Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pratt, Judith and Dawson, Neil and Morris, Brain J. and Grent T'Jong, Tineke and Roux, Frederic and Uhlhaas, Peter J. (2017) Thalamo-cortical communication, glutamatergic neurotransmission and neural oscillations : a unique window into the origins of ScZ? Schizophrenia

The thalamus has recently received renewed interest in systems-neuroscience and schizophrenia (ScZ) research because of emerging evidence highlighting its important role in coordinating functional interactions in cortical-subcortical circuits. Moreover, higher cognitive functions, such as working memory and attention, have been related to thalamo-cortical interactions, providing a novel perspective for the understanding of the neural substrate of cognition. The current review will support this perspective by summarizing evidence on the crucial role of neural oscillations in facilitating thalamo-cortical (TC) interactions during normal brain functioning and its potential impairment in ScZ. Specifically, we will focus on the relationship between NMDA-R mediated (glutamatergic) neurotransmission in TC-interactions. To this end, we will first review the functional anatomy and neurotransmitters in thalamic circuits, followed by a review of the oscillatory signatures and cognitive processes supported by TC-circuits. In the second part of the paper, data from preclinical research as well as human studies will be summarized that have implicated TC-interactions as a crucial target for NMDA-receptor hypofunctioning. Finally, we will compare these neural signatures with current evidence from ScZ-research, suggesting a potential overlap between alterations in TC-circuits as the result of NMDA-R deficits and stage-specific alterations in large-scale networks in ScZ.
Use of RNA and DNA to Identify Mechanisms of Bacterial Community Homogenization

Biotic homogenization, i.e., the increase in community similarity through time or space, is a commonly observed response following conversion of native ecosystems to agriculture, but our understanding of the ecological mechanisms underlying this process is limited for bacterial communities. Identifying mechanisms of bacterial community homogenization following rapid environmental change may be complicated by the fact only a minority of taxa is active at any time. Here we used RNA- and DNA-based metabarcoding to distinguish putatively active taxa in the bacterial community from inactive taxa. We asked how soil bacterial communities respond to land use change following a rapid transition from rainforest to agriculture in the Congo Basin using a chronosequence that spans from roughly 1 week following slash-and-burn to an active plantation roughly 1.5 years post-conversion. Our results indicate that the magnitude of community homogenization is larger in the RNA-inferred community than the DNA-inferred perspective. We show that as the soil environment changes, the RNA-inferred community structure tracks environmental variation and loses spatial structure. The DNA-inferred community does not respond to environmental variability to the same degree, and is instead homogenized by a subset of taxa that is shared between forest and conversion sites. Our results suggest that complementing DNA-based surveys with RNA can provide insights into the way bacterial communities respond to environmental change.
Effect of aging in snoring prevalence

Objectives: To determine the effect of aging in snoring prevalence. Cross-sectional epidemiological study. Methods: Three different districts of Denizli, Turkey were randomly chosen to constitute the study group. Demographic information (age, gender) and whether snoring was present (classified as “never”, “sometimes”, “often” [4-5 days a week], and “everyday”), and information on any treatment they received for snoring was asked through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied to equal numbers of volunteers from each district. All respondents were interviewed at their homes. Results: A total of 2959 questionnaires were evaluated. The prevalence of habitual snoring was found to be as follows: 3.6% in children between ages 0-6 (males: 5.3%, females: 2.0%), 3.9% between ages 7-12 (males: 3.8%, females: 4.1%), 2.9% between ages 13-18, (males: 5.0%, females: 0.6%), 10% in adults (males: 27.1, females: 7.4). Even though snoring is encountered more often in males than females regardless of age, no statistical significance was found between sex in age groups 0-6 and 7-12. But snoring prevalence is statistically more frequent in males then females in age groups13-18 and 18 above (for adolescent group p=0.02, p<0.05, for adults p=0.0001, p<0.05). Snoring statistically increases above 30 years in males and above 40 years in females. Conclusion: Human being begins snoring at the first years of life and snoring prevalence increases along the life. Snoring prevalence significantly increases in third decade in men and in forth decade in women. Beginning from the adolescence snoring is significantly more frequent in men than women.
PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM AND GIARDIA IN HUMAN AND ANIMALS

The protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis are worldwide considered as an important cause of gastrointestinal disease in human patients and in animals. The high number of (oo) cysts excreted shortly after infection, together with the low infectious dose, results in an easy spread of infection. The aim of this literature review is to introduce Cryptosporidium and Giardia by addressing their taxonomy, life cycle, prevalence and clinical importance for both human and animals.
Habitat selection when killing primary versus alternative prey species supports prey specialization in an apex predator

