Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross‐desensitization Reveals Pharmacological Specificity of Excitatory Amino Acid Receptors in Isolated Hippocampal Neurons

Ionic currents elicited by excitatory amino acids were studied, using the concentration clamp method, in enzymatically isolated rat hippocampal neurons. Cross‐desensitization between the responses to various agonists was applied to separate the activity of two types of receptors, N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) and non‐NMDA. NMDA receptors were selectively activated by NMDA, L‐ and D‐aspartate, D‐glutamate and quinolinate. Kainate and α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionate appeared to be selective, and quisqualate relatively less selective non‐NMDA agonists, acting on the same receptor type. L‐Glutamate, L‐ and D‐homocysteate activated both receptor types. It is supposed that two receptor sites, activation site and densensitization site, control the action of agonists at the non‐NMDA receptor. When examined in the cross‐desensitization experiments, NMDA and non‐NMDA receptors appear to be represented by the two homogeneous and independent receptor populations operating different ionic channels.
Validation of the Wechsler Memory Scale‐Revised in a Sample of People with Intractable Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: The Wechsler Memory Scale‐Revised (WMS‐R) is used routinely for presurgical assessment of memory for patients considering elective resection of the temporal lobe and/or hippocampus for the relief of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We investigated the validity of the WMS‐R in a population of people with TLE.
Use of neural networks for prediction of graft failure following liver transplantation

Liver transplantation is a well-established therapeutic option for patients with end-stage liver disease. However, up to 20% of transplanted livers fail to have adequate function initially, and at least half of those will eventually fail. Accurate, early prediction of outcome may ameliorate this situation by encouraging retransplantation before the patient's condition becomes irreversible. In this study, clinical information was gathered prospectively for 295 patients who underwent liver transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and was divided into sets. The feedforward, fully connected neural networks had 7 or 8 inputs, a single hidden layer consisting of 3 nodes and a single output node (failure=1, success=0). The networks were trained with data from a randomly selected subset of 240 patients while the remaining 55 patients made up the test set. The network was trained using a standard backpropagation algorithm. Training was assessed by testing the ability of the network to correctly predict the outcome of the 55 patients in the test set. The accuracy of prediction by the neural network improved each day and so by day 5, 98% of the graft survivors in the test set were correctly predicted while 88% of graft failures in the test set were correctly predicted. <<ETX>>
The manufacturing techniques of drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles from preformed polymers

Over the past few decades, nanoparticle (NP) formulation has been the subject of extensive research. The choice of a suitable NP formulation technique is dependent on the physicochemical properties of the drug, such as solubility and chemical stability. Different NP manufacturing methods enable modification of the physicochemical characteristics such as size, structure, morphology and surface texture, but also affect the drug loading, drug entrapment efficiency and release kinetics. This review covers an update on the state of art of the manufacturing of polymeric NPs from preformed polymers. Both, conventional methods for NP preparation, such as spontaneous formulation and emulsification-based methods, and new approaches in NP technology are presented. A comparative analysis is given for polymer, drug and solvent nature, toxicity, purification, drug stability and scalability of the method. The information obtained allows establishing criteria for selecting a method for preparation of NPs according to its advantages and limitations.
VARIATIONS IN ADOLESCENT ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS : A PATTERN-CENTERED APPROACH

The current study examines the variability in adolescents’subjective experience of romantic relationships in a large, diverse sample of currently dating youth. Relying on cluster analysis, five types of relationships are identified: passionate (17.1%), conventional (28.3%), insecure (24.6%), casual (19.2%), and conflictual (10.6%). A series of one-way ANOVAs, regressions, and excerpts from face-to-face interviews are included to describe each of the relationship profiles from the perspective of the dating adolescent and to verify the classification strategy. Analyses document some sociodemographic differences (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity) associated with variations in the qualities and dynamics within these relationships, and indicate that these relationship patterns are associated with differences in grades, depressive symptoms, and delinquency. Implications for research on adolescent dating experiences are discussed.
Mental comorbidity of chronic insomnia in general practice attenders using DSM‐III‐R

The major aim of this study was to investigate links between chronic insomnia and mental and personality disorders using the DSM‐III‐R classification. Of a sample of 2512 general practice attenders, 105 with a chronic insomnia complaint over a 4‐month period were evaluated for mental and personality disorders. In addition, the significance of other factors such as personality traits, social functioning and the patient's own estimation of sleep quality was studied. Sixty‐six patients got a diagnosis of a current insomnia using a structured interview for DSM‐III‐R. Fifty percent of them had at least one additional current Axis I or II diagnosis. Affective disorders were most common as principal psychiatric diagnosis followed by substance use disorders. The general practitioners were poor in recognizing their patients' chronic insomnia complaints and the high percentage of substance abusers among them. The important role of psychopathology in chronic insomnia sufferers was indicated by the high number of patients who displayed prominent personality traits. The predominant personality pattern was characterized by a pattern of internalization of problems combined with an anxious‐depressive reaction style. In summary, strong associations between chronic insomnia, mental disorders and psychopathology were confirmed by this investigation.
Chemistry and composition of fish otoliths : pathways , mechanisms and applications

