Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics underlying synaptic gain between pairs of cortical pyramidal neurons

Changes in connectivity between pairs of neurons can serve as a substrate for information storage and for experience‐dependent changes in neuronal circuitry. Early in development, synaptic contacts form and break, but how these dynamics influence the connectivity between pairs of neurons is not known. Here we used time‐lapse imaging to examine the synaptic interactions between pairs of cultured cortical pyramidal neurons, and found that the axon–dendrite contacts between each neuronal pair were composed of both a relatively stable and a more labile population. Under basal conditions, loss and gain of contacts within this labile population was well balanced and there was little net change in connectivity. Selectively increasing the levels of activated CaMKII in the postsynaptic neuron increased connectivity between pairs of neurons by increasing the rate of gain of new contacts without affecting the probability of contact loss, or the proportion of stable and labile contacts, and this increase required Calcium/calmodulin binding to CaMKII. Our data suggest that activating CaMKII can increase synaptic connectivity through a CaM‐dependent increase in contact formation, followed by stabilization of a constant fraction of new contacts. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008
Contrasting genetic patterns between two coexisting Eleutherococcus species in northern China

Abstract Climate oscillations are the key factors to understand the patterns in modern biodiversity. East Asia harbors the most diverse temperate flora, largely because an extensive terrestrial ice cap was absent during repeated Pleistocene glaciation–interglacial cycles. Comparing the demographic histories of species that are codistributed and are close relatives may provide insight into how the process of climate change influences species ranges. In this study, we compared the spatial genetic structure and demographic histories of two coexisting Eleutherococcus species, Eleutherococcus senticosus and E. sessiliflorus. Both species are distributed in northern China, regions that are generally considered to be sensitive to climatic fluctuations. These regions once hosted temperate forest, but this temperate forest was replaced by tundra and taiga forest during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), according to pollen records. Using three chloroplast DNA fragments, we assessed the genetic structure of 20 and 9 natural populations of E. senticosus and E. sessiliflorus, respectively. Extremely contrasting genetic patterns were found between the two species; E. sessiliflorus had little genetic variation, whereas E. senticosus had considerably higher levels of genetic variation (15 haplotypes). We speculated that a recent severe bottleneck may have resulted in the extremely low genetic diversity in E. sessiliflorus. In E. senticosus, populations in Northeast China (NEC) harbored all of the haplotypes found in this species and included private haplotypes. The populations in NEC had higher levels of genetic diversity than did those from North China (NC). Therefore, we suggest that both the NC and NEC regions can sustain LGM refugia and that lineage admixture from multiple refugia took place after the LGM elevated the local genetic diversity in NEC. In NEC, multiple genetic hot spots were found in the Changbai Mountains and the Xiaoxing'an Range, which implied that multiple locations in NEC may sustain LGM refugia, even in the Xiaoxing'an Range.
Extracellular vesicles in chronic kidney disease: diagnostic and therapeutic roles

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disorder characterized by structural and functional changes in the kidneys, providing a global health challenge with significant impacts on mortality rates. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), are vital in the physiological and pathological processes associated with CKD. They have been shown to modulate key pathways involved in renal injury, including inflammation, fibrosis, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Currently, the application research of EVs in the diagnosis and treatment of CKD is highly prevalent. However, there is currently a lack of standardized guidelines for their application, and various methodologies have advantages and limitations. Consequently, we present an comprehensive summary elucidating the multifaceted involvement of EVs in both physiological and pathological aspects in CKD. Furthermore, we explore their potential as biomarkers and diverse therapeutic roles in CKD. This review provides an overview of the current state of research on application of EVs in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of CKD.
[Treatment of ejaculation disorders by midodrine (Gutron) per os. Retrospective study of about 16 subjects].

PURPOSE We evaluate the efficiency and side effects of midodrine in the treatment of sperm transport disturbances. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study concerned patients addressed in Andrologia Department between 1995 and 2002 for treatment of sperm transport disturbances by administration of Midodrine per os (from 2.5 to 20 mg). Anterograde and retrogrades ejaculates (in urine sample) were examined. RESULTS Sixteen patients (middle age of 36 years) were included: 12 neurologic lesions (central or peripheral, with 3 diabetes), four post-surgical (urologic and digestive) ejaculatory incompetence. One patient obtained anterior and retrograde ejaculation, two patients obtained anterior ejaculation and six retrograde ejaculations by midodrine per os. This treatment was inefficient in eight subjects. Side effects were exceptional. DISCUSSION We obtained anterior or retrograde ejaculation in half of our population. The success was more important in patients with central neurologic injuries, diabetes or post-surgical troubles. In peripheral neurologic injuries, midodrine per os (maximal dose of 20 mg) was ineffective. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the efficiency and good tolerance of midodrine per os for treatment of sperm transport disturbances.
Pre-silicon security verification and validation: A formal perspective

