Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Astrocytes play a critical role in transient heterosynaptic depression in the rat hippocampal CA1 region

Active synapses can reduce the probability of transmitter release at neighbouring synapses. Depending on whether such heterosynaptic depression is mediated by intersynaptic diffusion of transmitter or by release of gliotransmitters, astrocytes should either hinder or promote the heterosynaptic depression. In the present study we have examined the developmental profile and astrocytic involvement in a transient heterosynaptic depression (tHeSD) in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampal slice preparation. A short stimulus burst (3 impulses at 50 Hz) to one group of synapses elicited a depression of the field EPSP evoked in another group of synapses that amounted to about 25% 0.5 s after the conditioning burst. This tHeSD was associated with an increase in the paired‐pulse ratio of about 30%. The tHeSD was not present in slices from rats younger than 10 postnatal days and developed towards the adult magnitude between postnatal days 10 and 20. The tHeSD was totally prevented by the glia‐specific toxin fluoroacetate (FAC), by carbenoxolone, a general blocker of connexin‐based channels, and by endothelin, an endogenous peptide that has been shown to block astrocytic connexin‐based channels. Antagonists to GABAB receptors and group II/III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) abolished the tHeSD whereas antagonists to NMDA‐ and adenosine A1 receptors, and to group I mGluRs, did not affect the tHeSD. These results suggest that the tHeSD relies on GABAB receptors, group II/III mGluRs and on gliotransmitter release from functionally mature astrocytes.
Political Participation and Social Capital Among Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Central Illinois

This study tested the influence of bridging and bonding social capital in political participation while controlling for sociodemographic and psychological factors among Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Illinois. Bridging social capital significantly predicted two types of participation. Participants who felt their lives were linked to those of Anglo-Americans and attended functions with members of this group were more likely to contact a public official. In addition, those who attended functions with Anglo-Americans were also more likely to work for or contribute to a political candidate. Bonding social capital significantly predicted attending a public meeting or demonstration. Those who felt more linked to other Latinos in the country were less likely to participate, but those who had a close experience with discrimination were more likely to do so. Overall, findings showed that an understanding of the different aspects of social capital is necessary to decipher the participation puzzle.
The Obsolete “Anti-Market” Mentality: A Critique of the Substantive Approach to Economic Anthropology

the impact on the field of the writings of Karl Polanyi and his followers, a clear-cut dichotomy has emerged between scholars who maintain that "formal" economic theory is applicable to the analysis of "primitive" and "peasant" economies and those who believe that it is limited in application to the market-oriented, price-governed economic systems of industrial economies.2 Prior to the publication of Trade and Market in the Early Empires (Polanyi, et al., 1957), economic anthropology (to the extent that it dealt with behavioral theory as opposed to being exclusively concerned with material goods and/or subsistence technology) represented a single field of inquiry, with the majority of its practitioners believing that formal economic theory could contribute to anthropology. However, after the publication of this substantivist magnum opus, the field underwent a bifurcation into two discrete spheres of discourse. Although several attempts have been made by various scholars to provoke a meaningful dialogue with the substantivists, their critiques have failed to elicit any such exchange of views. " Thus the field is presently characterized by a "split-level" dialogue in which the proponents on the two dominant views of economics-in-anthropology are talking past one another and are operating within separate spheres of discourse. Many anthropologists are still apparently unfamiliar with the scope and content of the critiques of substantivist economics, while substantivist views continue to find expression in the literature without manifesting any noticeable
Testing Hereditary Properties of Nonexpanding Bounded-Degree Graphs

We study graph properties that are testable for bounded-degree graphs in time independent of the input size. Our goal is to distinguish between graphs having a predetermined graph property and graphs that are far from every graph having that property. It is well known that in the bounded-degree graph model (where two graphs are considered “far” if they differ in $\varepsilon n$ edges for a positive constant $\varepsilon$), many graph properties cannot be tested even with a constant or even with a polylogarithmic number of queries. Therefore in this paper we focus our attention on testing graph properties for special classes of graphs. Specifically, we show that every hereditary graph property is testable with a constant number of queries provided that every sufficiently large induced subgraph of the input graph has poor expansion. This result implies that, for example, any hereditary property (e.g., $k$-colorability, $H$-freeness, etc.) is testable in the bounded-degree graph model for planar graphs, graphs with bounded genus, interval graphs, etc. No such results have been known before, and prior to our work, very few graph properties have been known to be testable with a constant number of queries for general graph classes in the bounded-degree graph model.
An approach to automatic development of interlocking logic based on Statechart

