Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuronal organization of fetal striatal grafts in kainate- and sham- lesioned rat caudate nucleus: light- and electron-microscopic observations

Behavioral and biochemical studies have suggested that fetal striatal grafts in the adult rat neostriatum can reverse deficits induced by excitotoxic lesions of the host caudate tissue. In this study, fetal day 17–18 striatal grafts were examined at 2, 5–6, 12, and 44–48 weeks following their implantation into saline- or kainic acid-treated host caudate nucleus in order to compare the neuronal organization of the grafts and the host caudate nucleus and to determine whether the differentiation of graft tissue was influenced by the period of implantation or prior lesion of the host caudate nucleus with kainic acid. Compared to host neostriatum, the grafts at the light-microscopic level lacked bundles of myelinated axons and had neurons that were tightly packed in clusters and rich in Nissl substance. Neurons in the grafts were mostly of medium size, had significantly larger cross- sectional areas, and more frequently exhibited indented nuclei than host caudate neurons. At the electron-microscopic level, grafts 2 weeks following implantation contained many features seen in the normally developing neostriatum, such as growth cones, immature synapses, and degenerating profiles. Grafts appeared mature by 5–6 weeks and contained at least 6 types of neurons and 8 types of axon terminals, which formed synapses with cell bodies, dendrites, spines, and axon initial segments. Both symmetric and asymmetric synapses were found within the grafts. The density of synapses was significantly lower in all the transplants than in host tissue, with the exception of the 5–6 week grafts, where values were statistically comparable to host caudate. A significantly higher proportion of axodendritic synapses was present in the graft neuropil than in the caudate nucleus. The lengths of the synaptic junctions in the grafts were the same as those in the neostriatum. There was little qualitative or quantitative difference in synaptic organization between transplants in kainic acid and sham- lesioned host, with grafts in both host treatment conditions exhibiting the same synaptic density and proportion of axodendritic/axospinous synapses. The development of a high differentiated ultrastructure within striatal grafts is consistent with recent anatomical evidence showing interconnections between striatal grafts and host-lesioned caudate nucleus. Although graft neuropil shows striking similarities in neuronal organization to the caudate nucleus, it also exhibits some distinct differences that may have implications for understanding the functional properties of fetal striatal grafts in animal models of Huntington's disease.
When Passive Feels Active - Delusion-Proneness Alters Self-Recognition in the Moving Rubber Hand Illusion

Psychotic patients have problems with bodily self-recognition such as the experience of self-produced actions (sense of agency) and the perception of the body as their own (sense of ownership). While it has been shown that such impairments in psychotic patients can be explained by hypersalient processing of external sensory input it has also been suggested that they lack normal efference copy in voluntary action. However, it is not known how problems with motor predictions like efference copy contribute to impaired sense of agency and ownership in psychosis or psychosis-related states. We used a rubber hand illusion based on finger movements and measured sense of agency and ownership to compute a bodily self-recognition score in delusion-proneness (indexed by Peters’ Delusion Inventory - PDI). A group of healthy subjects (n=71) experienced active movements (involving motor predictions) or passive movements (lacking motor predictions). We observed a highly significant correlation between delusion-proneness and self-recognition in the passive conditions, while no such effect was observed in the active conditions. This was seen for both ownership and agency scores. The result suggests that delusion-proneness is associated with hypersalient external input in passive conditions, resulting in an abnormal experience of the illusion. We hypothesize that this effect is not present in the active condition because deficient motor predictions counteract hypersalience in psychosis proneness.
Racism and Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans

&NA; This article provides an overview of the evidence on the ways racism can affect the disproportionate rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in African Americans. It describes the significant health disparities in CVD for blacks and whites and suggests that racial disparities should be understood within the context of persistent inequities in societal institutions and relations. Evidence and potential pathways for exploring effects of 3 levels of racism on cardiovascular health risk factors and outcomes are reviewed. First, institutional racism can lead to limited opportunities for socioeconomic mobility, differential access to goods and resources, and poor living conditions that can adversely affect cardiovascular health. Second, perceived/personally mediated racism acts as a stressor and can induce psychophysiological reactions that negatively affect cardiovascular health. Third, in race‐conscious societies, such as the United States, the negative self‐evaluations of accepting negative cultural stereotypes as true (internalized racism) can have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health. Few population‐based studies have examined the relationship between racism and CVD. The findings, though suggestive of a positive association, are neither consistent nor clear. The research agenda of the Jackson Heart Study in addressing the role of racism in CVD is presented.
Multilayer passive network integrated with antennas for phased array applications

