Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Muscarinic Modulation of Synaptic Transmission via Endocannabinoid Signalling in the Rat Midbrain Periaqueductal Gray

The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) is involved in organizing behavioral responses to threat, stress, and pain. These PAG functions are modulated by cholinergic agents. In the present study, we examined the cholinergic modulation of synaptic transmission in the PAG using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from rat midbrain slices. We found that the cholinergic agonist carbachol reduced the amplitude of evoked inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs and EPSCs, respectively) in all PAG neurons, and this was abolished by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine. Carbachol increased the paired pulse ratio of evoked IPSCs and EPSCs, and it reduced the rate, but not the amplitude of spontaneous miniature IPSCs. The carbachol inhibition of evoked IPSCs was mimicked by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine and was reduced by the M1 and M1/M3 muscarinic receptor antagonists pirenzepine and 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine, but not by the M2 and M4 antagonists gallamine and PD-102807 (3,6a,11,14-tetrahydro-9-methoxy-2-methyl-(12H)-isoquino [1,2-b]pyrrolo[3,2-f][1,3]benzoxazine-1-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester). The carbachol inhibition of evoked IPSCs was reduced by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-4-methyl-N-1-piperidinyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide) and the diacylglycerol (DAG) lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin, and it was abolished in the presence of both AM251 and gallamine. The carbachol inhibition of evoked EPSCs was also reduced in the combined presence of gallamine and AM251. These results indicate that M1 induced inhibition of GABAergic transmission within the PAG is mediated via endocannabinoids, which are produced via the phospholipase C/DAG lipase pathway and activate presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptors. Thus, presynaptic muscarinic modulation of PAG function is mediated indirectly by M1 receptor-induced endocannabinoid signaling and directly by M2 receptors.
Does Too Much Finance Harm Economic Growth?

This study provides new evidence on the relationship between finance and economic growth using an innovative dynamic panel threshold technique. The sample consists of 87 developed and developing countries. The empirical results indicate that there is a threshold effect in the finance–growth relationship. In particular, we find that the level of financial development is beneficial to growth only up to a certain threshold; beyond the threshold level further development of finance tends to adversely affect growth. These findings reveal that more finance is not necessarily good for economic growth and highlight that an “optimal” level of financial development is more crucial in facilitating growth.
Solving Puzzles Described in English by Automated Translation to Answer Set Programming and Learning How To Do That Translation

We present a system capable of automatically solving combinatorial logic puzzles given in (simplified) English. It involves translating the English descriptions of the puzzles into answer set programming(ASP) and using ASP solvers to provide solutions of the puzzles. To translate the descriptions, we use a lambda-calculus based approach using Probabilistic Combinatorial Categorial Grammars (PCCG) where the meanings of words are associated with parameters to be able to distinguish between multiple meanings of the same word. Meaning of many words and the parameters are learned. The puzzles are represented in ASP using an ontology which is applicable to a large set of logic puzzles.
Leveraging thermal storage to cut the electricity bill for datacenter cooling

The electricity cost of cooling systems can account for 30% of the total electricity bill of operating a data center. While many prior studies have tried to reduce the cooling energy in data centers, they cannot effectively utilize the time-varying power prices in the power market to cut the electricity bill of data center cooling. Thermal storage techniques have provided opportunities to store cooling energy in ice or water-based tanks or overcool the data center when the power price is relatively low. Consequently, when the power price is high, data centers can choose to use less electricity from power grid for cooling, resulting in a significantly reduced electricity bill. In this paper, we design and evaluate TStore, a cooling strategy that leverages thermal storage to cut the electricity bill for cooling, without causing servers in a data center to overheat. TStore checks the low prices in the hourahead power market and overcools the thermal masses in the datacenter, which can then absorb heat when the power price increases later. On a longer time scale, TStore is integrated with auxiliary thermal storage tanks, which are recently adopted by some data-centers to store energy in the form of ice when the power price is low at night, such that the stored ice can be used to cool the datacenter in daytime. We model the impacts of TStore on server temperatures based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to consider the realistic thermal dynamics in a data center with 1,120 servers. We then evaluate TStore using workload traces from real-world data centers and power price traces from a real power market. Our results show that TStore achieves the desired cooling performance with a 16.8% less electricity bill than the current practice.
The Newbery Award as Political Education: Children's Literature & Cultural Reproduction

