Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Re-organization of Cortical Networks of Senior Citizens After a 24-Week Traditional Dance Program

Neuroscience is developing rapidly by providing a variety of modern tools for analyzing the functional interactions of the brain and detection of pathological deviations due to neurodegeneration. The present study argues that the induction of neuroplasticity of the mature human brain leads to the prevention of dementia. Promising solution seems to be the dance programs because they combine cognitive and physical activity in a pleasant way. So, we investigated whether the traditional Greek dances can improve the cognitive, physical and functional status of the elderly always aiming at promoting active and healthy aging. Forty-four participants were randomly assigned equally to the training group and an active control group. The duration of the program was 6 months. Also, the participants were evaluated for their physical status and through an electroencephalographic (EEG) examination at rest (eyes-closed condition). The EEG testing was performed 1–14 days before (pre) and after (post) the training. Cortical network analysis was applied by modeling the cortex through a generic anatomical model of 20,000 fixed dipoles. These were grouped into 512 cortical regions of interest (ROIs). High quality, artifact-free data resulting from an elaborate pre-processing pipeline were segmented into multiple, 30 s of continuous epochs. Then, functional connectivity among those ROIs was performed for each epoch through the relative wavelet entropy (RWE). Synchronization matrices were computed and then thresholded in order to provide binary, directed cortical networks of various density ranges. The results showed that the dance training improved optimal network performance as estimated by the small-world property. Further analysis demonstrated that there were also local network changes resulting in better information flow and functional re-organization of the network nodes. These results indicate the application of the dance training as a possible non-pharmacological intervention for promoting mental and physical well-being of senior citizens. Our results were also compared with a combination of computerized cognitive and physical training, which has already been demonstrated to induce neuroplasticity (LLM Care).
A Gating Charge Transfer Center in Voltage Sensors

Open and Closed Case Voltage-dependent ion channels are gated by voltage sensors that show a switchlike response to voltage differences across the membrane. Tao et al. (p. 67; see the cover) used mutagenesis, electrophysiology, and x-ray crystallography to gain insight into the molecular basis of this response in voltage-dependent potassium channels. An occluded site was identified that catalyzes translation of positive charges across the membrane. The closed channel appears to be associated with a distribution of conformations, depending on the degree of hyperpolarization of the membrane, whereas the open channel appears to be associated with a specific conformation. Thus, the transition of the ion channel from open to closed occurs over a very small voltage difference. An occluded site stabilizes charged amino acids as they cross the membrane field to achieve switchlike channel opening. Voltage sensors regulate the conformations of voltage-dependent ion channels and enzymes. Their nearly switchlike response as a function of membrane voltage comes from the movement of positively charged amino acids, arginine or lysine, across the membrane field. We used mutations with natural and unnatural amino acids, electrophysiological recordings, and x-ray crystallography to identify a charge transfer center in voltage sensors that facilitates this movement. This center consists of a rigid cyclic “cap” and two negatively charged amino acids to interact with a positive charge. Specific mutations induce a preference for lysine relative to arginine. By placing lysine at specific locations, the voltage sensor can be stabilized in different conformations, which enables a dissection of voltage sensor movements and their relation to ion channel opening.
Enhancing self-protective behavior in times of crisis: The effect of efficacy beliefs and peer feedback*

In times of crisis, a government will try to protect involved citizens through effective crisis communication in which relevant precautionary measures are communicated. Nowadays, this crisis communication is supplemented by peer feedback through the use of social network sites. Based on the strong influence of both communication flows, an interaction effect can occur. This research focuses on the effect of efficacy beliefs and peer feedback from SNS messages on the intention to engage in self protective behavior and the interaction effect between these two. The study was a 2 (efficacy beliefs: high vs low) x 2 (peer feedback: positive vs negative) between participant experiment in which 242 respondents participated. Results indicate a highly significant interaction effect between efficacy beliefs in a news article and peer feedback from SNS messages on both the intention to engage in self protective behavior and levels of involvement. When confronted with a low efficacious news article, the effect of peer feedback on these two variables was significantly stronger. Finally, implications for theory and government crisis communication are discussed.
Importance of intrahepatic mechanisms to gluconeogenesis from alanine during exercise and recovery.

