Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From Concrete Examples to Abstract Relations: The Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Integrates Novel Examples into Relational Categories

Abstract The ability to form relational categories for objects that share few features in common is a hallmark of human cognition. For example, anything that can play a preventative role, from a boulder to poverty, can be a “barrier. ” However, neurobiological research has focused solely on how people acquire categories defined by features. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study examines how relational and feature‐based category learning compare in well‐matched learning tasks. Using a computational model‐based approach, we observed a cluster in left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (rlPFC) that tracked quantitative predictions for the representational distance between test and training examples during relational categorization. Contrastingly, medial and dorsal PFC exhibited graded activation that tracked decision evidence during both feature‐based and relational categorization. The results suggest that rlPFC computes an alignment signal that is critical for integrating novel examples during relational categorization whereas other PFC regions support more general decision functions.
Trajectories of E-Cigarette and Conventional Cigarette Use Among Youth

In this study, we examine predictive longitudinal relationships between past-month cigarette and e-cigarette use across 3 waves by using high school survey data. BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is common among youth, and there are concerns that e-cigarette use leads to future conventional cigarette use. We examined longitudinal associations between past-month cigarette and e-cigarette use to characterize the stability and directionality of these tobacco use trajectories over time. METHODS: High school students (N = 808, 53% female) completed surveys across 3 waves (2013, 2014, and 2015) in 3 public schools in Connecticut. Using autoregressive cross-lagged models, we examined bidirectional relationships between past-month cigarette and e-cigarette use over time. Models were adjusted for covariates related to tobacco use (ie, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and use of other tobacco products). RESULTS: Past-month e-cigarette use predicted future cigarette use (wave 1–2: odds ratio [OR] = 7.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.34–21.42; wave 2–3: OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.86–8.06). However, past-month cigarette use did not predict future e-cigarette use (wave 1–2: OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 0.67–6.08; wave 2–3: OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 0.77–4.71). Additionally, frequency of cigarette and e-cigarette use increased over time. By wave 3, 26% of cigarette users and 20.5% of e-cigarette users reported using 21–30 days out of the past month. CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette use was associated with future cigarette use across 3 longitudinal waves, yet cigarette use was not associated with future e-cigarette use. Future research needs to examine mechanisms through which e-cigarette use leads to cigarette use. E-cigarette regulation and prevention programs may help prevent future use of cigarettes among youth.
Smarcc1/Baf155 Couples Self‐Renewal Gene Repression with Changes in Chromatin Structure in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Little is known about the molecular mechanism(s) governing differentiation decisions in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). To identify factors critical for ESC lineage formation, we carried out a functional genetic screen for factors affecting Nanog promoter activity during mESC differentiation. We report that members of the PBAF chromatin remodeling complex, including Smarca4/Brg1, Smarcb1/Baf47, Smarcc1/Baf155, and Smarce1/Baf57, are required for the repression of Nanog and other self‐renewal gene expression upon mouse ESC (mESC) differentiation. Knockdown of Smarcc1 or Smarce1 suppressed loss of Nanog expression in multiple forms of differentiation. This effect occurred in the absence of self‐renewal factors normally required for Nanog expression (e.g., Oct4), possibly indicating that changes in chromatin structure, rather than loss of self‐renewal gene transcription per se, trigger differentiation. Consistent with this notion, mechanistic studies demonstrated that expression of Smarcc1 is necessary for heterochromatin formation and chromatin compaction during differentiation. Collectively, our data reveal that Smarcc1 plays important roles in facilitating mESCs differentiation by coupling gene repression with global and local changes in chromatin structure. STEM CELLS 2009;27:2979–2991
Temporal kinetics of CD8+CD28+ and CD8+CD28− T lymphocytes in the injured rat spinal cord

This study aims to explore the temporal changes of cytotoxic CD8+CD28+ and regulatory CD8+ CD28− T‐cell subsets in the lesion microenvironment after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats, by combination of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and flow cytometry (FCM). In the sham‐opened spinal cord, few CD8+ T cells were found. After SCI, the CD8+ T cells were detected at one day post‐injury (dpi), then markedly increased and were significantly higher at 3, 7, and 14 dpi compared with one dpi (p < 0.01), the highest being seven dpi. In CD8+ T cells, more than 90% were CD28+, and there were only small part of CD28− ( < 10%). After 14 days, the infiltrated CD8+ T cells were significantly decreased, and few could be found in good condition at 21 and 28 dpi. Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining showed that the percentages of apoptotic/necrotic CD8+ cells at 14 dpi and 21 dpi were significantly higher than those of the other early time‐points (p < 0.01). These results indicate that CD8+ T cells could rapidly infiltrate into the injured spinal cords and survive two weeks, however, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells were dominant. Therefore, two weeks after injury might be the “time window” for treating SCI by prolonging survival times and increasing the fraction of CD8+ regulatory T‐cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hippocampus duality: Memory and novelty detection are subserved by distinct mechanisms

