Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review of Twin and Family Studies on Neuroanatomic Phenotypes and Typical Neurodevelopment

Abstract This article reviews the extant twin studies employing magnetic resonance imaging data (MRI), with an emphasis on studies of populationbased samples. There have been approximately 75 twin reports using MRI, with somewhat under half focusing on typical brain structure. Of these, most are samples of adults. For large brain regions such as lobar volumes, the heritabilities of large brain volumes are consistently high, with genetic factors accounting for at least half of the phenotypic variance. The role of genetics in generating individual differences in the volumes of small brain regions is less clear, mostly due to a dearth of information, but rarely because of disagreement between studies. Multivariate analyses show strong genetic relationships between brain regions. Cortical regions involved in language, executive function, and emotional regulation appear to be more heritable than other areas. Studies of brain shape also show significant, albeit lower, genetic effects on population variance. Finally, there is evidence of significant genetically mediated relationships between intelligence and brain structure. At present, the majority of twin imaging studies are limited by sample sizes small by the standards of behavioral genetics; nevertheless the literature at present represents a pioneering effort in the pursuit of answers to many challenging neurobiological questions.
Cold calcium signaling in Arabidopsis involves two cellular pools and a change in calcium signature after acclimation.

Cold shock elicits an immediate rise in cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) in both chilling-resistant Arabidopsis and chilling-sensitive tobacco (Nicotiana plumbaginifolia). In Arabidopsis, lanthanum or EGTA caused a partial inhibition of both cold shock [Ca2+]cyt elevation and cold-dependent kin1 gene expression. This suggested that calcium influx plays a major role in the cold shock [Ca2+]cyt response and that an intracellular calcium source also might be involved. To investigate whether the vacuole (the major intracellular calcium store in plants) is involved, we targeted the calcium-dependent photoprotein aequorin to the cytosolic face of the vacuolar membrane. Cold shock calcium kinetics in this microdomain were consistent with a cold-induced vacuolar release of calcium. Treatment with neomycin or lithium, which interferes with phosphoinositide cycling, resulted in cold shock [Ca2+]cyt kinetics consistent with the involvement of inositol trisphosphate and inositide phosphate signaling in this response. We also investigated the effects of repeated and prolonged low temperature on cold shock [Ca2+]cyt. Differences were observed between the responses of Arabidopsis and N. plum-baginifolia to repeated cold stimulation. Acclimation of Arabidopsis by pretreatment with cold or hydrogen peroxide caused a modified calcium signature to subsequent cold shock. This suggests that acclimation involves modification of plant calcium signaling to provide a "cold memory. "
Respiratory impedance and response to salbutamol in asthmatic Vietnamese children

There is a high incidence of pediatric asthma in Vietnam, but little lung function data are available. The aim of the study was to compare respiratory resistance (Rrs), reactance (Xrs), and responses to salbutamol between asthmatic and healthy primary school children in Hanoi. Because respiratory mechanics vary along the breathing cycle, measurements were assessed separately in inspiration (Rrsi, Xrsi) and expiration (Rrse, Xrse).
Ruling the commons:introducing a new methodology for the analysis of historical commons

Despite significant progress in recent years, the evolution of commons over the long run remains an under-explored area within commons studies. During the last years an international team of historians have worked under the umbrella of the Common Rules Project in order to design and test a new methodology aimed at advancing our knowledge on the dynamics of institutions for collective action – in particular commons. This project aims to contribute to the current debate on commons on three different fronts. Theoretically, it explicitly draws our attention to issues of change and adaptation in the commons – contrasting with more static analyses. Empirically, it highlights the value of historical records as a rich source of information for longitudinal analysis of the functioning of commons. Methodologically, it develops a systematic way of analyzing and comparing commons’ regulations across regions and time, setting a number of variables that have been defined on the basis of the “most common denominators” in commons regulation across countries and time periods. In this paper we introduce the project, describe our sources and methodology, and present the preliminary results of our analysis.
Dynamic Cine-Computed Tomography Angiography Imaging of Standard and Fenestrated Endografts: Differing Effects on Renal Artery Motion