These studies were performed to assess the importance of intrahepatic mechanisms to gluconeogenesis in the dog during 150 min of treadmill exercise and 90 min of recovery. Sampling catheters were implanted in an artery and portal and hepatic veins 16 days before experimentation. Infusions of [U-14C]alanine, [3-3H]glucose, and indocyanine green were used to assess gluconeogenesis. During exercise, a decline in arterial and portal vein plasma alanine and in hepatic blood flow led to a decrease in hepatic alanine delivery. During recovery, hepatic blood flow was restored to basal, causing an increase in hepatic alanine delivery beyond exercise rates but still below resting rates. Hepatic fractional alanine extraction increased from 0.26 +/- 0.02 at rest to 0.64 +/- 0.03 during exercise and remained elevated during recovery. Net hepatic alanine uptake was 2.5 +/- 0.2 mumol.kg-1.min-1 at rest and remained unchanged during exercise but was increased during recovery. The conversion rate of [14C]alanine to glucose had increased by 248 +/- 38% by 150 min of exercise and had increased further during recovery. The efficiency with which alanine was channeled into glucose in the liver was accelerated to a rate of 338 +/- 55% above basal by 150 min of exercise but declined slightly during recovery. In conclusion, 1) gluconeogenesis from alanine is accelerated during exercise, due to an increase in the hepatic fractional extraction of the amino acid and through intrahepatic mechanisms that more efficiently channel it into glucose. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Maillard Reaction Application to Confectionery Products

2 Introduction The reaction between sugars and amino groups was first described in 1908 by two Englishmen, Ling & Malting, who considered color formation in beer. In 1912 Louis-Camille Maillard described a browning reaction between reducing sugars and amino groups. Despite not being the first to report the reaction, Maillard was the first to realize the significance of the reaction in areas as diverse as plant pathology, geology and medicine. It is interesting to note that despite there having been six international symposium on the Maillard reaction, not one of the papers was a direct study on the Labuza et al., 1994). In fact, it seems that recent symposia were as much concerned with the medical aspects as food chemistry of the Maillard reaction. The medical world has begun to realize that there may be a role for the Maillard reaction in the formation of complications of diabetes and aging, in which the blood glucose becomes bound to proteins in the body in a similar way to food proteins and glucose. Despite the lack of direct research on the Maillard reaction in confectionery, it can be seen that the Maillard reaction will play an important role in the formation of flavors and colors of some confectionery products since the main Maillard reactants are present. This paper is particularly concerned with the Maillard reaction in non-chocolate confectionery. The Maillard reaction is one of four nonenzymatic browning reactions which occur in food. The other three are: 1) the degradation of ascorbic acid, 2) lipid peroxidation 3) sugar-sugar caramelization. The chemistry of these reactions is related to the Maillard reaction. Ascorbic acid (AsA) undergoes a reaction chemically similar to that of sugars except that amino acids are not necessary for browning. Since AsA is very reactive, it degrades by two pathways, both of which lead to the formation of dicarbonyl intermediates and subsequently to form browning compounds (Davies & Wedzicha, 1992). Lipid peroxidation occurs by the action of oxygen and reactive oxygen species on the fatty acids, especially unsaturated fatty acids. These are oxidized to form aldehydes 3 and ketones which then react with amino acids to form brown pigments, as in the Maillard reaction. It is possible that peroxidation products induce the browning reaction of the Amadori products (Hermosin et al., 1992). At high temperatures (> 80 o C) sugar-sugar interactions or the caramelization reaction occurs. This is a complex series of …
Factors Related with CH4 and N2O Emissions from a Paddy Field: Clues for Management implications

Paddy fields are major sources of global atmospheric greenhouse gases, including methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). The different phases previous to emission (production, transport, diffusion, dissolution in pore water and ebullition) despite well-established have rarely been measured in field conditions. We examined them and their relationships with temperature, soil traits and plant biomass in a paddy field in Fujian, southeastern China. CH4 emission was positively correlated with CH4 production, plant-mediated transport, ebullition, diffusion, and concentration of dissolved CH4 in porewater and negatively correlated with sulfate concentration, suggesting the potential use of sulfate fertilizers to mitigate CH4 release. Air temperature and humidity, plant stem biomass, and concentrations of soil sulfate, available N, and DOC together accounted for 92% of the variance in CH4 emission, and Eh, pH, and the concentrations of available N and Fe3+, leaf biomass, and air temperature 95% of the N2O emission. Given the positive correlations between CH4 emission and DOC content and plant biomass, reduce the addition of a carbon substrate such as straw and the development of smaller but higher yielding rice genotypes could be viable options for reducing the release of greenhouse gases from paddy fields to the atmosphere.
A Video Game-Based Mobile Robot Simulation Environment

Simulation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of mobile robots. As we are better able to simulate the real world, we can usefully perform more research in simulated environments. The key aspects of a good simulator, an accurate physics simulation and realistic graphical rendering system, are also central to modern computer games. In this paper, we describe a robot simulation environment built from technologies typically used in computer video games. The simulator is capable of simulating multiple robots, with realistic physics and rendering. It can also support human-controlled avatars using a traditional first-person interface. This allows us to perform robot-human interaction and collaboration studies in the simulated environment. The distributed nature of the simulation allows us to perform large-scale experiments, with users participating from geographically remote locations
Anti-CD22 Immunotoxin RFB4(dsFv)-PE38 (BL22) for CD22-Positive Hematologic Malignancies of Childhood: Preclinical Studies and Phase I Clinical Trial