© 2019 The Zoological Society of London Many predators specialize on one or several prey species that they select from the range of potential prey. Predator specialization on primary versus alternative prey is driven in part by encounter rates with prey and a predator’s habitat selection. Although habitat selection changes with behavioural state, this has not been well-recognized in the resource selection function (RSF) literature to date, often because auxiliary data on the predator’s behavioural states (e.g. hunting) are absent. We monitored habitat selection of pumas Puma concolor in a multi-prey system in northern California, where pumas specialized on black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. We employed multiple RSF analyses on different datasets to test the following three hypotheses: (1) Pumas utilize habitats in proportion to their availability; (2) Pumas select specific habitat features when killing black-tailed deer, their primary prey; (3) Pumas do not select distinct habitats from those identified under hypothesis 1 when killing alternative prey. We found that pumas in our study selected for specific habitats and habitat features in general, but that their selection was more pronounced when killing black-tailed deer. In summer, kill sites of deer were associated with rugged terrain, but gentle slopes and northerly aspects. In winter, pumas killed deer at low elevations, on gentle slopes and on northerly and westerly aspects. Overall, evidence suggested that pumas tracked their primary prey across seasonal migrations, which were short in distance but resulted in pronounced changes in elevation. When killing alternative prey, pumas showed little evidence of habitat selection, suggesting they may kill alternative prey opportunistically. Our results hold implications for how data should be partitioned when modelling baseline habitat selection of predators, hunting habitat selection and predation risk for prey species, as well as for how we model ecological processes such as apparent competition.
Stellar-mass black holes in young massive and open stellar clusters and their role in gravitational-wave generation III: dissecting black hole dynamics

Stellar-remnant black holes (BH) in dense stellar clusters comprise a natural setup to trigger general-relativistic (GR) inspiral and merger of binary black holes (BBH), detectable by the LISA and the LIGO-Virgo, through dynamical encounters inside such environments. In this work, the intricacies of such dynamical interactions are probed utilizing realistic, self-consistent, post-Newtonian, direct N-body evolutionary models of young massive and open stellar clusters. Particularly, the configurations of the compact subsystems, that drive the in-cluster GR BBH coalescences, are live-tracked. Such an approach reveals that the GR coalescences within the open clusters take place primarily via chaotic interactions involving triple BH systems. Although less frequently, such mergers are found to happen also in higher-order subsystems such as quadruples and in subsystems involving non-BH members; the mergers can themselves be BH---non-BH, which events would leave electromagnetic signatures. Close, fly-by encounters inside the clusters can also make BBHs and other types of double-compact binaries temporarily post-Newtonian; such binaries would potentially contribute to the GW background for the LISA and the PTA. These calculations, furthermore, suggest that open clusters are potential hosts for not only detached BH---main-sequence binaries, as recently identified in the globular cluster NGC 3201, but also a wide variety of other types of remnant---non-remnant binaries, which are assembled via dynamical interactions inside the clusters and which have the prospects of being discovered in radial-velocity surveys.
Demirbag, Mehmet and Wood, Geoffrey and Makhmadshoev, Dilshod and Rymkevich,

A central concern within contemporary socio-economics has been on the relationship between national institutional configurations and societal outcomes. In this paper, we assess the relationship between legal origin and a range of correlated indicators of social responsibility, focusing on socially responsible investing and voluntary charitable giving. We found that in Common Law contexts, lower levels of social responsibility than in Civil Law contexts, other than in the area of charitable giving, where the converse was the case. We explore the reasons for this distinction, and for the different patterns encountered in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. Based on the findings, we identify directions for future research.
Measurements of hydroxyl and hydroperoxy radicals during CalNex‐LA: Model comparisons and radical budgets

