dt: We nd conditions under which this diiusion converges exponentially quickly to or does not: in one dimension, these are essentially that for distributions with exponential tails of the form (x) / exp(? jxj), 0 < < 1, exponential convergence occurs if and only if 1. We then consider conditions under which the discrete approximations to the diiusion converge. We rst show that even when the diiusion itself converges, naive discretisations need not do so. We then consider a \Metropolis-adjusted" version of the algorithm, and nd conditions under which this also converges at an exponential rate: perhaps surprisingly, even the Metropolised version need not converge exponentially fast even if the diiusion does. We brieey discuss a truncated form of the algorithm which, in practice, should avoid the diiculties of the other forms.
SULFUR ABUNDANCES IN THE ORION ASSOCIATION B STARS

Sulfur abundances are derived for a sample of 10 B main-sequence star members of the Orion association. The analysis is based on LTE plane-parallel model atmospheres and non-LTE line formation theory by means of a self-consistent spectrum synthesis analysis of lines from two ionization states of sulfur, S ii and S iii. The observations are high-resolution spectra obtained with the ARCES spectrograph at the Apache Point Observatory. The abundance distribution obtained for the Orion targets is homogeneous within the expected errors in the analysis: A(S) = 7.15 ± 0.05. This average abundance result is in agreement with the recommended solar value (both from modeling of the photospheres in one-dimensional and three-dimensional, and meteorites) and indicates that little, if any, chemical evolution of sulfur has taken place in the last ∼4.5 billion years. The sulfur abundances of the young stars in Orion are found to agree well with results for the Orion Nebulae, and place strong constraints on the amount of sulfur depletion onto grains as being very modest or nonexistent. The sulfur abundances for Orion are consistent with other measurements at a similar galactocentric radius: combined with previous results for other OB-type stars produce a relatively shallow sulfur abundance gradient with a slope of −0.037 ± 0.012 dex kpc−1.
Numerical analysis of temperature elevation in the head due to power dissipation in a cortical implant

This article presents the numerical analysis of temperature increase in the human head resulting from the power dissipation in a cortical implant. A 3-D head phantom with 22 tissue types and 0.2 mm × 0.2 mm × 2 mm resolution has been used in the simulations. The dependencies of the temperature increase on the power dissipation level, chip size, and location of the implant are investigated. Moreover, distributing power dissipation by using multiple integrated circuits in the implant is discussed. Maximum allowable total power dissipation in a cortical implant of size 2 × 2 mm2 is found to be 4.8 mW, whereas, it is 8.4 mW for an implant with two chips of same size placed 10 mm apart.
Divergent mechanisms specify chordate motoneurons: evidence from ascidians

Ascidians are members of the vertebrate sister group Urochordata. Their larvae exhibit a chordate body plan, which forms by a highly accelerated embryonic strategy involving a fixed cell lineage and small cell numbers. We report a detailed analysis of the specification of three of the five pairs of motoneurons in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis and show that despite well-conserved gene expression patterns and embryological outcomes compared with vertebrates, key signalling molecules have adopted different roles. We employed a combination of cell ablation and gene manipulation to analyse the function of two signalling molecules with key roles in vertebrate motoneuron specification that are known to be expressed equivalently in ascidians: the inducer Sonic hedgehog, produced ventrally by the notochord and floorplate; and the inhibitory BMP2/4, produced on the lateral/dorsal side of the neural plate. Our surprising conclusion is that neither BMP2/4 signalling nor the ventral cell lineages expressing hedgehog play crucial roles in motoneuron formation in Ciona. Furthermore, BMP2/4 overexpression induced ectopic motoneurons, the opposite of its vertebrate role. We suggest that the specification of motoneurons has been modified during ascidian evolution, such that BMP2/4 has adopted a redundant inductive role rather than a repressive role and Nodal, expressed upstream of BMP2/4 in the dorsal neural tube precursors, acts as a motoneuron inducer during normal development. Thus, our results uncover significant differences in the mechanisms used for motoneuron specification within chordates and also highlight the dangers of interpreting equivalent expression patterns as indicative of conserved function in evo-devo studies.
Generalization of Huffman coding to minimize the probability of buffer overflow

An algorithm is given to find a prefix condition code that minimizes the value of the moment generating function of the codeword length distribution for a given positive argument. This algorithm is used in an iterative way to yield a code that maximizes the rate of decay of the probability of buffer overflow as the buffer length increases.
The Relationship Between Musicians' Internal Pulse and Rhythmic Sight-Reading

