Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
doi:10.1068/p5873 Visual perception and corollary discharge

Perception depends not only on sensory input but also on the state of the brain receiving that input. A classic example is perception of a stable visual world in spite of the saccadic eye movements that shift the images on the retina. A long-standing hypothesis is that the brain compensates for the disruption of visual input by using advance knowledge of the impending saccade, an internally generated corollary discharge. One possible neuronal mechanism for this compensation has been previously identified in parietal and frontal cortex of monkeys, but the origin of the necessary corollary discharge remained unknown. Here, we consider recent experiments that identified a pathway for a corollary discharge for saccades that extends from the superior colliculus in the midbrain to the frontal eye fields in the cerebral cortex with a relay in the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus. We first review the nature of the evidence used to identify a corollary discharge signal in the complexity of the primate brain and show its use for guiding a rapid sequence of eye movements. We then consider two experiments that show this same corollary signal may provide the input to the frontal cortex neurons that alters their activity with saccades in ways that could compensate for the displacements in the visual input produced by saccadic eye movements. The first experiment shows that the corollary discharge signal is spatially and temporally appropriate to produce the alterations in the frontal-cortex neurons. The second shows that this signal is necessary for this alteration because inactivation of the corollary reduces the compensation by frontal-cortex neurons. The identification of this relatively simple circuit specifies the organization of a corollary discharge in the primate brain for the first time and provides a specific example upon which consideration of the roles of corollary activity in other systems and for other functions can be evaluated. doi:10.1068/p5873
Current Steps and future horizons for CASPr : review of CASPr North-East Inner City after schools project.

CASPr (Community Afterschools Project) is a community development agency whose overall mission is to counter educational disadvantage in Dublinâ? Ts North East Inner City in order to contribute to the elimination of poverty in their community. This review seeks to assess the quality and effects of CASPrâ? Ts work on children, parents and the local community, in order to guide CASPrâ? Ts future work and offer independent examination of CASPrâ? Ts activities. A review of the profile of the area of North East Inner City Dublin clearly indicates the areaâ? Ts need for such a project, while international and Irish research illustrates the potential social and economic gains of investment to prevent early school leaving. Furthermore, based on international and Irish research on afterschool projects, it is evident that the potential benefits of such projects are with regard to a number of dimensions. These dimensions include afterschool projects to modify the impact of poverty, as a protective factor against early school leaving, as a space to foster social skills and social support for positive mental health in contexts of psychological stress. The potential benefits according to research is also with regard to helping overcome pupil fear of failure, to develop a positive climate of self directed learning which can also impact on a childâ? Ts language development and safety. Research further emphasises the potential of the Arts in afterschool projects, as well as its role in offering supports for parents minding children, while being cognisant of the importance of staff quality in producing better outcomes for children at risk of social exclusion. This evaluation of CASPr consisted of focus groups, individual interviews and qualitative questionnaires. Focus groups involved children currently attending the after school programme, a group of early school leavers currently attending a local alternative education programme and Home-School Liaison teachers. 26 individual interviews with children currently participating in CASPr were undertaken, approximately one quarter of the total sample of children attending CASPr. These interviews were based on an adaptation of indicators of satisfaction with a service adapted from McKeown et al (2001). 7 individual interviews with parents of children currently using the service took place, while 6 individual interviews with current CASPr staff were undertaken. 10 past participants of CASPrâ? Ts training programme provided questionnaire responses.
Verifying Distributed Programs via Canonical

We introduce canonical sequentialization, a new approach to verifying unbounded, asynchronous, messagepassing programs at compile-time. Our approach builds upon the following observation: due the combinatorial explosion in complexity, programmers do not reason about their systems by case-splitting over all the possible execution orders. Instead, correct programs tend to be well-structured so that the programmer can reason about a small number of representative executions, which we call the program’s canonical sequentialization. We have implemented our approach in a tool called Brisk that synthesizes canonical sequentializations for programs written in Haskell, and evaluated it on a wide variety of distributed systems including benchmarks from the literature and implementations of MapReduce, two-phase commit, and a version of the Disco distributed file-system. Brisk verifies unbounded versions of the benchmarks in tens of milliseconds, yielding the first concurrency verification tool that is fast enough to be integrated into a design-implement-check cycle.
Direct Photoaffinity Labeling of Individual Cytosolic Domains of Adenylyl Cyclase by [ 32 P ] 2 *-deoxy-3 *