Measurements of hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxy (HO2*) radical concentrations were made at the Pasadena ground site during the CalNex‐LA 2010 campaign using the laser‐induced fluorescence‐fluorescence assay by gas expansion technique. The measured concentrations of OH and HO2* exhibited a distinct weekend effect, with higher radical concentrations observed on the weekends corresponding to lower levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The radical measurements were compared to results from a zero‐dimensional model using the Regional Atmospheric Chemical Mechanism‐2 constrained by NOx and other measured trace gases. The chemical model overpredicted measured OH concentrations during the weekends by a factor of approximately 1.4 ± 0.3 (1σ), but the agreement was better during the weekdays (ratio of 1.0 ± 0.2). Model predicted HO2* concentrations underpredicted by a factor of 1.3 ± 0.2 on the weekends, while measured weekday concentrations were underpredicted by a factor of 3.0 ± 0.5. However, increasing the modeled OH reactivity to match the measured total OH reactivity improved the overall agreement for both OH and HO2* on all days. A radical budget analysis suggests that photolysis of carbonyls and formaldehyde together accounted for approximately 40% of radical initiation with photolysis of nitrous acid accounting for 30% at the measurement height and ozone photolysis contributing less than 20%. An analysis of the ozone production sensitivity reveals that during the week, ozone production was limited by volatile organic compounds throughout the day during the campaign but NOx limited during the afternoon on the weekends.
Analysis of Individual Aspects Influencing Non-purchasing in an Online Environment and Consumer Willingness to Purchase Custom-Made Apparel

Abstract Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to assess the opinion of online consumers about the possibility of making custom apparel using 3D body scanning technology in an online environment and to investigate the shopping experience of consumers who purchase in the online apparel market. In order to be able to propose solutions to improve the online shopping experience, we also investigated aspects influencing non-purchasing in an online environment. Methods: An online questionnaire on shopping experience, influences on the purchase, and the process of online apparel shopping using advanced technology was prepared and distributed via several online channels to the consumers who purchase apparel online. The questionnaire was completed by 76 respondents from different European countries, the United States and Australia. In order to analyze individual aspects influencing non-purchasing in an online environment, an exploratory factor analysis was performed. Results: The factor analysis revealed that the two broad dimensions of reasons why consumers have never bought any ready-to-wear apparel online despite browsing are a misperception of product integrity and time-consuming searching. The results show that the proposed solutions to improve the online apparel experience, such as making custom apparel using advanced technologies, have a positive impact on the decision of the consumers to purchase on the online apparel market. It turned out that a high proportion of potential consumers are willing to share their body dimensions through 3D body scanning technology in order to improve the fit of the apparel. Conclusion: According to the results, we expect that the advanced 3D body scanning technology would provide substantial progress regarding fit, visualization, and manufacturing of custom-made apparel when purchasing in online stores.
Antimycobacterial Activity of Narbornene-Polyethylene Glycol, Isoniazid and Rifampicin Nanocarrier towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis

1 Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCH&RC), Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India 2 Department of Bacteriology, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chetpet, Tamil Nadu, India 3 Polymer Research Centre, Department of Chemical Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (IISER K), Mohanpur 741246, India *Corresponding author
Salient images: Evidence for a component process architecture for visual imagination

The ability to visualise different people and places in imagination is a core element of human cognition. Contemporary neuroimaging research highlights regions of primary visual cortex as important in instantiating images in the mind’s eye. Here we combine task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging with measures of intrinsic brain organisation to show the ventral attention, or salience, network, also plays an important role in visual imagination. In a task-based study we replicated prior observations of regions of medial occipital cortex, including Brodmann Area 17, showing greater neural activity during imagination than when perceiving similar stimuli. In addition, we found regions of the ventral attention network, and in particular right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 9/46), were activated by the same acts of imagination. In a subsequent resting-state study, we demonstrated medial occipital cortex regions form a functional network with regions of the ventral attention network that were also active during imagination. Furthermore, this pattern was maximised in an overlapping region of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for individuals whose self-reported imagery had stronger negative affect. Together these data suggest visual imagination relies on functional interactions between regions of primary visual cortex with the ventral attention system, and in particular, with a region of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Export Market Exit, Financial Pressure and the Crisis

Using firm-level data for the UK, we investigate the link between firms’ financial health, borrowing ratio and export exit, paying special attention to the recent financial crisis. Our results show that deterioration in the financial position of firms has increased the hazard of export exit during the crisis. We also find that the sensitivity of export exit to changes in firms’ financial condition is higher during the crisis for those firms which face increases in loan spreads associated with the firm-specific interest rate.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICINE AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH Frequency of MTHFR GENE C677T polymorphism for non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder patients

