Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spinal somatostatin-positive interneurons transmit chemical itch

Abstract Recent studies have made significant progress in identifying distinct populations of peripheral neurons involved in itch transmission, whereas the cellular identity of spinal interneurons that contribute to itch processing is still a debate. Combining genetic and pharmacological ablation of spinal excitatory neuronal subtypes and behavioral assays, we demonstrate that spinal somatostatin-positive (SOM+) excitatory interneurons transmit pruritic sensation. We found that the ablation of spinal SOM+/Lbx1+ (SOMLbx1) neurons caused significant attenuation of scratching responses evoked by various chemical pruritogens (chemical itch). In an attempt to identify substrates of spinal itch neural circuit, we observed that spinal SOM+ neurons partially overlapped with neurons expressing natriuretic peptide receptor A (Npra), the receptor of peripheral itch transmitter B-type natriuretic peptide. Spinal SOM+ neurons, however, did not show any overlap with itch transmission neurons expressing gastrin-releasing peptide receptor in the dorsal spinal cord, and the gastrin-releasing peptide–triggered scratching responses were intact after ablating spinal SOM+ neurons. Dual ablation of SOMLbx1 and Npra+ neurons in the spinal cord reduced chemical itch responses to a greater extent than ablation of SOMLbx1 or Npra+ neurons alone, suggesting the existence of parallel spinal pathways transmitting chemical itch. Furthermore, we showed that SOM peptide modulated itch processing through disinhibition of somatostatin receptor 2A–positive inhibitory interneuron. Together, our findings reveal a novel spinal mechanism for sensory encoding of itch perception.
StructADMM: A Systematic, High-Efficiency Framework of Structured Weight Pruning for DNNs

Weight pruning methods of DNNs have been demonstrated to achieve a good model pruning rate without loss of accuracy, thereby alleviating the significant computation/storage requirements of large-scale DNNs. Structured weight pruning methods have been proposed to overcome the limitation of irregular network structure and demonstrated actual GPU acceleration. However, in prior work the pruning rate (degree of sparsity) and GPU acceleration are limited (to less than 50%) when accuracy needs to be maintained. In this work,we overcome these limitations by proposing a unified, systematic framework of structured weight pruning for DNNs. It is a framework that can be used to induce different types of structured sparsity, such as filter-wise, channel-wise, and shape-wise sparsity, as well non-structured sparsity. The proposed framework incorporates stochastic gradient descent with ADMM, and can be understood as a dynamic regularization method in which the regularization target is analytically updated in each iteration. Without loss of accuracy on the AlexNet model, we achieve 2.58X and 3.65X average measured speedup on two GPUs, clearly outperforming the prior work. The average speedups reach 3.15X and 8.52X when allowing a moderate ac-curacy loss of 2%. In this case the model compression for convolutional layers is 15.0X, corresponding to 11.93X measured CPU speedup. Our experiments on ResNet model and on other data sets like UCF101 and CIFAR-10 demonstrate the consistently higher performance of our framework.
Effects of Temperature, Light and Storage Time on the Microflora of Vacuum- or Nitrogen-Packed Frankfurters.

Frankfurters were vacuum- or nitrogen- packaged and stored at -4, 0, 3 and 7°C for 49 d under light or dark display conditions. Effects of temperature, light and storage duration on microflora in vacuum- and nitrogen-packed sausages were then examined. Differences in number of lactobacilli, psychrotrophic and anaerobic bacteria in vacuum- or nitrogen-packed samples were not statistically significant during storage tests. Lactobacillus development was slightly higher in nitrogen gas compared to vacuum packages, but was also not significantly different. The effectiveness of nitrogen packaging on yeast and mold inhibition was significant, particularly at higher temperatures (3 and 7°C). Nitrogen gas packaging thus offers little advantage over vacuum to promote lactobacillus development, but it is particularly effective against growth of mold and yeast. Initially, the dominant flora of both package samples consisted of Pseudomonas and Microbacterium sp. but Lactobacillus sp. became the predominant psychrotrophs (85.2-96.3%) after 49 d of storage, regardless of different treatments. Temperature was the most important factor which influenced growth of the microflora on frankfurters; freezing temperatures of -4 and 0°C were an effective insurance against development of spoilage microflora in frankfurters for up to 49 d, regardless of packaging atmosphere. With an initial level of 10 to 103 coliforms per gram, there was no significant change in the number of coliforms during storage. Light had no important influence on microbial growth in frankfurters, irrespective of packaging atmosphere.
S100 Proteins, Cytokines, and Chemokines as Tear Biomarkers in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-associated Uveitis