A computer-based interlocking system (CIS) is a kind of safety-critical system widely applied in the signalling industry today. The relay logic is always used to describe the interlocking logic in CIS. Normally, all of the interlocking logic is designed by experienced signalling engineers manually, which leads to low efficiency and high cost. This article proposes a new logic design approach. In this new approach, a component-based model is used to represent the topology of the station layout, and statecharts are used to describe the interlocking logic. Then the statecharts description is transformed to the relay logic. The entire procedure of interlocking logic development can be finished automatically, and a software toolkit is implemented according to this approach. The introduction of statecharts also makes the formal verification of interlocking logic possible, which can guarantee the generated logic correction.
Synergistic Effect between Intrathecal Non-NMDA Antagonist and Gabapentin on Allodynia Induced by Spinal Nerve Ligation in Rats

Background Glutamate and non–N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors have been implicated in the development of neuroplasticity in the spinal cord in neuropathic pain. The spinal cord has been identified as one of the sites of the analgesic action of gabapentin. In the current study, the authors determined the antiallodynic effect of intrathecal 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Also tested was a hypothesis that intrathecal injection of CNQX and gabapentin produces a synergistic effect on allodynia in neuropathic rats. Methods Allodynia was produced in rats by ligation of the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves. Allodynia was determined by application of von Frey filaments to the left hind paw. Through an implanted intrathecal catheter, 10–100 &mgr;g gabapentin or 0.5–8 &mgr;g CNQX disodium (a water-soluble formulation of CNQX) was injected in conscious rats. Isobolographic analysis was performed comparing the interaction of intrathecal gabapentin and CNQX using the ED50 dose ratio of 15:1. Results Intrathecal treatment with gabapentin or CNQX produced a dose-dependent increase in the withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimulation. The ED50 for gabapentin and CNQX was 45.9 ± 4.65 and 3.4 ± 0.22 &mgr;g, respectively. Intrathecal injection of a combination of CNQX and gabapentin produced a strong synergistic antiallodynic effect in neuropathic rats. Conclusions This study shows that intrathecal administration of CNQX exhibits an antiallodynic effect in this rat model of neuropathic pain. Furthermore, CNQX and gabapentin, when combined intrathecally, produce a potent synergistic antiallodynic effect on neuropathic pain in spinal nerve–ligated rats.
The relation between stereochemistry and biological activity of platinum(II) complexes chelated with chiral diamine ligands: an intricate problem.

The origin of activity differences between stereoisomers of anticancer platinum(II) complexes chelated with chiral diamine ligands has been almost exclusively explained by diastereoselective interactions with DNA. Although this model has been widely accepted in vitro and in vivo experiments showed some conflicting results, leading to the conclusion that other biomolecules might be responsible for this stereoselectivity as well. These compounds, called bionucleophiles, are in most instances amino acids or proteins present in biological fluids. As these chiral molecules are very reactive towards the platinum complexes, they may contribute to stereoselectivity, but also to resistance and toxicity. This review gives a general survey of chiral platinum(II) complexes and their interactions with DNA. The bionucleophiles which have been identified and the consequences of their reaction with platinum(II) complexes are discussed. Analytical techniques used to investigate interactions between established and potential chiral platinum drugs and bionucleophiles are presented.
Sequential logic rectifications with approximate SPFDs

In the digital VLSI cycle, logic transformations are often required to modify the design to meet different synthesis and optimization goals. Logic transformations on sequential circuits are hard to perform due to the vast underlying solution space. This paper proposes an SPFD-based sequential logic transformation methodology to tackle the problem with no sacrifice on performance. It first presents an efficient approach to construct approximate SPFDs (aSPFDs) for sequential circuits. Then, it demonstrates an algorithm using aSPFDs to perform the desirable sequential logic transformations using both combinational and sequential don't cares. Experimental results show the effectiveness and robustness of the approach.
Back-pressure traffic signal control with unknown routing rates

The control of a network of signalized intersections is considered. Previous works proposed a feedback control belonging to the family of the so-called back-pressure controls that ensures provably maximum stability given pre-specified routing probabilities. However, this optimal back-pressure controller (BP*) requires routing rates and a measure of the number of vehicles queuing at a node for each possible routing decision. It is an idealistic assumption for our application since vehicles (going straight, turning left/right) are all gathered in the same lane apart from the proximity of the intersection and cameras can only give estimations of the aggregated queue length. In this paper, we present a back-pressure traffic signal controller (BP) that does not require routing rates, it requires only aggregated queue lengths estimation (without direction information) and loop detectors at the stop line for each possible direction. A theoretical result on the Lyapunov drift in heavy load conditions under BP control is provided and tends to indicate that BP should have good stability properties. Simulations confirm this and show that BP stabilizes the queuing network in a significant part of the capacity region.
Invisible Impairments: Dilemmas of Concealment and Disclosure

