Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathway-specific control of reward learning and its flexibility via selective dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens

In the basal ganglia, inputs from the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are transmitted through both direct and indirect pathways and control reward-based learning. In the NAc, dopamine (DA) serves as a key neurotransmitter, modulating these two parallel pathways. This study explored how reward learning and its flexibility are controlled in a pathway-specific and DA receptor-dependent manner. We used two techniques (i) reversible neurotransmission blocking (RNB), in which transmission of the direct (d-RNB) or the indirect pathway (I-RNB) in the NAc on both sides of the hemispheres was selectively blocked by transmission-blocking tetanus toxin; and (ii) asymmetric RNB, in which transmission of the direct (d-aRNB) or the indirect pathway (I-aRNB) was unilaterally blocked by RNB techniques and the intact side of the NAc was infused with DA agonists or antagonists. Reward-based learning was assessed by measuring goal-directed learning ability based on visual cue tasks (VCTs) or response-direction tasks (RDTs). Learning flexibility was then tested by switching from a previously learned VCT to a new VCT or RDT. d-RNB mice and D1 receptor antagonist-treated d-aRNB mice showed severe impairments in learning acquisition but normal flexibility to switch from a previously learned strategy. In contrast, I-RNB mice and D2 receptor agonist-treated I-aRNB mice showed normal learning acquisition but severe impairments not only in the flexibility to the learning switch but also in the subsequent acquisition of learning a new strategy. D1 and D2 receptors thus play distinct but cooperative roles in reward learning and its flexibility in a pathway-specific manner.
Ablation of the Leptin Receptor in the Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus Abrogates Leptin-Induced Sympathetic Activation

Rationale: The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) is considered a major site for leptin signaling that regulates several physiological processes. Objective: To test the hypothesis that leptin receptor in the ARC is required to mediate leptin-induced sympathetic activation. Methods and Results: First, we used the ROSA Cre-reporter mice to establish the feasibility of driving Cre expression in the ARC in a controlled manner with bilateral microinjection of adenovirus-expressing Cre-recombinase (Ad-Cre). Ad-Cre microinjection into the ARC of ObRflox/flox mice robustly reduced ObR expression and leptin-induced Stat3 activation in the ARC but not in the adjacent nuclei, confirming the efficacy and selectivity of the ARC deletion of ObR. Critically, deletion of ObR in the ARC attenuated brown adipose tissue and renal sympathetic nerve responses to leptin. We also examined whether ObR in the ARC is required for the preserved leptin-induced increase in renal sympathetic activity in dietary obesity. We found that deletion of ARC ObR abrogated leptin-induced increases in renal sympathetic discharge and resolved arterial pressure elevation in diet-induced obese ObRflox/flox mice. Conclusions: These data demonstrate a critical role for ObR in the ARC in mediating the sympathetic nerve responses to leptin and in the adverse sympathoexcitatory effects of leptin in obesity.
Performance of space-time processing receivers for MIMO antenna systems

In this work we assess performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna systems with space-time processing over a frequency-selective channel in presence of time-dispersive co-channel interference. We evaluate the performance of the conventional MIMO-decision-feedback equalizer (MIMO-DFE) receiver and also propose a low complexity receiver, based on the decoupled interference cancelling principle with a delayed decision-feedback sequence estimator (DDFSE) for equalization [7]. The proposed receiver, called decoupled interference cancelling MIMO-DDFSE (DIC-MIMO-DDFSE), shows satisfactory performance, outperforming the MIMO-DFE on an interference-limited scenario.
Are call detail records biased for sampling human mobility?

