Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tonically Active α5GABAA Receptors Reduce Motoneuron Excitability and Decrease the Monosynaptic Reflex

Motoneurons, the final common path of the Central Nervous System (CNS), are under a complex control of its excitability in order to precisely translate the interneuronal pattern of activity into skeletal muscle contraction and relaxation. To fulfill this relevant function, motoneurons are provided with a vast repertoire of receptors and channels, including the extrasynaptic GABAA receptors which have been poorly investigated. Here, we confirmed that extrasynaptic α5 subunit-containing GABAA receptors localize with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) positive cells, suggesting that these receptors are expressed in turtle motoneurons as previously reported in rodents. In these cells, α5GABAA receptors are activated by ambient GABA, producing a tonic shunt that reduces motoneurons’ membrane resistance and affects their action potential firing properties. In addition, α5GABAA receptors shunted the synaptic excitatory inputs depressing the monosynaptic reflex (MSR) induced by activation of primary afferents. Therefore, our results suggest that α5GABAA receptors may play a relevant physiological role in motor control.
Alternative Routes to Teaching: The Impacts of Teach For America on Student Achievement and Other Outcomes

Based on a randomized experiment to study the impact of Teach For America on student achievement and other outcomes, the authors find that TFA teachers had a positive impact on math achievement and no impact on reading achievement. The size of the impact on math achievement was about 15 percent of a standard deviation, equivalent to about one month of instruction. There were no impacts on other outcomes such as attendance, promotion, or disciplinary incidents, but TFA teachers were more likely than their peers to report problems with student behavior. The findings contradict claims that these types of alternative teacher preparation programs harm students.
The Relation of Profile Elevation in the Self-Directed Search to Personality Variables

The NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the Personal Styles Inventory (PSI) were used to determine if personality differences existed between people with different levels of profile elevation on the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Profile elevation was defined as the total score of the six scales on the SDS. Results indicated that higher profile elevation was associated with higher Openness to Experience, higher Extraversion, and lower Depressive personality traits. These results were used to construct a series of norms that may be useful in helping practitioners understand what a high or low profile means on the SDS.
Effects of an Inhibitor of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase, Desmethylselegiline, Trientine, and Lipoic Acid in Transgenic ALS Mice

The development of transgenic mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) allows the testing of neuroprotective agents. We evaluated the effects of five agents in transgenic mice with the G93A Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase mutation. A novel inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase showed no effects on survival. Desmethylselegiline and CGP3466 are agents that exert antiapoptotic effects in vitro by preventing nuclear translocation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. They had no significant effects on survival in the G93A mice. Trientine, a copper chelator, produced a modest significant increase in survival. Similarly administration of lipoic acid in the diet produced a significant improvement in survival. These results therefore provide evidence for potential therapeutic effects of copper chelators and lipoic acid in the treatment of ALS.
FPGA Crossbar Switch Architecture for Partially Reconfigurable Systems

Partial reconfiguration offers several benefits for a system on chip. But in order to take advantage of this technique, easy access and low overhead must be provided. One key issue therefore is the on-chip communication architecture. Current reconfigurable systems use buses and fixed links, which are quite inflexible; recent proposals suggest using networks on chip instead. The problem of the latter approach is the high overhead which is required to control the dataflow. In this work, XBar is presented: a customized crossbar switch architecture for reconfigurable systems on chip, which provides flexibility without high control overhead. Channels are established in order to transfer data, and once the channel is set up, data can be delivered with a minimum of additional effort. Concurrent transmission is possible on all channels, so interruptions due to blocking cannot occur. Furthermore, new channel configurations can be established in a very short period of time, so frequent changes are possible. Since communication is buffered, the infrastructure may be used asynchronously and components of different clock domains can be connected. The scalability is worse than with a packet-switched network on chip and it is not possible to provide the same amount of flexibility. However, better overall results can be achieved particularly for throughput and latency for small systems. Furthermore, the design of partially reconfigurable modules is eased.
Architecture réseau pour véhicule de transport en commun communiquant