The hippocampus plays a pivotal role both in novelty detection and in long‐term memory. The physiological mechanisms underlying these behaviors have yet to be understood in humans. We recorded intracerebral evoked potentials within the hippocampus of epileptic patients (n = 10) during both memory and novelty detection tasks (targets in oddball tasks). We found that memory and detection tasks elicited late local field potentials in the hippocampus during the same period, but of opposite polarity (negative during novelty detection tasks, positive during memory tasks, ∼260–600 ms poststimulus onset, P < 0.05). Critically, these potentials had maximal amplitude on the same contact in the hippocampus for each patient. This pattern did not depend on the task as different types of memory and novelty detection tasks were used. It did not depend on the novelty of the stimulus or the difficulty of the task either. Two different hypotheses are discussed to account for this result: it is either due to the activation of CA1 pyramidal neurons by two different pathways such as the monosynaptic and trisynaptic entorhinal‐hippocampus pathways, or to the activation of different neuronal populations, that is, differing either functionally (e.g., novelty/familiarity neurons) or located in different regions of the hippocampus (e.g., CA1/subiculum). In either case, these activities may integrate the activity of two distinct large‐scale networks implementing externally or internally oriented, mutually exclusive, brain states. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Variability of the Left Atrial Appendage in Human Hearts

Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of thrombus formation. It is commonly responsible for cerebral stroke whereas less frequently for pulmonary embolism. The aim of the study was to describe the morphology of the left atrial appendage in the human heart with respect to sex, age and weight. Macroscopic examination was carried out on 100 left appendages taken from the hearts of the patients aged 18–77, both sexes. All hearts preserved in 4% water solution of formaldehyde carried neither marks of coronary artery disease nor congenital abnormalities. Three axes of appendage orientation were performed. After the appendage had been cut off, morphological examination was performed in long and perpendicular axes. Measurements of the appendages were taken from anatomical specimens and their silicone casts. We classified the left atrial appendage into 4 morphological groups according to the number of lobes. Most left atrial appendages in female population were composed of 2 lobes. In the male group typically 2 or 3-lobed appendages were observed. The mean left atrial appendage orifice ranged from 12.0 to 16.0 mm and the most significant difference in the orifices between males and females was observed in LAA type 2 (about 3.3 mm). A smaller orifice and narrower, tubular shape of the LAA lobes could explain a higher risk of thrombus formation during nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in women. Knowledge of anatomical variability of the LAA helps diagnose some undefined echoes in the appendage during transesophageal echocardiographic examination.
Multiscale Distance Matrix for Fast Plant Leaf Recognition

In this brief, we propose a novel contour-based shape descriptor, called the multiscale distance matrix, to capture the shape geometry while being invariant to translation, rotation, scaling, and bilateral symmetry. The descriptor is further combined with a dimensionality reduction to improve its discriminative power. The proposed method avoids the time-consuming pointwise matching encountered in most of the previously used shape recognition algorithms. It is therefore fast and suitable for real-time applications. We applied the proposed method to the task of plan leaf recognition with experiments on two data sets, the Swedish Leaf data set and the ICL Leaf data set. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed descriptor.
Facultative asexual reproduction and genetic diversity of populations in the humivorous termite Cavitermes tuberosus

Termite colonies are typically founded by a pair of sexually reproducing dispersers, which can sometimes be replaced by some of their offspring. Some Reticulitermes and Embiratermes species routinely practice asexual queen succession (AQS): the queen is replaced by neotenic daughters produced by parthenogenesis, which mate with the primary king. Here, to cast light on the evolution of AQS, we investigated another candidate species, Cavitermes tuberosus (Termitinae). Of 95 nests, 39 contained a primary queen and 28 contained neotenic females (2–667 individuals), usually with the primary king. Microsatellite analyses confirmed that colonies were initiated by single pairs after large dispersal flights. More than 80% of the neotenic females were of exclusively maternal origin and completely homozygous, suggesting automictic parthenogenesis with gamete duplication. Conversely, workers, soldiers, and most alates and primary reproductives were produced sexually. AQS often occurs late, after colonies have reached maturity, whereas early AQS in other species may boost the young colony's growth rate. We suggest additional benefits of AQS in C. tuberosus, related with a smaller size, lesser stability and higher mobility of colonies. Our data add to the phylogenetical dispersion and diversity of modalities of AQS in termites, supporting a multiple evolutionary origin of this process.
The fate and lifespan of human monocyte subsets in steady state and systemic inflammation