The fish otolith (earstone) has long been known as a timekeeper, but interest in its use as a metabolically inert environmental recorder has accelerated in recent years. In part due to technological advances, applications such as stock identification, determination of rnigralon pathways, reconstruction of temperature and salinity history, age validation, detection of anadromy, use as a natural tag and chemical mass marking have been developed, some of which are difficult or impossible to implement using alternative techniques. Microsamphg and the latest advances in beam-based probes allow many elemental assays to be coupled with daily or annual growth increments, thus providing a detailed chronologcal record of the environment. However, few workers have critically assessed the assumptions upon which the environmental reconstructions are based, or considered the possibility that elemental incorporation into the otolith may proceed differently than that into other calcified structures. This paper reviews current applications and their assumptions and suggests future directions. Particular attention is given to the premises that the elemental and isotopic composition of the otolith reflects that of the environment, and the effect of physiological filters on the resulting composition. The roles of temperature, elemental uptake into the fish and the process of otolith crystahzation are also assessed. Drawing upon recent advances in geochemistry and paleoclirnate research as points of contrast, it appears that not all applications of otolith chemistry are firmly based, although others are destined to become powerful and perhaps routine tools for the mainstream fish biologst.
Ease of use and usefulness of webinars in an open distance learning environment: an activity theory perspective

In a previous paper we reported on our and our students' initial experiences with a webinar (WEB-based-semINAR) tool in a low bandwidth environment where the student body was largely previously disadvantaged. Several issues that impacted on the ease of use and usefulness of the tool were identified. We concluded the research by stating that as early technology adopters, we may well have invited some of the issues reported. We subsequently changed the webinar software, and presented another series of webinars. This paper presents an update on our and our students' perceptions of the ease of use and usefulness of the webinar as a collaborative tool. Employing the useful lens of Activity Theory, we present a qualitative and quantitative overview of data obtained from various sources, including 92 students in a post-course survey. In particular, we report the results by considering the dynamics between the webinar tool, the subjects, the community, the object and goals of the series of webinars, the rules, and the divisions of labour employed. Tapping into thematic patterns and commonalities, we identify remaining tensions that may have accounted for individual variations. As such, this research builds on lessons learned, and offers a much needed foundation, some benchmarks and some pointers for future implementations of the webinar as a collaborative tool in an Open Distance Learning environment.
Changes in Nuclear Basic Proteins During Pseudorabies Virus Infection

As a preliminary study to investigation of the possible role played by basic proteins in the genetic regulation of virus-infected cells, acid-extractable proteins synthesized during pseudorabies virus infection were investigated. The synthesis of histones was found to decrease in a gradual manner, and arrest was complete by 6 hr after infection. Five virus-induced acid-extractable proteins appeared in nuclei of infected cells after 4 hr of infection. Four of these proteins were virus structural proteins; one was not. All these proteins contained tryptophan and, therefore, were not "classic" histones.
Culture, Cooperation, and the General Welfare

Solutions to social dilemmas require cooperation. Given that there are commonly multiple avenues for cooperation, sometimes social dilemmas require coordination of strategies in addition to sufficient cooperation to be successful. This study examines one social dilemma where such coordination is necessary: supporting the general welfare. Using World Values Survey data from 33 nations, we compare active membership in charitable organizations versus attitudes toward government welfare programs as examples of two different types of cooperation. We argue that culture influences the form of cooperation a group adopts via the amount of trust it generates. Specifically, individualist cultures promote relatively high levels of trust, which produce first-order cooperation (here, involvement in charitable organizations). Collectivist cultures generate relatively low trust levels, facilitating second-order cooperation (here, greater support for government welfare programs). Findings support our arguments and thus suggest that culture, mediated by trust, shapes individuals’ perceptions about creating and sustaining public goods.
Oversampling Frequency-domain Equalization for Single-carrier Transmission in the Presence of Timing offset