Avec la democratisation des appareils mobiles, les transports en commun sont amenes a proposer de nouveaux services a leur usagers et notamment une connexion a Internet. Le vehicule de transport en commun agit alors comme un routeur mobile fournissant une connexion fiable a ses noeuds et doit pour cela etre connecte en permanence a un point d'acces. Les zones de couverture etant limitees par les technologies utilisees et par les obstacles, des changements de reseaux sont alors necessaires et provoquant differents evenements pouvant impacter les performances des protocoles de Transport : introduction de latences dues a la configuration des interfaces, modification des caracteristiques du chemin utilise par la communication. Dans cette these nous etudions cet impact en determinant son origine puis nous proposons des solutions visant a le reduire de deux manieres : en reduisant les latences introduites par le changement de reseau et en diminuant l'impact de la modification des caracteristiques du reseau.
Lifted Generative Parameter Learning

Statistical relational learning (SRL) augments probabilistic models with relational representations and facilitates reasoning over sets of objects. When learning the probabilistic parameters for SRL models, however, one often resorts to reasoning over individual objects. To address this challenge, we compile a Markov logic network into a compact and efficient first-order data structure and use weighted first-order model counting to exactly optimize the likelihood of the parameters in a lifted manner. By exploiting the relational structure in the model, it is possible to learn more accurate parameters and dramatically improve the run time of the likelihood calculation. This allows us to calculate the exact likelihood for models where previously only approximate inference was feasible. Results on real-world data sets show that this approach learns more accurate models.
AdaDelay: Delay Adaptive Distributed Stochastic Optimization

We develop distributed stochastic convex optimization algorithms under a delayed gradient model in which server nodes update parameters and worker nodes compute stochastic (sub)gradients. Our setup is motivated by the behavior of real-world distributed computation systems; in particular, we analyze a setting wherein worker nodes can be differently slow at different times. In contrast to existing approaches, we do not impose a worst-case bound on the delays experienced but rather allow the updates to be sensitive to the actual delays experienced. This sensitivity allows use of larger stepsizes, which can help speed up initial convergence without having to wait too long for slower machines; the global convergence rate is still preserved. We experiment with different delay patterns, and obtain noticeable improvements for large-scale real datasets with billions of examples and features.
The Poetry of Everyday Life: Toward a Metaphor-Enriched Social Cognition

As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Mark J. Landau entitled " The poetry of everyday life: Toward a metaphor-enriched social cognition " and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The conception and completion of this dissertation would have been impossible-or at least unlikely-were it not for the influence of a number of people. Profound thanks to my mother, Sara Landau, who brought me into this world and subsequently fostered my academic pursuits with deep pockets and an even deeper heart. My mentor, Jeff Greenberg, trained me to be a scholar and invested countless hours of discussion and editing to ensure the quality of this dissertation. My debt to Jeff is impossible to overstate. Daniel Sullivan is a treasured friend and comrade who infused my life with just enough absurdity to maintain my sanity. Spee Kosloff was a font of friendship and critical insight; many of the ideas contained in this paper arose from our stimulating conversations. Thanks to Melissa Drake: I spent many productive hours in study trying to numb the hurt you caused. Others who have provided love and support and to whom I am genuinely grateful:
Neurotransmitter antagonists block some odor responses in olfactory receptor neurons

The first step in olfactory transduction is the recognition of odor molecules by membrane bound receptors belonging to the superfamily of G-protein coupled receptors; other members of this family are involved in neurotrans- mission. Based on the considerable homology between individual members of this family, we have investigated the ability of well-known neurotransmitter antagonists to block the olfactory response. Adrenergic and muscarinic antagonists were found to block some odor induced currents (45–55%) with an IC50 between 15 and 75 μM. By contrast, antagonists of glutamate and GABA receptors, which do not belong to this receptor superfamily, were ineffective. These results suggest that further pharmacological analysis may be useful for characterizing and classifying the family of odor receptors.
Effectiveness of the Training of Teachers Project in Economic Education in Free State Secondary Schools

Abstract This paper measured the Council for Economic Education’s Training of Teachers project’s effectiveness in secondary schools in the Free State Province by evaluating teachers understanding and attitude toward economics education. The author employed a randomization of economics teachers across treatment and control groups at two separate stages of the research design. A pretest-posttest design, with matched experimental (n=124) and control (n=124) groups, was constructed because of its resistance to common threats to internal validity. Results indicated that the Training of Teachers (ToT) project showed improvement scores of participants’ Test of Economic Literacy (TEL) scores by approximately 10.73 percent, which indicated greater gains in economic understanding. Furthermore, the ToT participants’ showed positive attitude towards the subject compa red to teachers who did not participate in project in Free State secondary schools. This result indicates that additional research is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of teacher training versus curriculum delivery.
Combined lidar/sun-radiometer remote sensing technique for studying long range aerosol transport

