Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Receptive Field Properties of Koniocellular On/Off Neurons in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of Marmoset Monkeys

The koniocellular (K) layers of the primate dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus house a variety of visual receptive field types, not all of which have been fully characterized. Here we made single-cell recordings targeted to the K layers of diurnal New World monkeys (marmosets). A subset of recorded cells was excited by both increments and decrements of light intensity (on/off-cells). Histological reconstruction of the location of these cells confirmed that they are segregated to K layers; we therefore refer to these cells as K-on/off cells. The K-on/off cells show high contrast sensitivity, strong bandpass spatial frequency tuning, and their response magnitude is strongly reduced by stimuli larger than the excitatory receptive field (silent suppressive surrounds). Stationary counterphase gratings evoke unmodulated spike rate increases or frequency-doubled responses in K-on/off cells; such responses are largely independent of grating spatial phase. The K-on/off cells are not orientation or direction selective. Some (but not all) properties of K-on/off cells are consistent with those of local-edge-detector/impressed-by-contrast cells reported in studies of cat retina and geniculate, and broad-thorny ganglion cells recorded in macaque monkey retina. The receptive field properties of K-on/off cells and their preferential location in the ventral K layers (K1 and K2) make them good candidates for the direct projection from geniculate to extrastriate cortical area MT/V5. If so, they could contribute to visual information processing in the dorsal (“where” or “action”) visual stream. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We characterize cells in an evolutionary ancient part of the visual pathway in primates. The cells are located in the lateral geniculate nucleus (the main visual afferent relay nucleus), in regions called koniocellular layers that are known to project to extrastriate visual areas as well as primary visual cortex. The cells show high contrast sensitivity and rapid, transient responses to light onset and offset. Their properties suggest they could contribute to visual processing in the dorsal (“where” or “action”) visual stream.
Effects of Exposure to Pesticides on Blood Serum Components and Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in Pesticide Vendors of Punjab Province, Pakistan

Objectives: The present study is to see the effects of human exposure to selected pesticides on their liver and kidney function as well as variations in butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were studied. Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 88 participants selected through purposive sampling technique and participated voluntarily. Sixty one pesticides vendors (male; mean age: 33.82 ± 11.5 years) and a control group consisting of 27 healthy male (mean age: 31.04 ± 11.96 years). Results: Mean levels of total proteins (TP, g/dl), albumin (g/dl) and BChE (u/l) were significantly lower in pesticide exposed individuals than those of control group [6.96 ± 1.45 vs. 8.75 ± 1.05 (total protein); 3.47 ± 0.76 vs. 4.37 ± 0.23 (albumin); 4213.20 ± 1128.96 vs. 5955.90 ± 623.16 (BChE, u/l), P < 0.001]. Among the pesticide vendors, urea ( P < 0.01) and ALT (alanine amino transferase) ( P < 0.05) concentrations were increased and BChE ( P = 0.001) level decreased significantly in smokers than in non-smokers. Pesticide vendors having longer exposure time to pesticides had significantly higher levels of urea ( P < 0.05) and ALT ( P < 0.01) but had lower levels oftotal proteins ( P < 0.01) and BChE (P = 0.001). Vendors who were not using proper protective measures showed significant increase in ALT ( P < 0.01) level and decrease in total proteins ( P < 0.05) and BChE (P = 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that human exposure to pesticides has adverse effects on total proteins, albumin, urea, ALT, and BChE; these biomarkers were useful in studying adverse effects of pesticides in humans.
Genetic complexity in the replication-competent latent HIV reservoir increases with untreated infection duration in infected youth