ABSTRACT Purpose: Biomarkers for juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U) are needed. We aimed to measure inflammatory biomarkers in tears as a noninvasive method to identify biomarkers of uveitis activity. Methods: Tears were collected from children with JIA-U (n = 20) and pediatric controls (n = 20) using Schirmer strips. S100A8, A9, A12, IL-18, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, RANTES, and sICAM-1 were measured by ELISA and Luminex assays. Levels of biomarkers were compared between children with JIA-U and controls, and active and inactive JIA-U. Results: IL-8, sICAM-1, and S100A12 levels were similar between JIA-U and controls, but differed by activity. Active JIA-U had significantly increased S100A12 compared to inactive JIA-U (mean 27,722.5 pg/ML (SE 1.3) vs. 5,937.2 (1.3), p = . 002), IL-8 (73.5 [1.2] vs. 36.2 [1.2], p = .009), and sICAM-1 (15,822.7 [1.2) vs. 8,778.0 [1.6], p = . 024). Conclusion: We detected inflammatory biomarkers noninvasively in tears of children with JIA-U. IL-8, sICAM-1, and S100A12 are potential biomarkers for uveitis activity.
Orbital torque: Torque generation by orbital current injection

We propose a mechanism of torque generation by injection of an orbital current, which we call $\textit{orbital torque}$. In a magnetic bilayer consisting of a nonmagnet (NM) and a ferromagnet (FM), we consider a situation where the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is present only in the FM. Although the SOC is absent in the NM, the orbital Hall effect can arise in the NM. When the resulting orbital Hall current is injected to the FM, the SOC of the FM converts the orbital angular momentum into spin, which exerts torque to the magnetization of the FM. Remarkably, even for small SOC strength comparable to that of $3d$ FMs, the orbital torque can be comparable to the spin torque induced by the spin Hall effect of the NM with strong SOC. This provides a way to experimentally probe the OHE and opens a new venue to achieving spin-torque devices based on light elements that exhibit gigantic orbital response. Experimental implications are discussed.
Optimization of immobilization process and survival study of microbial sensing strains used for aromatic hydrocarbon detection in industrial wastewater

A variety of biosensing strains for monitoring of aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants have been developed but only a few have been applied to the field due to their lower survival rate and susceptibility to toxic pollutants. Immobilization is one of the solutions to protect strain from toxic pollutants. Synthetic and natural matrices were screened for the immobilization of three strains, which were able to detect one‐, two‐ and three‐ring aromatic hydrocarbon compounds. Agarose and calcium alginate were found to be the best matrices for strain immobilization. The survival rate of immobilized strains was determined by the colony‐forming unit (CFU) count at regular intervals till it reaches to the non‐detectable level. The stability of immobilized biosensing strains was found to be 12–15 days in the industrial wastewater. Hence vector from strains was transformed into wastewater isolate Pseudomonas citronellolis. Immobilized Pseudomonas citronellolis was stable for 66 days in industrial wastewater. Immobilized strains may be applied to design automated biosensor for the online monitoring of pollutants.
Controlling Behavior and Lifetime Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Violence in sub-Saharan Africa

