Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metarepresentations in an evolutionary perspective

Humans are expert users of metarepresentations. How has this human metarepresentational capacity evolved? In order to contribute to the ongoing debate on this question, the chapter focuses on three more specific issues: i. How do humans metarepresent representations? ii. What came first: language, or metarepresentations? iii. Do humans have more than one metarepresentational ability?
A sustained passion for intracellular trafficking

I am honored to be the first recipient of the Women in Cell Biology Sustained Excellence in Research Award. Since my graduate school days, I have enjoyed being part of a stimulating scientific community the American Society for Cell Biology embodies. Having found myself largely by accident in a career that I find deeply enjoyable and fulfilling, I hope here to convey a sense that one need not have a “grand plan” to have a successful life in science. Simply following one's interests and passions can sustain a career, even though it may involve some migration.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Deficiencies of Early Components of the Complement Classical Pathway

The complement system plays an important role in the innate and acquired immune response against pathogens. It consists of more than 30 proteins found in soluble form or attached to cell membranes. Most complement proteins circulate in inactive forms and can be sequentially activated by the classical, alternative, or lectin pathways. Biological functions, such as opsonization, removal of apoptotic cells, adjuvant function, activation of B lymphocytes, degranulation of mast cells and basophils, and solubilization and clearance of immune complex and cell lysis, are dependent on complement activation. Although the activation of the complement system is important to avoid infections, it also can contribute to the inflammatory response triggered by immune complex deposition in tissues in autoimmune diseases. Paradoxically, the deficiency of early complement proteins from the classical pathway (CP) is strongly associated with development of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) – mainly C1q deficiency (93%) and C4 deficiency (75%). The aim of this review is to focus on the deficiencies of early components of the CP (C1q, C1r, C1s, C4, and C2) proteins in SLE patients.
Cigarette Smoke Exposure Exacerbates Lung Inflammation and Compromises Immunity to Bacterial Infection

The detrimental impact of tobacco on human health is clearly recognized, and despite aggressive efforts to prevent smoking, close to one billion individuals worldwide continue to smoke. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are susceptible to recurrent respiratory infections with pathogens, including nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), yet the reasons for this increased susceptibility are poorly understood. Because mortality rapidly increases with multiple exacerbations, development of protective immunity is critical to improving patient survival. Acute NTHI infection has been studied in the context of cigarette smoke exposure, but this is the first study, to our knowledge, to investigate chronic infection and the generation of adaptive immune responses to NTHI after chronic smoke exposure. After chronic NTHI infection, mice that had previously been exposed to cigarette smoke developed increased lung inflammation and compromised adaptive immunity relative to air-exposed controls. Importantly, NTHI-specific T cells from mice exposed to cigarette smoke produced lower levels of IFN-γ and IL-4, and B cells produced reduced levels of Abs against outer-membrane lipoprotein P6, with impaired IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA class switching. However, production of IL-17, which is associated with neutrophilic inflammation, was enhanced. Interestingly, cigarette smoke–exposed mice exhibited a similar defect in the generation of adaptive immunity after immunization with P6. Our study has conclusively demonstrated that cigarette smoke exposure has a profound suppressive effect on the generation of adaptive immune responses to NTHI and suggests the mechanism by which prior cigarette smoke exposure predisposes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients to recurrent infections, leading to exacerbations and contributing to mortality.
Nephropathy in siblings of African Americans with overt type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of abnormal proteinuria and elevated serum creatinine (sCr) concentrations in diabetic sibs of African Americans (AAs) with overt type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is unknown. METHODS We measured urine albumin-creatinine (UAC) ratio, sCr, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in 211 sibs from 66 families (66 unrelated index cases with overt type 2 DN/ESRD, 132 of their diabetic sibs, and 13 of their nondiabetic sibs). Overt DN was defined as a UAC ratio of 1,000 mg/g or greater or ESRD attributed to diabetes. All index cases had at least one diabetic sib screened. RESULTS Given similar mean ages and body mass indices, nondiabetic sibs had lower UAC ratios and HbA1c values compared with diabetic sibs and index cases (Wilcoxon's rank-sum test, all P < 0.006). More than 60% of index cases had at least one diabetic sib with a UAC ratio of 30 or greater and 300 mg/g or less. Nearly 35% of index cases had at least one sib with a UAC ratio greater than 300 mg/g. Nearly 24% of index cases had at least one sib with an elevated sCr level (> or =1.4 mg/dL [124 micromol/L] in women, > or =1.6 mg/dL [141 micromol/L] in men). CONCLUSION Asymptomatic elevations in urinary albumin excretion and sCr levels are frequently present in diabetic sibs of AA individuals with overt type 2 DN. Diabetic sibs of AA individuals with type 2 DN should be the focus of intensive screening and intervention programs to slow the current epidemic of diabetic ESRD.
Yamamoto Et Al.: Plasticity in Sensorimotor Mapping Title: Rapid and Long-lasting Plasticity of Input-output Mapping Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Medical Center