Objective: Timely initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) limits latent HIV reservoir size and should also limit reservoir genetic complexity. However, the relationship between these two factors remains unclear, particularly among HIV-infected youth. Design: Retrospective analysis of replication-competent latent HIV clones serially isolated by limiting-dilution culture from resting CD4+ T-cell reservoirs from ART-suppressed, young adult participants of a historic phase I therapeutic vaccine trial (PACTG/IMPAACT-P1059). Methods: Replication-competent latent HIV clones isolated from resting CD4+ T cells of four perinatally and 10 nonperinatally infected young adults (average 22 versus 6 years uncontrolled infection, respectively) were sequenced in Pol and Nef. Within-host HIV sequence datasets were characterized with respect to their genetic diversity and inferred immune escape mutation burden. Results: Although participants were comparable in terms of sociodemographic and HIV sampling characteristics (e.g. on average, a mean 17 Pol sequences were recovered at five timepoints over up to 70 weeks) and the length of ART suppression at study entry (average 3 years), replication-competent HIV reservoir size, genetic diversity, immune escape mutation burden and variant complexity were significantly higher among the perinatally infected participants who experienced longer durations of uncontrolled viremia. Nevertheless, viral sequences inferred to retain susceptibility to host cellular immune responses were detected in all participants, irrespective of uncontrolled viremia duration. Conclusion: HIV elimination in late-suppressed youth may be doubly challenged by larger and more genetically complex reservoirs. Strategies that integrate host and viral genetic complexity to achieve HIV remission or cure may merit consideration in such cases.
Patient‐reported outcome measures focusing on aesthetics of implant‐ and tooth‐supported fixed dental prostheses: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the existing evidence on patient-reported aesthetic outcome measures (PROMs) of implant-supported, relative to tooth-supported fixed dental prostheses. MATERIAL AND METHODS In April 2017, two reviewers independently searched the Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, and Cochrane electronic databases, focusing on studies including patient-reported aesthetic outcomes of implant- and tooth-supported fixed dental prostheses (FDPs). Human studies with a mean follow-up period of at least 1 year, a minimum of ten patients, and English, German, or French publication were included. For the comparison of subgroups, random-effects meta-regression for aggregate-level data was used. RESULTS The systematic search for implant-supported prostheses focusing on patient-reported outcomes identified 2,675 titles, which were screened by two independent authors. Fifty full-text articles were analyzed, and finally, 16 publications (including 19 relevant study cohorts) were included. For tooth-supported prostheses, no studies could be included. A total of 816 implant-supported reconstructions were analyzed by patients. Overall aesthetic evaluation by the patients' visual analogue scale (VAS) rating was high in implant-supported FDPs (median: 90.3; min-max: 80.0-94.0) and the surrounding mucosa (median: 84.7; min-max: 73.0-92.0). Individual restorative materials, implant neck design (i.e., tissue or bone level type implants), and the use of a fixed provisional had no effect on patients' ratings of the definitive implant-supported FDPs. CONCLUSIONS Aesthetics is an important patient-reported measure, which lacks in standardized methods; however, patients' satisfaction was high for implant- supported FDPs and the surrounding mucosa.
Al 9 BSi 2 O 19 , a new mineral from granulite-facies metapelites , Mount Sta ff ord , central Australia : a natural analogue of a synthetic “ boron-mullite ”