Different endograft configurations (fenestrated, transrenal, infrarenal) may varyingly affect aortic side branch movement. Renal artery motion was evaluated with 64-slice dynamic cine-computed tomography angiography before and after endovascular aneurysm repair in 16 patients (46 renal arteries). Center-of-mass displacement of the renals was determined per heartbeat for before repair for 3 different endografts; differences were compared, with significance at P < 0.5. Preoperative renal artery motion is significant (1.2 [SD 0.5] mm, range, 0.6-2.). Neither transrenal nor infrarenal endografts alter renal artery motion compared with before repair (P < .05). Renal artery motion after fenestrated endovascular repair with renal stents reduces motion to 25% of the preoperative value (0.3 [SD, 0.1] mm, range, 0.2-0.5 mm; P = .01). Endograft implantation without stented side branches does not change renal artery motion, potentially allowing significant movement of the renal artery relative to the fenestration. Routine stenting of fenestrations limits postoperative renal artery motion to 0.3 mm, thereby preventing significant branch movement in relation the fenestration.
A high-sensitivity small animal SPECT system

Medical imaging using single gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides typically makes use of parallel hole collimators or pinholes in order to achieve good spatial resolution. However, a tradeoff in sensitivity is inherent in the use of a collimator, and modern preclinical single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems detect a very small fraction of emitted gamma rays, often less than 0.1%. A system for small animal SPECT imaging which uses no collimators could potentially achieve very high sensitivity—several tens of percent—with reasonably sized detectors. This would allow two significant improvements in preclinical studies: images could be obtained more rapidly, allowing higher throughput for screening applications, or for dynamic processes to be observed with very good time resolution; and images could be obtained with less radioactive tracer, making possible the in vivo imaging of low-capacity receptor systems, aiding research into new tracer compounds, and reducing the cost and easing the regulatory burden of an experiment. Of course, a system with no collimator will not be able to approach the submillimeter spatial resolutions produced by the most advanced pinhole and collimated systems, but a high-sensitivity system with resolution of order 1 cm could nonetheless find significant and new use in the many molecular imaging applications which do not require good spatial resolution—for example, screening applications for drug development or new imaging agents. Rather than as an alternative to high-resolution SPECT systems, the high-sensitivity system is proposed as a radiotracer alternative to optical imaging for small animals. We have developed a prototype system for mouse imaging applications. The scanner consists of two large, thin, closely spaced scintillation detectors. Simulation studies indicate that a FWHM spatial resolution of 7 mm is possible. In an in vivo mouse imaging study using the 99mTc labeled tracer MAG-3, the sensitivity of the system is measured to be 40%. Simple projection images created by analytically combining the two detectors' data show sufficient resolution to observe the dynamic distribution of the radiotracer in the mouse.
Resistant maltodextrin promotes fasting glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion and production together with glucose tolerance in rats

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is produced and released from enteroendocrine L cells, plays pivotal roles in postprandial glycaemia. The ingestion of resistant maltodextrin (RMD), a water-soluble non-digestible saccharide, improves the glycaemic response. In the present study, we examined whether the continuous feeding of RMD to rats affected GLP-1 levels and glycaemic control. Male Sprague–Dawley rats (6 weeks of age) were fed an American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93G-based diet containing either cellulose (5 %) as a control, RMD (2·5 or 5 %), or fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS, 2·5 or 5 %) for 7 weeks. During the test period, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed after 6 weeks. Fasting GLP-1 levels were significantly higher in the 5 % RMD group than in the control group after 6 weeks. The IPGTT results showed that the glycaemic response was lower in the 5 % RMD group than in the control group. Lower caecal pH, higher caecal tissue and content weights were observed in the RMD and FOS groups. Proglucagon mRNA levels were increased in the caecum and colon of both RMD and FOS groups, whereas caecal GLP-1 content was increased in the 5 % RMD group. In addition, a 1 h RMD exposure induced GLP-1 secretion in an enteroendocrine L-cell model, and single oral administration of RMD increased plasma GLP-1 levels in conscious rats. The present study demonstrates that continuous ingestion of RMD increased GLP-1 secretion and production in normal rats, which could be stimulated by its direct and indirect (enhanced gut fermentation) effects on GLP-1-producing cells, and contribute to improving glucose tolerance.
Warm‐Glow Giving: Earned Money and the Option to Take

Giving in dictator games has been shown to vary with the nature of the endowment (earned vs. house money) and the action space (give only vs. the option to give or take). This article is the first to test if these factors similarly affect warm-glow giving alone. There is no reason that one would expect the same outcomes given that the motivations for warm-glow giving are different from the motivations for total (warm-glow plus purely altruistic) giving. We find that warm-glow giving to charity or philanthropic institutions in a real-donation experiment increases when the endowment is earned. The option to take does reduce warm-glow giving to charity, but significant giving remains. Our results suggest that donating earned income creates greater utility than donating an equal amount from a windfall gain, and that warm glow comes not merely from the act of giving, but also from the characteristics of the recipient. (JEL C90, D64, H41)
Determinants of survival in adult HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy in Oromiyaa, Ethiopia

