Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title: In vivo microstimulation with cathodic and anodic asymmetric waveforms modulates spatiotemporal calcium dynamics in cortical neuropil and pyramidal neurons.

: Electrical stimulation has been critical in the development of an understanding of brain function and disease. Despite its widespread use and obvious clinical potential, the mechanisms governing stimulation in the cortex remain largely unexplored in the context of pulse parameters. Modeling studies have suggested that modulation of stimulation pulse waveform may be able to control the probability of neuronal activation to selectively stimulate either cell bodies or passing fibers depending on the leading polarity. Thus, asymmetric waveforms ( i.e. increasing the leading phase duration and proportionately decreasing the amplitude) may be able to activate a more spatially localized or distributed population of neurons if the leading phase is cathodic or anodic, respectively. Here, we use two photon and mesoscale calcium imaging of GCaMP6s expressed in excitatory pyramidal neurons of male mice to investigate the role of pulse polarity and waveform asymmetry on the spatiotemporal properties of direct neuronal activation with 10 Hz electrical stimulation. We demonstrate that increasing cathodic asymmetry effectively reduces neuronal activation and results in a more spatially localized subpopulation of activated neurons without sacrificing the density of activated neurons around the electrode. Conversely, increasing anodic asymmetry increases the spatial spread of activation and highly resembles spatio-temporal calcium activity induced by conventional symmetric cathodic stimulation. These
Quality Improvement of Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract Quality of cotton can be defined through seed or fiber properties, but is most often associated with fiber properties that influence processing into yarn and textile products. Global competition in the production and consumption of cotton fiber combined with technological evolution of yarn manufacturing has spurred renewed efforts to enhance cotton fiber quality. Cotton fiber quality can be improved through genetics, crop management, and postharvest processing. Knowledge of the effects of fiber properties on processing and their inheritance, relationships, and environmental influences is necessary to formulate improvement strategies. Breeding to improve fiber quality has traditionally focused on enhancing measures of the longest fibers or fiber strength for ring yarn manufacturing systems. With the technological evolution of yarn manufacturing from solely ring-based spinning to predominately rotor and potentially in the near future air-jet spinning, needs for fiber profiles have been revised for .
A Hill Full of Points in Terra Incognita from Patagonia: Notes and Reflections for Discussing the Way and Tempo of Initial Peopling

Abstract We present the environmental and archeological results of research at Cerro Amigo Oeste, a mesa-top archeological site with Fishtail points located on the Somuncurá Plateau, northern Patagonia, Argentina. Comparison with other South American sites is used to interpret archeological landscapes of colonization. The objects, features, and beings of landscape are understood as reflecting the materiality of social relations as well as patterns of production, retooling, and mobility. Cerro Amigo Oeste is in a very special location due to its high elevation and extensive view of the landscape, as well as its archeological and ethnographic significance. It can be considered a node or hub of communication in the social network among hunter-gatherers far and near in the late Pleistocene.
Multispectral satellite imagery segmentation using a simplified JSEG approach

It is a big challenge to segment remote sensing images especially multispectral satellite imagery due to their unique features. In consideration of the fact that satellite imagery are playing an increasingly important role, we conducted the research on segmentation of such imagery. Since multispectral satellite imagery are more similar to natural color images than to other types of images, it is more likely that studies on natural color images segmentation can be extended to multispectral satellite imagery. The obstacle of applying these studies into multispectral satellite imagery lies into their inefficiency when dealing with the large size of images. Therefore, based on a natural color image segmentation approach -- JSEG, we proposed a more efficient one. First, a grid-based cluster initialization approach is proposed to obtain the initial cluster centers, based on which, a fast image quantization approach is implemented. Second, a feature image named J-image to describe local homogeneity is obtained. Then a watershed approach is applied to the J-image, and initial segmentation results are obtained. At last, based on the histogram similarity of each region, a simplified growth merging approach is proposed and the final segmentation results are obtained. By comparing the result of the JSEG approach and the proposed one, we found that the latter is rather efficient and accurate. Advice on further studies is also presented.
Molecular Monitoring of D1466 Genotype of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus In Iran: A Retrospective Study (2013-2017)