Boromullite is a new mineral corresponding to a 1:1 polysome composed of Al5BO9 and Al2SiO5 modules. Electron-microprobe analysis of the holotype prism is SiO2 19.01(1.12), TiO2 0.01(0.02), B2O3 6.52(0.75), Al2O3 74.10(0.95), MgO 0.07(0.03), CaO 0.00(0.02), MnO 0.01(0.04), FeO 0.40(0.08), Sum 100.12 wt. %, which gives Mg0.01Fe0.03Al8.88Si1. 93B1.14O18. 94 (normalised to 12 cations), ideally Al9BSi2O19. Overall, in the type specimen, it ranges in composition from Mg0.01Fe0.03Al8.72Si2. 44B0.80O19. 20 to Mg0.01Fe0.03Al9.22Si1. 38B1.35O18. 67. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction gives orthorhombic symmetry, Cmc21, a 5.7168(19) Å, b 15.023(5) Å, c 7.675(3) Å, V 659.2(7) Å3, calculated density 3.081 g/cm3, Z = 2. The refined structure model indicates two superimposed modules present in equal proportions in the holotype prism. Module 1 has the topology and stoichiometry of sillimanite and carries all the Si, whereas module 2 is a type of mullite defect structure in which Si is replaced by B in triangular coordination and by Al in tetrahedral coordination, i.e., Al5BO9. The strongest lines in the powder pattern [d in Å, (Imeas.), (hkl)] are 5.37(50) (021), 3.38(100) (022, 041), 2.67 (60) (042), 2.51(60) (221, 023), 2.19(80) (222), 2.11(50) (043), 1.512(80) (263). Boromullite is colourless and transparent, biaxial (+), nx 1.627(1), ny 1.634(1), nz 1.649(1) (589 nm). 2Vz (meas) = 57(2)◦, 2Vz (calc) = 69(12)◦. In the type specimen boromullite tends to form prisms or bundles of prisms up to 0.4 mm long, typically as fringes or overgrowths on aggregates of sillimanite or as narrow overgrowths around embayed werdingite prisms. In other samples boromullite and sillimanite are intergrown on a fine scale (from < 1 μm to > 10 μm). Sekaninaite-cordierite, potassium feldspar, biotite, werdingite and its Fe-dominant analogue, hercynite, and ilmenite are other commonly associated minerals, whereas ominelite-grandidierite, plagioclase, andalusite, and tourmaline are much subordinate. The most widespread accessories are monazite-(Ce), an apatite-group mineral and zircon. Boromullite formed during anatexis of B-rich pelitic rocks under granulite facies conditions (810 ◦C ≈ T ≥ 775−785 ◦C, P = 3.3–4 kbar), possibly due to a shift in bulk composition to lower SiO2 and B2O3 contents associated with melt extraction. The assemblage boromullite + cordierite + sillimanite lies at lower SiO2 and B2O3 contents than the assemblage werdingite + cordierite + sillimanite and thus a decrease in SiO2 and B2O3 leads to the replacement of werdingite by boromullite, consistent with textural relations. Key-words: boron, new mineral, Australia, electron microprobe, crystal structure, granulite facies, anatexis, boromullite.
Lysophospholipid receptor signaling in zebrafish development

Lysophospholipids are membrane-derived phospholipids with two well-known members, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Both lipids have attracted attention for their roles in different physiological and pathological conditions via binding to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). LPA receptors are widely expressed with overlapping and distinct signaling and tissue distribution. They are closely related to the purinergic GPCRs and function via remodeling actin cytoskeleton or altering gene expression. LPA receptors are involved in neuronal, cardiovascular, immune and reproductive functions and also regulate bone and adipocyte development. S1P receptors are also critical in overlapping physiological processes despite those well-defined LPA and S1P-related functions in mammals, their roles in vivo especially during development are less well understood mainly due to the difficulty to study developmental processes in mammals. Zebrafish is an emergent vertebrate model particular suitable for in vivo and developmental research. Recently, more laboratories including ours have begun to explore lysophospholipid signaling in zebrafish and identified some previously known or unappreciated functions for lysophospholipids in embryogenesis, cardiovascular and neuronal development. Therefore, we will discuss those discoveries and compare them to our understanding of lysophospholipid signaling in mammalian studies.
RE1-silencing transcription factor controls the acute-to-chronic neuropathic pain transition and Chrm2 receptor gene expression in primary sensory neurons