Frequency-domain equalization (FDE) based on minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion is a promising equalization technique for the broadband single-carrier (SC) transmission. However, the presence of timing offset produces the inter-symbol interference (ISI) and degrades the bit error rate (BER) performance. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism of the BER performance degradation in the presence of timing offset. Then, we propose an oversampling MMSE-FDE which can be eliminate the negative effect of the timing offset for the SC transmission. Keywords; Frequency-domain equalization, Nyquist filter, timing offset, single-carrier transmission
Psychological treatment of sexual problems. A review of literature published between 2001 and 2010. Presentation of method and preliminary results

ABSTRACT While the quality of treatment traditionally has been a reflection of educational diplomas and professional licences, clinicians are now challenged to document treatment methods based on updated research. The American Psychological Association published a report on evidence-based practice in psychology in 2006, where best available research evidence is based on multiple types of research evidence. The report focuses on clinical expertise and patient characteristics, culture and preferences as factors in evidence-based practice in psychology. There has been a call for more randomized and controlled research as basis for evidence for the effect of treatment. The complexity of psychological treatment of sexual problems calls for more varied evidence. A literature search of publications between 2001 and 2010 was done in order to explore what kind of evidence is referred to in the literature. The first results of this search will be presented in this article. One question to be discussed is difficulties related to collecting literature through databases. Additional search methods like snow-balling and manual searches give important additional results, but limit the stringency of the search. Further results will be presented in future publications.
Modeling and Performance Analysis of Wireless Networks With Ambient Backscatter Devices

Ambient backscatter is an intriguing wireless communication paradigm that allows small devices to compute and communicate by using only the power they harvest from far-field radio-frequency (RF) signals in the air. Ambient backscattering devices reflect RF signals emitted by existing or legacy communications systems, such as digital TV broadcasting, cellular, or Wi-Fi ones, which are designed for transporting information and are not intended for RF energy transfer. This paper deals with mathematical modeling and performance analysis of wireless broadband networks operating over fading channels with ambient backscatter devices. After introducing a detailed signal model of the relevant communication links, we study the influence of physical parameters on the capacity of both legacy and backscatter channels, by considering different receiver architectures. We analytically show that, under reasonable operative conditions, a legacy system—employing an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme—can turn the RF interference arising from the backscatter process into a form of multipath diversity that can be exploited to increase its performance. Moreover, our analysis proves that a backscatter system—transmitting one symbol per OFDM symbol of the legacy system—can achieve satisfactory data rates over relatively short distances, especially when the intended recipient of the backscatter signal is co-located with the legacy transmitter, i.e., they are on the same device.
Evidence of HIV-1 Adaptation to HLA-Restricted Immune Responses at a Population Level

Antigen-specific T cell immunity is HLA-restricted. Human immunodeficiency virus–type 1 (HIV-1) mutations that allow escape from host immune responses may therefore be HLA allele–specific. We analyzed HIV-1 reverse transcriptase sequences from a large HLA-diverse population of HIV-1–infected individuals. Polymorphisms in HIV-1 were most evident at sites of least functional or structural constraint and frequently were associated with particular host HLA class I alleles. Absence of polymorphism was also HLA allele–specific. At a population level, the degree of HLA-associated selection in viral sequence was predictive of viral load. These results support a fundamental role for HLA-restricted immune responses in driving and shaping HIV-1 evolution in vivo.
Alcohol-resistant sporulation mutants of Bacillus subtilis

About 80% of Bacillus subtilis cells form spores when grown in nutrient broth. In medium containing various short-chain aliphatic alcohols, the frequency of sporulation was reduced to 0.5%. Mutants sporulated in the presence of alcohols at a frequency of 30 to 40%. Sporulation in the wild-type cells was sensitive to alcohol at the beginning of sporulation (stage zero). Sensitivity to alcohol in the mutants was also at stage zero, even though the sensitivity was considerably reduced. This sensitivity of sporulation to alcohol is the phenotypic expression of a genetic locus designated ssa. Mutations at this locus lead to a decreased sensitivity of sporulation to alcohol without modifying the sensitivity of growth. Genetic analysis by transduction was bacteriophage PBS1 revealed that ssa mutations are near the previously described spo0A locus. ssa mutants also differ from wild-type cells in the composition of membrane phospholipids. The relative amount of phosphatidylglycerol increased, whereas the relative amount of phosphatidylethanolamine and lysylphosphatidylglycerol decreased relative to the proportions in the wild type. The distribution of fatty acids in membrane lipids is the same as in the wild type. No differential sensitivity of phospholipid metabolism to alcohol could be detected in the mutant. This work therefore reveals that the extensive, pleiotropic changes in the membranes of ssa mutants are the phenotypic reflection of alterations at a specific gene locus.
What Men and Women Want: A Practical Guide to Gender and Participation