Background: The antiretroviral treatment (ART) scale-up service has been a recent development in Ethiopia, but its impact on mortality has not been well investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the early survival outcome of the scale-up service by utilizing routine hospital data. Methods: All adult HIV/AIDS patients who started on antiretroviral treatment in Shashemene and Assela hospitals from January 1, 2006 to May 31, 2006 were included and followed up for 2 years. Data were extracted from standard patient medical registrations. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to estimate survival probability and the Cox proportional hazard model was applied to determine predictors of mortality. Two alterative assumptions (real case and worst case) were made in determining predictors of mortality. Results: The median age of patients was 33 years and 57% were female. Eighty-five percent had CD4 <200 cells/µL with a median CD4 count of 103 cells/µL. The median survival time was 104.4 weeks. A total of 28 (10.3%) deaths were observed during the 2-year period and 48 patients (18%) were lost to follow up. The majority of deaths occurred in the first 4 months of treatment. In multivariate analysis, 2-year survival was significantly associated with the clinical stage of the disease, baseline hemoglobin, and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis therapy (CPT) at or before ART initiation in both assumptions. The median CD4 count and body weight showed a marked improvement during the first 6 months of treatment, followed by stagnation thereafter. Conclusion: The study has shown an overall low mortality but a high loss to follow-up rate of the cohort. Advanced clinical stage, anemia, low body weight, and lack of CPT initiation were independent predictors of mortality – but not gender. CPT initiation should be encouraged in routine HIV care services, and patient retention mechanisms have to be strengthened. Stagnation in immunological and weight recovery after the first 6 months should be further investigated. The utilization of routine data should be encouraged in order to facilitate appropriate decision making.
Electoral Competitiveness and Turnout in British Elections, 1964–2010*

Analyzing the British Election Study from 1964 to 2010, we examine the influence of electoral context on turnout, focusing on the closeness of elections in terms of lagged seat and constituency-level winning margins. Using cross-classified multilevel models to account for individual and contextual factors and disentangle life cycle, cohort- and election-specific effects, we find that closeness strongly affects voting behavior, particularly among new electors. Widening seat margins in British elections over the last decades have had a persistent impact on turnout. Respondents who faced less competitive environments when young are more likely to abstain in subsequent elections than those reaching voting age after close-fought races. We conclude that variations in competitiveness have had both short- and long-term effects on turnout.
Pile density is a control parameter of sand avalanches.

Centrifuge experimentation (10\char21{}1000 m/${\mathrm{s}}^{2}$) on sand avalanches has shown that (i) grain cohesion and elasticity are negligible; (ii) the avalanche size \ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\theta} and the maximum angle of repose ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\theta}}}_{\mathit{m}}$ depend on the initial pile density d; and (iii) the pile surface evolves spontaneously towards an asymptotic state after a few avalanches, this state being characterized by a mean surface angle equal to the macroscopic friction angle \ensuremath{\varphi} and a mean avalanche size equal to 1.7\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. This demonstrates that the density d is a controlling parameter of the avalanche process. These results are compatible with a unique internal friction angle \ensuremath{\varphi} with \ensuremath{\varphi}=34\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; \ensuremath{\varphi} corresponds to the value measured with other soil-mechanics devices; however, \ensuremath{\varphi} fluctuates within 2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} from pile to pile or test to test. These data are also consistent with a dilatancy effect which depends on density, but the existence of at least one other parameter controlling the avalanche size has been also proved.
A holistic assessment of greenhouse gas dynamics from forests to the effects of wood products use in Austria

ABSTRACT Anthropogenic GHG emissions add a fast reinforcing feedback cycle to global carbon dynamics which continues to influence GHG concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere. When looking at forest carbon cycles there is potential in utilizing another feedback cycle, namely the carbon cycle involving harvested wood products. To assess the potential of the mitigation options arising from these carbon flows, the forest-based sector in Austria was modelled to assess causal links, dependencies and dynamics involved in GHG-relevant processes. Carbon dynamics were investigated in forests and forest soil carbon, the forest product chain and life-cycle analyses for substitution of conventional products with wood products in a cascade of different modelling approaches and paradigms, and the results synthesized. It was found that material use of products from domestic timber sources has the highest climate change mitigation efficiency when originating from sustainably managed forests regarding biomass stocks. The emissions saved through building up a carbon stock from harvested wood products and through emissions substitution can be as high as ∼20 years of total annual Austrian emissions in 90 years. Additional conservation measures while sustaining sawnwood production and the related GHG benefits at a high level had the highest contribution to an overall carbon sink.
Diffuse multipath component characterization for indoor MIMO channels