230 words, Text: 3219 words, Figures: 3 * To whom correspondence should be addressed: Dr. Peter L. Strick Dept. of Neurobiology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine 4074 Biomedical Science Tower-3 3501 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA E-mail: strickp@pitt.edu Tel: 412-383-9961 Fax: 412-383-9061 Page 1 of 25 Articles in PresS. J Neurophysiol (August 23, 2006). doi:10.1152/jn.00209. 2006 Copyright © 2006 by the American Physiological Society. Yamamoto et al.: Plasticity in Sensorimotor Mapping 2
Intercultural Communication Training: An Introduction

An Introduction to Programs, Goals, and Needs Assessment for Training An Introduction to Programs, Goals, and Needs Assessment for Training Awareness and Knowledge as Content Areas for Intercultural Communication Training Emotional Challenges Acquiring Intercultural Communication Skills Putting the Elements Together Designing and Administering an Effective Intercultural Training Program The Evaluation of Training Programs Issues Affecting the Future of Intercultural Training
Cannabinoid effects on CB1 receptor density in the adolescent brain: An autoradiographic study using the synthetic cannabinoid HU210

The short‐ and long‐term behavioral effects of cannabinoids differ in adolescent and adult rodents. Few studies though have examined the underlying neurochemical changes that occur in the brain following adolescent cannabinoid exposure. In this study, we examined the effect of treatment with the synthetic cannabinoid, HU210, on CB1 receptor density in the brain and on body weight in adolescent male rats. Rats were treated daily with 25, 50, or 100 μg/kg HU210 for 4 or 14 days, or received a single dose of 100 μg/kg HU210 and sacrificed 24 h later. Receptor density was investigated using in vitro autoradiography with the CB1 receptor ligand [3H] CP55,940. In contrast to adult animals treated under the same paradigm in a previous study, adolescents continued on average, to gain weight over the course of the study. Weight gain was slowest in the 100 μg/kg group and improved dose dependently with controls gaining the most weight. Following the acute dose of HU210, a trend for a reduction in [3H] CP55,940 binding and a significant effect of treatment was observed. Statistically significant, dose‐dependent, region‐specific decreases in binding were observed in all brain regions examined following 4 and 14 days treatment. The pattern of CB1 receptor downregulation was similar to that observed in adults treated with cannabinoids in previous studies; however, its magnitude was smaller in adolescents. This reduced compensatory response may contribute to some acute behavioral effects, the pharmacological cross‐tolerance and the long‐lasting, adverse psychological consequences of cannabinoid exposure during adolescence. Synapse 64:845–854, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Influences of the 2D Image-Based Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality on Student Learning

Virtual reality (VR) learning environments can provide students with concepts of the simulated phenomena, but users are not allowed to interact with real elements. Conversely, augmented reality (AR) learning environments blend real-world environments so AR could enhance the effects of computer simulation and promote students’ realistic experience. However, AR-based learning environments had a lot of dynamic real objects which may increase learners’ mental effort. Moreover, paucity of research compared AR with VR and other mature technologies. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare the influence of the 2D image-based VR and AR in an inquiry-based astronomy course. The findings of this study suggested that the real objects presented in the AR system could reduce the mental load because students could take the real objects of the AR system as the reference objects of the movement of the moon. Furthermore, the sense of the immediacy is increased due to the fact that peers appear on the AR system. Accordingly, the real objects and the sense of the immediacy not only enhance the learning motivations, but also encourage the students to keep conducting the tasks.
Exploring the Engagement of Parents in the Co-Occupation of Parent-Child Play: An Occupational Science’s Perspective

This study explores parental play engagement in the co-occupation of parent-child play in the natural setting in which it occurs and in the everyday family life. An occupational science’s perspective was adopted for approaching parental engagement and a phenomenological research design was used to address the purpose of the study. Two families participated in the study, each with one child around the age of two years. Information was collected through a combination of methods including interviews with the parents, video-recordings of parent-child play co-occupation, observation of the home play environment and completion of weekly play charts. The findings of the study revealed that parental engagement in parent-child play co-occupation constitutes of four main features: parental orchestration of parent-child play in family daily life, parental play behaviors, parental contribution to the creation of the home play environment and parental play perspectives. The findings on the above features are considered to advance occupational science’s knowledge on parental play occupation and to provide profitable directions to occupational therapists’ family centered play-based programs.
Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work