Based on an actual gendered participatory appraisal in Wales, this guide offers a thorough explanation of why looking at the differences in men's and women's life experiences is an essential part of any participatory work. What Men and Women Want guides the user through the stages of a process which is 'gendered' throughout - in other words, which takes account of the different perspectives of women and men. It provides a range of accessible tools, explains how to analyse and collate qualitative information with a gender perspective, and shows how to move from action to bring about real and lasting changes in the lives of men and women.
Measurement Gaussian Sum Mixture Target Tracking

In this paper target tracking using measurements whose probability density function can be described (approximated) by a Gaussian sum mixture is described. The approach is illustrated for two classes of these measurements. One class is the measurements obtained by acoustic amplitude/time difference of arrival measurements typically obtained using motes. The other is measurements obtained by radar with large angular measurement errors. Such measurements in a cartesian system cannot be accurately modelled by a single Gaussian pdf. By following a Bayesian approach and the target existence paradigm, two target tracking filters have been derived. A variant of IPDA-the single scan target tracking filter, and a variant of the ITS-the multi scan target tracking filter, have been derived for situations when Gaussian sum measurements are available
Laying the cornerstone of construct validity theory: Herbert Feigl’s influence on early specifications

Although the theoretical foundations of construct validity theory have been fairly well described, there remains equivocation over what should properly be taken to be its philosophical underpinnings, with some characterizing it as an essentially positivist enterprise, others identifying a realist philosophy underlying the theory, and others still characterizing its foundations as containing elements of both positivist and realist thinking. This paper summarizes recent work representing each of these three different stances on the philosophical foundations of construct validity theory. Explicit connections are drawn between the work of Herbert Feigl—who pioneered a philosophy of science whose roots lay in logical positivism, but which contained notably realist overtones—and early specifications of construct validity theory. Finally, an appeal is made for a realist interpretation of construct validity theory based both on the connections between early articulations of the theory and key Feiglian ideas and also on Cronbach and Meehl’s later reflections on the origins of their influential work.
Data driven linear algebraic methods for analysis of molecular pathways : application to disease progression in shock / trauma

Motivation—Although trauma is the leading cause of death for those below 45 years of age, there is a dearth of information about the temporal behavior of the underlying biological mechanisms in those who survive the initial trauma only to later suffer from syndromes such as multiple organ failure. Levels of serum cytokines potentially affect the clinical outcomes of trauma; understanding how cytokine levels modulate intra-cellular signaling pathways can yield insights into molecular mechanisms of disease progression and help to identify targeted therapies. However, developing such analyses is challenging since it necessitates the integration and interpretation of large amounts of heterogeneous, quantitative and qualitative data. Here we present the Pathway Semantics Algorithm (PSA), an algebraic process of node and edge analyses of evoked biological pathways over time for in silico discovery of biomedical hypotheses, using data from a prospective controlled clinical study of the role of cytokines in multiple organ failure (MOF) at a major US trauma center. A matrix algebra approach was used in both the PSA node and PSA edge analyses with different matrix configurations and computations based on the biomedical questions to be examined. In the edge analysis, a percentage measure of crosstalk called XTALK was also developed to assess cross-pathway interference. Results—In the node/molecular analysis of the first 24 hours from trauma, PSA uncovered 7 molecules evoked computationally that differentiated outcomes of MOF or non-MOF (NMOF), of which 3 molecules had not been previously associated with any shock / trauma syndrome. In the edge/molecular interaction analysis, PSA examined four categories of functional molecular interaction relationships – activation, expression, inhibition, and transcription – and found that the interaction patterns and crosstalk changed over time and outcome. The PSA edge analysis suggests that a diagnosis, prognosis or therapy based on molecular interaction mechanisms may be most effective within a certain time period and for a specific functional relationship.
Human Desire for Privacy: A Reason for Computer Supported Virtual Life

The present achievement of systems for fashioning virtuality, including avatars, multiplayer on-line games, virtual communities, and virtual reality is very remarkable. This paper presents a theoretical investigation to take account of human desire for privacy as a major momentum for computer supported virtual life. During the analysis process, I newly adopt the notion of the two games called the Virtuality/Reality game and the Privacy/Publicity game that humans play. By doing so, I reveal that humans are the beings who aspire for a virtual life, and privacy is an indispensible premise for virtual life. In particular, presenting Tuareg males' practice of face-veiling that explains social function of privacy, the paper helps to capture an understanding of the Privacy/Publicity game in more depth. Hopefully the analytic result of the paper provides researchers and system designers with the design rationale to build systems where privacy is concerned in the context of computer supported virtual life.