Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cholinergic neurons in the rat septal complex: Ultrastructural characterization and synaptic relations with catecholaminergic terminals

Physiological and pharmacological studies have suggested that catecholamines modulate cholinergic neurons in the medial septal and diagonal band nuclei (i.e., the septal complex). Thus, the ultrastructural morphology of neurons containing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the biosynthetic enzyme for acetylcholine, and their relation to catecholaminergic terminals exhibiting immunoreactivity for the catecholamine synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were examined in the rat septal complex. Dual immunoautoradiographic and peroxidase anti‐peroxidase labeling methods were used to simultaneously localize antibodies raised in rabbits against TH and from rat‐mouse hybridomas against ChAT in single sections. At least two types of perikarya with ChAT‐immunoreactivity (ChAT‐I) were observed. The first type were large (20–30 μm), elongated or round, and contained a small indented nucleus with an abundant cytoplasm and an occasional lamellar body. The second type was also either ovoid or round but was medium‐sized (15–20 μm) and contained a larger indented nucleus and a smaller amount of cytoplasm than the first type. Both types of perikarya as well as dendrites with ChAT‐I were surrounded by astrocytic processes apposed to most of their plasmalemmal surfaces. The distribution and types of terminal associations (i.e., asymmetric synapses, symmetric synapses and appositions which lacked a membrane specialization in the plane of section analyzed) with, ChAT‐labeled perikarya and dendrites were quantitatively evaluated. The majority (68% of 197) of the presynaptic terminals were unlabeled; the remaining terminals were immunoreactive for TH (25%) or ChAT (7%). All three types of terminals contacted primarily the shafts of small dendrites and more rarely ChAT‐labeled perikarya and large dendrites.
Neuronale Aktivitätsmuster auf affektinduktive Reize bei Alexithymie

In alexithymia a frontal dysfunction is supposed to be a neurobiological correlate. This study focuses on distorted patterns of neuronal activity evoked by emotional stimuli in alexithymics and controls. Out of hospitalised patients with psychosomatic diseases 8 patients with a high score (HA) and 8 with a low one (NA) on the TAS-20 were investigated with fMRI during emotional stimulation which included pictures evoking anxiety and disgust as well as neutral illustrations. As response to negative affect arousing visual stimulation HA in comparison to NA showed a lower activation in the right medial prefrontal cortex and in the right amygdala. The results were significant for the emotion disgust. The results support the existence of a complex central feedback circuit consisting of regions of the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures to process negative affects. Hypothetically a fundamental factor for the emergence of alexithymic traits is an inhibiting process between affect processing (e. g. medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulum) and affect generating structures (e. g. amygdala). Furthermore our findings confirm the hypothesis that alexithymia is a disorder of higher cerebral function.
Effectiveness of national implementation of prolonged exposure therapy in Veterans Affairs care.

IMPORTANCE Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a pervasive and often debilitating condition that affects many individuals in the general population and military service members. Effective treatments for PTSD are greatly needed for both veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and veterans of other eras. Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy has been shown to be highly efficacious in clinical trials involving women with noncombat trauma, but there are limited data on its effectiveness in real-world clinical practice settings and with veterans. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of PE as implemented with veterans with PTSD in a large health care system. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This evaluation included 1931 veterans treated by 804 clinicians participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) PE Training Program. After completing a 4-day experiential PE training workshop, clinicians implemented PE (while receiving consultation) with a minimum of 2 veteran patients who had a primary diagnosis of PTSD. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Changes in PTSD and depression symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist and the Beck Depression Inventory II, measured at baseline and at the final treatment session. Multiple and single imputation were used to estimate the posttest scores of patients who left treatment before completing 8 sessions. Demographic predictors of treatment dropout were also examined. RESULTS Intent-to-treat analyses indicate that PE is effective in reducing symptoms of both PTSD (pre-post d = 0.87) and depression (pre-post d = 0.66), with effect sizes comparable to those reported in previous efficacy trials. The proportion of patients screening positive for PTSD on the PTSD Checklist decreased from 87.6% to 46.2%. CONCLUSIONS Clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms were achieved among male and female veterans of all war eras and veterans with combat-related and non-combat-related PTSD. Results also indicate that PE is effective in reducing depression symptoms, even though depression is not a direct target of the treatment.
The role of Tal2 and Tal1 in the differentiation of midbrain GABAergic neuron precursors