Call detail records (CDRs) have recently been used in studying different aspects of human mobility. While CDRs provide a means of sampling user locations at large population scales, they may not sample all locations proportionate to the visitation frequency of a user, owing to sparsity in time and space of voice-calls, thereby introducing a bias. Also, as the rate of sampling is inherently dependent on the calling frequencies of an individual, high voice-call activity users are often chosen for conducting a meaningful study. Such a selection process can, inadvertently, lead to a biased view as high frequency callers may not always be representative of an entire population. With the advent of 3G technology and wide adoption of smart-phones, cellular devices have become versatile end-hosts. As the data accessed on these devices does not always require human initiation, it affords us with an unprecedented opportunity to validate the utility of CDRs for studying human mobility. In this work, we investigate various metrics for human mobility studied in literature for over a million cellular users in the San Francisco bay-area, for over a month. Our findings reveal that although the voice-call process does well to sample significant locations, such as home and work, it may in some cases incur biases in capturing the overall spatio-temporal characteristics of individual human mobility. Additionally, we motivate an "artificially" imposed sampling process, vis-a-vis the voice-call process with the same average intensity. We observe that in many cases such an imposed sampling process yields better performance results based on the usual metrics like entropies and marginal distributions used often in literature.
Towards a Usability and Error "Safety Net": A Multi-Phased Multi-Method Approach to Ensuring System Usability and Safety

The usability and safety of health information systems have become major issues in the design and implementation of useful healthcare IT. In this paper we describe a multi-phased multi-method approach to integrating usability engineering methods into system testing to ensure both usability and safety of healthcare IT upon widespread deployment. The approach involves usability testing followed by clinical simulation (conducted in-situ) and "near-live" recording of user interactions with systems. At key stages in this process, usability problems are identified and rectified forming a usability and technology-induced error "safety net" that catches different types of usability and safety problems prior to releasing systems widely in healthcare settings.
Interaction of two photoreceptors in the regulation of bacterial photosynthesis genes

The expression of photosynthesis genes in the facultatively photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides is controlled by the oxygen tension and by light quantity. Two photoreceptor proteins, AppA and CryB, have been identified in the past, which are involved in this regulation. AppA senses light by its N-terminal BLUF domain, its C-terminal part binds heme and is redox-responsive. Through its interaction to the transcriptional repressor PpsR the AppA photoreceptor controls expression of photosynthesis genes. The cryptochrome-like protein CryB was shown to affect regulation of photosynthesis genes, but the underlying signal chain remained unknown. Here we show that CryB interacts with the C-terminal domain of AppA and modulates the binding of AppA to the transcriptional repressor PpsR in a light-dependent manner. Consequently, binding of the transcription factor PpsR to its DNA target is affected by CryB. In agreement with this, all genes of the PpsR regulon showed altered expression levels in a CryB deletion strain after blue-light illumination. These results elucidate for the first time how a bacterial cryptochrome affects gene expression.
Age and size at maturity of the mosquito Culex pipiens infected by the microsporidian parasite Vavraia culicis

The costs of parasitism to a host's reproductive success (RS) often increase with time since infection. For hosts experiencing this type of infection, it is predicted that they will maximize their RS by bringing forward their schedule of reproduction. This is because the costs associated with such a response can be discounted against a reduced future RS due to parasitism. The microsporidian Vavraia culicis is a natural parasite of mosquitoes and one whose costs increase over time as its spores accumulate and damage host tissues. As larvae, male and female Culex pipiens mosquitoes behaved differently towards infection with V. culicis. Infected females pupated earlier than uninfected females and tended to emerge as smaller adults, indicating a cost to their fecundity. However, the age and size at maturity of infected male mosquitoes was no different from uninfected males. The results of this study support theoretical predictions and highlight the potential roles that host gender and density–dependent interactions may have in determining the response of host life-history traits to parasitism.
Comparison of Point Count Sampling Regimes for Monitoring Forest Birds