With the development of the integrated phased array, antennas and feeding networks are expected to be integrated together. In this case, the multilayer stacked technique has the advantages of reducing the circuit size and easy to fabricate by Print Circuit Board (PCB) process. In this paper, a complex microstrip feeding network, including a divider, a combiner and a monitoring structure, is employed to excite a 4×4 array, which has the potential to construct a tile phased array combined with T/R integrated circuits. A novel multilayer weak unequal divider is developed to realize the T/R module detection while keeping a compact configuration. Finally, an X-band multilayer passive network integrated with antennas is designed and full-wave simulated by HFSS. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones.
ntegration of WorldView-2 and airborne LiDAR data for tree species evel carbon stock mapping in Kayar Khola watershed , Nepal

Integration of WorldView-2 satellite image with small footprint airborne LiDAR data for estimation of tree carbon at species level has been investigated in tropical forests of Nepal. This research aims to quantify and map carbon stock for dominant tree species in Chitwan district of central Nepal. Object based image analysis and supervised nearest neighbor classification methods were deployed for tree canopy retrieval and species level classification respectively. Initially, six dominant tree species (Shorea robusta, Schima wallichii, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Terminalia tomentosa, Mallotus philippinensis and Semecarpus anacardium) were able to be identified and mapped through image classification. The result showed a 76% accuracy of segmentation and 1970.99 as best average separability. Tree canopy height model (CHM) was extracted based on LiDAR’s first and last return from an entire study area. On average, a significant ulti-resolution segmentation orldView-2 correlation coefficient (r) between canopy projection area (CPA) and carbon; height and carbon; and CPA and height were obtained as 0.73, 0.76 and 0.63, respectively for correctly detected trees. Carbon stock model validation results showed regression models being able to explain up to 94%, 78%, 76%, 84% and 78% of variations in carbon estimation for the following tree species: S. robusta, L. parviflora, T. tomentosa, S. wallichii and others (combination of rest tree species). © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The M, E, and N Structural Proteins of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Are Required for Efficient Assembly, Trafficking, and Release of Virus-Like Particles

ABSTRACT The production of virus-like particles (VLPs) constitutes a relevant and safe model to study molecular determinants of virion egress. The minimal requirement for the assembly of VLPs for the coronavirus responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans (SARS-CoV) is still controversial. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV VLP formation depends on either M and E proteins or M and N proteins. Here we show that both E and N proteins must be coexpressed with M protein for the efficient production and release of VLPs by transfected Vero E6 cells. This suggests that the mechanism of SARS-CoV assembly differs from that of other studied coronaviruses, which only require M and E proteins for VLP formation. When coexpressed, the native envelope trimeric S glycoprotein is incorporated onto VLPs. Interestingly, when a fluorescent protein tag is added to the C-terminal end of N or S protein, but not M protein, the chimeric viral proteins can be assembled within VLPs and allow visualization of VLP production and trafficking in living cells by state-of-the-art imaging technologies. Fluorescent VLPs will be used further to investigate the role of cellular machineries during SARS-CoV egress.
Relationship of obstetric complications and differences in size of brain structures in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine whether a history of obstetric complications and congenital minor physical anomalies are related to differences in the characteristics of brain structures observed within monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia. METHOD The size of the bilateral hippocampi and cerebral ventricles was studied by magnetic resonance imaging in 22 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia. Obstetric complications and minor physical anomalies were independently assessed through parental report and examination, respectively. RESULTS Compared with the well co-twins, the ill twins consistently had smaller left and right hippocampi as well as larger left lateral ventricles and third ventricles. Relatively small left and right hippocampi were each significantly related to labor-delivery complications and to prolonged labor per se. Relatively large right lateral ventricle size and large total ventricle size were significantly related to labor-delivery complications, prolonged labor, neonatal complications, and total complications for the entire reproductive sequence. In contrast, these brain size differences were not significantly associated with pregnancy complications or minor physical anomalies. CONCLUSIONS Trauma at the time of labor and delivery and especially prolonged labor appear to be of importance for brain structure anomalies associated with schizophrenia.
Comparing the recognition performance of CSRs: in search of an adequate metric and statistical significance test

In this paper a new measure of recognition accuracy is introduced which can be used when comparing the performance of two speech recognizers, to establish which is the better one. This metric combines the advantages of previous measures, but excludes their disadvantages. Essentially, the metric is an attempt to quantify the degree of recognition accuracy for each sentence, thus obtaining a more informative measure than either correct or incorrect, in such a way that the statistical significance of the observed differences can be tested. The advantages of our assessment method are illustrated on the basis of both artificial and real performance data of different recognizers.
CD5‐positive mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of ocular adnexal origin: Usefulness of fluorescence in situ hybridization for distinction between mantle cell lymphoma and MALT lymphoma