Summary Midbrain- and hindbrain-derived GABAergic interneurons are critical for regulation of sleep, respiratory, sensory-motor and motivational processes, and they are implicated in human neurological disorders. However, the precise mechanisms that underlie generation of GABAergic neuron diversity in the midbrain–hindbrain region are poorly understood. Here, we show unique and overlapping requirements for the related bHLH proteins Tal1 and Tal2 in GABAergic neurogenesis in the midbrain. We show that Tal2 and Tal1 are specifically and sequentially activated during midbrain GABAergic neurogenesis. Similar to Gata2, a post-mitotic selector of the midbrain GABAergic neuron identity, Tal2 expression is activated very early during GABAergic neuron differentiation. Although the expression of Tal2 and Gata2 genes are independent of each other, Tal2 is important for normal midbrain GABAergic neurogenesis, possibly as a partner of Gata2. In the absence of Tal2, the majority of midbrain GABAergic neurons switch to a glutamatergic-like phenotype. In contrast, Tal1 expression is activated in a Gata2 and Tal2 dependent fashion in the more mature midbrain GABAergic neuron precursors, but Tal1 alone is not required for GABAergic neuron differentiation from the midbrain neuroepithelium. However, inactivation of both Tal2 and Tal1 in the developing midbrain suggests that the two factors co-operate to guide GABAergic neuron differentiation in a specific ventro-lateral midbrain domain. The observed similarities and differences between Tal1/Tal2 and Gata2 mutants suggest both co-operative and unique roles for these factors in determination of midbrain GABAergic neuron identities.
Remarks on binding theory

We propose some reformulations of binding principle A that build on recent work by Pollard and Xue, and by Runner et al. We then turn to the thorny issue of the status of indices, in connection with the seemingly simpler Principle B. We conclude that the notion of index is fundamentally incoherent, and suggest some possible approaches to eliminating them as theoretical primitives. One possibility is to let logical variables take up the explanatory burden borne by indices, but this turns out to be fraught with difficulties. Another approach, which involves returning to the idea that referentially dependent expressions denote identity functions (as proposed, independently, by Pollard and Sag and by Jacobson) seerms to hold more promise.
Thermal effects in dynamics of interfaces

Dynamical Ginzburg–Landau theory is applied to the study of thermal effects of motion of interfaces that appear after different phase transitions. These effects stem from the existence of the surface thermodynamic properties and temperature gradients in the interfacial transition region. Thermal effects may be explained by the introduction of a new thermodynamic force exerted on the interface, called here Gibbs–Duhem force, and the internal energy density flux through the interface. The evolution equations for the interfacial motion are derived. For the experimental verification of the thermal effects during continuous ordering the expression is derived for the amplitude of temperature waves.
A Quantitative Method to Monitor Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

The growing interest in the role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and in the assessment of oxidative stress in health and disease clashes with the lack of consensus on reliable quantitative noninvasive methods applicable. The study aimed at demonstrating that a recently developed Electron Paramagnetic Resonance microinvasive method provides direct evidence of the “instantaneous” presence of ROS returning absolute concentration levels that correlate with “a posteriori” assays of ROS-induced damage by means of biomarkers. The reliability of the choice to measure ROS production rate in human capillary blood rather than in plasma was tested (step I). A significant (P < 0.01) linear relationship between EPR data collected on capillary blood versus venous blood (R 2 = 0.95), plasma (R 2 = 0.82), and erythrocytes (R 2 = 0.73) was found. Then (step II) ROS production changes of various subjects' categories, young versus old and healthy versus pathological at rest condition, were found significantly different (range 0.0001–0.05 P level). The comparison of the results with antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage biomarkers concentrations showed that all changes indicating increased oxidative stress are directly related to ROS production increase. Therefore, the adopted method may be an automated technique for a lot of routine in clinical trials.
Simultaneous Clustering and Model Selection for Tensor Affinities

Estimating the number of clusters remains a difficult model selection problem. We consider this problem in the domain where the affinity relations involve groups of more than two nodes. Building on the previous formulation for the pairwise affinity case, we exploit the mathematical structures in the higher order case. We express the original minimal-rank and positive semi-definite (PSD) constraints in a form amenable for numerical implementation, as the original constraints are either intractable or even undefined in general in the higher order case. To scale to large problem sizes, we also propose an alternative formulation, so that it can be efficiently solved via stochastic optimization in an online fashion. We evaluate our algorithm with different applications to demonstrate its superiority, and show it can adapt to varying levels of unbalancedness of clusters.
An Energy Efficient strategy for Grid-based Data Dissemination supporting Mobile Sinks in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks are made up of small sensor nodes with sensing capability. These sensor nodes have limited power supply, computational capability and storage. Due to constrained energy source in wireless sensor nodes, the design and implementation of energy efficient protocols is one of the most important challenge in Wireless Sensor Networks. Mobility of sink in wireless sensor networks brings new challenges in the form sink location maintenance, continuous data delivery, avoiding/reducing detour problem but reduces the hotspot problem. In this paper, we propose an Energy-Efficient strategy for Grid-based Data Dissemination supporting Mobile sinks (EEGDD) in wireless sensor networks which is more energy efficient in data dissemination to the mobile sink. This strategy is based upon permanent virtual grid structure and disseminates data from source to sink using optimal path with minimum path delay. This strategy sends query/data announcements across the certain axis only for tracking the location of the sink and hence avoid huge amount of uncontrolled flooding used in other schemes. Analytical and simulation study reveals significant improvement in energy conservation in comparison to existing scheme.
New Occurrence of Pyroxenites in the Veria-Naousa Ophiolite (North Greece): Implications on Their Origin and Petrogenetic Evolution