A set of 255 counts was compiled for 13 points using 10-minute periods subtallied at 3 and 6 minutes. The data from each point were subsampled using combinations of count periods, numbers, and schedules to compare the effectiveness of these different regimes at per point coverage. Interspecifically, detection frequencies differed in level and pattern as a function of count period length. The complex nature of detection frequencies is discussed in relation to density and to species-specific activity patterns. Short count periods (3 minutes) are more sensitive to changes in activity levels than long ones. The use of longer periods effectively increases the number of comparable hours for sampling per field day, probably increases the usable length of the field season, and may reduce the effects of observer differences. Analyses of detection frequency data and of species and individual accumulation curves suggest that a point of diminishing returns has been reached well before conducting five 10-minute counts per point. We detect no difference in the effectiveness of same-day and different-day count regimes during our June study period. An increase in count period decreases the number of points that can be surveyed per unit of field time, but increases the total amount of time surveyed. Once between-point time reaches 10 minutes, the count period has little effect on the number of points at which many species are detected per unit of field time. Because data from each has different applications, we recommend that a 10-minute count period with 3- and 5- minute subtotals be used for some monitoring regimes. The selection of the number of repeat counts per point depends on the purpose of the project, but for most monitoring applications three or fewer surveys should be conducted per point per season.
Pengujian Cost Agent terhadap Kinerja Keuangan

Pendahuluan/Tujuan: Untuk menguji pengaruh solvabilitas terhadap kinerja keuangan dan biaya agensi memoderasi pengaruh solvabilitas terhadap kinerja keuangan di negara berkembang, Indonesia. Latar Belakang Masalah: Apakah biaya keagenan memoderasi pengaruh positif solvabilitas terhadap kinerja keuangan. Kebaharuan: Aspek Cost Agency (CA) salah satu kunci penting CG dan pintu masuk bagi Stakeholder pada perusahaan pertambangan di Indonesia, karena informasinya CA masih sedikit Metode penelitian: Data dikumpulkan dari laporan keuangan yang dipublikasikan di Bursa Efek Indonesia, kinerja perusahaan diukur dengan menggunakan data akuntansi dan indikator pasar, biaya keagenan diukur rasio biaya operasional terhadap total penjualan, pengujian untuk aplikasi SPSS dan metode purposive sampling digunakan untuk analisis data. Temuan/Hasil: Teori pemangku kepntingan dalam menjelaskan pengaruh solvabilitas terhadap kinerja keuangan. Biaya keagenan memiliki pengaruh yang cukup besar terhadap solvabilitas terhadap kinerja perusahaan, yaitu biaya keagenan memoderasi hubungan antara solvabilitas terhadap kinerja keuangan. Kesimpulan: Hasil ini adalah bukti kunci dari negara berkembang, Indonesia untuk mendukung argumen teori pemangku kepentingan yang memberikan wawasan yang signifikan bagi para manajer di sektor pertambangan.
IFN-γ receptor signaling mediates spinal microglia activation driving neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain, a highly debilitating pain condition that commonly occurs after nerve damage, is a reflection of the aberrant excitability of dorsal horn neurons. This pathologically altered neurotransmission requires a communication with spinal microglia activated by nerve injury. However, how normal resting microglia become activated remains unknown. Here we show that in naive animals spinal microglia express a receptor for the cytokine IFN-γ (IFN-γR) in a cell-type-specific manner and that stimulating this receptor converts microglia into activated cells and produces a long-lasting pain hypersensitivity evoked by innocuous stimuli (tactile allodynia, a hallmark symptom of neuropathic pain). Conversely, ablating IFN-γR severely impairs nerve injury-evoked microglia activation and tactile allodynia without affecting microglia in the contralateral dorsal horn or basal pain sensitivity. We also find that IFN-γ-stimulated spinal microglia show up-regulation of Lyn tyrosine kinase and purinergic P2X4 receptor, crucial events for neuropathic pain, and genetic approaches provide evidence linking these events to IFN-γR-dependent microglial and behavioral alterations. These results suggest that IFN-γR is a key element in the molecular machinery through which resting spinal microglia transform into an activated state that drives neuropathic pain.
Organic thin-film transistors: A review of recent advances