Purpose: Although most children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non–Hodgkin lymphoma are cured, new agents are needed to overcome drug resistance and reduce toxicities of chemotherapy. We hypothesized that the novel anti-CD22 immunotoxin, RFB4(dsFv)-PE38 (BL22, CAT-3888), would be active and have limited nonspecific side effects in children with CD22-expressing hematologic malignancies. We conducted the first preclinical and phase I clinical studies of BL22 in that setting. Experimental Design: Lymphoblasts from children with B-lineage ALL were assessed for CD22 expression by flow cytometry and for BL22 sensitivity by in vitro cytotoxicity assay. BL22 was evaluated in a human ALL murine xenograft model. A phase I clinical trial was conducted for pediatric subjects with CD22+ ALL and non–Hodgkin lymphoma. Results: All samples screened were CD22+. BL22 was cytotoxic to blasts in vitro (median IC50, 9.8 ng/mL) and prolonged the leukemia-free survival of murine xenografts. Phase I trial cohorts were treated at escalating doses and schedules ranging from 10 to 40 μg/kg every other day for three or six doses repeated every 21 or 28 days. Treatment was associated with an acceptable safety profile, adverse events were rapidly reversible, and no maximum tolerated dose was defined. Pharmacokinetics were influenced by disease burden consistent with rapid drug binding by CD22+ blasts. Although no responses were observed, transient clinical activity was seen in most subjects. Conclusions: CD22 represents an excellent target and anti-CD22 immunotoxins offer therapeutic promise in B-lineage hematologic malignancies of childhood. Clin Cancer Res; 16(6); 1894–903
The Ground-based Validation Technology of Teleoperation for Space Robot

This paper addresses a ground-based validation subsystem which verifies the functions and performance of the teleoperation system for space robot. The subsystem is comprised of three modules: the physics verification module, the onboard verification module and the communication simulator module. In the physics verification module, a hybrid experiment concept which combines the mathematical model with the physical model is used. The key issues of the physics verification module are dynamic emulation and kinematic equivalence, in which the behaviors of the space robotic system are calculated by its dynamic equations. The motion of its end-effector and the space target is realized by two industrial robots. The concept of hardware-in-the-loop simulation is used in the onboard verification module to verify the onboard computer's processing ability. The communication simulator can provide fidelity communication conditions which consist of time delays and communication bandwidth. Lastly, a teleoperation system is set up, and many experiments have been done on the system. The experiments verified the effectiveness of the work in the paper.
Ultrastructural characterization of endoplasmic reticulum — Golgi transport containers (EGTC)

Recent observations made in live cells expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged cargo markers have demonstrated the existence of large, mobile transport intermediates linking peripheral ER exit sites (ERES) to the perinuclear Golgi. Using a procedure of rapid ethane freezing, we examined ultrastructurally the intermediates involved in ER-Golgi transport of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G protein. When released at the permissive temperature of 32°C, VSVG is first found to be concentrated in pleiomorphic, membrane-bound structures (of about 0.4 to 1 μm in diameter) with extensive budding profiles. These structures are devoid of COPII components and Golgi markers, but are enriched in COPI, the retrograde cargo ERGIC53, and the tethering protein p115. The structures appear to be able to undergo fusion with the Golgi stack and are tentatively referred to as ER-Golgi transport containers, or EGTCs. VSVG protein exiting the ERES at 15°C is first found in clusters or strings of COPII-containing small vesicles, and morphological analysis indicates that these clusters and strings of COPII vesicles may coalesce by homotypic fusion to form the EGTCs. Together with the large transport containers mediating transport from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane, EGTCs represents an emerging class of large membranous structures mediating anterograde transport between the major stations of the exocytic pathway.
Cannabinoid Modulation of Memory Consolidation in Rats: Beyond the Role of Cannabinoid Receptor Subtype 1

The effects induced by exogenous manipulation of endocannabinoid neurotransmission on emotion and memory are often contradictory. Among the different factors involved, of particular interest is the binding affinity of endocannabinoids, and their analogs, for other receptor families beyond cannabinoid receptors, such as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), and the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1). The aim of this study was to investigate which receptor subtype mediates cannabinoid effects on memory consolidation for emotionally arousing experiences. We tested two cannabinoid compounds with different pharmacological properties in the inhibitory avoidance task, and evaluated whether the observed effects are mediated by cannabinoid, PPARα or TRPV1 receptor activation. We found that the synthetic cannabinoid agonist WIN55,212-2 and the FAAH inhibitor URB597 both enhanced memory consolidation for inhibitory avoidance training. WIN55,212-22 effects on memory consolidation were predominantly mediated by CB1 receptor activation but CB2 receptors were involved as well. The URB597-induced memory enhancement was dependent on the activation not only of CB1 and CB2 receptors but, notwithstanding, PPAR-α and TRPV1 receptors were involved as well. Our findings drive beyond the classical hypothesis centered on the unique role of CB1 receptor activation for cannabinoid effects on memory, and reveal new insights in the neural mechanisms of memory consolidation.
The Changing Shape of Leadership.

