Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Course of the Involvement of the Right Anterior Superior Temporal Gyrus and the Right Fronto-Parietal Operculum in Emotional Prosody Perception

In verbal communication, not only the meaning of the words convey information, but also the tone of voice (prosody) conveys crucial information about the emotional state and intentions of others. In various studies right frontal and right temporal regions have been found to play a role in emotional prosody perception. Here, we used triple-pulse repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to shed light on the precise time course of involvement of the right anterior superior temporal gyrus and the right fronto-parietal operculum. We hypothesized that information would be processed in the right anterior superior temporal gyrus before being processed in the right fronto-parietal operculum. Right-handed healthy subjects performed an emotional prosody task. During listening to each sentence a triplet of TMS pulses was applied to one of the regions at one of six time points (400–1900 ms). Results showed a significant main effect of Time for right anterior superior temporal gyrus and right fronto-parietal operculum. The largest interference was observed half-way through the sentence. This effect was stronger for withdrawal emotions than for the approach emotion. A further experiment with the inclusion of an active control condition, TMS over the EEG site POz (midline parietal-occipital junction), revealed stronger effects at the fronto-parietal operculum and anterior superior temporal gyrus relative to the active control condition. No evidence was found for sequential processing of emotional prosodic information from right anterior superior temporal gyrus to the right fronto-parietal operculum, but the results revealed more parallel processing. Our results suggest that both right fronto-parietal operculum and right anterior superior temporal gyrus are critical for emotional prosody perception at a relatively late time period after sentence onset. This may reflect that emotional cues can still be ambiguous at the beginning of sentences, but become more apparent half-way through the sentence.
Biogeographical region and host trophic level determine carnivore endoparasite richness in the Iberian Peninsula

SUMMARY We address the question of whether host and/or environmental factors might affect endoparasite richness and distribution, using carnivores as a model. We reviewed studies published in international peer-reviewed journals (34 areas in the Iberian Peninsula), describing parasite prevalence and richness in carnivores, and collected information on site location, host bio-ecology, climate and detected taxa (Helminths, Protozoa and Mycobacterium spp.). Three hypotheses were tested (i) host based, (ii) environmentally based, and (iii) hybrid (combination of environmental and host). Multicollinearity reduced candidate variable number for modelling to 5: host weight, phylogenetic independent contrasts (host weight), mean annual temperature, host trophic level and biogeographical region. General Linear Mixed Modelling was used and the best model was a hybrid model that included biogeographical region and host trophic level. Results revealed that endoparasite richness is higher in Mediterranean areas, especially for the top predators. We suggest that the detected parasites may benefit from mild environmental conditions that occur in southern regions. Top predators have larger home ranges and are likely to be subjected to cascading effects throughout the food web, resulting in more infestation opportunities and potentially higher endoparasite richness. This study suggests that richness may be more affected by historical and regional processes (including climate) than by host ecological processes.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Atherosclerosis in Young Women: Atherosclerosis Risk Factors in Female Youngsters (ARFY Study)

Background and Purpose— Little research has been conducted into risk factors of atherosclerosis development in young women. Methods— This cross-sectional study enrolled 205 18- to 22-year-old female students from the Educational Centre for Allied Health Professions. A broad array of risk conditions and lifestyle behaviors was carefully assessed. Intima media thickness (IMT) was used as a well-established surrogate for atherosclerosis and a predictor of vascular risk. High IMT was defined as levels exceeding the 90th percentile in the common and/or internal carotid arteries. Results— In multivariable logistic regression analysis, systolic blood pressure, family history for hypertension, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, T-cell immune reaction against human heat shock protein 60, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and exhaust gases emerged as independent predictors of high IMT. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and classical risk factors other than high blood pressure were rare and unrelated to IMT. Findings were similar once focusing on IMT as a continuous variable. Conclusion— In female youngsters displaying initiating stages of vascular pathology, blood pressure level and numerous nontraditional risk conditions showed a significant relation to high IMT. Our study indicates that (auto)immune processes, high lipoprotein(a), and environmental exposure to tobacco smoke and traffic exhaust may play a role in early atherogenesis.
Plasma Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyl Transferase Activity in Bottlenose Dolphins Contributes to Avoiding Accumulation of Non-recyclable Purines