Reusable hardware Intellectual Property (IP) based System-on-Chip (SoC) design has emerged as a pervasive design practice in the industry today. The possibility of hardware Trojans and/or design backdoors hiding in the IP cores has raised security concerns. As existing functional testing methods fall short in detecting unspecified (often malicious) logic, formal methods have emerged as an alternative for validation of trustworthiness of IP cores. Toward this direction, we discuss two main categories of formal methods used in hardware trust evaluation: theorem proving and equivalence checking. Specifically, proof-carrying hardware (PCH) and its applications are introduced in detail, in which we demonstrate the use of theorem proving methods for providing high-level protection of IP cores. We also outline the use of symbolic algebra in equivalence checking, to ensure that the hardware implementation is equivalent to its design specification, thus leaving little space for malicious logic insertion.
Olivocochlear Efferents: Anatomy, Physiology, Function, and the Measurement of Efferent Effects in Humans

This review covers the basic anatomy and physiology of the olivocochlear reflexes and the use of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in humans to monitor the effects of one group, the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferents. MOC fibers synapse on outer hair cells (OHCs), and activation of these fibers inhibits basilar membrane responses to low-level sounds. This MOC-induced decrease in the gain of the cochlear amplifier is reflected in changes in OAEs. Any OAE can be used to monitor MOC effects on the cochlear amplifier. Each OAE type has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most straightforward technique for monitoring MOC effects is to elicit MOC activity with an elicitor sound contralateral to the OAE test ear. MOC effects can also be monitored using an ipsilateral elicitor of MOC activity, but the ipsilateral elicitor brings additional problems caused by suppression and cochlear slow intrinsic effects. To measure MOC effects accurately, one must ensure that there are no middle-ear-muscle contractions. Although standard clinical middle-ear-muscle tests are not adequate for this, adequate tests can usually be done with OAE-measuring instruments. An additional complication is that most probe sounds also elicit MOC activity, although this does not prevent the probe from showing MOC effects elicited by contralateral sound. A variety of data indicate that MOC efferents help to reduce acoustic trauma and lessen the masking of transients by background noise; for instance, they aid in speech comprehension in noise. However, much remains to be learned about the role of efferents in auditory function. Monitoring MOC effects in humans using OAEs should continue to provide valuable insights into the role of MOC efferents and may also provide clinical benefits.
Secure Sensor Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks based on Neural Network

Abstract Localization of sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is very important since it associates spatial context with the data collected by sensor nodes and used in applications. Rapid development of wireless sensor technologies and wide applications of wireless sensor networks have also made security in sensor localization a primary concern as well as a great challenge. Without adequate security measures, the performance of sensor localization, e.g., the accuracy of localization results, cannot be ensured in hostile environments. In this paper, we propose a trust-based secure sensor localization scheme (TSLS) for WSNs following the theory of neural network (NN). The proposed TSLS scheme can ensure that unknown sensor nodes will get credible information to perform localization through the evaluation of beacon nodes in a WSN. The evaluation model is comprised of the evaluation of both the identity and the behavior of beacon nodes as well as a filtering mechanism to deal with the slander behav.
Methods for eliminating micropollutant from wastewater: A review

The amount of suspended solid and medicinal micropollutants, such as fungicides, personal care products, contraceptive medications, antibiotics and aromatic hydrocarbons are increasing daily and has reached an alarming level. The micropollutant present in wastewater must be treated before its release because it forms adverse effect on mortal health. Because some harmful micropollutants are incredibly difficult to remove from WWTPs because of their nonbiodegradability, poor adsorption capability, complex nature and traditional wastewater treatments are precious or insufficient for decontamination. For the micropollutant declination some of the conventional physicochemical has been used. The use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) for water purification has been proven to be effective without harming the environment. Advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs), typically applied after natural processes have recently emerged as effective tertiary treatments for the withdrawal of micropollutants at high concentrations. Various methods have been developed and studied for the removal of these micropollutants from wastewater. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the different methods employed, including physical, chemical, and biological processes, highlighting their effectiveness and limitations in micropollutant removal. As well as improving treatment efficiency, they can also remove any accumulation of dangerous byproducts produced during treatment.
Research article MITIGATING ROLE OF ANTHROPOGENIC AND HABITAT VARIABLES ON DISTRIBUTION OF BLACK KITE (MILVUS MIGRANS GOVINDA) IN AN URBAN SCENARIO