All four authors of Learning by Doing have had extensive experience with both the theory and practicalities of developing professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools. They have written about the topic in books and articles, developed PLCs in their own schools and districts, helped other educators establish PLCs, and—finally and significantly—continue to study PLCs and their impact on student learning. Learning by Doing translates what they have learned through these experiences into a useful guide based on a solid base of research and practice.
Repeated gains in yellow and anthocyanin pigmentation in flower colour transitions in the Antirrhineae.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Angiosperms display remarkable diversity in flower colour, implying that transitions between pigmentation phenotypes must have been common. Despite progress in understanding transitions between anthocyanin (blue, purple, pink or red) and unpigmented (white) flowers, little is known about the evolutionary patterns of flower-colour transitions in lineages with both yellow and anthocyanin-pigmented flowers. This study investigates the relative rates of evolutionary transitions between different combinations of yellow- and anthocyanin-pigmentation phenotypes in the tribe Antirrhineae. METHODS We surveyed taxonomic literature for data on anthocyanin and yellow floral pigmentation for 369 species across the tribe. We then reconstructed the phylogeny of 169 taxa and used phylogenetic comparative methods to estimate transition rates among pigmentation phenotypes across the phylogeny. KEY RESULTS In contrast to previous studies we found a bias towards transitions involving a gain in pigmentation, although transitions to phenotypes with both anthocyanin and yellow taxa are nevertheless extremely rare. Despite the dominance of yellow and anthocyanin-pigmented taxa, transitions between these phenotypes are constrained to move through a white intermediate stage, whereas transitions to double-pigmentation are very rare. The most abundant transitions are between anthocyanin-pigmented and unpigmented flowers, and similarly the most abundant polymorphic taxa were those with anthocyanin-pigmented and unpigmented flowers. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that pigment evolution is limited by the presence of other floral pigments. This interaction between anthocyanin and yellow pigments constrains the breadth of potential floral diversity observed in nature. In particular, they suggest that selection has repeatedly acted to promote the spread of single-pigmented phenotypes across the Antirrhineae phylogeny. Furthermore, the correlation between transition rates and polymorphism suggests that the forces causing and maintaining variance in the short term reflect evolutionary processes on longer time scales.
Conditional viral tracing reveals that steroidogenic factor 1‐positive neurons of the dorsomedial subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamus project to autonomic centers of the hypothalamus and hindbrain

Excitation of neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), especially those residing in the dorsomedial part of the nucleus (VMHdm), evokes sympathetic nervous system (SNS) outflow, modulating a number of physiological functions including feeding and blood glucose homeostasis. However, the anatomical basis of VMH‐mediated SNS activation has thus far proved elusive. To understand how VMH neurons exercise output functions and describe an anatomical link between these neurons and the SNS, we identified downstream neural targets of the VMHdm by injecting an adenoviral vector encoding Cre recombinase (Cre)‐regulated farnesylated green fluorescent protein (GFPf) into the VMHdm of mice that express Cre in neurons expressing the VMH‐specific transcription factor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1). We confirm previously described projection patterns of the VMHdm and report the existence of a formerly unidentified projection pathway to a number of autonomic centers in the brainstem. These VMH efferents travel caudally through the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and then ventrally through the lateral lemniscus to the ventral surface of the brain, where they eventually reach caudal autonomic centers including the C1 catecholamine cell group of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), where VMH efferents make close contacts with catecholaminergic neurons. We also found that VMHdm fibers reach a number of brainstem areas, including the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), which are important in regulating respiration. Thus, the present study indicates that the VMH may modulate sympathetic and autonomic activity via synaptic contacts in the RTN, NTS, and RVLM and provides significant anatomical evidence to support a role of the VMH in respiratory regulation. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:3167–3190, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Self-rated Health and Allostatic Load in Women Working in Two Occupational Sectors

This study set out to investigate how biological dysregulation, in terms of allostatic load (AL), relates to self-rated health (SRH) in women. Data on SRH and 12 biomarkers used to assess AL were available for 241 employees from the health care sector and 98 employees from the IT/media sector. In line with the hypothesis, results showed that a poor SRH, along with occupational sector, age and education, were significantly associated with a high AL, particularly for those working within the health care sector. This association between a poor SRH and AL, suggests a link between SRH and biological dysregulation.
Dynamic uplink power control for cellular radio systems over fast fading channel

In cellular wireless CDMA systems, it is required that the base station receives constant power signals from mobile users, in order to guarantee link quality. This is achieved by properly adjusting the uplink transmitted power of each mobile. Usually, the base station is responsible for informing each individual mobile of the power adjustment. However, when the radio channel varies drastically under fast fading, the power control signaling from the base station may not be appropriate for the current uplink. In the proposed power control scheme, the mobile transmits at variable power levels based on the uplink channel prediction. The prediction accuracy is improved by exploiting the relationship between the access channel and the traffic channel. Simulation results show that this scheme combats the fast fading channel effect, hence increasing the system performance.
SHADOW PRICES FOR CONTINUOUS PROCESSES