Marine mammals are exposed to ischemia/reperfusion and hypoxia/reoxygenation during diving. During oxygen deprivation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) breakdown implies purine metabolite accumulation, which in humans is associated with pathological conditions. Purine recycling in seals increases in response to prolonged fasting and ischemia. Concentrations of metabolites and activities of key enzymes in purine metabolism were examined in plasma and red blood cells from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and humans. Hypoxanthine and inosine monophosphate concentrations were higher in plasma from dolphins than humans. Plasma hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) activity in dolphins suggests an elevated purine recycling rate, and a mechanism for avoiding accumulation of non-recyclable purines (xanthine and uric acid). Red blood cell concentrations of hypoxanthine, adenosine diphosphate, ATP and guanosine triphosphate were lower in dolphins than in humans; adenosine monophosphate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide concentrations were higher in dolphins. HGPRT activity in red blood cells was higher in humans than in dolphins. The lower concentrations of purine catabolism and recycling by-products in plasma from dolphins could be beneficial in providing substrates for recovery of ATP depleted during diving or vigorous swimming. These results suggest that purine salvage in dolphins could be a mechanism for delivering nucleotide precursors to tissues with high ATP and guanosine triphosphate requirements.
Saturable Active Efflux by P-Glycoprotein and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein at the Blood-Brain Barrier Leads to Nonlinear Distribution of Elacridar to the Central Nervous System

The study objective was to investigate factors that affect the central nervous system (CNS) distribution of elacridar. Elacridar inhibits transport mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) and has been used to study the influence of transporters on brain distribution of chemotherapeutics. Adequate distribution of elacridar across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into the brain parenchyma is necessary to target tumor cells in the brain that overexpress transporters and reside behind an intact BBB. We examined the role of P-gp and Bcrp on brain penetration of elacridar using Friend leukemia virus strain B wild-type, Mdr1a/b(−/−), Bcrp1(−/−), and Mdr1a/b(−/−)Bcrp1(−/−) mice. Initially, the mice were administered 2.5 mg/kg of elacridar intravenously, and the plasma and brain concentrations were determined. The brain-to-plasma partition coefficient of elacridar in the wild-type mice was 0.82, as compared with 3.5 in Mdr1a/b(−/−) mice, 6.6 in Bcrp1(−/−) mice, and 15 in Mdr1a/b(−/−)Bcrp1(−/−) mice, indicating that both P-gp and Bcrp limit the brain distribution of elacridar. The four genotypes were then administered increasing doses of elacridar, and the CNS distribution of elacridar was determined. The observed and model predicted maximum brain-to-plasma ratios (Emax) at the highest dose were not significantly different in all genotypes. However, the ED50 was lower for Mdr1a/b(−/−) mice compared with Bcrp1(−/−) mice. These findings correlate with the relative expression of P-gp and Bcrp at the BBB in these mice and demonstrate the quantitative enhancement in elacridar CNS distribution as a function of its dose. Overall, this study provides useful concepts for future applications of elacridar as an adjuvant therapy to improve targeting of chemotherapeutic agents to tumor cells in the brain parenchyma.
Identification of Functional Subunits of the Human Cortex using Resting State fMRI

r i rA i i D y i D r R μ μ μ μ − − ∈ , where ) ( . Method: Imaging was performed on a 3D Siemens Trio scanner at the Yale MRRC. A T1-weighted 3-plane localizer was used to localize the slices to be obtained and T1 anatomic scans were collected in the axial-oblique orientation parallel to the ac-pc line. Resting state connectivity data was obtained using a gradient echo T2*-weighted echo planar imaging sequence, 64×64 matrix, alpha/TE/TR = 80/30ms/1550ms, with 25 slices 6mm thick, slip 0mm, 22×22 cm FOV, providing whole-brain coverage with voxel size of 3.4mm×3.4mm×6mm. Eight 6-min runs of resting state data were collected. Data was motion corrected using SPM5 and slice time corrected. Physiological noise from both respiration and cardiac pulsations were removed using the RETROICOR approach. Time courses were detrended and lowpass filtered before the segmentation algorithm was applied. Results: The segmentation results were averaged over a group of 22 subjects. I. Resting-State Vs. Histology: resting state time courses from Brodmann Areas BA 17/18 were extracted from each subject. The weighted Kmeans clustering was applied with R=2. The partitioning was highly consistent across subjects. The composite map of the 2-way segmentation is shown in Fig. 1(B). Comparing to the BA map shown in Fig 1(A), we see that the two maps are in general similar to each other, while the red region in Fig 1(B) extends more medially. II. Resting-State Vs. Task-based: an area in the intraparietal sulcus was discovered to be involved in working memory update/refresh tasks. Resting state data from the same region were recruited for a 2-way segmentation. The results from the resting state data show similar delineation of the functional subunits responding to different tasks (Fig 2). Conclusion: The segmentation is driven by the resting state fMRI with no structure information. The approach generates stable functional subdivision in both sensory and cognitive regions, which show large overlap with known histology and task-based findings. The results support the idea of developing a functional brain atlas based on resting state fMRI.
Optimal Timing of Resumption of Warfarin After Intracranial Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose— The optimum timing of resumption of anticoagulation after warfarin-related intracranial hemorrhage in patients with indication for continued anticoagulation is uncertain. We performed a large retrospective cohort study to obtain more precise risk estimates. Methods— We reviewed charts of 2869 consecutive patients with objectively verified intracranial hemorrhage over 6 years at 3 tertiary centers. We calculated the daily risk of intracranial hemorrhage or ischemic stroke with and without resumption of warfarin; we focused on patients who survived the first week and had cardiac indication for anticoagulation or previous stroke. Using a Cox model, we estimated rates for these 2 adverse events in relation to different time points of resumed anticoagulation. The combined risk of either a new intracranial hemorrhage or an ischemic stroke was calculated for a range of warfarin resumption times. Results— We identified warfarin-associated intracranial hemorrhage in 234 patients (8.2%), of whom 177 patients (76%) survived the first week and had follow-up information available; the median follow-up time was 69 weeks (interquartile range [IQR] 19–144). Fifty-nine patients resumed warfarin after a median of 5.6 weeks (IQR 2.6–17). The hazard ratio for recurrent intracranial hemorrhage with resumption of warfarin was 5.6 (95% CI, 1.8–17.2), and for ischemic stroke it was 0.11 (95% CI, 0.014–0.89). The combined risk of recurrent intracranial hemorrhage or ischemic stroke reached a nadir if warfarin was resumed after approximately 10 to 30 weeks. Conclusion— The optimal timing for resumption of warfarin therapy appears to be between 10 and 30 weeks after warfarin-related intracranial hemorrhage.
Effects of ligand binding on the internal dynamics of maltose-binding protein.