Neuropathic pain is associated with persistent changes in gene expression in primary sensory neurons, but the underlying epigenetic mechanisms that cause these changes remain unclear. The muscarinic cholinergic receptors (mAChRs), particularly the M2 subtype (encoded by the cholinergic receptor muscarinic 2 (Chrm2) gene), are critically involved in the regulation of spinal nociceptive transmission. However, little is known about how Chrm2 expression is transcriptionally regulated. Here we show that nerve injury persistently increased the expression of RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST, also known as neuron-restrictive silencing factor [NRSF]), a gene-silencing transcription factor, in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Remarkably, nerve injury–induced chronic but not acute pain hypersensitivity was attenuated in mice with Rest knockout in DRG neurons. Also, siRNA-mediated Rest knockdown reversed nerve injury–induced chronic pain hypersensitivity in rats. Nerve injury persistently reduced Chrm2 expression in the DRG and diminished the analgesic effect of muscarine. The RE1 binding site on the Chrm2 promoter is required for REST-mediated Chrm2 repression, and nerve injury increased the enrichment of REST in the Chrm2 promoter in the DRG. Furthermore, Rest knockdown or genetic ablation in DRG neurons normalized Chrm2 expression and augmented muscarine's analgesic effect on neuropathic pain and fully reversed the nerve injury–induced reduction in the inhibitory effect of muscarine on glutamatergic input to spinal dorsal horn neurons. Our findings indicate that nerve injury–induced REST up-regulation in DRG neurons plays an important role in the acute-to-chronic pain transition and is essential for the transcriptional repression of Chrm2 in neuropathic pain.
Grain sedimentation inside giant planet embryos

In the context of massive fragmenting protoplanetary discs, Boss suggested that grains can grow and sediment inside giant planet embryos formed at R∼ 5 au away from the star. Several authors since then criticized the suggestion. Convection may prevent grain sedimentation, and the embryos cannot even form so close to the parent star as cooling is too inefficient at these distances. Here we reconsider the grain sedimentation process suggested by Boss but inside an embryo formed, as expected in the light of the cooling constraints, at R∼ 100 au. Such embryos are much less dense and are also cooler. We make analytical estimates of the process and also perform simple spherically symmetric radiation hydrodynamics simulations to test these ideas. We find that convection in our models does not become important before a somewhat massive (∼ an Earth mass; this is clarified in a followup paper) solid core is built. Turbulent mixing slows down dust sedimentation but is overwhelmed by grain sedimentation when the latter grows to a centimetres size. The minimum time required for dust sedimentation to occur is a few thousand years, and is a strong function of the embryo’s mass, dust content and opacity. An approximate analytical criterion is given to delineate conditions in which a giant embryo contracts and heats up faster than dust can sediment. As Boss et al., we argue that core formation through grain sedimentation inside the giant planet embryos may yield an unexplored route to form giant gas and giant ice planets. The present model also stands at the basis of Paper III, where we study the possibility of forming terrestrial planet cores by tidal disruption and photoevaporation of the planetary envelope.
Parenting Styles and Children’s Emotional Intelligence: What do We Know?

The theory of emotional intelligence has elicited great interest both in the academic and the nonacademic world. Therapists, educators, and parents want to know what they can do to help children develop their emotional intelligence. However, most of the research in this field has investigated adults’ emotional intelligence. This study reviews the scarce research literature in the area of children’s emotional intelligence. It also reviews the way in which parenting styles and practices predict children’s emotional intelligence in similar or different ways that they predict other developmental outcomes. Based on the parenting literature, four main dimensions of parenting are identified that are relevant to the study of emotional intelligence: parental responsiveness, parental positive demandingness, parental negative demandingness, and parental emotion-related coaching. Parental responsiveness, parental emotion-related coaching, and parental positive demandingness are related to children’s higher emotional intelligence, while parental negative demandingness is related to children’s lower emotional intelligence. Additionally, social—emotional intervention programs used in schools have succeeded in improving children’s emotional skills. Implications for practitioners are discussed.
Multi-objective Reinforcement Learning for the Expected Utility of the Return