Lidar and sun-radiometer data of the EARLINET, CIS-LiNet and AERONET/PHOTONS stations in the East European area, space observations and local in-situ measurements were used to characterize long range aerosol transport over European regions. Brief description of technique and equipment for implementation of combined lidar and sun-radiometer approach to aerosol monitoring and results of five years observations are presented.
Type I error rates in association versus joint linkage/association tests in related individuals

Positional gene discovery on pedigree data typically involves initial gross localization by linkage analysis with subsequent finer localization by association analysis in areas that show evidence of linkage. We examine the effect of including linkage information when testing for association in the context of variance‐components‐based pedigree analysis. We present simulation experiments showing that, at least in the extreme case of a rare private allele, failing to include the linkage variance component in the association model results in excessive Type I error that increases with allele copy number and/or quantitative trait locus (QTL) effect size. Joint estimation of the linkage variance component in the association model reduces Type I error to nominal expectations. This holds whether allele‐sharing probabilities are estimated from a polymorphic marker or from the very single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) being tested for association, although the latter provides much less power. These results support the idea that an appropriate association analysis must test both the random effect of shared marker alleles (linkage) and the mean effects of the marker genotypes (association). Genet. Epidemiol. 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spectral Combining and Coherent Coupling of Lasers by Volume Bragg Gratings

The use of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) recorded in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass for laser beam control is described. These new optical elements provide extremely narrow spectral and angular selectivity and have a high level of resistance to high-power pulsed and continuous-wave laser radiation. These features of PTR volume gratings are used for transverse and longitudinal mode selection, passive coherent coupling, and spectral beam combining (SBC) of semiconductor, solid state, and fiber lasers.
In silico identification of known osmotic stress responsive genes from Arabidopsis in soybean and Medicago

Plants experience various environmental stresses, but tolerance to these adverse conditions is a very complex phenomenon. The present research aimed to evaluate a set of genes involved in osmotic response, comparing soybean and medicago with the well-described Arabidopsis thaliana model plant. Based on 103 Arabidopsis proteins from 27 categories of osmotic stress response, comparative analyses against Genosoja and Medicago truncatula databases allowed the identification of 1,088 soybean and 1,210 Medicago sequences. The analysis showed a high number of sequences and high diversity, comprising genes from all categories in both organisms. Genes with unknown function were among the most representative, followed by transcription factors, ion transport proteins, water channel, plant defense, protein degradation, cellular structure, organization & biogenesis and senescence. An analysis of sequences with unknown function allowed the annotation of 174 soybean and 217 Medicago sequences, most of them concerning transcription factors. However, for about 30% of the sequences no function could be attributed using in silico procedures. The establishment of a gene set involved in osmotic stress responses in soybean and barrel medic will help to better understand the survival mechanisms for this type of stress condition in legumes.
EEG Analysis of Frontal Lobe Activities by Decision Stimuli

The brain is processing various acts and thoughts of humans. Among the functions of the brain, decision making, reasoning and complex calculation are governed by the frontal lobe. If the FLA (Frontal Lobe Activity) is kept low for a long period of time, human reasoning and decision making are interrupted and anti-social behaviors can emerge which are hardly understandable in view of common people and it can result in serious problems. EEG (Electroencephalogram) was measured by using decision making stimuli which help determine the FLA and, with the index of the measured EEG data, the evoked conditions of subjects were compared and analyzed by utilizing EP (Evoked Potential) and Power Spectrum Analyzing. In the end, by the result of both methods, subjects with apparently low FLA index appeared, and, with the help of the obtained FLA index, critical values determining whether the FLA is in the normal range or not could be presented.
Education, Knowledge and the Evolution of Disparities in Health