The susceptibility of purines to form a covalent attachment with proteins upon exposure to UV irradiation was applied to adenylyl cyclase by use of [P]2*-d3*-AMP, a dead-end inhibitor that binds to the posttransition configuration of the enzyme. [P]2*-d-3*-AMP was synthesized enzymatically. It and [a-P]5*-ATP were used for direct photocross-linking to individually expressed cytosolic domains of adenylyl cyclase. Both the C1 domain of the type V isozyme (VC1) and the C2 domain of the type II isozyme (IIC2) were labeled, whether alone or combined, upon photolysis of [P]2*d-3*-AMP in the presence of acetone. Labeling of VC1 and IIC2 was greatly enhanced in the presence of PPi, was almost completely suppressed by 50 mM 2*,5*-dideoxy-3*ATP, the most potent reported P-site inhibitor of adenylyl cyclases, but was partially suppressed by 1 mM 3*IMP, a ligand that does not inhibit the enzyme via the P-site. Neither 3*:5*-cAMP nor 5*-ATP had a major effect on labeling by [P]2*-d-3*-AMP. Direct cross-linking of VC1 with [aP]5*-ATP was substantially suppressed by 2*,5*-dideoxy-3*-ATP and partially suppressed by 2*-d-3*AMP, whereas cross-linking of IIC2 was less affected by the 3*-triphosphate. The data imply that either cytosolic domain can interact directly with either substrate or P-site ligand and that subunit interaction modifies the susceptibility of each domain to UV-induced covalent modification by either [a-P]5*-ATP or [P]2*-d-3*-AMP.
Transgenic Zebrafish Models for Understanding Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous genetic retinal disorder, characterized by impaired dark adaption and progressive loss of photoreceptor cells. More than 46 genes have been identified to be responsible for RP, but the functional roles of RP-causing mutants are largely unknown. Due to the similarities of anatomy, physiology and functional signal pathways to human retina, the zebrafish has become a valuable model to study human retinal diseases. With the aid of improved techniques in transgenesis, the use of the zebrafish model has been accelerated, especially in the field of retinal degeneration. In this brief review, we will present an overview of the transgenic approaches in zebrafish and the utility of transgenic zebrafish for assessing the pathogenicity of RP-causing alleles.
CDMA/HDR: a bandwidth-efficient high-speed wireless data service for nomadic users

This article presents an approach to providing very high-data-rate downstream Internet access by nomadic users within the current CDMA physical layer architecture. A means for considerably increasing the throughput by optimizing packet data protocols and by other network and coding techniques are presented and supported by simulations and laboratory measurements. The network architecture, based on Internet protocols adapted to the mobile environment, is described, followed by a discussion of economic considerations in comparison to cable and DSL services.
LMI approach for H∞ output feedback control of discrete-time T-S fuzzy systems via switched control scheme

This paper studies the problem of dynamic output feedback Hinfin control of discrete-time T-S fuzzy systems via switched dynamic parallel distributed compensation (DPDC) scheme. The considered switched DPDC control structure is determined base on the values of membership functions. New properties of membership functions are obtained, and exploited to derive sufficient conditions for designing switched DPDC controllers for guaranteeing the stability and Hinfin performances of closed-loop nonlinear systems. The design conditions are given in terms of solvability of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). It is shown that the new approach provides better or at least the same results of the corresponding dynamic DPDC methods. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
A Scrambling Method for Fingerprint Positioning Based on Temporal Diversity and Spatial Dependency