Intimate partner violence (IPV), commonly accompanied by controlling behavior, is a serious public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from women (n = 37,115) aged 15 to 49 years who completed the Demographic Health Survey’s (DHS) domestic violence module in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], Côte d’Ivoire, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zambia) between 2011 and 2015 were obtained. DHS questions assessed lifetime physical, emotional, and sexual violence (ever vs. never). Controlling behavior was measured by a revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Multivariate logistic regression examined the association between controlling behavior and IPV adjusting for all covariates, including age, education, marital status, wealth, urban/rural setting, and occupation. An interaction term was included to evaluate the consistency of effect estimates across countries. In all, 45.60% of women reported experiencing one or more forms of IPV (physical, sexual, or emotional violence) in their lifetime, ranging from 31.16% in Côte d’Ivoire to 57.37% in Cameroon. Women who reported controlling behavior by a spouse/partner were more likely to have experienced lifetime physical (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [3.31, 3.85], sexual (AOR = 3.98, CI = [3.47, 4.57]) or emotional (AOR = 3.52, CI = [3.22, 3.85]) violence than women who did not report controlling behavior. Women who reported controlling behavior were also more likely to have experienced one (AOR = 2.57, CI = [2.36, 2.81]) or two/three types (AOR = 5.34, CI = [4.80, 5.94]) of violence. AORs did not significantly differ across countries. Further research is needed to evaluate whether policies, programs, and education aimed at preventing or modifying controlling behavior may reduce IPV.
The role of sustainability reporting in shareholder perception of tax avoidance

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of sustainability reporting on the relationship between tax avoidance and firm value. This study also examines the moderating effect of sustainability reporting in both environmentally sensitive firms and non-environmentally sensitive firms. Design/methodology/approach This research uses moderated panel regression with 596 observations and 734 observations for cash effective tax rate (ETR) and generally accepted accounting principles effective tax rate (GAAP ETR) of firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange between 2014 and 2016. Tax avoidance is measured by both cash ETR and GAAP ETR. Findings This paper shows that sustainability reporting moderates the relationship between tax avoidance (GAAP ETR) and firm value. The results show that GAAP ETR has a negative association with firm value in non-environmentally sensitive firms and a positive association with firm value in environmentally sensitive firms. Consequently, the sustainability report alters only the effect of GAAP ETR on firm value in non-environmentally sensitive firms. The results imply that, unlike environmentally sensitive firms, non-environmentally sensitive firms need sustainability reporting to reduce the reputational costs of tax avoidance. Originality/value How shareholders view tax avoidance remains unclear; research on this topic often fails to produce a uniform result. The present research fills this gap by using the existence of sustainability reporting as proof of companies’ ethical motivations to moderate the association of tax avoidance and firm value, which has not been discussed in previous research.
Relating Parenting Styles to Adult Emotional Intelligence: A Retrospective Study

Parenting style is a known associate to many aspects of emotion socialization, knowledge, and self-understanding. However, there is little empirical research comparing parenting styles to emotional intelligence overall. To evaluate the link between parenting style and current emotional intelligence, the present study asked psychology undergraduates to complete a retrospective measure of their parents’ childrearing behaviours (coded as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglecting) plus a measure of their current emotional intelligence. It was hypothesized that authoritative parenting would relate to highest emotional intelligence levels, permissive parenting and authoritarian parenting to low emotional intelligence levels, and neglecting parenting to the lowest emotional intelligence levels. Results showed that emotional intelligence was higher for those raised authoritatively and permissively than for those raised by authoritarian or neglecting parenting styles, indicating that the responsiveness and levels of support characteristic of these styles have the strongest positive relation to adult emotional intelligence. The implications of the present findings, as well as the directions for future research, are discussed.
Chalcophile elements track the fate of sulfur at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai’i