Books written for children often have the function, among others, of imparting to readers the society's dominant values. Professor Cook has examined a series of such books, winners of the prestigious Newbery Award, and found among them a striking convergence on the American value of individual self-reliance. But he argues that the implications of self-reliance must now be different because society and polity, as presented in the recent winners of the award, are no longer benevolent and reassuring.
Estimated breastfeeding to support breastfeeding in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of estimated breastfeeding on infant outcomes in comparison to test weighing and to describe staff members' experiences of estimated breastfeeding as a method for supporting the transition from tube feeding to breastfeeding. DESIGN A mixed method evaluation. SETTING Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS The study included 365 preterm (25(th)-36(th) gestational weeks) infants and 45 nurses or nurse assistants. METHODS A retrospective comparative medical record study was used to assess infant outcomes during a period of test weighing (196 infants) and again after the implementation of estimated breastfeeding (169 infants). A qualitative survey was conducted to explore the staff experiences of estimated breastfeeding. RESULTS No differences were found between groups regarding duration of tube feeding, length of hospital stay, gestational age, weight at discharge, and rate of any breastfeeding. Infants in the estimated breastfeeding group had a higher risk of not being exclusively breast milk fed than infants in the test-weighing group (OR = 2.76, CI [1.5, 5.1]). Staff perceived estimated breastfeeding as a more facilitative and less stressful method for mothers than test weighing. Some staff had difficulty following guidelines while simultaneously providing person-centered care. CONCLUSIONS Estimated breastfeeding is a nonintrusive and feasible method for assessing and supporting the transition from tube feeding to breastfeeding among preterm infants in a NICU. However, the increased risk for not being exclusively breastfed is of concern. Additional research is needed to assess whether this method is appropriate and feasible in varying contexts and cultures.
Polyhedral-based data reuse optimization for configurable computing

Many applications, such as medical imaging, generate intensive data traffic between the FPGA and off-chip memory. Significant improvements in the execution time can be achieved with effective utilization of on-chip (scratchpad) memories, associated with careful software-based data reuse and communication scheduling techniques. We present a fully automated C-to-FPGA framework to address this problem. Our framework effectively implements data reuse through aggressive loop transformation-based program restructuring. In addition, our proposed framework automatically implements critical optimizations for performance such as task-level parallelization, loop pipelining, and data prefetching. We leverage the power and expressiveness of the polyhedral compilation model to develop a multi-objective optimization system for off-chip communications management. Our technique can satisfy hardware resource constraints (scratchpad size) while still aggressively exploiting data reuse. Our approach can also be used to reduce the on-chip buffer size subject to bandwidth constraint. We also implement a fast design space exploration technique for effective optimization of program performance using the Xilinx high-level synthesis tool.
Ontogeny of T Lymphocyte Function in the Neonate

ABSTRACT: T cell precursors are first detected in the thymus at eight weeks of gestation. By 15 to 20 weeks of gestation, T‐cell precursors expressing αβ and γδ T‐cell receptors are present in the thymus in numbers relatively similar to those found in postnatal life. However, recent data suggest that T‐cell receptor diversity is more limited during fetal and neonatal life than in adults. Additionally, the functional capacity of T cells in the fetus and neonate is immature, in that neonatal T cells express a limited repertoire of lymphokines in response to activation. Specifically, the production of the lymphokines, interferon‐γ and interleukin‐4, which participate in the maturation of cytotoxic cells, activation of macrophages, and the maturation and modulation of B cell function and isotype expression, is reduced more than tenfold compared to cells from adults. This appears to result primarily from the lack of memory T cells in the fetus and neonate, reflecting their antigenic naivete. The difference in lymphokine expression is due to diminished transcription of these genes in neonatal T cells in response to activation. Preliminary data indicate that differences in essential promoter elements regulating transcription of these lymphokine genes plays a role in their differential expression in T cells.
Feasibility of Internet‐delivered Weight Loss Interventions Among Rural Women Ages 50‐69

Purpose: The increased availability and use of the Internet by midlife and older women who seek health information may provide an innovative method for delivering weight loss interventions. This preliminary study examined the feasibility and efficacy of web‐based interventions for promoting weight loss among rural overweight and obese women ages 50‐69 (M =55.5 ± 4.9) over a 3‐month period. Methods: Twenty‐one Caucasian women with body mass index of 28‐34.5 (M = 30.69 ± 2.58) were randomly assigned to either a Web site only or Web site augmented with a peer‐led support group. The Web site included recommended approaches to healthy eating and activity, weekly newsletters, and other resources. Body weight, eating, and activity measures were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Data analysis included 2‐way repeated measures ANOVAs with effect sizes reported as appropriate for a pilot study. Results: Sixteen women (76.2%) completed the study; 14 lost from 2% to 10% of their body weight, and 2 gained 2% of their weight. Large effect sizes were found over time for body weight, estimated VO2max, and percentage of calories from fat. For time by group interaction, large effect sizes favoring the Web site plus peer‐led support group were found for body weight, waist circumference, percent body fat, whole grain servings, and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Process evaluations indicated that 85.7% of women accessed the Web site weekly. There were a total of 305 hits in the Web site only group versus 658 hits in the peer‐led support groups. Conclusions: Internet delivered interventions appeared feasible for these rural women with weight loss and improvement in selected eating and activity measures after 3 months.
Examining Patterns and Motivations for Drug-Related Information Seeking and Scanning Behavior: A Cross-National Comparison of American and Israeli College Students