In a financial market with a continuous price process and proportional transaction costs, we investigate the problem of utility maximization of terminal wealth. We give sufficient conditions for the existence of a shadow price process, i.e., a least favorable frictionless market leading to the same optimal strategy and utility as in the original market under transaction costs. The crucial ingredients are the continuity of the price process and the hypothesis of “no unbounded profit with bounded risk. ” A counterexample reveals that these hypotheses cannot be relaxed.
Do the Apoe−/− and Ldlr−/– Mice Yield the Same Insight on Atherogenesis?

Murine models of atherosclerosis are useful for investigating the environmental and genetic influences on lesion formation and composition. Apoe−/− and Ldlr−/− mice are the 2 most extensively used models. The models differ in important ways with respect to the precise mechanism by which their absence enhances atherosclerosis, including differences in plasma lipoproteins. The majority of the gene function studies have utilized only 1 model, with the results being generalized to atherogenic mechanisms. In only a relatively few cases have studies been conducted in both atherogenic murine models. This review will discuss important differences between the 2 atherogenic models and will point out studies that have been performed in the 2 models where results are comparable and those where different results were obtained.
Quantum simulations of classical random walks and undirected graph connectivity

There are a number of questions in quantum complexity that have been resolved in the time-bounded setting, but remain open in the space-bounded setting. For example, it is not currently known if space-bounded probabilistic computations can be simulated by space-bounded quantum machines without allowing measurements during the computation, while it is known that an analogous statement holds in the time-bounded case. A more general question asks if measurements during a quantum computation can allow for more space-efficient solutions to certain problems. In this paper we show that space-bounded quantum Turing machines can efficiently simulate a limited class of random processes-random walks on undirected graphs-without relying on measurements during the computation. By means of such simulations, it is demonstrated that the undirected graph connectivity problem for regular graphs can be solved by one-sided error quantum Turing machines that run in logspace and require a single measurement at the end of their computations. It follows that symmetric logspace is contained in the quantum analogue of randomized logspace, i.e., SL/spl sube/QR/sub H/L.
Can a psychosocial intervention programme teaching coping strategies improve the quality of life of Iranian women? A non-randomised quasi-experimental study

Objectives To assess whether a psychosocial intervention teaching coping strategies to women can improve quality of life (QOL) in groups of Iranian women exposed to social pressures. Design Quasi-experimental non-randomised group design involving two categories of Iranian women, each category represented by non-equivalent intervention and comparison groups. Setting A large urban area in Iran. Participants 44 women; 25 single mothers and 19 newly married women. Interventions Seventh-month psychosocial intervention aimed at providing coping strategies. Primary outcome measures Effect sizes in four specific health-related domains and two overall perceptions of QOL and health measured by the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Results Large effect sizes were observed among the women exposed to the intervention in the WHOQOL-BREF subdomains measuring physical health (r=0.68; p<0.001), psychological health (r=0.72; p<0.001), social relationships (r=0.52; p<0.01), environmental health (r=0.55; p<0.01) and in the overall perception of QOL (r=0.72; p<0.001); the effect size regarding overall perception of health was between small and medium (r=0.20; not significant). Small and not statistically significant effect sizes were observed in the women provided with traditional social welfare services. Conclusions Teaching coping strategies can improve the QOL of women in societies where gender discrimination is prevalent. The findings require reproduction in studies with a more rigorous design before the intervention model can be recommended for widespread distribution.
Eosinophils develop in distinct stages and are recruited to peripheral sites by alternatively activated macrophages

Eosinophils are associated with allergic diseases and helminth infections. Development of these cells and recruitment to peripheral tissues are only partially understood. Distinct stages of eosinophil development in fetal liver, bone marrow, and blood could be identified using IL‐4 reporter mice and mAb against FIRE, Siglec‐F, and CCR3. Immature eosinophils were present in the fetal liver and could reconstitute the eosinophil compartment in irradiated recipient mice. In adult mice, eosinophil maturation proceeded from CCR3− to CCR3+ cells in the bone marrow and was accompanied with changes in the transcriptional profile. Eosinophils appeared as activated cells in lung, thymus, lymph nodes, and Peyer’s patches but remained in a resting state in bone marrow, blood, and spleen. Mixed bone marrow chimeras revealed that recruitment to lung and peritoneum was dependent on Stat6 expression in noneosinophils. Alternatively activated macrophages contributed substantially to tissue recruitment of eosinophils, providing a novel basis for development of therapeutic approaches to lower tissue eosinophilia.