Infectious bronchitis is one of the most common diseases in the poultry industry in many countries, especially in countries with a dense poultry farming industry. The disease agent is a gammacoronavirus, and chickens and poultries are considered as natural reservoirs of the virus. Various strains of the infectious bronchitis virus have been reported in the poultry around the world, and in terms of pathogenicity, a spectrum of diseases ranges from moderate respiratory tract to kidney diseases and reproductive and do not cause cross-immunity against each other, which makes it difficult to control the disease. Based on the analysis of the highly variable region of glycoprotein S1 gene, isolated strains in Iran were classified into seven different phylogenetic groups including Massachusetts, QX, IS-720, IS-1494, 793 / B, IR-1 and IR-2. D1466 genotype has not been reported in the country, but the killed vaccine is used in mother farms. In this study, tissue specimens from 700 farms (broiler farms, egg laying farms and broiler Breeder farms) suspected to infectious bronchitis during 2013 to 2017 were examined usin Real-time RT-PCR. D1466 genotype was not detected in any of the studied specimens. Due to the lack of immunity from D1466 serotype against the dominant types in the country, one has to be careful in choosing the right vaccine. Continuous monitoring of the circulation status of the various serotypes of viruses in the country is necessary in order to identify the dominant serotypes and possible new serotypes for the utilization of the appropriate vaccine.
Estimation of Spectral Distribution of Scene Illumination from a Single Image

This article proposes an illuminant estimation algorithm that estimates the spectral power distribution of an incident light source from a single image. The proposed illumination recovery procedure has two phases. First, the surface spectral reflectances are recovered. In this case, the surface spectral reflectances recovered are limited to the maximum achromatic region (MAR) which is the most achromatic and highly bright region of an image, after applying intermediate color constancy process using a modified gray-world algorithm. Next, the surface reflectances of the maximum achromatic region are estimated using the principal component analysis method along with a set of given Munsell samples. Second, the spectral distribution of reflected lights of MAR is selected from the spectral database. That is, a color difference is compared between the reflected lights of the MAR and the spectral database, which is the set of reflected lights built by the given Munsell samples and a set of illuminants. Then the closest colors from the spectral database are selected. Finally, the illuminant of an image can be calculated dividing the average spectral distributions of reflected lights of MAR by the average surface reflectances of the MAR. In order to evaluate the proposed algorithm, experiments with artificial and real captured color-biased scenes were performed and numerical comparison examined. The proposed method was effective in estimating the spectral distribution of the given illuminants under various illuminants and scenes without white points.
Is Dietary Diversity an Indicator of Food Security or Dietary Quality? a Review of Measurement Issues and Research Needs

FCND Discussion Papers contain preliminary material and research results, and are circulated prior to a full peer review in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment. It is expected that most Discussion Papers will eventually be published in some other form, and that their content may also be revised. ABSTRACT Although dietary diversity is universally recognized as a key component of healthy diets, there is still a lack of consensus on how to measure and operationalize it. This paper focuses on the issues of dietary diversity in developing countries. It also draws upon experience from developed countries to address the following questions: 1. How is dietary diversity conceptualized, operationalized, and measured, and how does it relate operationally to dietary quality? 2. Is there an association between dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy in developing countries? Between dietary diversity and child growth? 3. What is the relationship between household-level dietary diversity and socioeconomic factors and food security? 4. What key measurement issues need to be addressed to better operationalize and understand dietary diversity? Dietary diversity is usually measured using a simple count of foods or food groups over a given reference period, but a number of different groupings and classification systems have been used, and reference periods have ranged from 1 to 15 days. This makes comparisons between studies difficult to interpret. The few studies that have validated dietary diversity against nutrient adequacy in developing countries confirm the well-documented positive relationship observed in developed countries. A iii consistent positive association between dietary diversity and child growth is also found in a number of countries. Finally, recent evidence from a multicountry analysis suggests that household-level dietary diversity is strongly associated with per capita consumption (a proxy for income) and energy availability, suggesting that dietary diversity could be a useful indicator of household food security (defined in relation to energy availability). A number of measurement issues still need to be addressed to improve assessment of dietary diversity. These include the selection of foods and food groupings, the consideration of portion size and frequency of intake, and the selection of scoring systems, cutoff points, and reference periods that will ensure the validity and reliability of the indicator for the purpose for which it is used. Dietary diversity is clearly a promising measurement tool, but additional research is needed in developing countries to validate and test alternative indicators for different purposes. First, research is needed to …
Interaction of oral antidiabetic drugs with hepatic uptake transporters: focus on OATPs and OCT1