The Veria-Naousa ophiolite represents a dismembered unit in north Greece, which includes variably serpentinised lherzolite and harzburgite, locally intruded by a sparse network of dykes or thin layers of websterite and olivine-orthopyroxenite composition. The websterite and the olivine-orthopyroxenite show abundant petrographic and geochemical evidence (relic olivines with mantle affinities, Cr-rich spinels, low Al2O3, depletions in incompatible elements, and concave upwards rare earth element patterns) that they comprise replacive bodies from refractory subarc mantle precursors. The occurrence of these pyroxenites in dykes implies that channelled percolation of melts account for their replacive character. High CaO/Al2O3, low Zr and crystallisation of diopside suggest that a melt of ankaramitic/carbonatitic composition percolated in lherzolite replacing porphyroclastic olivine and forming the pyroxenes in the websterite. At a shallower level, harburgites were impregnated by boninitic melts (inferred by U-shape rare earth element patterns and very rich in Cr spinels) triggering the replacement of porphyroclastic olivine by orthopyroxene for the formation of olivine-orthopyroxenite. These peritectic replacements of olivine commonly occur in a mantle wedge regime. The peculiar characteristics of the Veria-Naousa pyroxenites with LREE and compatible elements enrichments resemble the subarc pyroxenites of Cabo Ortegal implying a similar environment of formation. Whole-rock and mineralogical (spinel and clinopyroxene) compositions are also in favour of a backarc to arc environment. It is recommended that the evolution of the Veria-Naousa pyroxenites record the evolution of the subarc region and the opening of a backarc basin in a broad SSZ setting in the Axios Zone of eastern Greece.
Directions in Systems of Systems Engineering

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the workshop participants and do not necessarily represent the official view of the European Commission on the subject. Executive Summary As the embedded world meets the internet world there is an increasing number of interacting systems with strong connectivity utilised in both society and in industry. The growing overall complexity of systems has triggered a paradigm shift and the need to enhance the classical view of Complex System Engineering towards System of systems (SoS) Engineering. System-of-Systems describes the large scale integration of many independent self-contained systems to satisfy global needs or multi-system requests. Examples of system of systems that are found in everyday life are highlighted in Table 1. These range from the " ICT Powered " system of systems to those found in biology, sociological, environmental, organisational and political structures. The EU itself is a very good example of a system of systems. The inherent managerial and operational independence of constituent systems and influences of commercial and social environments within a system of systems introduces major complications that result in the need for a paradigm shift in thinking. Rather than controlling systems the aim in system of systems engineering is to find means of influencing systems towards agreed goals. It should be highlighted that a fundamental challenge for development of the ICT Powered system of systems (shown in yellow) are the many varied interactions and influences that arise from other domains such as those shown in blue in the table. EC Workshop on " Synergies among projects and Directions in Advanced Systems Engineering " 3 30/07/2012 All of the conventional " knowns " that an engineer relies upon for system development, e.g. fixed requirements and system models, development processes, etc. no longer hold true for system of systems requiring engineers to fundamentally rethink how they are going to develop and maintain the system. Thus there is a paradigm shift required to develop approaches for systems with incomplete models and dynamically evolving/changing requirements. As many of the systems require high availability or have safety implications, i.e. are mixed criticality systems, certification becomes a major hurdle. The workshop identified key challenges that need to be addressed in the area: Technological-a need for a common language for multidisciplinary applications, for system modelling and control, validation and verification approaches, visualisation approaches, data mining and data reduction techniques, a means of dealing with emergent behaviour and …
Architectural support for secure virtualization under a vulnerable hypervisor