The Relationship Between Musicians’ Internal Pulse and Rhythmic Sight-Reading Alison Lauren Pogemiller Farley Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Steven J. Morrison School of Music Playing music at first sight involves coordination of auditory, visual, spatial and kinesthetic systems to produce an accurate and musical performance (Hayward, 2009). Accurately performing pitch and rhythm in tandem has been observed to be difficult in a sight-reading task. Musicians’ rhythm reading ability has been found to be the best predictor of sightreading performance (Elliott, 1982). It may be conjectured that stable and consistent internal pulse is necessary to perform accurate rhythms. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between an individual’s timekeeping ability and performance on rhythmic sight-reading tasks. Fifty-three wind, string or percussion instrumentalists participated in one rhythmic sight-reading and three timekeeping evaluations in two separate sessions. The sight-reading evaluation included rhythmic excerpts that increased in difficulty as participants performed the exercises out loud with a neutral spoken syllable. The timekeeping evaluations involved silently reading rhythms and keeping steady beat with and without visual notation while tapping at specified points. Absolute deviations from
The possible impact of uveitis in blindness: a literature survey.

The inflammatory process of the uvea is called uveitis and may cause sight threatening damage to the eye. The aetiological factor in about 30% of the cases of uveitis is unknown. If established clinical entities without known cause, such as Fuchs' uveitis, are included, no aetiological agent or association with systemic disease can be identified in about 50% of cases. ' Uveitis may be induced by infection, autoimmune disease, trauma, or malignancy. It is recommended that the different forms of uveitis should be classified according to their anatomical localisationanterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, and panuveitis. "3 The uvea plays an important role in the ocular immunological defence mechanisms. Immunologically speaking the eye has a deviant and privileged position because of the blood-retina barrier, absence of lymphatic drainage, and a special feature called the anterior chamber associated immune deviation (ACAID). These special defence mechanisms contribute to the preservation of vision.4 If these defence mechanisms fail, intraocular inflammation
The Reasons to Go On Living Project: stories of recovery after a suicide attempt

ABSTRACT Qualitative research in suicidology has become increasingly common in the literature. Lakeman and FitzGerald (2008) conducted a review of qualitative works specifically on suicide and recovery. Five interconnected themes—suffering/psychache, struggle, connection, turning points, and suicide and coping—were identified. The Reasons to Go On Living Project (RTGOL) project was a web-based narrative research project that sought to understand the transition from making a suicide attempt to choosing life. This article reports the findings of a secondary analysis of the narratives. By using Lakeman and FitzGerald’s themes as a starting point, one hundred and thirteen submissions were thematically analyzed using a deductive approach. The findings are mostly consistent with the interconnected themes identified by Lakeman and FitzGerald. Moreover, subthemes were identified to better reflect the lived experience of the participants. Clinical and research implications of this project will be discussed.
The Cameraman Operating My Virtual Camera is Artificial

In this article, we argue that the energy spent in designing autonomous camera control systems is not spent in vain. We present a real-time virtual camera system that can create smooth camera motion. Similar systems are frequently benchmarked with the human operator as the best possible reference; however, we avoid a priori assumptions in our evaluations. Our main question is simply whether we can design algorithms to steer a virtual camera that can compete with the user experience for recordings from an expert operator with several years of experience? In this respect, we present two low-complexity servoing methods that are explored in two user studies. The results from the user studies give a promising answer to the question pursued. Furthermore, all components of the system meet the real-time requirements on commodity hardware. The growing capabilities of both hardware and network in mobile devices give us hope that this system can be deployed to mobile users in the near future. Moreover, the design of the presented system takes into account that services to concurrent users must be supported.
Graftskin, a human skin equivalent, is effective in the management of noninfected neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers: a prospective randomized multicenter clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE We assessed in a randomized prospective trial the effectiveness of Graftskin, a living skin equivalent, in treating noninfected nonischemic chronic plantar diabetic foot ulcers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In 24 centers in the U.S., 208 patients were randomly assigned to ulcer treatment either with Graftskin (112 patients) or saline-moistened gauze (96 patients, control group). Standard state-of-the-art adjunctive therapy, which included extensive surgical debridement and adequate foot off-loading, was provided in both groups. Graftskin was applied at the beginning of the study and weekly thereafter for a maximum of 4 weeks (maximum of five applications) or earlier if complete healing occurred. The major outcome of complete wound healing was assessed by intention to treat at the 12-week follow-up visit. RESULTS At the 12-week follow-up visit, 63 (56%) Graftskin-treated patients achieved complete wound healing compared with 36 (38%) in the control group (P = 0.0042). The Kaplan-Meier median time to complete closure was 65 days for Graftskin, significantly lower than the 90 days observed in the control group (P = 0.0026). The odds ratio for complete healing for a Graftskin-treated ulcer compared with a control-treated ulcer was 2.14 (95% CI 1.23-3.74). The rate of adverse reactions was similar between the two groups with the exception of osteomyelitis and lower-limb amputations, both of which were less frequent in the Graftskin group. CONCLUSIONS Application of Graftskin for a maximum of 4 weeks results in a higher healing rate when compared with state-of-the-art currently available treatment and is not associated with any significant side effects. Graftskin may be a very useful adjunct for the management of diabetic foot ulcers that are resistant to the currently available standard of care.
Neurogenesis in the Caudate Nucleus of the Adult Rabbit