Objective: The uptake of drugs into hepatocytes is a key determinant for hepatic metabolism, intrahepatic action as well as their subsequent systemic plasma concentrations and extrahepatic actions. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that many drugs used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases (e.g. oral antidiabetic drugs, statins) are taken up into hepatocytes by distinct organic anion transporters (OATPs = organic anion transporting polypeptides; gene symbol SLCO/SLC21) or organic cation transporters (OCTs = organic cation transporters; gene symbol SLC22). Since most patients with diabetes type 2 receive more than one drug and inhibition of drug transporters has been recognized as a new mechanism underlying drug-drug interactions, we tested the hypothesis whether oral antidiabetic drugs can inhibit the transport mediated by hepatic uptake transporters. Research Design and Methods : Using stably transfected cell systems recombinantly expressing the uptake transporters OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1, or OCT1 we analyzed, whether the antidiabetic drugs repaglinide, rosiglitazone, or metformin influence the transport of substrates and drugs [for OATPs: BSP (sulfobromophthalein) and pravastatin; for OCT1: MPP + (1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) and metformin]. Results: Metformin did not inhibit the uptake of OATP- and OCT1-substrates. However, OATP-mediated BSP and pravastatin uptake as well as OCT1-mediated MPP + and metformin uptake was significantly inhibited by repaglinide (IC 50 : 1.6 to 5.6 µM) and rosiglitazone (IC 50 : 5.2 to 30.4 µM). Conclusions: These in vitro results demonstrate that alterations of uptake transporter function by oral antidiabetics have to be considered as potential mechanisms underlying drug-drug interactions.
Canteen Koppie at Barkly West: South Africa’s first diamond mine

Canteen Koppie, a national monument of historical value, occurs next to Barkly West on the north bank of the Vaal River. Diamonds were discovered there in 1869 and it became the first alluvial diamond diggings in South Africa. The digging continued, albeit on and off in the years leading up to 1948 when the site was proclaimed a national monument. The sediments occur in a structurally controlled and glacially modified depression within the andesitic lavas of the Archaean Ventersdorp Supergroup. The fluvial gravels were deposited, and locally mixed with the colluvium, in the downstream end of a palaeo-loop of the Vaal River as a splay deposit where the channel abruptly widens as it exits this narrow loop. The gravel accumulation has been described as the 12 m to 16 m terrace package linked to the Younger Gravels of the Vaal Basin and correlated with the Pleistocene Rietputs Formation. There are two gravel facies associations and one sand facies within the splay unit. Colluvial facies are dominant particularly in the upper part and are composed of large andesite fragments which are mostly sub-angular and lacking obvious abrasion features suggesting that these are of local derivation. The gravel of the fluvial facies are crudely cross-bedded and consist of small to medium sized exotic sub-rounded pebbles that have been mixed with the local andesite boulders in the toes of the scree deposits. These facies are more prominent in the lower part of the succession. The red sand facies occurs as thin cover particularly in the distal part of the gravel units and increases in thickness in the lee of the gravel splay. The exotic clasts in the fluvial gravel are derived from the palaeo-Vaal, erosion of nearby Dwyka sediments which can still be found along the north bank of the loop, and by reworking of higher level and older gravels, remnants of which are still present on top of the hill at Canteen Koppie. The input of the coarse andesite clasts is linked to scree slope deposits fed by exfoliation of local bedrock from this hill. The upward coarsening trend of this infill reflects the gradual abandonment of the loop by the palaeo-Vaal and its inability to remove the coarse colluvium during those latter stages of its occupation of this palaeo-loop. A climatic change to more arid periods might have had some influence. Canteen Koppie has also produced an abundance of Acheulian Stone Age artefacts. These are present in both sedimentary facies suggesting that this splay deposit is at least Late Pliocene to Lower and Middle Pleistocene in age. Recent dating of the overlying sands indicates that these are at least 125 000 years old. Finally an analysis of the mining records suggests that this splay deposit might have produced between 10 000 carats and 15 000 carats of diamonds which would have expressed itself in the region of three to five carats per hundred tonnes. The oversize clasts of the scree deposits would have acted as important traps for the diamonds.
Optical backscatter characteristics of Arctic polar stratospheric clouds

Airborne lidar measurements have been made of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition in January-February 1989. These show the existence of a systematic relationship between the backscatter depolarization ratio, {delta}, and the (aerosol + molecular)/molecular backscatter ratio, R. The data are consistent with a two population PSC particle model. The first population consists of particles with low values for {delta} ({le} 0.02) and low to intermediate values for R ({le} 6). The second population is characterized by higher values for {delta} (up to 0.60) and R (up to 40 or greater). The relationship between {delta} and R, observed within a limited range of altitudes and latitudes, corresponds to a mixture of the two populations with variable concentrations but constant optical properties.
An integrated hydrologic Bayesian multimodel combination framework: Confronting input, parameter, and model structural uncertainty in hydrologic prediction