Abstract Chalcophile element concentrations in melt inclusions and matrix glasses may be used to investigate low pressure degassing processes, as well as sulfide saturation during crustal fractionation, and mantle melting. Erupted products from Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, record three stages of sulfide saturation (in the mantle, crust, and within lava lakes), separated by episodes of sulfide resorption (i.e., sulfide undersaturation) during ascent through the thick Hawaiian lithosphere, and during syn-eruptive degassing. The presence of residual sulfides in the mantle source throughout the melting interval accounts for the high S concentrations of Kīlauean primary melts (1387–1600 ppm). Residual sulfides retain chalcophile elements during melting, decoupling the variability of these elements in high MgO melts from that of lithophile elements. Decompression associated with magma ascent through the thick Hawaiian lithosphere drives an increase in the sulfide concentration at sulfide saturation (SCSS2−), resulting in shallow storage reservoirs (∼1–5 km depth) being supplied with sulfide-undersaturated melts. A drop in temperature, coupled with major element changes during the fractionation of olivine, causes the SCSS2− to decrease. Combined with an increase in melt S contents during fractionation, this initiates a second stage of sulfide saturation at relatively high MgO contents (∼12 wt%). Syn-eruptive degassing of S drives the resorption of sulfides in contact with the carrier liquid. The covariance structure of Cu, MgO and Ni contents in melt inclusions and matrix glasses indicates that the dissolution of sulfides effectively liberates sulfide-hosted Cu and Ni back into the melt, rather than the vapour phase. The contrasting behaviour of Cu, Ni, Se and S during sulfide resorption indicates that the chalcophile element signature of the Kīlauean plume is largely controlled by silicate melt-vapour partitioning, rather than sulfide-vapour partitioning. The participation of dense sulfide liquids in shallow degassing processes may result from their direct attachment to buoyant vapour bubbles, or olivine crystals which were remobilized prior to eruption. Sulfide resorption obscures the textural and chemical record of sulfide saturation in matrix glasses, but not in melt inclusions, which are isolated from this late-stage release of chalcophile elements. The partitioning of S between the dissolving sulfide, melt and the vapour phase accounts for approximately 20% of the total S release into the atmosphere.
Blood Flow–restricted Exercise Does Not Induce a Cross-Transfer of Effect: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. ABSTRACT Purpose The goal of this trial was to determine whether low-load blood flow–restricted (BFR) exercise of appendicular muscles induces a cross-transfer of effect to the trunk extensor (TE) muscles, such that low-load TE exercise would enhance TE size and function to a greater extent than standard low-load exercise in people with recurrent low back pain (LBP). We also investigated the direct effects of BFR exercise in the appendicular muscles. Methods Thirty-two adults with recurrent, nonspecific LBP were randomized into two groups: Appendicular BFR exercise (BFR exercise) or control exercise (CON exercise). All participants trained (two times per week) for 10 wk, with a 12-wk follow-up. Participants performed three sets of leg extension (LE), plantar flexion (PF), and elbow flexion (EF) exercises followed by low-load TE exercise without BFR. Outcome measures included magnetic resonance imaging–derived muscle size (quadriceps and TE), strength (LE, PF, EF, and TE), and endurance (LE and TE). Results There was no evidence for a cross-transfer of effect to the TE. There was also no statistically significant enhancement of limb skeletal muscle size or function of BFR relative to CON exercise at any time point; though, moderate effect sizes for BFR exercise were observed for enhanced muscle size and strength in the leg extensors. Conclusions Low-load BFR exercise of the appendicular muscles did not result in a cross-transfer of effect to the TE musculature. There was also no significant benefit of low-load BFR exercise on the appendicular muscle size and function, suggesting no benefit from low-load BFR exercise in adults with recurrent, nonspecific LBP.
Power, identity, and belonging: A mixed‐methods study of the processes shaping perceptions of EU integration in a prospective member state

What is at stake, psychologically, when a nation considers joining a supranational body such as the European Union? This article addresses this question from the perspective of power, identity, and belonging vis-a-vis superordinate groups. Taking a mixed-methods approach, using focus group (N = 67) and survey (N = 1,192) data, we explore the psychosocial dynamics that shape perceptions of European Union (EU) integration in a prospective member state, Serbia. Findings from the qualitative study highlighted the role of power imbalances in triggering concerns of compatibility in the present, and in shaping the expected consequences for national identity continuity in an EU future. The survey functioned to explore these relationships further, enabling the testing of two moderated mediation models. The first showed that perceptions of national powerlessness predicted lower perceptions that Serbia was representative of Europe, and this was associated with weaker identification as European. In the second model, perceptions of the EU as a hierarchy-enhancing union predicted heightened fears of Serbian identity discontinuity in an EU future, which in turn had downstream consequences for support for working toward EU accession. Both indirect pathways were stronger among high national identifiers, yielding insight into when national and supranational identification can work in harmony. This mixed-methods study sheds light on the importance of social psychological processes concerning hierarchy and groups in understanding citizens’ attitudes toward prospective large-scale political change.
The cryo-EM structure of a 12-subunit variant of RNA polymerase I reveals dissociation of the A49-A34.5 heterodimer and rearrangement of subunit A12.2