People with invisible impairments have choices as whether or not to reveal or conceal their impairments in social interaction. They may pass for “normal” if they silence impairment and disability experiences. Social conventions support silence. Disclosing impairments may occur in many circumstances, for many reasons and may have many ramifications. People with invisible impairments and the dilemmas they face have received little attention in disability research. This article discusses concealment and disclosure of invisible impairments as ongoing processes with an emphasis on performance, motivation and context.
Classification of staff development programmes and effects perceived by teachers

Educational institutions offer diverse staff development programmes to allow staff members to keep up with educational innovations and to guarantee educational quality. The current study investigates by means of a survey and semi-structured interviews whether the teacher perceives staff development as a management model, a shop-floor model or a partnership model; what effects are perceived by teachers in higher education; what kind of motivation is apparent when teachers decide to participate in a staff development activity and significant differences between the kind of motivation regarding the effects perceived by teachers. The results show that all respondents were satisfied after following a shop-floor staff development session and most respondents were aware of a learning process. With all three models, changes in conceptions of teaching were perceived. The shop-floor model scores highest here. The majority of respondents indicate that they apply their newly gained knowledge and skills in practice. This particularly refers to ICT topics. After applying the acquired knowledge respondents perceived effects on students (with all three models).
Self Esteem and Organizational Commitment Among Health Information Management Staff in Tertiary Care Hospitals in Tehran

Background: Self esteem (SE) and organizational commitment (OC) have significant impact on the quality of work life. Aim: This study aims to gain a better understanding of the relationships between SE and OC among health information management staff in tertiary care hospitals in Tehran (Iran). Methods: This was a descriptive correlational and cross sectional study conducted on the health information management staff of tertiary care hospitals in Tehran, Iran. A total of 155 participants were randomly selected from 400 staff. Data were collected by two standard questionnaires. The SE and OC was measured using Eysenck SE scale and Meyer and Allen’s three component model, respectively. The collected data were analyzed with the SPSS (version 16) using statistical tests of of independent T-test, Pearson Correlation coefficient, one way ANOVA and F tests. Results: The OC and SE of the employees’ were 67.8, out of 120 (weak and 21.0 out of 30 (moderate), respectively. The values for affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment were respectively 21.3 out of 40 (moderate), 23.9 out of 40 (moderate), and 22.7 out of 40 (moderate). The Pearson correlation coefficient test showed a significant OC and SE was statistically significant (P<0.05). The one way ANOVA test (P<0.05) did not show any significant difference between educational degree and work experience with SE and OC. Conclusion: This research showed that SE and OC are moderate. SE and OC have strong correlation with turnover, critical thinking, job satisfaction, and individual and organizational improvement. Therefore, applying appropriate human resource policies is crucial to reinforce these measures.
A Study of concrete and formal reasoning in school mathematics

Nine mathematics tests were devised on lines suggested by the Piagetian model. One hundred and one girls, chosen from three schools (primary, junior secondary and senior secondary), were tested on items which varied on two dimensions, viz., the abstractness of the elements operated upon and the interrelationships of the operations in the item which defined its structure. As predicted, items with both concrete elements and structure were successfully handled by all age groups; as either structures or elements were made more abstract the younger age groups began to fail and only the oldest group had any success when both structures and elements were made more abstract. Implications were seen in the study which would be of interest to psychologists working with the Piagetian model as well as to teachers and curriculum planners.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of antibodies against pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens: comparison with radioimmunoassay

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring antibodies against each of 14 polysaccharides in contemporary pneumococcal vaccine is described, and the findings of tests of paired sera from vaccinated human subjects are compared with those obtained by radioimmunoassay. The findings were in very poor agreement, and this appears to be due to the lesser ability of the ELISA procedure to measure antibody of low avidity. The ELISA procedure described here is not considered to be a satisfactory substitute for radioimmunoassay for measuring antibody responses to pneumococcal vaccine.
Classification of missense variants of unknown significance in BRCA1 based on clinical and tumor information