In humans, the monocyte pool comprises three subsets (classical, intermediate, and nonclassical) that circulate in dynamic equilibrium. The kinetics underlying their generation, differentiation, and disappearance are critical to understanding both steady-state homeostasis and inflammatory responses. Here, using human in vivo deuterium labeling, we demonstrate that classical monocytes emerge first from marrow, after a postmitotic interval of 1.6 d, and circulate for a day. Subsequent labeling of intermediate and nonclassical monocytes is consistent with a model of sequential transition. Intermediate and nonclassical monocytes have longer circulating lifespans (∼4 and ∼7 d, respectively). In a human experimental endotoxemia model, a transient but profound monocytopenia was observed; restoration of circulating monocytes was achieved by the early release of classical monocytes from bone marrow. The sequence of repopulation recapitulated the order of maturation in healthy homeostasis. This developmental relationship between monocyte subsets was verified by fate mapping grafted human classical monocytes into humanized mice, which were able to differentiate sequentially into intermediate and nonclassical cells.
Machine learning assisted first-principles calculation of multicomponent solid solutions: estimation of interface energy in Ni-based superalloys

A disordered configuration of atoms in a multicomponent solid solution presents a computational challenge for first-principles calculations using density functional theory (DFT). The challenge is in identifying the few probable (low energy) configurations from a large configurational space before DFT calculation can be performed. The search for these probable configurations is possible if the configurational energy E ( σ ) can be calculated accurately and rapidly (with a negligibly small computational cost). In this paper, we demonstrate such a possibility by constructing a machine learning (ML) model for E ( σ ) trained with DFT-calculated energies. The feature vector for the ML model is formed by concatenating histograms of pair and triplet (only equilateral triangle) correlation functions, g ( 2 ) ( r ) and g ( 3 ) ( r , r , r ) , respectively. These functions are a quantitative ‘fingerprint’ of the spatial arrangement of atoms, familiar in the field of amorphous materials and liquids. The ML model is used to generate an accurate distribution P ( E ( σ ) ) by rapidly spanning a large number of configurations. The P ( E ) contains full configurational information of the solid solution and can be selectively sampled to choose a few configurations for targeted DFT calculations. This new framework is employed to estimate (100) interface energy ( σ IE ) between γ and γ ′ at 700 °C in Alloy 617, a Ni-based superalloy, with composition reduced to five components. The estimated σ IE ≈ 25.95 mJ m−2 is in good agreement with the value inferred by the precipitation model fit to experimental data. The proposed new ML-based ab initio framework can be applied to calculate the parameters and properties of alloys with any number of components, thus widening the reach of first-principles calculation to realistic compositions of industrially relevant materials and alloys.
Adblocking and Counter Blocking: A Slice of the Arms Race

Adblocking tools like Adblock Plus continue to rise in popularity, potentially threatening the dynamics of advertising revenue streams. In response, a number of publishers have ramped up efforts to develop and deploy mechanisms for detecting and/or counter-blocking adblockers (which we refer to as anti-adblockers), effectively escalating the online advertising arms race. In this paper, we develop a scalable approach for identifying third-party services shared across multiple web-sites and use it to provide a first characterization of anti-adblocking across the Alexa Top-5K websites. We map websites that perform anti-adblocking as well as the entities that provide anti-adblocking scripts. We study the modus operandi of these scripts and their impact on popular adblockers. We find that at least 6.7% of websites in the Alexa Top-5K use anti-adblocking scripts, acquired from 12 distinct entities -- some of which have a direct interest in nourishing the online advertising industry.
Pathogen Trojan Horse Delivers Bioactive Host Protein to Alter Maize Anther Cell Behavior in Situ

Maize ZmMAC1 protein delivered to the apoplast by the smut pathogen Ustilago maydis cell-autonomously corrects both somatic cell division and differentiation defects in Zmmac1-1 mutant anthers. Small proteins are crucial signals during development, host defense, and physiology. The highly spatiotemporal restricted functions of signaling proteins remain challenging to study in planta. The several month span required to assess transgene expression, particularly in flowers, combined with the uncertainties from transgene position effects and ubiquitous or overexpression, makes monitoring of spatiotemporally restricted signaling proteins lengthy and difficult. This situation could be rectified with a transient assay in which protein deployment is tightly controlled spatially and temporally in planta to assess protein functions, timing, and cellular targets as well as to facilitate rapid mutagenesis to define functional protein domains. In maize (Zea mays), secreted ZmMAC1 (MULTIPLE ARCHESPORIAL CELLS1) was proposed to trigger somatic niche formation during anther development by participating in a ligand-receptor module. Inspired by Homer’s Trojan horse myth, we engineered a protein delivery system that exploits the secretory capabilities of the maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis, to allow protein delivery to individual cells in certain cell layers at precise time points. Pathogen-supplied ZmMAC1 cell-autonomously corrected both somatic cell division and differentiation defects in mutant Zmmac1-1 anthers. These results suggest that exploiting host-pathogen interactions may become a generally useful method for targeting host proteins to cell and tissue types to clarify cellular autonomy and to analyze steps in cell responses.
The American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines (GWTG)-Stroke development and impact on stroke care