Background: The folate metabolism is a pathway that may involve in the non-syndromic Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme has a key role in folate metabolism. The C677T polymorphism of MTHFR gene could reduce the effectiveness of the enzyme. Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of MTHFR geneC677T polymorphism for non-syndromic ASD patients. Method: Thirty-four DNA samples were taken from each group. PCR mixture was consisted of 1µL DNA, 2. 5µL PCR buffer, 0. 5µL dNTP, 1. 5µL MgCL2, 0. 125µLTaqenzyme, 0. 5µLofforwardandreverseprimerandaquabidesttoreach a volume of 25 µL. The PCR profiles were initiation 95ºC for 5 min, denaturation 94ºC for 1min, annealing 55ºCfor 45 seconds, and elongation 72ºC for30 seconds. The cycles were done in 35 times an dfinal elongation was at 72ºC for 5min. The PCR product was 198bp, and then digested by the Hinfl enzyme for 16hours at 37°C, and visualized using 2% agarose gel and then electrophoresed for 30 minutes at 100 volts. Result: Non-syndromic ASD samples showed none had homozygote mutant type (677TT), 3 (8.8%) samples had heterozygote (677CT)and 31 (91.2%) samples had wild type (677CC). Meanwhile, normal control showed only 1 (2.9%)sample had homozygote mutant type(677TT), 9 (26.5%) samples had heterozygote (677CT)and 24 (70.6%) samples had wild type (677CC). Conclusion: The frequency ofMTHFRgeneC677T polymorphism in patients with non-syndromic ASD and controls are not significantly different.
In silico studies on Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16s rRNA genes of Marine Mammals (Vertebrata: Mammalia: Carnivora, Cetacea and Sirenia)

The present work has been undertaken for predicting evolutionary relationship of marine mammals employing 16s rRNA mitochondrial genes of 63 species of Marine mammals of three Orders viz. Cetaceae (38 species), Carnivora (23 Species) and Sirenia (2 Species), downloaded from NCBI Genbank database revealed interesting results. To accomplish the task, numerous bioinformatics tools were employed. The results depicted that the Order Cetacea was recently evolved among other Orders under investigation. The phylogenetic tree also revealed that, among all the species of the Order Cetacea, Family Delphinidae to which marine dolphins belong, were recently evolved. Similarly, among the species of Order Carnivora, Family Phocidae to which seals belong, were recently evolved. The terrestrial animals such as Hippopotamus amphibious , Ursus arctos and Elephas maximus showed close relationships with these marine mammals, which was also validated by the previous investigators.
Incidence and distribution of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) infecting Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) crop in Pothowar, Pakistan

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is one of the most destructive virus of cucurbits and found throughout the cucurbits growing areas of Pothowar region of Pakistan. Overall 300 samples were randomly collected from 40 cucumber growing fields from all over the pothowar region during two consecutive years (2015-16 and 2016-17). All the samples were screened by Double Antibody Sandwich- Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (DAS-ELISA). Relative incidence of ZYMV recorded in two consecutive years was 60.6% and 66% respectively. The highest disease incidence of ZYMV was 77% during 2015-16 in Chakwal while during 2016-17 highest disease incidence was 71% recorded from Rawalpindi. No district of pothowar region was found to free from viral infection. Among these samples weed flora was also collected where available and subjected to DAS-ELISA for conformation as alternate host of virus. Reaction plants were also used during experiment for virus conformation and for pathogenicity test. The core interest of this study was to explore the incidence of ZYMV infecting cucumber in pothowar region through serological assay.
epower: An r package for power analysis of Before‐After‐Control‐Impact (BACI) designs

Before‐After‐Control‐Impact (BACI) designs are widespread in environmental science, however their implicitly hierarchical nature complicates the evaluation of statistical power. Here, we describe epower, an r package for assessing statistical power of BACI designs. The package uses Bayesian statistical methods via the r‐package INLA to fit the appropriate hierarchical model to user supplied pilot survey data. A posterior sample is then used to build a Monte Carlo simulation to test statistical power specifically for the Before/After × Control/Impact interaction term in the BACI model. Power can be assessed for any number of user‐specified effect sizes for the existing design, or across a range of levels of replication for any part of the sampling design hierarchy. The package offers a user friendly robust approach for assessing statistical power of BACI designs whilst accounting for uncertainty in parameter values within a fully generalized framework.
Malliavin calculus for Lévy processes with arbitrary Lévy measures

A new method is proposed to prove the absolute continuity of distributions of solutions of stochastic differential equations with jumps. The method is based on the differentiation in time in the space of functionals of the Poisson point measure. In contrast to the known Bismut and Picard methods, our approach can be applied to point measures with arbitrary Levy measures. We obtain sufficient conditions for the absolute continuity of the solutions expressed in terms of the coefficients of the equation; the conditions do not involve assumptions on properties of the Levy measure.