We study how advances in scientific knowledge affect the evolution of disparities in health. Our focus is the 1964 Surgeon General Report on Smoking and Health - the first widely publicized report of the negative effects of smoking on health. Using an historical dataset that includes the smoking habits of pregnant women 1959-1966, we find that immediately after the 1964 Report, more educated mothers immediately reduced their smoking as measured by both self-reports and serum cotinine levels, while the less educated did not, and that the relative health of their newborns likewise increased. We also find strong peer effects in the response to information: after the 1964 report, educated women surrounded by other educated women were more likely to reduce smoking relative to those surrounded by less educated women. Over time, the education gradient in both smoking and newborn health continued to increase, peaking in the 1980s and then shrinking, eventually returning to initial levels. These results can explain why in an era of great advancements in medical knowledge, health disparities may actually increase, at least initially.
Teaching across the Curriculum: Language-Enriched Physical Education for Preschool Children

Children age 4 to 6 years from special education (n = 26), Head Start (n = 35), and typical preschool classes (n = 11) were assigned to a physical activity intervention or a language-enriched physical activity intervention. Language and motor skill performances were measured before, immediately following, and 3 months following the 24-session, 8-week intervention. Results illustrated that language instruction can be added to physical education lessons without requiring additional instructional time and, more importantly, without compromising improvement in motor skill performance. Further, preschool children exposed to language-enriched physical education improved their language skills regardless of whether their educational progress was characterized by a cognitive and/or language delay. Thus, physical activity appears to be an effective environment in which to enhance the cognitive development of preschool children of all abilities.
The effects of replacing inorganic with a lower level of organically complexed minerals (Cu, Zn and Mn) in broiler diets on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense systems.

In this study, the effects of replacing inorganic copper, zinc and manganese with different levels of organic complexes of the same trace minerals on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense systems in broilers were investigated. Two-hundred Ross-308 one-day-old broiler chickens were placed on controlled diets until 42 d of age. The experimental animals were divided into four groups comprising three experimental groups and one control group, each consisting of 50 chickens. All groups were also divided into five subgroups each containing 10 broiler chicks. The mineral content of the control group diet was controlled using a standard inorganic mineral premix with supplement levels and sources of trace minerals typical of commercial broiler diets according to the National Research Council (NRC) (containing 8 mg Cu as CuSO 4 , 40 mg Zn as ZnSO 4 , and 60 mg Mn as MnO, per kg). In the experimental diets, mineral premix was also comprised of inorganic formulations, except for those of Cu, Zn and Mn. Organically-complexed Cu, Zn, and Mn were separately added to the basal diet at 1/3 (L1), 2/3 (L2) and 3/3 (L3) levels with respect to the NRC recommendation, as Bioplex Cu ™ , Bioplex Zn ™ , Bioplex Mn ™ . At the end of the trial, the plasma Zn level significantly increased when the plasma Cu level significantly decreased (p<0.05) in chickens fed at 2/3 and 3/3 levels of organically complexed minerals. The liver trace mineral concentrations were significantly higher in chickens fed inorganic trace minerals in comparison to those fed organically-complexed minerals. The plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) level of experimental chickens was decreased in groups receiving levels of organic Cu, Zn and Mn in comparison to those fed inorganic forms (p<0.01). The erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was higher in all groups receiving the organic mineral supplements in comparison to those fed inorganic forms (p<0.01). No differences were observed on either the erythrocyte catalase (CAT) activity or the plasma ceruloplasmin (Cp) levels, and the liver MDA levels and liver CAT and SOD activities in any of the groups that received the organic supplements of Cu, Zn, and Mn. It was concluded that supplementation of lower levels of organically-complexed copper, zinc, and manganese instead of their inorganic forms in diets had no negative effects on the antioxidant defense system in broilers.
Simulation Platform for UHF RFID

Developing modern integrated and embedded systems require well-designed processes to ensure flexibility and independency. These features are related to exchangeability of hardware targets and to the ability of choosing the target at a very late stage in the implementation process. Especially in the field of ultra high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) the model-based design approach leads to expected results. Beside a clear design process, which is applied in this work to build the required system architecture, the scope for UHF RFID simulations is defined and an extendable platform based on the MathWorks Matlab Simulinkreg is developed. This simulation platform, based on a multi-processor hardware target, using a Texas Instruments TMS320C6416 digital signal processor is able to run UHF RFID tag simulations of very high complexity. The highest effort is made to ensure flexibility to handle future simulation models on the same hardware target, realized by the continuous design and implementation flow of this platform based on model-based design