Signal strength fluctuation is one of the major problems in a fingerprint-based localization system. To alleviate this problem, we propose a scrambling method to exploit temporal diversity and spatial dependency of collected signal samples. We present methods on how these properties can be applied to enhance the positioning accuracy of several existing schemes. Simulation studies and experimental results show that the scrambling method can greatly improve positioning accuracy, especially when the tracked object has some degree of mobility.
Ultrasonic Synthesis, Molecular Structure and Mechanistic Study of 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction of 1-Alkynylpyridinium-3-olate and Acetylene Derivatives

Regioselectively, ethyl propiolate reacted with 1-(propergyl)-pyridinium-3-olate to give two regioisomers; ethyl 4-oxo-8-(prop-2-ynyl)-8-aza-bicyclo(3.2.1)octa-2,6-diene-6-carboxylate 4, ethyl 2-oxo-8-(prop-2-ynyl)-8-aza-bicyclo(3.2.1)octa-3,6-diene-6-carboxylate 5 as well as ethyl 2,6-dihydro-6-(prop-2-ynyl)furo(2,3-c)pyridine-3-carboxylate 6. The obtained compounds were identified by their spectral (IR, mass and NMR) data. Moreover, DFT quantum chemical calculations were used to study the mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction. The regioselectivity was explained using transition state calculations, where the calculations agreed with the formation of products 4 and 5 in almost the same ratio. The reaction was also extended for diphenylaceylene as dipolarophile to give only two products instead of three.
β‐Adrenergic Stimulation Promotes Homocysteic Acid Release from Astrocyte Cultures: Evidence for a Role of Astrocytes in the Modulation of Synaptic Transmission

Abstract: The sulfur‐containing amino acid homocysteic acid (HCA) is present in and released from nervous tissue, exerting excitatory effects on neurons by predominantly activating NMDA receptors. It is interesting that HCA appears to be exclusively localized in glial cells, not in neurons. This profile of glial localization and excitatory action on neurons has led to the hypothesis that HCA could participate in intercellular communication in the brain as a “gliotransmitter. ” To test this hypothesis further, we searched for specific, receptor‐mediated stimuli that could induce release of HCA from cultured astrocytes. For this reason we tested the effect of noradrenaline and vasoactive intestinal peptide, two transmitters known to interact with specific receptors on astrocytes, on the release of HCA from these cells. Noradrenaline and the β‐adrenergic agonist isoproterenol induced an efflux of HCA from astrocyte cultures. Further stressing the β‐adrenergic mediation of this effect is the blockade by atenolol of the HCA release evoked by isoproterenol. The stimulation of HCA release from astrocytes was not observed with the α‐noradrenergic agonist methoxamine and with vasoactive intestinal peptide. These results taken together further strengthen the role of HCA as a gliotransmitter. Its efflux from glia could be controlled by noradrenaline, activating β‐adrenergic receptors on astrocytes. The present study provides the first evidence for an influence of β‐adrenergic receptor activation on the release of an excitatory amino acid from astrocytes and further supports the notion that glial‐neuronal interactions play a role in synaptic transmission.
Abstract: Assessment of Nursing Deficiencies in the Postoperative Care of Microsurgical Patients