Stem cells with the potential to give rise to new neurons reside in different regions of the adult rodents CNS, but in vivo only the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone-olfactory bulb system are neurogenic under physiological condition. Comparative analyses have shown that vast species differences exist in the way the mammalian brain is organized and in its neurogenic capacity. Accordingly, we have demonstrated recently that, in the adult rabbit brain, striking structural plasticity persists in several cortical and subcortical areas. Here, by using markers for immature and mature neuronal and glial cell types, endogenous and exogenously administered cell-proliferation markers, intraventricular cell tracer injections coupled to confocal analysis, three-dimensional reconstructions, and in vitro tissue cultures, we demonstrate the existence of newly formed neurons in the caudate nucleus of normal, untreated, adult rabbit. Our results suggest that neurogenesis in the caudate nucleus is a phenomenon independent from that occurring in the adjacent subventricular zone, mostly attributable to the activity of clusters of proliferating cells located within the parenchyma of this nucleus. These clusters originate chains of neuroblasts that ultimately differentiate into mature neurons, which represent only a small percentage of the total neuronal precursors. These results indicate that striatum of rabbit represents a favorable environment for genesis rather than survival of newly formed neurons.
Investigation of MRI Brain Changes in DevelopmentalCoordination Disorder and Friedreich’s ataxia

‘To move things is all mankind can do. whether whispering a syllable or felling a forest. ’ - Charles Sherrington --- The human motor system is one of the most complicated systems in the human body. This complex system of interactions and collaborations between different regions of the human nervous system enables humans to interact with their external environment. Several parts of the human central nervous system are required to communicate effectively to send signals to the target muscles to carry out the final voluntary or involuntary movements. At the level of the central nervous system (CNS), motor planning and control form the essential element of any voluntary movements and several models have been suggested to describe these processes. Internal models, and specifically the ‘forward model’ is one of the most recognised theories of human motor control function. In this thesis, I have investigated two different movement disorders in which motor dysfunction is suggested to be involved in motor planning level in one disorder and motor execution in the other. I used several novel MRI methods to elucidate the neuro-mechanisms and brain regions likely to be involved in motor impairment in these two disorders, developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and (Freidreich’s ataxia) FRDA. Integral to this process was an endeavor to investigate human motor control theory and examine its pathological aspects through the window of neuroimaging.
The Interpretation of quantum cosmological models

We consider the problem of extracting physical predictions from the wave function of the universe in quantum cosmological models. We state the features of quantum cosmology an interpretational scheme should confront. We discuss the Everett interpretation, and extensions of it, and their application to quantum cosmology. We review the steps that are normally taken in the process of extracting predictions from solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for quantum cosmological models. Some difficulties and their possible resolution are discussed. We conclude that the usual wave function-based approach admits at best a rather heuristic interpretation, although it may in the future be justified by appeal to the decoherent histories approach.
Political participation beyond borders: a comparative analysis of Turkish youth living in home country, Germany and Belgium

ABSTRACT Drawing on data from a large-scale international study [PIDOP – Processes Influencing Democratic Ownership and Participation. 2009–2012. Accessed August 10. http://www.fahs. surrey.ac. uk/pidop/index.htm], the present research examined psychological and demographic factors related to civic and political participation among adolescents and young adults (from 16 to 26 years of age) with a Turkish origin and residing in Belgium (n = 153), Germany (n = 204) and Turkey (n = 253). MANCOVA and one-way ANOVA were employed to address how types of civic, direct and online participation differ by socio-demographic variables. The results indicate that citizenship status was not related with the types of participation, while age, gender and country were significantly related with the type of participation in various degrees. Interaction between all the variables showed that older (20–26), foreign national, male Turkish German sample is significantly more involved in civic participation activities. Results are discussed in light of the naturalization processes of migrant groups abroad and extensive religious involvement of Turkish German sample.