The urban landscape asses a broad spectrum of variable environments ranging from remnant patches to highly modified streetscapes. Population growth and human intervention results in loss of biodiversity. Compare to other vertebrates, Raptors are easily monitored for changes at an ecosystem scale. Biodiversity is being lost at an increased rate as a result of human activities. One of the major threats to biodiversity is infrastructural development. Despite the expansion of urban environments, few studies have examined the influence of urbanization on faunal diversity. In this study we observed that distribution of black kite was fluctuating seasonally and less in disturbed area while high in undisturbed area. Number of Black kites was high in the monsoon while low in summer because of migration of birds from neighboring cities. Our findings show the importance of minimizing human intervention and disturbance for wildlife conservation in relatively undisturbed areas.
Tegola tiered mesh network testbed in rural Scotland

Many rural and remote communities around the world see themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that there is a growing digital divide between urban and rural areas in terms of broadband Internet access with people living in rural areas having fewer choices and pay higher prices for slower speeds. This is true even in developed countries. Motivated by the above observations, there has been an increasing interest in deploying and researching low cost rural wireless networks with active community participation. This paper presents an overview of our efforts in this direction in deploying a rural WiFibased long distance mesh network testbed in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. We highlight the unique aspects of our testbed that differentiate it from other existing rural wireless testbeds. We also outline some of the research issues that are currently being investigated in this project.
3DLBP and SVD Fusion for 3D Face Recognition Using Range Image

In this paper, we present a novel approach for fusing 3D Local Binary Pattrns (3DLBP) and singular Value Decomposition (SVD) for face recognition when ”Kinect” is used as the 3D face scanner. Another approach is used to compare the 3DLBP method, fused with SVD, with other methods proposed in the literature for face recognition by using Kinect. Experimental results on FRGC 2.0 face dataset showed that the generated data by Kinect are discriminating enough to allow face recognition and that 3DLBP performs better than the other methods.
Expression of Xenobiotic Metabolizing Enzymes in Different Lung Compartments of Smokers and Nonsmokers

Background Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP) play an important role in the defense against inhaled toxicants, and expression of CYP enzymes may differ among various lung cells and tissue compartments. Methods We studied the effects of tobacco smoke in volunteers and investigated gene expression of 19 CYPs and 3 flavin-containing monooxygenases, as well as isoforms of gluthathione S-transferases (GST) and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) and the microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EPHX1) in bronchoalveolar lavage cells and bronchial biopsies derived from smokers (n = 8) and nonsmokers (n = 10). We also investigated gene expression of nuclear transcription factors known to be involved in the regulation of xenobiotic metabolism enzymes. Results Gene expression of CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2S1, GSTP1, and EPHX1 was induced in bronchoalveolar lavage cells of smokers, whereas expression of CYP2B6/7, CYP3A5, and UGT2A1 was repressed. In bronchial biopsies of smokers, CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2C9, GSTP1, and GSTA2 were induced, but CYP2J2 and EPHX1 were repressed. Induction of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 transcript abundance resulted in increased activity of the coded enzyme. Finally, expression of the liver X receptor and the glucocorticoid receptor was significantly up-regulated in bronchoalveolar lavage cells of smokers. Conclusions We found gene expression of pulmonary xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and certain key transcription factors to be regulated in bronchoalveolar lavage cells and bronchial biopsies of smokers. The observed changes demonstrate tissue specificity in xenobiotic metabolism, with likely implications for the metabolic activation of procarcinogens to ultimate carcinogens of tobacco smoke.
Stem Cell Origin of Cancer: Clinical Implications beyond Immunotherapy for Drug versus Therapy Development in Cancer Care

Simple Summary The premise that certain checkpoint inhibitors are effective anti-cancer treatments beyond their immune modulatory capabilities influences current cancer research and clinical practice as well as future drug versus therapy development. We propose ways and means to enhance immunotherapy in cancer care by combining anti-PD1/L1 with various therapeutic modalities according to an appropriate scientific theory, e.g., stem cell origin of cancer, and based on available clinical evidence, e.g., randomized clinical trials. Abstract Although immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer care, there is still an urgent need to enhance its efficacy and ensure its safety. A correct cancer theory and proper scientific method empower pertinent cancer research and enable effective and efficient drug versus therapy development for patient care. In this perspective, we revisit the concept of immune privilege in a cancer cell versus normal cell, as well as in a cancer stem cell versus normal stem cell. We re-examine whether effective immunotherapies are efficacious due to their anti-cancer and/or immune modulatory mechanisms. We reassess why checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are not equal. We reconsider whether one can attribute the utility of immunotherapy to specific cancer subtypes and its futility to certain tumor/immune compartments, components, and microenvironments. We propose ways and means to advance immunotherapy beyond CPIs by combining anti-PD1/L1 with various other treatment modalities according to an appropriate scientific theory, e.g., stem cell origin of cancer, and based on available clinical evidence, e.g., randomized clinical trials. We predict that a stem cell theory of cancer will facilitate the design of better and safer immunotherapy with improved selection of its use for the right patient with the right cancer type at the right time to optimize clinical benefits and minimize potential toxic effects and complications.
Weight Force During Prone Restraint and Respiratory Function