Ligand binding to proteins often causes large conformational changes. A typical example is maltose-binding protein (MBP), a member of the family of periplasmic binding proteins of Gram-negative bacteria. Upon binding of maltose, MBP undergoes a large structural change that closes the binding cleft, i.e. the distance between its two domains decreases. In contrast, binding of the larger, nonphysiological ligand beta-cyclodextrin does not result in closure of the binding cleft. We have investigated the dynamic properties of MBP in its different states using time-resolved tryptophan fluorescence anisotropy. We found that the 'empty' protein exhibits strong internal fluctuations that almost vanish upon ligand binding. The measured relaxation times corresponding to internal fluctuations can be interpreted as originating from two types of motion: wobbling of tryptophan side-chains relative to the protein backbone, and orientational fluctuations of entire domains. After binding of a ligand, domain motions are no longer detectable and the fluctuations of some of the tryptophan side-chains become rather restricted. This transformation into a more rigid state is observed upon binding of both ligands, maltose and the larger beta-cyclodextrin. The fluctuations of tryptophan side-chains in direct contact with the ligand, however, are affected in a slightly different way by the two ligands.
Increased Expression of T-Cell Markers of Immunological Memory Associated with Protection from Type I Diabetes: A study of Identical Twins

Disturbances in the balance of CD4+ helper T-lymphocytes expressing the surface molecules CD45RA and CD45R0, which define naive and memory populations, respectively, are present at diagnosis of type I diabetes. In a prospective study over 10 years, these subsets were analyzed in samples obtained from 18 identical twins of patients with type I diabetes, 8 of whom became diabetic (prediabetic twins), whereas the rest remained nondiabetic after at least 8 years follow-up and are now unlikely to develop the disease (diabetes-protected twins). At the beginning of the study, percentage levels of naive (CD45RA+) CD4+ lymphocytes were significantly elevated in prediabetic twins compared with diabetes-protected twins (P < 0.05) and remained so throughout the study (P < 0.01). Percentage levels of naive cells in diabetes-protected twins were significantly reduced compared with control subjects both at the beginning and throughout the study (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). In contrast, diabetes-protected twins at the beginning of the study had elevated percentage levels of memory (CD45R0+) CD4+ lymphocytes that persisted throughout the study compared with prediabetic twins (P < 0.05 for both). Percentage levels of memory cells in prediabetic twins were significantly reduced compared with control subjects both at the beginning and throughout the study (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Increased percentage levels of a population of CD4+ lymphocytes coexpressing CD45RA and CD45R0 were seen in both twin groups compared with control subjects at entry into and during the study (P < 0.05 for all), but persisted only in the prediabetic twins. In this study, we identify for the first time a distinct immune abnormality—overexpression of memory helper T-lymphocytes—that is present in those twins who, despite genetic susceptibility to type I diabetes, do not develop the disease.
Relationships among Acculturation, Self-positivity Bias, Stigma, and Condom Use in a Sample of Urban College Students