Abstract Background Close monitoring is crucial following successful flap surgery. Ideally, all patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction should be evaluated in a dedicated unit with specialized nurses; however, this is not always possible and there is often a varied skill mix of nursing staff. The purpose of this study was to identify deficiencies in microsurgical education among nursing staff in an effort to target future educational efforts. Methods A 22-question electronic survey was sent out to all nursing staff at three sampled hospitals that manage microsurgical patients. Statistical analysis was performed to identify factors that predicted aptitude, comfort, and deficiencies in the treatment of microsurgical patients. Results Of the 160 registered nurses sampled, 106 completed the survey completely (66%). A total of 59 nurses worked at a tertiary care academic institution (55%) and the remaining 47 nurses worked at one of two community hospitals (45%). Regardless of whether the provider self-identified as a critical care or floor nurse, nurses from an academic medical center were significantly more comfortable with their ability to care for microsurgical patients when compared with their community medical center counterparts (p < 0.05). Furthermore, regardless of whether the provider self-identified as a critical care or the hospital setting where they worked, nurses with greater than 5 years of experience were significantly more comfortable with their ability to care for microsurgical patients when compared with nurses who had less than 5 years of experience (p < 0.05). There was no correlation with comfort level and the ability to interpret various postoperative flap-monitoring technologies between intensive care unit nurses and floor nurses. Conclusions We have identified that nurses with less than 5 years of experience or nurses in a community setting may be less comfortable with the care of postoperative microsurgical patients, especially if newer flap monitoring technologies are employed.
Spatially localized states in natural doubly diffusive convection

Numerical continuation is used to compute a multiplicity of stable spatially localized steady states in doubly diffusive convection in a vertical slot driven by imposed horizontal temperature and concentration gradients. The calculations focus on the so-called opposing case, in which the imposed horizontal thermal and solutal gradients are in balance. No-slip boundary conditions are used at the sides; periodic boundary conditions with large spatial period are used in the vertical direction. The results demonstrate the presence of homoclinic snaking in this system, and can be interpreted in terms of a pinning region in parameter space. The dynamics outside of this region are studied using direct numerical simulation.
Determinants of Organizational Adoption of Technological Innovations: Case of Electronic- Banking

The phenomenon of technological innovation assumes paramount importance with respect to solving a system of interrelated constraints involving both, the satisfaction of a demanding customer for quality, service proximity and the concern for profitability. However, the adoption of these innovations by bankers is not as systematic as expected. Thus, this paper aims to identify the main factors beyond the adoption of e-banking innovations using a method other than those econometric.
Liver involvement in multiple myeloma

One hundred twenty‐eight records of patients with multiple myeloma were reviewed to assess the incidence and manifestations of liver involvement. Histologic study of the liver was available in 21 patients. Diffuse infiltration of the liver by plasma cells was observed in 10 patients, myeloid metaplasia in four, amyloidosis in two, toxic hepatitis in two, and extrahepatic cholestasis secondary to infiltration of the peripancreatic tissue by plasma cells in one. The clinical signs of plasma cell infiltration of the liver consisted of hepatomegaly in seven patients, mild elevation of liver enzymes in five, and portal hypertension in two. Jaundice was only observed in patients with hepatitis or extrahepatic cholestasis. Liver infiltration by plasma cells did not appear to have a major prognostic significance.
A locus for generalized tonic‐clonic seizure susceptibility maps to chromosome 10q25‐q26

Inheritance patterns in twins and multiplex families led us to hypothesize that two loci were segregating in subjects with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), one predisposing to generalized tonic‐clonic seizures (GTCS) and a second to myoclonic seizures. We tested this hypothesis by performing genome‐wide scan of a large family (Family 01) and used the results to guide analyses of additional families. A locus was identified in Family 01 that was linked to GTCS (10q25‐q26). Model‐based multipoint analysis of the 10q25‐q26 locus showed a logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 2.85; similar results were obtained with model‐free analyses (maximum nonparametric linkage [NPL] of 2.71; p = 0.0019). Analyses of the 10q25‐q26 locus in 10 additional families assuming heterogeneity revealed evidence for linkage in four families; model‐based and model‐free analyses showed a heterogeneity LOD (HLOD) of 2.01 (α = 0.41) and maximum NPL of 2.56 (p = 0.0027), respectively, when all subjects with GTCS were designated to be affected. Combined analyses of all 11 families showed an HLOD of 4.04 (α = 0.51) and maximum NPL score of 4.20 (p = 0.000065). Fine mapping of the locus defined an interval of 4.45Mb. These findings identify a novel locus for GTCS on 10q25‐q26 and support the idea that distinct loci underlie distinct seizure types within an epilepsy syndrome such as JME. Ann Neurol 2005;58:449–458
A Transformation-Based Approach to Implication of GSTE Assertion Graphs