In this paper we review recent progress in materials, fabrication processes, device designs, and applications related to organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), with an emphasis on papers published during the last three years. Some earlier papers that played an important role in shaping the OTFT field are included, and a number of previously published review papers that cover that early period more completely are referenced. We also review in more detail related work that originated at IBM during the last four years and has led to the fabrication of high-performance organic transistors on flexible, transparent plastic substrates requiring low operating voltages.
Contribution OXIDATIVE STRESS AND SEASONAL CORAL BLEACHING

During the past two decades, coral reefs have experienced extensive degradation worldwide. One etiology for this global degradation is a syndrome known as coral bleaching. Mass coral bleaching events are correlated with increased sea-surface temperatures, however, the cellular mechanism underlying this phenomenon is uncertain. To determine if oxidative stress plays a mechanistic role in the process of sea-surface temperature-related coral bleaching, we examined corals along a depth transect in the Florida Keys over a single season that was characterized by unusually high sea-surface temperatures. We observed strong positive correlations between accumulation of oxidative damage products and bleaching in corals over a year of sampling. High levels of antioxidant enzymes and small heat-shock proteins were negatively correlated with levels of oxidative damage products. Corals that experienced oxidative stress had higher chaperonin levels and protein turnover activity. Our results indicate that coral bleaching is tightly coupled to the antioxidant and cellular stress capacity of the symbiotic coral, supporting the mechanistic model that coral bleaching (zooxanthellae loss) may be a final strategy to defend corals from oxidative stress. © 2002 Elsevier Science
The context of female dispersal in Kanyawara chimpanzees

In most social mammals, members of either one sex or both leave their natal group at sexual maturity. In catarrhine primates, male emigration is the predominant pattern. Female philopatry facilitates cooperation among kin, and female reproductive success is influenced by these relationships. Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ) are unusual in that dispersal is almost exclusively by females. While plausible ultimate hypotheses can explain this dispersal pattern, the proximate causes of female dispersal are unknown and warrant examination due to variation in dispersal behaviour and the associated high costs of immigration. In this study, we examine the behavioural and hormonal context of female dispersal in chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, Uganda, in order to understand variation in dispersal patterns and gain insight into functional explanations. Using over 10 years of behavioural, endocrinological, and demographic records, we examined the significance of 5 potential predictors of the timing of dispersal: (1) maturational state; (2) association patterns; (3) mating patterns; (4) physiological stress; and (5) feeding ecology. Female dispersal was not strictly predicted by chronological or gynaecological age, and dispersal did not correlate with shifts in glucocorticoid levels. We found no evidence that females avoided mating in their natal group, even with known relatives, suggesting that inbreeding avoidance is not a sufficient proximate explanation for dispersal in chimpanzees. Instead, variation in social development and the availability of energy for dispersal were implicated and necessitate more intensive examination along with subtler variation in maturational trajectories.
Human Motion Tracking using a Color-Based Particle Filter Driven by Optical Flow

In this paper, we present a new formulation for the prob- lem of human motion tracking in video. Tracking is still a challenging problem when strong appearance changes occur as in videos of human in motion. Most trackers rely on a predefined template or on a train- ing dataset to achieve detection and tracking. Therefore they are not efficient to track objects which appearance is not known in advance. A solution is to use an online method that updates iteratively a subspace of reference target models. In addition, we propose to integrate color and motion cues in a particle filter framework to track human body parts. The algorithm process consists in two modes, switching between detec- tion and tracking. Detection steps involve trained classifiers to update estimated positions of the tracking windows, whereas tracking steps rely on an adaptative color-based particle filter coupled with optical flow es- timations. The Earth Mover distance is used to compare color models in a global fashion, and constraints on flow features avoid drifting effects. The proposed method has revealed its efficiency to track body parts in motion and can cope with full appearance changes. Experiments were lead on challenging real world videos with poorly textured models and non-linear motions.
Subseasonal Week 3–5 Surface Air Temperature Prediction During Boreal Wintertime in a GFDL Model