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ACCULTURATION, SELF-POSITIVITY BIAS, STIGMA, AND CONDOM USE IN A SAMPLE OF URBAN COLLEGE STUDENTS By Molly Neff, M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: Rosalie Corona, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology Despite an increase in interventions targeted at lowering the rate of HIV/AIDS among college students, the rate of HIV/AIDS infections has not decreased. The purpose of this study was to identify factors (i.e., HIV-sexual knowledge, self-positivity bias, peer norms, acculturation, perceived risk of HIV, HIV-related stigma, and condom use) that may affect condom use among college students who live in an area where the prevalence of HIV is relatively high. The current study utilized a sexually active sample (N=397) of diverse college students (predominantly African American and White) in an urban setting to examine the relationships. Path analysis was used to explore hypotheses. Results indicated that students who endorsed higher levels of self-positivity bias were more likely than other students to report not using condoms the last time they had sex and to perceive themselves at less risk of HIV/AIDS infection. In addition, students who reported unsupportive peer norms regarding safe sex practices perceived themselves at a higher risk of HIV/AIDS. With respect to gender differences, females reported more stigma towards individuals with HIV/AIDS than males, and males reported more perceived risk of HIV/AIDS than females. Lastly, African American college students perceived themselves to be at greater risk of contracting HIV/AIDS than other students and minority students endorsed greater stigma towards individuals with HIV/AIDS than White students. Results emphasize the need for college HIV/AIDS interventions to target peer norms and personal bias as well as cultural and gender differences that might impact condom use.
Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) Severity and Yield Loss in Canola in Alberta, Canada

Blackleg, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, is an important disease of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in Canada and throughout the world. Severe epidemics of blackleg can result in significant yield losses. Understanding disease-yield relationships is a prerequisite for measuring the agronomic efficacy and economic benefits of control methods. Field experiments were conducted in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to determine the relationship between blackleg disease severity and yield in a susceptible cultivar and in moderately resistant to resistant canola hybrids. Disease severity was lower, and seed yield was 120%–128% greater, in the moderately resistant to resistant hybrids compared with the susceptible cultivar. Regression analysis showed that pod number and seed yield declined linearly as blackleg severity increased. Seed yield per plant decreased by 1.8 g for each unit increase in disease severity, corresponding to a decline in yield of 17.2% for each unit increase in disease severity. Pyraclostrobin fungicide reduced disease severity in all site-years and increased yield. These results show that the reduction of blackleg in canola crops substantially improves yields.
A Metacognitive Perspective on Somatic Symptom Reporting

ABSTRACT OF THESISA metacognitive perspective on somatic symptom reporting.Philip Benedict MilnerDoctor of Clinical Psychology, The University of ManchesterJune 2012 The first part of this thesis explores the potential role of metacognitive beliefs and strategies in functional somatic symptoms. Current models (for example, Brown, 2004; Deary, Chalder and Sharpe, 2007) and treatments of functional somatic symptoms focus on cognitive models and cognitive behavioural treatments which show modest treatment effects. A metacognitive account is discussed based upon supervisory regulatory executive function theory (SREF; Wells and Matthews, 1994) and research is systematically reviewed which may support such an account. Current research offers limited indirect support for metacognitive factors playing a role in the difficulties of people suffering from functional somatic symptoms. This paper concludes that further research is needed in this promising area. The second part of the thesis describes a cross-sectional correlational study which examines the relationship of somatic symptom reporting in primary care with metacognitive beliefs, finding a significant association for the first time. Fifty patients were recruited from general practice surgeries took part in the study. Support for the novel Metacognitive Health Questionnaire measure was also found. This measure showed significant associations between health specific metacognitive beliefs and body focussed attention, health preoccupation and distress. This measure also showed significant associations with illness behaviours and thought control strategies. Each of these findings is in line with SREF theory. This study provides preliminary support for the role of metacognition in symptom reporting. The third part of the thesis critically evaluated issues salient to the study including methodologically, supervisory, ethical and clinical issues. The interpretations of the literature review and findings of the research paper are limited by the lack of direct findings to support a metacognitive account, and the cross sectional nature of this study. It is hoped that the prospective study which the research study reported forms part, will offer more robust insights into the role of metacognition in symptom reporting, and that future studies will examine this area further.
Mechanical Models of Cell Adhesion Incorporating Nonlinear Behavior and Stochastic Rupture of the Bonds: Concepts and Preliminary Results

The rolling of a single biological cell is analysed using modelling of the local kinetics of successive attachment and detachment of bonds occurring at the interface between a single cell and the wall of an ECM (extracellular matrix). Those kinetics correspond to a succession of creations and ruptures of ligand-receptor molecular connections under the combined effects of mechanical, physical (both specific and non-specific), and chemical external interactions. A three-dimensional model of the interfacial molecular rupture and adhesion kinetic events is developed in the present contribution. From a mechanical point of view, this chapter works under the assumption that the cell-wall interface is composed of two elastic shells, namely the wall and the cell membrane, linked by rheological elements representing the molecular bonds. Both the time and space fluctuations of several parameters related to the mutual affinity of ligands and receptors are described by stochastic field theory; especially, the individual rupture limits of the bonds are modelled in Fourier space from the spectral distribution of power. The bonds