The American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines (GWTG)-Stroke programme has changed stroke care delivery in the USA since its establishment in 2003. GWTG is a voluntary registry and continuous quality improvement initiative that collects data on patient characteristics, hospital adherence to guidelines and inpatient outcomes. Implementation of the programme saw increased provision of evidence-based care and improved patient outcomes. This review will describe the development of the programme and discuss the impact on stroke outcomes and transformation of stroke care delivery that followed its implementation.
Cellular and Molecular Properties of Neurons Nucleus accumbens core medium spiny neuron electrophysiological properties and partner preference behavior in the adult male prairie vole , Microtus ochrogaster

Jaime A. Willett, Ashlyn G. Johnson, Andrea R. Vogel, Heather B. Patisaul, Lisa A. McGraw, and John Meitzen Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; Graduate Program in Physiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; Graduate Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
AP-1, ETS, and transcriptional silencers regulate retinoic acid-dependent induction of keratin 18 in embryonic cells

The differentiation of both embryonal carcinoma (EC) and embryonic stem (ES) cells can be triggered in culture by exposure to retinoic acid and results in the transcriptional induction of both the endogenous mouse keratin 18 (mK18) intermediate filament gene and an experimentally introduced human keratin 18 (K18) gene as well as a variety of other markers characteristic of extraembryonic endoderm. The induction of K18 in EC cells is limited, in part, by low levels of ETS and AP-1 transcription factor activities which bind to sites within a complex enhancer element located within the first intron of K18. RNA levels of ETS-2, c-Jun, and JunB increase upon the differentiation of ES cells and correlate with increased expression of K18. Occupancy of the ETS site, detected by in vivo footprinting methods, correlates with K18 induction in ES cells. In somatic cells, the ETS and AP-1 elements mediate induction by a variety of oncogenes associated with the ras signal transduction pathway. In EC cells, in addition to the induction by these limiting transcription factors, relief from negative regulation is mediated by three silencer elements located within the first intron of the K18 gene. These silencer elements function in F9 EC cells but not their differentiated derivatives, and their activity is correlated with proteins in F9 EC nuclei which bind to the silencers and are reduced in the nuclei of differentiated F9 cells. The induction of K18, associated with the differentiation of EC cells to extraembryonic endoderm, is due to a combination of relief from negative regulation and activation by members of the ETS and AP-1 transcription factor families.
Secure clock synchronization under collusion attacks

Recently, the Secure Average Time Synchronization (SATS) protocol has been proposed and analyzed; this distributed clock synchronization protocol is capable of successfully tackling several attacks such as denial-of-service (DoS), message-delay, message duplication/repetition, and even a generic message manipulation. However, the collusion attack, in which neighboring malicious nodes may cooperate so as to strike stealthier attacks that are more difficult to handle, remains by and large an open problem. In the setup of SATS, we derive the fundamental asymptotic bounds in the number of malicious agents-as function of the benign ones-that can be efficiently handled without tampering accurate network-wide synchronization. Going a step further, we develop a risk model for collusions and use it to obtain even tighter bounds. In specific, we establish that SATS can handle ‘many’ malicious nodes with high probability: an order of almost square-root of the benign ones for the case of no risk, and almost linear when the risk of collusion is accounted. Last but not least, we analyze and experimentally assess an interesting phenomenon: the presence of attackers may lead to a convergence speedup of SATS, since malicious nodes can be effectively constrained from the network, thus affecting the algebraic connectivity of the graph corresponding to the network topology. Numerical simulations verify the theoretical results, i.e., collusions are avoided when the number of malicious nodes is bounded by the asymptotic bounds and the algebraic connectivity increases due to incorporating ‘well behaved’ malicious nodes.
Thrombin-Activable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor Levels in the Acute Phase of Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— Thrombin-activable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a recently identified fibrinolysis inhibitor in plasma. The purpose of this work was to study TAFI levels in the acute phase of ischemic stroke and their relationship with stroke evolution. Methods— In 30 consecutive ischemic stroke patients, TAFI plasma levels were measured by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (percentage of the pooled reference kit expressed as mean±SD) and compared with the values obtained in 30 healthy control subjects. All samples were drawn within the first 24 hours after symptom onset (mean, 4.6 hours) and before any treatment was started. Results— TAFI plasma concentration was significantly higher (P <0.001) in stroke patients (158.4±53.2%) than in healthy control subjects (105.6±30.2%). The highest TAFI levels were found in cases of neurological deterioration (worsening, 198.1±63.0%; stability, 130.5±39.3%; improvement, 173.9±52.0%;P =0.057). Conclusions— High levels of TAFI are found in the acute phase of ischemic stroke.