Extranodal marginal zone B‐cell lymphoma of mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue type (MALT lymphoma) usually lacks CD5 expression. Herein is described two cases of CD5‐positive MALT lymphoma of ocular adnexal origin. The differential diagnosis between CD5‐positive MALT lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), notably cyclin D1‐negative MCL, was difficult because both cases consisted histologically of small to medium‐sized cells with diffuse or vaguely nodular growth pattern, and the neoplastic cells were positive for CD5 and negative for cyclin D1. Somatic mutation analysis of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (VH) gene in case 1 found a relatively higher mutation frequency (5.0%), which was not definitive to rule out MCL. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on paraffin‐embedded section using IgH/cyclin D1 (CCND1) probe showed that in both cases there was no molecular evidence of t(11;14), finally leading to the diagnosis of CD5‐positive MALT lymphoma. Although the present two patients had no recurrence over 34 months after initial diagnosis, careful observation is needed because the clinicopathological significance of MALT lymphoma with this rare phenotype remains obscure.
The Oxford NOTECHS System: reliability and validity of a tool for measuring teamwork behaviour in the operating theatre

Introduction: The frequency of adverse events in the operating theatre has been linked to the quality of teamwork and communication. Developing suitable measures of teamwork may play a role in reducing errors in surgery. This study reports on the development and evaluation of a method for measuring operating-theatre teamwork quality. Methods: The Oxford Non-Technical Skills (NOTECHS) scale was developed from an aviation instrument for assessment of non-technical skills. Consultation with experts and task analysis led to modifications reflecting the complexities of the theatre teamwork, particularly the coexistence of three subteams (surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses). The scale was then evaluated using teams performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (n = 65) before and after teamwork training. Attitudes to teamwork and surgical error rates were assessed by questionnaire and direct observation methods, and used to assess the reliability and validity of the Oxford NOTECHS scale. Results: The interobserver reliability was excellent in 24 operations independently assessed by two observers (Rwg = 0.99), confirmed by a third observer in 11 cases (Rwg = 0.99). Validity was demonstrated through improved scores after teamwork training (t = −3.019, p = 0.005), concurrent with improved attitudes to teamwork after training; inverse correlation between NOTECHS scores and surgical errors (ρ = −0.267, p = 0.046); strong inverse correlation between surgical subteam score and surgical errors (ρ = −0.412, n = 65, p = 0.001); and strong correlation with teamwork scores from an alternative system (n = 5, r = 0.886, p = 0.046) Conclusion: The Oxford NOTECHS scale appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing teamwork in the operating theatre, and is ready for further application.
Using twin-HMM-based audio-visual speech enhancement as a front-end for robust audio-visual speech recognition

In this paper we propose the use of the recently introduced twin-HMM-based audio-visual speech enhancement algorithm as a front-end for audio-visual speech recognition systems. This al-gorithm determines the clean speech statistics in the recognition domain based on the audio-visual observations and transforms these statistics to the synthesis domain through the so-called twin HMMs. The adopted front-end is used together with back-end methods like the conventional maximum likelihood decoding or the newly introduced signiﬁcance decoding. The proposed combination of the front-and back-end is applied to acoustically corrupted signals of the Grid audio-visual corpus and results in statistically signiﬁcant improvements of the audio-visual recognition accuracy compared to using the ETSI advanced front-end.
Environmental, Policy, and Cultural Factors Related to Physical Activity in Sedentary American Indian Women

SUMMARY Focus group interviews were conducted to explore socio-cultural, environmental, and policy-related determinants of physical activity among sedentary American Indian women. Thirty women aged 20 to 50 years (mean = 37.4 ± 10.6 years) participated. Three sessions were conducted with women aged 20 to 34 years and three with women aged 35 to 50 to evaluate response differences by age. Because no obvious age differences were observed, data were pooled. Barriers to physical activity included inadequate support for household and child care responsibilities and difficulties balancing home-related and societal expectations with physical activity. In addition, women reported little support from their communities and work sites to be physically active. Environmental barriers included lack of safe outdoor areas and accessible walking trails. Weather and stray dogs were also commonly mentioned. Sociocultural barriers included giving family obligations priority above all other things, being expected to eat large portions of high-fat foods, and failing to follow a traditionally active lifestyle. Enablers of physical activity included support from family and coworkers and participation in traditional community events. Suggested intervention approaches included accessible and affordable programs and facilities, community emphasis on physical activity, and programs that incorporated the needs of larger women and of families. Participants emphasized a preference for programs that were compatible with the role expectations of their families and communities, and they expressed the desire for acceptance and encouragement to be physically active from the family, the community, the worksite, and their tribal leaders.
Structural Basis for Coevolution of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nucleocapsid-p1 Cleavage Site with a V82A Drug-Resistant Mutation in Viral Protease