The current study uses a grounded theory approach to explore dimensions and bi-national comparisons of active information seeking efforts (seeking) for and passive information acquisition (scanning) of drug-related information among two college student samples from the United States (N = 25) and Israel (N = 39). Specifically, the study focuses on seeking and scanning related to amphetamines and marijuana, two frequently used drugs among college populations, about which information is easily accessible. Results of semi-structured interviews suggest that information scanning and seeking about marijuana and amphetamines are common, particularly from peers and from the Internet. The analysis uncovers themes relating to young adults’ drug-related, information-seeking behaviors, including cross-source information acquisition across interpersonal and media sources, and motivations for engaging in active efforts to seek drug-related information. These findings extend research on information seeking and scanning and suggest future research should examine predictors and effects of these behaviors in the context of substance use.
Clustering of independent components of EEG in determining individual characteristics of reactions related to a moral choice

Moral judgment can be defined as the evaluation of actions with respect to norms and values established in a society. In the modern world, morality is considered as the social capital, which determines a level of society well-being. Participants were showed 24 moral dilemma and 24 control task vignettes represented artist-sketched cartoons of control and dilemma scenarios. For all participants and every experimental condition, the model of localization equivalent dipoles electroenæphalogram (EEG) components was made. Individual localization of EEG electrodes was matched with a model of localization of electrodes of head, which was used for determining the equivalent dipoles. Event-related spectral perturbations were calculated to estimate induced responses via the EEGLAB toolbox. The dataset was prepared for clustering by the original PCA method. The correction for multiple comparisons was made by the False Discovery Rate method. To determine the correlations cortical sources of EEG activity with Social Intellect, sLORETA was applied to the data. Differences between moral dilemmas and control tasks without moral choice were found in delta, theta, alpha and beta diapasons in clusters localized in temporal and frontal lobe. Social intellect positively correlated with difference between the test interval and the baseline during making moral dilemma choice in theta in the left middle temporal gyrus and beta in the left middle frontal gyrus.
Influenza Virus Directly Infects Human Natural Killer Cells and Induces Cell Apoptosis

ABSTRACT Influenza is an acute respiratory viral disease that is transmitted in the first few days of infection. Evasion of host innate immune defenses, including natural killer (NK) cells, is important for the virus's success as a pathogen of humans and other animals. NK cells encounter influenza viruses within the microenvironment of infected cells and are important for host innate immunity during influenza virus infection. It is therefore important to investigate the direct effects of influenza virus on NK cells. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that influenza virus directly infects and replicates in primary human NK cells. Viral entry into NK cells was mediated by both clathrin- and caveolin-dependent endocytosis rather than through macropinocytosis and was dependent on the sialic acids on cell surfaces. In addition, influenza virus infection induced a marked apoptosis of NK cells. Our findings suggest that influenza virus can directly target and kill NK cells, a potential novel strategy of influenza virus to evade the NK cell innate immune defense that is likely to facilitate viral transmission and may also contribute to virus pathogenesis.
Cytolytic T-lymphocyte responses to respiratory syncytial virus: effector cell phenotype and target proteins

Cytolytic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity specific for respiratory syncytial (RS) virus was investigated after intranasal infection of mice with RS virus, after intraperitoneal infection of mice with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the F glycoprotein, and after intramuscular vaccination of mice with Formalin-inactivated RS virus or a chimeric glycoprotein, FG, expressed from a recombinant baculovirus. Spleen cell cultures from mice previously infected with live RS virus or the F-protein recombinant vaccinia virus had significant CTL activity after one cycle of in vitro restimulation with RS virus, and lytic activity was derived from a major histocompatibility complex-restricted, Lyt2.2+ (CD8+) subset. CTL activity was not restimulated in spleen cells from mice that received either the Formalin-inactivated RS virus or the purified glycoprotein, FG. The protein target structures for recognition by murine CD8+ CTL were identified by using target cells infected with recombinant vaccinia viruses that individually express seven structural proteins of RS virus. Quantitation of cytolytic activity against cells expressing each target structure suggested that 22K was the major target protein for CD8+ CTL, equivalent to recognition of cells infected with RS virus, followed by intermediate recognition of F or N, slight recognition of P, and no recognition of G, SH, or M. Repeated stimulation of murine CTL with RS virus resulted in outgrowth of CD4+ CTL which, over time, became the exclusive subset in culture. Murine CD4+ CTL were highly cytolytic for RS virus-infected cells, but they did not recognize target cells infected with any of the recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing the seven RS virus structural proteins. Finally, the CTL response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of adult human volunteers was investigated. The detection of significant levels of RS virus-specific cytolytic activity in these cells was dependent on at least two restimulations with RS virus in vitro, and cytolytic activity was derived primarily from the CD4+ subset.
Turkish prospective early childhood teachers’ emotional intelligence level and its relationship to their parents’ parenting styles