Prone maximal restraint position (PMRP, also known as hogtie or hobble) is often used by law enforcement and prehospital personnel on violent combative individuals in the field setting. Weight force is often applied to the restrained individual's back and torso during the restraint process. We sought to determine the effect of 25 and 50 lbs weight force on respiratory function in human subject volunteers placed in the PMRP. We performed a randomized, cross-over, controlled trial on 10 subjects placed in 4 positions for 5 minutes each: sitting, PRMP, PRMP with 25 lbs weight force (PMRP+25), and PRMP with 50 lbs weight force placed on the back (PMRP+50). We measure pulse oximetry, end-tidal CO2 levels, and forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower in all restraint positions compared with sitting but not significantly different between restraint positions with and without weight force. Moreover, mean oxygen saturation levels were above 95% and mean end-tidal CO2 levels were below 45 mm Hg for all positions. We conclude that PMRP with and without 25 and 50 lbs of weight force resulted in a restrictive pulmonary function pattern but no evidence of hypoxia or hypoventilation.
Archaeal Ammonia Oxidizers Dominate in Numbers, but Bacteria Drive Gross Nitrification in N-amended Grassland Soil

Both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) play an important role in nitrification in terrestrial environments. Most often AOA outnumber AOB, but the relative contribution of AOA and AOB to nitrification rates remains unclear. The aim of this experiment was to test the hypotheses that high nitrogen availability would favor AOB and result in high gross nitrification rates, while high carbon availability would result in low nitrogen concentrations that favor the activity of AOA. The hypotheses were tested in a microcosm experiment where sugars, ammonium, or amino acids were added regularly to a grassland soil for a period of 33 days. The abundance of amoA genes from AOB increased markedly in treatments that received nitrogen, suggesting that AOB were the main ammonia oxidizers here. However, AOB could not account for the entire ammonia oxidation activity observed in treatments where the soil was deficient in available nitrogen. The findings suggest that AOA are important drivers of nitrification under nitrogen-poor conditions, but that input of easily available nitrogen results in increased abundance, activity, and relative importance of AOB for gross nitrification in grassland soil.
Global and local complexity of intracranial EEG decreases during NREM sleep

Abstract Key to understanding the neuronal basis of consciousness is the characterization of the neural signatures of changes in level of consciousness during sleep. Here we analysed three measures of dynamical complexity on spontaneous depth electrode recordings from 10 epilepsy patients during wakeful rest (WR) and different stages of sleep: (i) Lempel–Ziv complexity, which is derived from how compressible the data are; (ii) amplitude coalition entropy, which measures the variability over time of the set of channels active above a threshold; (iii) synchrony coalition entropy, which measures the variability over time of the set of synchronous channels. When computed across sets of channels that are broadly distributed across multiple brain regions, all three measures decreased substantially in all participants during early-night non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. This decrease was partially reversed during late-night NREM sleep, while the measures scored similar to WR during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This global pattern was in almost all cases mirrored at the local level by groups of channels located in a single region. In testing for differences between regions, we found elevated signal complexity in the frontal lobe. These differences could not be attributed solely to changes in spectral power between conditions. Our results provide further evidence that the level of consciousness correlates with neural dynamical complexity.
The Contribution of Early Communication Quality to Low-Income Children’s Language Success

The disparity in the amount and quality of language that low-income children hear relative to their more-affluent peers is often referred to as the 30-million-word gap. Here, we expand the literature about this disparity by reporting the relative contributions of the quality of early parent-child communication and the quantity of language input in 60 low-income families. Including both successful and struggling language learners from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we noted wide variation in the quality of nonverbal and verbal interactions (symbol-infused joint engagement, routines and rituals, fluent and connected communication) at 24 months, which accounted for 27% of the variance in expressive language 1 year later. These indicators of quality were considerably more potent predictors of later language ability than was the quantity of mothers’ words during the interaction or sensitive parenting. Bridging the word gap requires attention to how caregivers and children establish a communication foundation within low-income families.