Real-world decision problems often have multiple, possibly conflicting, objectives. In multi-objective reinforcement learning, the effects of actions in terms of these objectives must be learned by interacting with an environment. Typically, multi-objective reinforcement learning algorithms optimise the utility of the expected value of the returns. This implies the underlying assumption that it is indeed the expected value of the returns (i.e., an average returns over many runs) that is important to the user. However, this is not always the case. For example in a medical treatment setting only the return of a single run matters to the patient. This return is expressed in terms of multiple objectives such as maximising the probability of a full recovery and minimising the severity of side-effects. The utility of such a vector-valued return is often a non-linear combination of the return in each objective. In such cases, we should thus optimise the expected value of the utility of the returns, rather than the utility of the expected value of the returns. In this paper, we propose a novel method to do so, based on policy gradient, and show empirically that our method is key to learning good policies with respect to the expected value of the utility of the returns.
Examining Participation and Power Between Local Actors in the Peruvian Andes : Andean Ecosystem Association and the Indigenous Communities of the Vilcanota

Many of the problems faced by international organizations intending to create conservation and development projects are lack of stakeholder engagement, limited local knowledge, and restricted time. This can be further complicated by donor demands that may or may not align with project goals. Local organizations focused on conservation often have an advantage in creating projects because they understand local power relations, share local discourses, and are involved with communities for extended periods of time. Twentyone comunidades campesinas in the Vilcanota Mountain Range are involved in a local conservation project aimed at protecting the endangered Polylepis forests. A local nongovernmental organization, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), works with these communities to encourage conservation and economic development. In contrast with the failures of international projects, ECOAN has implemented a successful project that has expanded Polylepis forests while supporting the development of communities. Community members believe that their relationships with ECOAN, Polylepis trees, and the development project have benefited their lives. However, this success is challenged by ECOAN’s obligation to translate their work according to donor demands. Data for this project was gathered through interviews with community members, ECOAN staff, and donors, as well as participant observation.
Chemical composition of essential oils from the apiaceae family, cytotoxicity, and their antifungal activity in vitro against candida species from oral cavity.

The aims of this research were: evaluate the chemical composition and the cytotoxicity of the Cuminum cyminum (cumin), Anethum graveolens (dill), Pimpinella anisum (anise) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) essential oils, as well as their antifungal activity in vitro against ten Candida spp. isolates. The chemical composition of the oils was analyzed by means of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The cytotoxicity assays were performed, using the cell proliferation reagent WST-1 in L929 mouse fibroblasts (20x103 well-1). The determinate the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), was performed through the Broth Microdilution technique (CLSI). The chemical main components were the cuminaldehyde (32.66%) for cumin, carvone (34.89%) for the dill, trans-anethole (94.01%) for the anise and anethole (79.62%) for the fennel. Anise and fennel did not were cytotoxic in all the tested concentrations, however the cumin oil was cytotoxic in the concentration of 20 mg.mL-1 and the dill in the concentrations of 20 and 8 mg.mL-1. All yeasts were susceptible against the evaluated essential oils. Cumin presented the lowest MIC against yeasts. We concluded that all the essential oils presented inhibitory action against Candida spp. , and C . cyminum, P. anisum and F. vulgare were not cytotoxic in the same minimum inhibitory concentrations for the fungi.
Logic and memory concepts for all-magnetic computing based on transverse domain walls

We introduce a non-volatile digital logic and memory concept in which the binary data is stored in the transverse magnetic domain walls present in in-plane magnetized nanowires with sufficiently small cross sectional dimensions. We assign the digital bit to the two possible orientations of the transverse domain wall. Numerical proofs-of-concept are presented for a NOT-, AND- and OR-gate, a FAN-out as well as a reading and writing device. Contrary to the chirality based vortex domain wall logic gates introduced in Omari and Hayward (2014 Phys. Rev. Appl. 2 044001), the presented concepts remain applicable when miniaturized and are driven by electrical currents, making the technology compatible with the in-plane racetrack memory concept. The individual devices can be easily combined to logic networks working with clock speeds that scale linearly with decreasing design dimensions. This opens opportunities to an all-magnetic computing technology where the digital data is stored and processed under the same magnetic representation.