With a Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) coupled model, the subseasonal prediction of wintertime (December–February) surface air temperature (SAT) is investigated through the analysis of 11‐year hindcasts. Significant subseasonal week 3–5 correlation skill exists over a large portion of the global land domain, and the predictability originates primarily from the eight most predictable SAT modes. The first three modes, identified as the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation mode, the North Atlantic Oscillation mode, and the Eurasia Meridional Dipole mode, can be skillfully predicted more than 5 weeks in advance. The North Atlantic Oscillation and Eurasia Meridional Dipole modes are strongly correlated with the initial stratospheric polar vortex strength, highlighting the role of stratosphere in subseasonal prediction. Interestingly, the Madden‐Julian Oscillation is not essential for the subseasonal land SAT prediction in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics. The spatial correlation skill exhibits considerable intraseasonal and interannual fluctuations, indicative of the importance to identify the time window of opportunity for subseasonal prediction.
Skin-Potential Variation Insensitive Dry Electrodes for ECG Recording

Objective: A skin-potential variation (SPV) insensitive dry electrode is developed to remove the interference of SPV. Methods: Based on a conventional microneedles array-based electrode, a layer of Parylene membrane is coated at the root of microneedles to insulate the electrode from the corneum layer. Only tips of the needles are exposed to make it can contact with the stratum germinativum layer directly. Results: As a result, skin potential will not be coupled into the recording electrode. Thus, SPV will not influence the biopotential recording in the dynamic state. Conclusion: The proposed electrode is potential for a device which is insensitive to the motion noise source from SPV. Significance: It paves the way for applications of the proposed dry electrode in the wearable technology which require strong anti-motion interference ability.
Research and Implementation of Geography Information Query System Based on Hbase

With the rise of cloud computing research, the advantages of cloud computing and storage resources are discovered continuously: distributed computing, massive, dynamic and so on. Consequently, more and more application systems begin to migrate to the cloud platform. However, the difference between cloud platform and traditional single or multiple sever model bring certain challenges to the system development. In this thesis, a Geography information query system based on HBase was studied and implemented rellied on National Geography Public Welfare Project. The query system can make users to retrieve the information of sea wind and satellite images by the graphical interface. Through the effective application of query technology, the system can efficiently extract the concerned Geography data information for the fishery production and Geography disaster prevention. This thesis firstly displayed the Geography information query system with the running examples, and secondly tested and analyzed the HBase query optimization technology to verify its great expandability and usability. Finally, the performance test of Geography information query system indicated that the system had high scalability and high reliability in the cloud environment.
Fast Microtubule Dynamics in Meiotic Spindles Measured by Single Molecule Imaging: Evidence That the Spindle Environment Does Not Stabilize Microtubules

Metaphase spindles are steady-state ensembles of microtubules. We used single molecule imaging to measure tubulin dynamics in spindles and non-spindle assemblies in Xenopus egg extract. Our results argue that the high density of microtubules in spindles is caused by local enhancement of nucleation, and not by local stabilization.
Fc receptor-mediated inhibition of murine B-lymphocyte activation

Immobilized antigen-antibody complexes are able to inhibit the mitogenic response of murine spleen cells to the B-cell mitogen 8-bromo- 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphoric acid. This this inhibition is dependent on intact Fc fragments in the immobilized complexes. Soluble complexes do not mediate this inhibition. When lipopolysaccharide (lps) activation of B cells was studied, it was found that the mitogenic response was inhibited at all times tested between 2 and 7 days of culture. Also, the LPS-induced mitogenesis of nude spleen cells was inhibited by immobilized complexes, indicating that suppressor T cells probably play no significant role in the inhibition. Immobilized complexes inhibit polyclonal antibody responses in a serum-free system and in the presence of normal mouse serum, but are unable to inhibit in the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS). If nu/nu spleen cells are used, however, the FCS does not block the ability of the complexes to inhibit the polyclonal response. It is suggested that that antigen-antibody complexes under appropriate conditions may bind to B lymphocytes via their Fc receptors and trigger a central "off" signal which blocks proliferation and consequently antibody production.