Generalized symbolic trajectory evaluation (GSTE) is a model checking approach and has successfully demonstrated its powerful capacity in formal verification of VLSI systems. GSTE is an extension of symbolic trajectory evaluation (STE) to the model checking of -regular properties. It is an alternative to classical model checking algorithms where properties are specified as finite-state automata. In GSTE, properties are specified as assertion graphs, which are labeled directed graphs where each edge is labeled with two labeling functions: antecedent and consequent. In this paper, we show the complement relation between GSTE assertion graphs and finite-state automata with the expressiveness of regular languages and -regular languages. We present an algorithm that transforms a GSTE assertion graph to a finite-state automaton and vice versa. By applying this algorithm, we transform the problem of GSTE assertion graphs implication to the problem of automata language containment. We demonstrate our approach with its application to verification of an FIFO circuit.
The c2d Spitzer Spectroscopic Survey of Ices around Low-Mass Young Stellar Objects. I. H2O and the 5-8 μm Bands

To study the physical and chemical evolution of ices in solar-mass systems, a spectral survey is conducted of a sample of 41 low-luminosity YSOs (L ∼ 0.1–10 L☉) using 3-38 μm Spitzer and ground-based spectra. The sample is complemented with previously published Spitzer spectra of background stars and with ISO spectra of well-studied massive YSOs (L ∼ 105 L☉). The long-known 6.0 and 6.85 μm bands are detected toward all sources, with the Class 0-type YSOs showing the deepest bands ever observed. The 6.0 μm band is often deeper than expected from the bending mode of pure solid H2O. The additional 5-7 μm absorption consists of five independent components, which, by comparison to laboratory studies, must be from at least eight different carriers. Much of this absorption is due to simple species likely formed by grain surface chemistry, at abundances of 1%-30% for CH3OH, 3%-8% for NH3, 1%-5% for HCOOH, ~6% for H2CO, and ~0.3% for HCOO− relative to solid H2O. The 6.85 μm band has one or two carriers, of which one may be less volatile than H2O. Its carrier(s) formed early in the molecular cloud evolution and do not survive in the diffuse ISM. If an NH4+-containing salt is the carrier, its abundance relative to solid H2O is ~7%, demonstrating the efficiency of low-temperature acid-base chemistry or cosmic-ray-induced reactions. Possible origins are discussed for enigmatic, very broad absorption between 5 and 8 μm. Finally, the same ices are observed toward massive and low-mass YSOs, indicating that processing by internal UV radiation fields is a minor factor in their early chemical evolution.
Borderline Welfare

Which 'forms of feeling' are facilitated and which discouraged within the cultures and structures of modern state welfare? This book illuminates the social and psychic dynamics of these new public cultures of welfare, locating them in relation to our understanding of borderline states of mind in individuals, organizations and society. Drawing upon their idea of a psychoanalytic sensibility rooted in Wilfred Bion's notion of 'learning from experience', the authors aim to access the new structures of feeling now taking shape in marketized and commodified health and social care systems. Integrating their reflections on clinical work with patients, consultancy with public sector organizations, political analysis, and the tradition of Group Relations Training, they offer a wide-ranging perspective on how contemporary social anxieties are managed within modern public welfare. Our collective struggle with fears of dependency and loss, and the demands of living and working in an interdependent 'networked' world give rise to fresh challenges to our ability to maintain depth of emotional engagements in welfare settings.Part of the Tavistock Clinic Series
Signaling strategic commitment for organizational transition: how to manage potential M&As through voluntary disclosures

To ‘transit or not’ often depends upon winning over investor opinion to large strategic initiatives. MA 30,000 communications) we argue managerial practice (signaling strategic commitment) shapes market response and demonstrate communication characteristics, and the use of high-reputation intermediaries, play an important role in determining share price reaction.