Although cloud computing has emerged as a promising future computing model, security concerns due to malicious tenants have been deterring its fast adoption. In cloud computing, multiple tenants may share physical systems by using virtualization techniques. In such a virtualized system, a software hypervisor creates virtual machines (VMs) from the physical system, and provides each user with an isolated VM. However, the hypervisor, with a full control over hardware resources, can access the memory pages of guest VMs without any restriction. By compromising the hypervisor, a malicious user can access the memory contents of the VMs used by other users. In this paper, we propose a hardware-based mechanism to protect the memory of guest VMs from unauthorized accesses, even with an untrusted hypervisor. With this mechanism, memory isolation is provided by the secure hardware, which is much less vulnerable than the software hypervisor. The proposed mechanism extends the current hardware support for memory virtualization with a small extra hardware cost. The hypervisor can still flexibly allocate physical memory pages to virtual machines for efficient resource management. However, the hypervisor can update nested page tables only through the secure hardware mechanism, which verifies each mapping change. Using the hardware-oriented mechanism in each system securing guest VMs under a vulnerable hypervisor, this paper also proposes a cloud system architecture, which supports the authenticated launch and migration of guest VMs.
Pic, an Autotransporter Protein Secreted by Different Pathogens in the Enterobacteriaceae Family, Is a Potent Mucus Secretagogue

ABSTRACT A hallmark of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) infection is a formation of biofilm, which comprises a mucus layer with immersed bacteria in the intestines of patients. While studying the mucinolytic activity of Pic in an in vivo system, rat ileal loops, we surprisingly found that EAEC induced hypersecretion of mucus, which was accompanied by an increase in the number of mucus-containing goblet cells. Interestingly, an isogenic pic mutant (EAEC Δpic) was unable to cause this mucus hypersecretion. Furthermore, purified Pic was also able to induce intestinal mucus hypersecretion, and this effect was abolished when Pic was heat denatured. Site-directed mutagenesis of the serine protease catalytic residue of Pic showed that, unlike the mucinolytic activity, secretagogue activity did not depend on this catalytic serine protease motif. Other pathogens harboring the pic gene, such as Shigella flexneri and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), also showed results similar to those for EAEC, and construction of isogenic pic mutants of S. flexneri and UPEC confirmed this secretagogue activity. Thus, Pic mucinase is responsible for one of the pathophysiologic features of the diarrhea mediated by EAEC and the mucoid diarrhea induced by S. flexneri.
Consumption of fig fruits grown in Oman can improve memory, anxiety, and learning skills in a transgenic mice model of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia in the elderly. Several reports have suggested neurotoxic effects of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) and role of oxidative stress in AD. Figs are rich in fiber, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin K, and are a good source of proanthocyanidins and quercetin which demonstrate potent antioxidant properties. We studied the effect of dietary supplementation with 4% figs grown in Oman on the memory, anxiety, and learning skills in APPsw/Tg2576 (Tg mice) mice model for AD. We assessed spatial memory and learning ability, psychomotor coordination, and anxiety-related behavior in Tg and wild-type mice at the age of 4 months and after 15 months using the Morris water maze test, rota-rod test, elevated plus maze test, and open-field test. Tg mice that were fed a control diet without figs showed significant memory deficits, increased anxiety-related behavior, and severe impairment in spatial, position discrimination learning ability, and motor coordination compared to the wild-type control mice on the same diet, and Tg mice fed on 4% fig diet supplementation for 15 months. Our results suggest that dietary supplementation of figs may be useful for the improvement of cognitive and behavioral deficits in AD.
Connectivity and Giant Component of Stochastic Kronecker Graphs

Stochastic Kronecker graphs are a model for complex networks where each edge is present independently according the Kronecker (tensor) product of a fixed matrix k-by-k matrix P with entries in [0,1]. We develop a novel correspondence between the adjacencies in a general stochastic Kronecker graph and the action of a fixed Markov chain. Using this correspondence we are able to generalize the arguments of Horn and Radcliffe on the emergence of the giant component from the case where k = 2 to arbitrary k. We are also able to use this correspondence to completely analyze the connectivity of a general stochastic Kronecker graph.
Children's eye gaze reveals their use of discourse context in object pronoun resolution

Dutch-speaking children, like English-speaking children, allow a noncoreferential as well as a coreferential interpretation for an object pronoun. Our question is whether children make use of the structure of the discourse context and the prominence of referents to resolve this pronominal ambiguity. We describe a visual world experiment with Dutch children (4-6 years old) and a control group of adult participants. Three different context types were tested, which varied in the order of referent introduction and the number of referents that were introduced. The children’s behavioral responses suggest that their performance becomes more adult-like when the antecedent is more prominent in the context. The gaze data shows that visual and linguistic context can direct children towards an adult-like interpretation, but also towards an ungrammatical interpretation. This suggests that children between 4-6 years old rely less on grammatical knowledge to resolve an object pronoun than adults, but also use other information such as discourse prominence and visual context.