RNA polymerase (Pol) I is a 14-subunit enzyme that solely transcribes pre-ribosomal RNA. Cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures of Pol I initiation and elongation complexes have given first insights into the molecular mechanisms of Pol I transcription. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of yeast Pol I elongation complexes (ECs) bound to the nucleotide analog GMPCPP at 3.2 to 3.4 Å resolution that provide additional insight into the functional interplay between the Pol I-specific transcription-like factors A49-A34.5 and A12.2. Strikingly, most of the nucleotide-bound ECs lack the A49-A34.5 heterodimer and adopt a Pol II-like conformation, in which the A12.2 C-terminal domain is bound in a previously unobserved position at the A135 surface. Our structural and biochemical data suggest a mechanism where reversible binding of the A49-A34.5 heterodimer could contribute to the regulation of Pol I transcription initiation and elongation.
Testing the Order of Multivariate Normal Mixture Models

Testing the number of components in multivariate normal mixture models is a long-standing challenge. This paper develops a likelihood-based test of the null hypothesis of M 0 components against the alternative hypothesis of M 0 + 1 components. We derive a local quadratic approximation of the likelihood ratio statistic in terms of the polynomials of the parameters. Based on this quadratic approximation, we propose an EM test of the null hypothesis of M 0 components against the alternative hypothesis of M 0 + 1 components, and derive the asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistic. The simulations show that the proposed test has good finite sample size and power properties.
The Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey. VI. Stellar Mass Fractions of a Sample of High-redshift Infrared-selected Clusters

We present measurements of the stellar mass fractions ( f ⋆ ) for a sample of high-redshift (0.93 ≤ z ≤ 1.32) infrared-selected galaxy clusters from the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS) and compare them to the stellar mass fractions of Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect-selected clusters in a similar mass and redshift range from the South Pole Telescope (SPT)–SZ Survey. We do not find a significant difference in mean f ⋆ between the two selection methods; though, we do find an unexpectedly large range in f ⋆ for the SZ-selected clusters. In addition, we measure the luminosity function of the MaDCoWS clusters and find m * = 19.41 ± 0.07 , similar to other studies of clusters at or near our redshift range. Finally, we present SZ detections and masses for seven MaDCoWS clusters and new spectroscopic redshifts for five MaDCoWS clusters. One of these new clusters, MOO J1521+0452 at z = 1.31, is the most distant MaDCoWS cluster confirmed to date.
Navigating norms of masculinity: Tactical gender performances among gay men in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, heteronormative presumptions relating to masculinity dictate that men should be engaged in or actively pursuing heterosexual relationships. For many gay men, fears of social rejection, stigma, and legal repercussion combine to prevent them from being open about their sexuality. This article examines social and legal pressures experienced by gay men in Dar es Salaam and the ways they navigate their daily lives to avoid detection and act in instances where they fail to adhere to ascribed norms of masculinity. Our arguments draw on one year of ethnographic research among gay men aged 18 years and above in Dar es Salaam in 2017. Our findings show that gay men are under constant pressure to meet expectations such as having female sexual partners, getting married, and having children, as well as to conform with masculine body styling norms. In trying to navigate between masculine expectations of society and the desire to live freely as men who desire other men, they resort to a range of temporal, spatial and bodily tactics to conceal homosexual practices and identities from family and neighbors. These techniques include socializing, dating, and sometimes marrying women in response to family and societal pressure. They also dress in prescribed ways to conform to heteronormative standards, carefully attending to space and time to identify safe places for being gay, and utilizing mobile phones and social media to build communities of support.