Terry, the superintendent of a school district of 63,000 students, is meeting today with the district's Instructional Leadership Team. In addition to Terry, the team includes the chief operating officer, the deputy director of teaching and learning, three deputy superintendents, the chief financial officer, the equity officer, the director of human resources, and nine principals who serve as cluster leaders in the district. The team meets twice a month and spends most of its three-hour meeting discussing the teaching and learning work of the schools. This week, the group is focusing on closing the achievement gap between students of color and their white peers.
You Light my Fire: Understanding Pathological Firesetting

Another motivation may be a disorder of thought, perception, or mood. In these cases the motivation may or may not be a derivative of the symptom (e.g., driven by a delusion or hallucination). Too often persons with Axis I psychiatric disorders will report symptoms as motives in an attempt to exculpate themselves. The prevalence of firesetting behaviors in the psychiatric population is difficult to examine and infrequently studied. Two studies in Massachusetts psychiatric hospitals indicated that 27% of patients had lifetime histories of firesetting behavior and 18% had actually set a fire.1, 2 Informal inquiries among psychiatrists, district attorneys, and police indicated this percentage was much higher than expected.
Approximation resistance on satisfiable instances for predicates with few accepting inputs

We prove that for all integer k ≥ 3, there is a predicate P on k Boolean variables with 2~O(k1/3) accepting assignments that is approximation resistant even on satisfiable instances. That is, given a satisfiable CSP instance with constraint P, we cannot achieve better approximation ratio than simply picking random assignments. This improves the best previously known result by Hastad and Khot where the predicate has 2O(k1/2) accepting assignments. Our construction is inspired by several recent developments. One is the idea of using direct sums to improve soundness of PCPs, developed by Chan [5]. We also use techniques from Wenner [32] to construct PCPs with perfect completeness without relying on the d-to-1 Conjecture.
MAGNOLIA: multiple alignment of protein–coding and structural RNA sequences

MAGNOLIA is a new software for multiple alignment of nucleic acid sequences, which are recognized to be hard to align. The idea is that the multiple alignment process should be improved by taking into account the putative function of the sequences. In this perspective, MAGNOLIA is especially designed for sequences that are intended to be either protein-coding or structural RNAs. It extracts information from the similarities and differences in the data, and searches for a specific evolutionary pattern between sequences before aligning them. The alignment step then incorporates this information to achieve higher accuracy. The website is available at http://bioinfo.lifl. fr/magnolia.
A high-performance multiported L2 memory IP for scalable three-dimensional integration

L2 memory, serving multiple clusters of tightly coupled processors, is well-suited for 3D integration, given its large required size and tolerance to latency and variations in memory access time. In this paper, we focus on the design of a synthesizable L2 memory IP component, which can be attached to a cluster-based multi-core platform through its NoC ports, and offer high-bandwidth memory access with low average latency. We propose a scalable 3D nonuniform memory access (NUMA) architecture, based on low latency logarithmic interconnects, which allows stacking of multiple memory layers with identical dies, supports multiple outstanding transactions, and achieves high clock frequencies due to its highly pipelined nature. Benchmark simulation results demonstrate that addition of 3D-NUMA to a multi-core NoC can result in an average performance boost of 34%. Physical synthesis results show that 3D-NUMA memory system can operate at 500 MHz in STMicroelec-tronics CMOS-28nm Low Power Technology (bounded by memory cut access time, while its logic components can operate up to 1 GHz), up to 8 layers (4 MB) with a memory density loss of only 16%.
Solving Shortest Capacitated Path Problem Using a Bi-Objective Heuristic Approach

The shortest capacitated path problem is a well known problem in the networking area, having a wide range of applications. In the shortest capacitated path problem, a traffic flow occurs from a source node to a destination node in a certain direction subject to a cost constraint. In this paper, a new approach for dealing with this problem is proposed. The proposed algorithm uses a special way to build valid solutions and an improvement technique to adjust the path. Some numerical experiments are performed using randomly generated networks having 25-200 nodes. Empirical results are compared with the results obtained using genetic algorithms which is an established technique for solving networking problems