Stochastic geometry-based models have been widely adopted for modeling wireless channels. These models are parametrized based on extensive measurement campaigns, where individual propagation paths are extracted with algorithms like SAGE or RiMax. It has been observed that when extracting individual propagation paths, part of the power is not captured. This residual power is referred to as the diffuse multipath component (DMC). In this paper, the spatio-temporal characteristics of the DMC are extracted from an extensive measurement campaign. It is observed that the angular power spectrum of the DMC is not angular-white, and that the angular properties of the DMC are significantly correlated with the angular properties of the specular part of the channel. A scheme is proposed to model the diffuse part of the channel by adding diffuse properties to each cluster corresponding to the specular part of the channel. The angular properties of the diffuse part of the clusters are modeled with Von-Mises distributions, whereas the delay properties of the clusters are modeled with an exponential decaying power profiles. Finally, the polarization properties of the diffuse part of the clusters are investigated.
Utility of 11C-Choline Imaging as a Supplement to F-18 FDG PET Imaging for Detection of Thyroid Carcinoma

Purpose: We present 4 patients with thyroid carcinoma who underwent 11C-choline PET/CT for the detection of their primary tumor and its metastases. Previous F-18 FDG PET had shown no abnormal tracer uptake in the lesions in 3 patients and only mild uptake in 1 patient. Materials and Methods: Four patients aged between 24 and 59 years (2 newly diagnosed and 2 with recurrence) underwent whole-body F-18 FDG PET/CT. The patients then underwent regional 11C-choline PET/CT imaging on a separate day. Results: All of the lesions in 4 patients were 11C-choline avid except for a few small lung metastases. The SUVmax of the lesions was 7.94 ± 4.93. 11C-choline imaging detected 3 primary tumors in 4 patients, 1 tumor in the tracheal wall in 1 patient, 7 cervical lymph nodes metastases in 3 patients, and several lung metastases in 1 patient. Conclusions: 11C-choline PET/CT may be a promising supplement to F-18 FDG PET/CT in the detection of thyroid carcinoma and its metastases.
Uniform memory hierarchies

The authors introduce a model, called the uniform memory hierarchy (UMH) model, which reflects the hierarchical nature of computer memory more accurately than the RAM (random-access-machine) model, which assumes that any item in memory can be accessed with unit cost. In the model memory occurs as a sequence of increasingly large levels. Data are transferred between levels in fixed-size blocks (the size is level dependent). Within a level blocks are random access. The model is easily extended to handle parallelism. The UMH model is really a family of models parameterized by the rate at which the bandwidth decays as one travels up the hierarchy. A program is parsimonious on a UMH if the leading terms of the program's (time) complexity on the UMH and on a RAM are identical. If these terms differ by more than a constant factor, then the program is inefficient. The authors analyze two standard FFT programs with the same RAM complexity. One is efficient; the other is not. <<ETX>>
Cross‐Saharan transport of water vapor via recycled cold pool outflows from moist convection

Very sparse data have previously limited observational studies of meteorological processes in the Sahara. We present an observed case of convectively driven water vapor transport crossing the Sahara over 2.5 days in June 2012, from the Sahel in the south to the Atlas in the north. A daily cycle is observed, with deep convection in the evening generating moist cold pools that fed the next day's convection; the convection then generated new cold pools, providing a vertical recycling of moisture. Trajectories driven by analyses were able to capture the direction of the transport but not its full extent, particularly at night when cold pools are most active, and analyses missed much of the water content of cold pools. The results highlight the importance of cold pools for moisture transport, dust and clouds, and demonstrate the need to include these processes in models in order to improve the representation of Saharan atmosphere.
Self-Efficacy in Second/Foreign Language Learning Contexts.

This study reviews the empirical literature of self-efficacy, a central component of social cognitive theory, in the area of second language learning by focusing on two research questions: first, to what extent, has self-efficacy, as a predicting variable, has been explored in the field of second language learning? Second, what factors affect learners’ self-efficacy beliefs in learning a foreign/second language? On addressing the research questions, 32 articles published between 2003 and 2012 were selected. The articles were classified into two main categories – effects of self-efficacy and factors affecting self-efficacy. Then each category was divided into certain subcategories for discussion. The findings of the review revealed that several factors enhance the level of students’ self-efficacy, and self-efficacy is a strong predictor of performance in different language skills and tasks. Limitations of the empirical studies discussed and directions for further investigation are also presented.