The current study explored Turkish prospective early childhood teachers’ emotional intelligence scores in order to determine whether levels indicated differentiations according to grade level, and parenting style. Participants responded to the Turkish version of the Parenting Style Inventory and Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS). EIS also contains the Perception of Own Emotions (POE), Understanding Others’ Emotions (UOE) and Regulating Emotions (RE) subscales. Study findings revealed that participants had moderate scores on the POE, UOE, and RE subscales and for whole emotional intelligence. Significant differences in total emotional intelligence and some subscales were found among grade levels and parenting styles. However findings showed that prospective teachers’ EI level did not increase as their professional education level increases. Also, prospective teachers with neglecting parents obtained the lowest mean scores from the total scale and every subscale for EIS. The study concluded that teacher education programs should support emotional development too.
Concepts of development in the mathematics of cultural change

Despite its importance, the linkage between genetic and cultural evolution has until now been little explored. An understanding of this linkage is needed to extend evolutionary theory so that it can deal for the first time with the phenomena of mind and human social history. We characterize the process of gene-culture coevolution, in which culture is shaped by biological imperatives while biological traits are simultaneously altered by genetic evolution in response to cultural history. A case is made from both theory and evidence that genetic and cultural evolution are inseverable, and that the human mind has tended to evolve so as to bias individuals toward certain patterns of cognition and choice rather than others. With the aid of mathematical models we trace the coevolutionary circuit: The genes prescribe structure in developmental pathways that lay down endocrine and neural systems, imposing regularities in the development of cognition and behavior; these regularities (loosely labeled "epigenetic rules") translate upward into holistic patterns of culture, which can be predicted in the form of probability density distributions (ethnographic curves); natural selection acts within human history to favor certain epigenetic rules over others; and the selection alters the frequencies of the underlying genes. The effects of genetic and cultural changes reverberate throughout the circuit and are consequently tested with the passage of each life cycle. In addition to modeling gene-culture coevolution, we apply methods from island biogeography and information theory to examine the cultural capacity of the genes, the factors determining the magnitude of cultural diversity, and the possible reasons for the uniqueness of the human achievement.
Dose-intensive melphalan with blood stem-cell support for the treatment of AL (amyloid light-chain) amyloidosis: survival and responses in 25 patients.

AL (amyloid light-chain) amyloidosis is an uncommon plasma cell disorder in which depositions of amyloid light-chain protein cause progressive organ failure and death in a median of 13 months. Autologous stem-cell transplantation is effective therapy for multiple myeloma and therefore, we evaluated its efficacy for AL amyloidosis. Patients with adequate cardiac, pulmonary, and renal function had stem cells mobilized with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and were treated with dose-intensive intravenous melphalan (200 mg/m2). Response to therapy was determined by survival and improvement of performance status, complete response or persistence of the clonal plasma cell disorder, and change in the function of organs involved with amyloid at baseline. We enrolled 25 patients with a median age of 48 years (range, 29-60), all of whom had biopsy-proven amyloidosis with clonal plasma cell disorders. Twenty-two (88%) were Southwest Oncology Group performance status 1 or 2 within a year of diagnosis, and 16 (64%) had received no prior therapy. Predominant amyloid-related organ involvement was cardiac (n = 8), renal (n = 7), hepatic (n = 6), neuropathic (n = 3), and lymphatic (n = 1). Fifteen patients had one or two organ systems involved, whereas 10 had three or more involved. With a median follow-up of 24 months (12-38), 17 of 25 patients (68%) are alive, and the median survival has not been reached. Thirteen of 21 patients (62%) evaluated 3 months posttransplant had complete responses of their clonal plasma cell disorders. Currently, two thirds of the surviving patients (11 of 17) have experienced improvements of amyloid-related organ involvement in all systems, whereas 4 of 17 have stable disease. The improvement in the median performance status of the 17 survivors at follow-up (0 [range, 0-3]) is statistically significant versus baseline (2 [range, 1-3]; P < . 01). Significant negative prognostic factors with respect to overall survival include amyloid involvement of more than two major organ systems and predominant cardiac involvement. Three patients have experienced relapses of the clonal plasma cell disorder at 12 and 24 months. Dose-intensive therapy should currently be considered as the preferred therapy for patients with AL amyloidosis who meet functional criteria for autologous transplantation.