The conventional treatment of uncertainty in rainfall‐runoff modeling primarily attributes uncertainty in the input‐output representation of the model to uncertainty in the model parameters without explicitly addressing the input, output, and model structural uncertainties. This paper presents a new framework, the Integrated Bayesian Uncertainty Estimator (IBUNE), to account for the major uncertainties of hydrologic rainfall‐runoff predictions explicitly. IBUNE distinguishes between the various sources of uncertainty including parameter, input, and model structural uncertainty. An input error model in the form of a Gaussian multiplier has been introduced within IBUNE. These multipliers are assumed to be drawn from an identical distribution with an unknown mean and variance which were estimated along with other hydrological model parameters by a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) scheme. IBUNE also includes the Bayesian model averaging (BMA) scheme which is employed to further improve the prediction skill and address model structural uncertainty using multiple model outputs. A series of case studies using three rainfall‐runoff models to predict the streamflow in the Leaf River basin, Mississippi, are used to examine the necessity and usefulness of this technique. The results suggest that ignoring either input forcings error or model structural uncertainty will lead to unrealistic model simulations and incorrect uncertainty bounds.
Diurnal trends in geomagnetic noise power in the Pc 2 through Pc 5 bands at low geomagnetic latitudes

Mean, integrated geomagnetic noise power spectra in six octaves between 0.002 and 0.128 Hz from the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (AFGL) magnetometer network were grouped into seasonal ensembles. We found that the local time variation of the mean logarithm of this ensemble, with respect to both 3-hr and 8.5-min time blocks, consistently experienced a 5-10 dB maximum centered around local noon at higher frequencies and near dawn and dusk at lower frequencies, a factor of 3-10 in power. The shape of this trend differed with geomagnetic field component, geomagnetic latitude, and frequency octave. The high-frequency Pc 3 and 4 waves have a broad maximum in power centered on local noon, but the longer-period Pc 4 and 5 wave power maximizes away from noon toward dawn for the north-south geomagnetic field component and toward dusk for the east-west component. Two years of data did not provide a large enough sample to resolve a significant seasonal variation in the shape of the diurnal trend. These trends changed consistently during periods of enhanced global activity, as measured by the index Ap. These are among the first systematic observations of Pc 5 wave power at low geomagnetic latitudes (40°-55°), indicating that wave energy from the outer magnetosphere is coupling or propagating to low-latitude locations. This statistical study extends the few previous event studies by providing an explicit parametrization of local time trends in wave power as a function of frequency subband, geographic location, and magnetic activity.
Dose assessment from an online kilovoltage imaging system in radiation therapy

We have investigated the dosimetric properties of a commercial kilovoltage cone beam computerised tomography (kV-CBCT) system. The kV-CBCT doses were measured in 16 and 32 cm diameter standard cylindrical Perspex computerised tomography (CT) and Rando anthropomorphic phantoms using 125 kVp and 1.0–2.0 mA s per projection. We also measured skin doses using thermoluminescence dosimeters placed on the skin surfaces of prostate cancer patients undergoing kV–kV image matching for daily set-up. The skin doses from kV–kV image matching of prostate cancer patients on the anterior and lateral skin surfaces ranged from 0.03 ± 0.01 to 0.64 ± 0.01 cGy depending on the beam filtration and technique factors employed. The mean doses on the Rando phantom ranged from 3.0 ± 0.1 to 5.1 ± 0.3 cGy for full-fan scans and from 3.8 ± 0.1 to 6.6 ± 0.2 cGy for half-fan scans using 125 kVp and 2 mA s per projection. The isocentre cone beam dose index (CBDI) in the 16 and 32 cm Perspex phantoms is 4.65 and 1.81 cGy, respectively (using a 0.6 cm3 Capintec PR06C Farmer chamber) for full-fan scans, and the corresponding normalised CBDIs are 0.72 and 0.28 cGy/100 mA s, respectively. The mean weighted CBDIs are 4.93 and 2.14 cGy, and the normalised weighted CBDIs are 0.76 and 0.33 cGy/100 mA s for the 16 and 32 cm phantoms, respectively (full-fan scans). The normalised weighted CBDI for the half-fan scan is 0.41 cGy/100 mA s for the 32 cm diameter phantom. All measurements of the CBDI using the 0.6 cm3 Farmer chamber are within 2–5% of measurements taken with the 100 mm CT chamber. The CBDI technique and definitions can be used to benchmark CBCT systems and to provide estimates of imaging doses to patients undergoing on-board imager (OBI)/CBCT image guided radiation therapy.
Group‐specific polymerase chain reaction amplification of SSU rRNA‐encoding gene fragments from 12 microbial taxa

Starting from an alignment of all known representatives in GenBank, we designed group specific primers targeting SSU rRNA-encoding sequences of 12 microbial taxa known to contain insect pathogens and symbionts. We tested the specificity of these primers using representative species of all 12 groups as control templates. Polymerase chain reaction amplification conditions were modified until only group-specific templates yielded a positive signal. The presented primer pairs thus allow for the amplification of SSU rRNA-encoding sequences representing specific microbial groups directly from the environment (a social insect host in our study). We discuss possible applications of the identified molecular tools.