ABSTRACT Maturation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) depends on the processing of Gag and Pol polyproteins by the viral protease, making this enzyme a prime target for anti-HIV therapy. Among the protease substrates, the nucleocapsid-p1 (NC-p1) sequence is the least homologous, and its cleavage is the rate-determining step in viral maturation. In the other substrates of HIV-1 protease, P1 is usually either a hydrophobic or an aromatic residue, and P2 is usually a branched residue. NC-p1, however, contains Asn at P1 and Ala at P2. In response to the V82A drug-resistant protease mutation, the P2 alanine of NC-p1 mutates to valine (AP2V). To provide a structural rationale for HIV-1 protease binding to the NC-p1 cleavage site, we solved the crystal structures of inactive (D25N) WT and V82A HIV-1 proteases in complex with their respective WT and AP2V mutant NC-p1 substrates. Overall, the WT NC-p1 peptide binds HIV-1 protease less optimally than the AP2V mutant, as indicated by the presence of fewer hydrogen bonds and fewer van der Waals contacts. AlaP2 does not fill the P2 pocket completely; PheP1′ makes van der Waals interactions with Val82 that are lost with the V82A protease mutation. This loss is compensated by the AP2V mutation, which reorients the peptide to a conformation more similar to that observed in other substrate-protease complexes. Thus, the mutant substrate not only binds the mutant protease more optimally but also reveals the interdependency between the P1′ and P2 substrate sites. This structural interdependency results from coevolution of the substrate with the viral protease.
Multiuser Radio Resource Allocation for Multiservice Transmission in OFDMA-Based Cooperative Relay Networks

The problem of multiservice transmission in OFDMA-based cooperative relay networks is studied comprehensively. We propose a framework to adaptively allocate power, subcarriers, and data rate in OFDMA system to maximize spectral efficiency under the constraints of satisfying multiuser multiservices' QoS requirements. Specifically, first we concentrate on the single-user scenario which considers multiservice transmission in point-to-point cooperative relay network. Based on the analysis of single-user scenario, we extend the multiservice transmission to multiuser point-to-multipoint scenario. Next, based on the framework, we propose several suboptimal radio resource allocation algorithms for multiservice transmissions in OFDMA-based cooperative relay networks to further reduce the computational complexity. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms yield much higher spectral efficiency and much lower outage probability, which are flexible and efficient for the OFDMA-based cooperative relay system.
Gain of chromosome region 18q21 including the MALT1 gene is associated with the activated B-cell-like gene expression subtype and increased BCL2 gene dosage and protein expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common lymphoma worldwide. Recent studies of gene expression profiling have identified subgroups of this lymphoid neoplasm with different prognosis. This study suggests that a gain of chromosome 18q21 including the MALT1 gene may involve an unfavorable prognosis. See related perspective article on page 641. Background The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a gain of the MALT1 gene on gene expression and clinical parameters in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Design and Methods We analyzed 116 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by fluorescence in situ hybridization, array-based comparative genomic hybridization, and transcriptional profiling. Results A gain of 18q21 including MALT1 was detected in 44 cases (38%) and was accompanied by a gain of BCL2 in 43 cases. All cases with a 18q21/MALT1 gain showed BCL2 protein whereas 79% in the group without a 18q21/MALT1 gain did so (p<0.001). Cases with 18q21/MALT1 gain more frequently showed an activated B-cell-like (ABC) gene expression signature (65%) than a germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) one (23%) (p<0.001). Ninety-eight genes including MALT1, BCL2, and some selected nuclear factor-κB target genes were differentially expressed between the two genetic groups of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. By global testing of each chromosome, we identified 33 genes, all located on chromosome 18q, which were differentially expressed between the two genetic groups independently of the ABC/GCB status. In multivariate analysis, the 18q21/MALT1 status represented an independent negative prognostic factor for overall survival (p=0.03). Conclusions In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, gain of 18q21 including MALT1 is significantly associated with differential expression of genes located on 18q, the ABC gene expression subtype, increased BCL2 gene and protein expression and might indicate an unfavorable prognosis.