Classification of rare missense variants in disease susceptibility genes as neutral or disease‐causing is important for genetic counseling. Different criteria are used to help classify such variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2; however, the strongest evidence tends to come from segregation analysis and observed cooccurrence with known pathogenic mutations, which both require information that is not readily available in most circumstances. A likelihood‐based model has been developed, integrating most of the data currently used to classify these variants. We have adapted the original model, including only that information that could be more easily obtained from a cancer genetics laboratory, such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH), grade, and immunohistochemical analysis to assess estrogen receptor (ER) status for the tumors of carriers of these variants. We also considered summary family history (personal or first‐degree family history of bilateral breast or ovarian cancer), which was not incorporated into the original model. To test the ability of the modified model to classify missense variants in BRCA1, we analyzed 17 variants, of which 10 have previously been classified as pathogenic mutations or neutral polymorphisms. We also included a prior step consisting of the screening of the variants among 1,000 controls, with which we were able to classify five as neutral, based solely on their observed frequency. We found that combining this relatively easily collected information can be sufficient to classify variants as pathogenic or neutral if tumors from at least three carriers of the same variant can be collected and analyzed. Hum Mutat 28(5), 477–485, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Using graded motor imagery for complex regional pain syndrome in clinical practice: Failure to improve pain

There is good evidence from studies conducted in a single‐centre research setting for the efficacy of graded motor imagery (GMI) treatment, a complex physiotherapy intervention, to reduce pain in long‐standing complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). However, whether GMI is effective in clinical practice is not established.
Experimenting VIREO-374: Bag-of-Visual-Words and Visual-Based Ontology for Semantic Video Indexing and search

In this paper, we present our approaches and results of high-level feature extraction and automatic video search in TRECVID-2007. In high-level feature extraction, our main focus is to explore the upper limit of bag-of-visualwords (BoW) approach based upon local appearance features. We study and evaluate several factors which could impact the performance of BoW. By considering these important factors, we show that a local feature only system already yields top performance (MAP= 0.0935). This conclusion is similar to our recent experiment of VIREO-374 on TRECVID-2006 dataset [1], except that the improvement, when incorporating with other features, is marginal. Description of our submitted runs: CityU-HK1: linear weighted fusion of 4 SVM classifiers using BoW, edge histogram, grid based color moment and wavelet texture. CityU-HK2: average fusion of 5 SVM classifiers using BoW, spatial layout of keypoints, edge histogram, grid based color moment and wavelet texture. CityU-HK3: average fusion of 4 SVM classifiers using BoW, edge histogram, grid based color moment and wavelet texture. CityU-HK4: Bag-of-visual-words (BoW). CityU-HK5: average fusion of 3 baseline classifiers using edge histogram, grid based color moment and wavelet texture. CityU-HK6: average fusion of 2 baseline classifiers using grid based color moment and wavelet texture. In automatic search, we study the performance of query-by-example (QBE) and VIREO-374 ontology-based concept search. In QBE, the spatial properties of local keypoints and concept detector confidence are utilized for retrieval. In concept-based search, a small set of VIREO374 detectors are selected for query answering by measuring the similarity of query terms to semantic concepts in an Ontology-enriched Semantic Space. We submit six runs composing of concept-based, query-based, motion-based and text-based search. CityUHK-SCS: concept-based search in which one single concept is selected for each query. CityUHK-MCS: concept-based search in which top-3 concepts are selected. CityUHK-Concept: use 36-d concept detection confidence vectors of keyframes for QBE. CityUHK-ConceptRerank: use 36-d concept detection confidence vectors to rerank the result of text baseline. CityUHK-VKmotion-Rank: employ the motion histogram of visual keywords (VK) in video sequence to rerank the result of text baseline. CityUHK-Text: baseline run by ASR/MT transcripts. 1 High-Level Feature Extraction This year, we mainly focus on exploring the upper limit of local features for concept detection. Our local feature approach is basically based on our previous work in [2]. We also implement three baseline features and examine the improvement of fusing the local features with the baseline visual features. For the selection of training samples, we only rely on this year’s data and combine the two publicly available annotations from LIG [3] and MCG-ICT-CAS.
Algorithm for spatio-temporal heart segmentation

Heart image analysis is a challenging and important process used for a range of purposes such as image based measurement, visualization, etc. The most important step in medical image analysis is segmentation. In this work we present an algorithm for CT heart image segmentation. The segmentation is based on two basic pieces of information, pixels brightness and motion. The motion information is gathered as the optical flow information. Such information is later used for definition of an energy function for image labeling. This energy function represents a Markov random field (MRF) posterior distribution function. The MAP estimation of the segmented image has been determined using the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm.