Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The dynamics of the cat retinal Y cell subunit.

1. The dynamics of the subunit mechanism of individual cat Y retinal ganglion cells are investigated. In order to isolate the response of the non‐linear subunit mechanism, the visual stimuli were sine gratings of a spatial frequency sufficiently high so that contrast reversal of the grating elicited no fundamental response in any spatial phase. For study of the non‐linear subunit mechanism, the contrast of the spatial spine grating was varied in time by a temporal modulation signal, consisting of either a square wave or a sum of sinusoids. 2. The responses of twenty‐three Y ganglion cells (sixteen on‐centre, seven off‐centre) to these two stimulus types were measured at a range of contrasts. Responses to the sum‐of‐sinusoids signal were characterized by the second‐order frequency kernel. The overall size of the second‐order frequency kernel was approximately proportional to contrast. The deviation from proportionality suggested a power‐law scaling, with a power in the range 0.8‐0.9. 3. Square‐wave responses, as characterized by the post‐stimulus histogram, demonstrated identical responses at both reversals of the grating. A similar contrast dependence was observed in the overall size of the square‐wave responses. 4. In order to attempt to predict the square‐wave responses from the sum‐of‐sinusoids responses, the second‐order frequency kernel measured at each contrast level was fitted with a lumped linear‐static non‐linear‐linear model. In eighteen of twenty‐three cells (eleven on‐centre, seven off‐centre), this model provided an adequate description of the response to the sum‐of‐sinusoids stimulus. In these cells, the linear‐static non‐linear‐linear model accurately reproduced the square‐wave response. 5. In the remaining five ganglion cells (all on‐centre), the second‐order frequency kernel could not be fitted by a linear‐static non‐linear‐linear model. This diversity of dynamical properties among Y cells was not apparent from the responses of these Y cells to the square‐wave temporal stimulus. 6. In the eighteen Y ganglion cells that were fitted well with the linear‐static non‐linear‐linear model, substantial variation of the dynamical parameters was found. However, there were systematic differences between the dynamics of the typical on‐centre and off‐centre ganglion cells. These differences relate to both linear stages of the model, and are not merely consequences of the lower firing rate of the off‐centre cells. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Repeat injection of botulinum toxin A is safe and effective for upper limb movement and function in children with cerebral palsy

The efficacy of repeated botulinum toxin A (BTX‐A) injections in two and three dose regimes, together with occupational therapy, on upper limb movement and function, was studied using an evaluator blinded, randomized, controlled two‐group trial. Forty‐two children (31 males, 11 females; range 2–8y, mean 4y [SD 1y 7mo]) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System Level I) longitudinally participated for 30 months, with the first 6 months reported earlier (Lowe et al. 2006). The BTX‐A group (n=21) received three injections (0, 6, and 18mo), while the delayed group had two (6 and 18mo; dose 0.5‐2.1 units/kg, mean 1.5 [SD 0.18]; dilution 100 units/0.5ml). At 30 months, no difference existed between groups on any standardized measures. First and second injections showed significant treatment effect sizes, on Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (5.5 p=0.01: 4.5 p=0.03); parent Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS; 3.5 p=0.02: 3.9 p=0.01; therapist GAS 7.8 p=0.00: 4.0 p=0.03); Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (performance 0.4 p=0.05: 0.4 p=0.02; satisfaction 0.4 p=0.05: 0.37 p=0.08); and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory functional skills (1.8 p=0.00: 2.3 p=0.04). BTX‐A was not linked to adverse events, suggesting repeated upper limb injections in children with hemiplegia receiving occupational therapy were safe and effective for improvement of movement and function.
Histone Deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and Other Class I HDACs Regulate Colon Cell Maturation and p21 Expression and Are Deregulated in Human Colon Cancer*

Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) induce growth arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis of colon cancer cell lines in vitro and have demonstrated anti-cancer efficacy in clinical trials. Whereas a role for HDAC1 and -2 in mediating components of the HDAC inhibitor response has been reported, the role of HDAC3 is unknown. Here we demonstrate increased protein expression of HDAC3 in human colon tumors and in duodenal adenomas from Apc1638N/+ mice. HDAC3 was also maximally expressed in proliferating crypt cells in normal intestine. Silencing of HDAC3 expression in colon cancer cell lines resulted in growth inhibition, a decrease in cell survival, and increased apoptosis. Similar effects were observed for HDAC2 and, to a lesser extent, for HDAC1. HDAC3 silencing also selectively induced expression of alkaline phosphatase, a marker of colon cell maturation. Concurrent with its effect on cell growth, overexpression of HDAC3 and other Class I HDACs inhibited basal and butyrate-induced p21 transcription in a Sp1/Sp3-dependent manner, whereas silencing of HDAC3 stimulated p21 promoter activity and expression. However, the magnitude of the effects elicited by silencing of individual Class I HDACs was significantly less than that induced by HDAC inhibitors. These findings identify HDAC3 as a gene deregulated in human colon cancer and as a novel regulator of colon cell maturation and p21 expression. These findings also demonstrate that multiple Class I HDACs are involved in repressing p21 and suggest that the growth-inhibitory and apoptotic effects induced by HDAC inhibitors are probably mediated through the inhibition of multiple HDACs.
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board

SUMMARY: The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board will conduct a public meeting with industry representatives, academics, technologists, government personnel, and members of the advocacy community, on the topic: " Defining Privacy. " While the Board will address the definition of privacy in the context of government counterterrorism programs, it is also interested in what conceptual interests are involved in the protection of privacy, how the impact of technology has affected privacy, what privacy interests have been identified by government privacy officials, what lessons have been learned in the private sector, and what the best way is for government to address privacy concerns. Interested parties are encouraged to attend and to submit comments. The meeting and comments will inform the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board's approach to privacy issues within its statutory purview. Visit www.pclob. gov for a list of panelists closer to the meeting date.
Centrosome Function: Sometimes Less Is More

Tight regulation of centrosome duplication is critical to ensure that centrosome number doubles once and only once per cell cycle. Superimposed onto this centrosome duplication cycle is a functional centrosome cycle in which they alternate between phases of quiescence and robust microtubule (MT) nucleation and MT‐anchoring activities. In vertebrate cycling cells, interphase centrioles accumulate less pericentriolar material (PCM), reducing their MT nucleation capacity. In mitosis, centrosomes mature, accumulating more PCM to increase their nucleation and anchoring capacities to form robust MT asters. Interestingly, functional cycles of centrosomes can be altered to suit the cell’s needs. Some interphase centrosomes function as a microtubule‐organizing center by increasing their ability to anchor MTs to form centrosomal radial arrays. Other interphase centrosomes maintain their MT nucleation capacity but reduce/eliminate their MT‐anchoring capacity. Recent work demonstrates that Drosophila cells take this to the extreme, whereby centrioles lose all detectable PCM during interphase, offering an explanation as to how centrosome‐deficient flies develop to adulthood. Drosophila stem cells further modify the functional cycle by differentially regulating their two centrioles – a situation that seems important for stem cell asymmetric divisions, as misregulation of centrosome duplication in stem/progenitor cells can promote tumor formation. Here, we review recent findings that describe variations in the functional cycle of centrosomes.
Macroeconomic determinants of public debt growth: A case study for Tunisia

This article offers an econometric investigation of the macroeconomic determinants of public debt in Tunisia using VECM model for the period 1986-2015. The results of the full sample analysis reveal that inflation and investment reduce the value of public debt. However, real interest rate, budget deficit and trade openness increase public debt. The study shows also the budget deficit is the most important determinant of public debt in Tunisia.
Continuous Progression of Orthostatic Tachycardia as a Further Feature of the Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Background: The clinical diagnosis of the postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) includes the demonstration of an upright heart rate (HR) of at least 30 beats per minute (bpm) above supine HR. The dynamic behavior of HR during the course of standing has not yet been studied systematically in POTS.
Impact of a telemedicine system on acute stroke care in a community hospital

In January 2007, a telestroke system was established between a community hospital lacking a neurologist on call and a stroke centre 70 km away. The telestroke system allowed urgent remote evaluation of the patient by a specialized neurologist, supervised thrombolytic treatment or a decision for urgent transfer to the stroke centre. During the first year of operation of the telestroke system, we studied all acute ischaemic stroke patients admitted to the community hospital and compared the results with the previous year. Approximately the same number of acute stroke patients were admitted to the community hospital in each year (201 cases in 2006 and 198 in 2007). The telestroke system was activated 75 times in 2007, the number of stroke patients evaluated by a specialized neurologist increased (17% vs. 38%, P > 0.001) and interhospital transfers were reduced (17% vs. 6%, P = 0.001). The number of thrombolytic treatments was doubled: 4.5% (n = 9) in 2006 vs. 9.6% (n = 19, 12 of them in the community hospital) in 2007 (P = 0.073). The telestroke system also reduced the time to tPA treatment from symptom onset (210 vs. 162 min, P = 0.05) and increased the number of patients treated in the 0–3 hours window (40% vs. 63%, P = 0.09). Telemedicine improved the quality of care administered to acute stroke patients admitted to a community hospital and reduced the number of inter-hospital transfers.
Opposite effects on hippocampal corticosteroid receptors induced by stimulation of beta and alpha 1 noradrenergic receptors.

Central corticosteroid receptors play an important role in the regulation of the secretion of corticosterone. Although these receptors are thought to be regulated by circulating levels of corticosterone, there is evidence for direct neural control. For example, it has been shown that noradrenergic lesions can both increase and decrease corticosteroid receptors depending on the brain structure involved. In the present study, we investigated the role of different noradrenergic receptors in the rat, by examining the effect of the acute administration of agonists and antagonists of beta and alpha 1 noradrenergic receptors on hippocampal type I and type II corticosteroid receptor levels. The effects of these drugs were studied in adrenalectomized animals whose plasma levels of corticosterone were maintained in the physiological range by implantation of coritcosterone pellets. Our results show that the beta receptor agonist salbutamol (5 mg/kg) increased the number of type I and type II hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. This effect was blocked by the beta receptor antagonist propranolol (5 mg/kg), which had no effect on its own. In contrast, the alpha 1 receptor agonist phenylephrine (100 micrograms) reduced the number of type I and type II corticosteroid receptors, whereas the alpha 1 receptor antagonist prazosin (0.5 mg/kg) increased type I receptors. The effect of prazosin was attributed to an increase in the relative beta tonus resulting from blockade of alpha 1 receptors. Its effect was reversed by the simultaneous injection of the beta receptor antagonist propranolol. In conclusion, our results show that noradrenergic transmission can have both a facilitatory and an inhibitory action on central corticosteroid receptors by acting respectively on beta and alpha 1 noradrenergic receptors. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Secondary immunisation with high‐dose heterologous peptide leads to CD8 T cell populations with reduced functional avidity

Expansion of high‐ or low‐avidity CD8 T cells in vitro inversely correlates with the concentration of peptide ligand present during culture. In contrast, the selective enrichment of high‐ or low‐avidity T cell populations in vivo using peptide immunisation is not well documented. In our study, a single immunisation with different doses of wild‐type peptide or a variant peptide able to stimulate CTL responses cross‐reactive with wild‐type peptide failed to shift the average avidity of the responding CD8 T cell population specific to either peptide. However, in contrast to homologous prime‐boost immunisation, heterologous prime‐boost immunisation incorporating high doses of the second immunogen resulted in peptide‐specific CD8 T cell populations polarized toward a low average functional avidity. These data suggest that sequential exposure to structurally related viral peptides could impair rather than promote anti‐viral immunity by lowering the avidity of the responding CD8 T cell population. This study has implications for improving vaccine strategies against viruses and tumours and enhances our understanding of heterologous immunity during sequential viral infection.
Digital games for learning: A systematic review and meta-analysis

In 2006, the Federation of American Scientists issued a widely publicized report stating their belief that games offer a powerful new tool to support education (FAS, 2006). The report encouraged private and governmental support for expanded research into complex gaming environments for learning. A special issue of Science in 2009 echoed and expanded this call (Hines, Jasny, & Mervis, 2009) as have reports by the National Research Council (NRC, 2009, 2010). These reports also underscore, however, that solid evidence for the contributions of games to learning is sparse.
Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective in the treatment of tics in Tourette syndrome: a 6-week randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Preliminary studies suggested that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive ingredient of Cannabis sativa L. , might be effective in the treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS). This study was performed to investigate for the first time under controlled conditions, over a longer-term treatment period, whether THC is effective and safe in reducing tics in TS. METHOD In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 24 patients with TS, according to DSM-III-R criteria, were treated over a 6-week period with up to 10 mg/day of THC. Tics were rated at 6 visits (visit 1, baseline; visits 2-4, during treatment period; visits 5-6, after withdrawal of medication) using the Tourette Syndrome Clinical Global Impressions scale (TS-CGI), the Shapiro Tourette-Syndrome Severity Scale (STSSS), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the self-rated Tourette Syndrome Symptom List (TSSL), and a videotape-based rating scale. RESULTS Seven patients dropped out of the study or had to be excluded, but only 1 due to side effects. Using the TS-CGI, STSSS, YGTSS, and video rating scale, we found a significant difference (p <.05) or a trend toward a significant difference (p <.10) between THC and placebo groups at visits 2, 3, and/or 4. Using the TSSL at 10 treatment days (between days 16 and 41) there was a significant difference (p <.05) between both groups. ANOVA as well demonstrated a significant difference (p =.037). No serious adverse effects occurred. CONCLUSION Our results provide more evidence that THC is effective and safe in the treatment of tics. It, therefore, can be hypothesized that the central cannabinoid receptor system might play a role in TS pathology.
ANGIOTENSIN II ACTIVATES PRESSOR AND DEPRESSOR SITES OF THE PONTOMEDULLA THAT REACT TO GLUTAMATE

1. In cats anaesthetized with a mixture of α‐chloralose (40 mg/kg) and urethane (400 mg/kg) and in rats anaesthetized with a mixture of α‐chloralose (60 mg/kg) and urethane (800 mg/kg), changes in systemic arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate (HR) and sympathetic activities of vertebral (VNA) and renal (RNA) nerves were determined following the micro‐injection of angiotensin II (AngII; 0.16 mmol/L; 50 nL) into the pressor and depressor sites of the pontomedulla previously reacted to a microinjection of monosodium l‐glutamate (Glu; O.1 mol/L; 50 nL). Pressor sites included gigantocellular tegmental field (FTG) and dorsal medulla (DM) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (VLM). The depressor site was the caudal VLM (CVLM). The effects of losartan (1 mmol/L; 50 nL), a specific AT1 receptor non‐peptide antagonist for AngII, on responses induced by AngII in the VLM, DM and CVLM were also determined.
Effect of gold wire configuration parameters on the reliability of the stacked die package

Based on the module design of DTV receiver subsystem, effect of gold wire configuration parameters on the reliability of stacked die package for CPU and DDR chips was investigated by finite element method (FEM). In order to meet the requirement of the minimized package and rapid signal transmission between chips, the BGA package suitable for minimization was selected as packaging type, the 3D stacked die package was adopted as packaging structure, and wire was used as interconnection. Results show that the wire geometric parameters affected the quality of wires. With an increase in loop height, the stress of joints decreases. However, the central portion of wire deformation increases and results in short-circuit between fine pitch wires. Hence, the loop height of 150μm was optimized for this special package. With an increase in horizontal spacing of wire, the stress of joints decreases. When the horizontal spacing of wire is greater than 7mm, serious deformation appears at the central of wire. Thus, the horizontal spacing of wire might be controlled in the range of 1-6mm. When the vertical spacing of pad ranges from 0.2mm to 1.2mm, the stress of solder joints firstly increases and then decreases, and the central portion of wire deformation increases slightly. The optimized vertical spacing of pad is 0.2mm, 0.5mm, and 0.7mm. Results of this study could be a good reference for the selection of wire configuration of the stacked die package.
The effects of a reduced-sodium, high-potassium salt substitute on food taste and acceptability in rural northern China

A potassium chloride-containing salt substitute lowers blood pressure levels, but its overall acceptability has been of concern due to its potential adverse effects on food taste. In a large-scale, blinded randomised trial evaluating the comparative effects of a salt substitute (65 % sodium chloride, 25 % potassium chloride and 10 % magnesium sulphate) and a normal salt (100 % sodium chloride) on blood pressure, we collected data on the saltiness, flavour and overall acceptability of food. We performed this at baseline, 1, 6 and 12 months post-randomisation using 100 mm visual analogue scales for assessments of both home-cooked foods and a standard salty soup. The mean age of the 608 participants from rural northern China was 60 years and 56 % of them were females. In the primary analyses, the changes in the saltiness, flavour and overall acceptability of both home-cooked foods and a standard salty soup were not different between the randomised groups (all P>0·08). In the secondary analyses, weighting each of the data points according to the lengths of the respective follow-up intervals, the flavour of both home-cooked foods (mean difference = − 1·8 mm, P = 0·045) and a standard salty soup (mean difference = − 1·9 mm, P = 0·03) was slightly weaker in the salt substitute group. We conclude that salt substitution is both an effective and an acceptable means of blood pressure control. Possible small differences in flavour did not importantly deter the use of the salt substitute in this study group, although the acceptability of the salt substitute by a more general population group would need to be confirmed.
Phenotypic Switching in Candida glabrata Accompanied by Changes in Expression of Genes with Deduced Functions in Copper Detoxification and Stress

ABSTRACT Most strains of Candida glabrata switch spontaneously between a number of phenotypes distinguishable by graded brown coloration on agar containing 1 mM CuSO4, a phenomenon referred to as “core switching. ” C. glabrata also switches spontaneously and reversibly from core phenotypes to an irregular wrinkle (IWr) phenotype, a phenomenon referred to as “irregular wrinkle switching. ” To identify genes differentially expressed in the core phenotypes white (Wh) and dark brown (DB), a cDNA subtraction strategy was employed. Twenty-three genes were identified as up-regulated in DB, four in Wh, and six in IWr. Up-regulation was verified in two unrelated strains, one a and one α strain. The functions of these genes were deduced from the functions of their Saccharomyces cerevisiae orthologs. The majority of genes up-regulated in DB (78%) played deduced roles in copper assimilation, sulfur assimilation, and stress responses. These genes were differentially up-regulated in DB even though the conditions of growth for Wh and DB, including CuSO4 concentration, were identical. Hence, the regulation of these genes, normally regulated by environmental cues, has been usurped by switching, presumably as an adaptation to the challenging host environment. These results are consistent with the suggestion that switching provides colonizing populations with a minority of cells expressing a phenotype that allows them to enrich in response to an environmental challenge, a form of rapid adaptation. However, DB is the most commonly expressed phenotype at sites of host colonization, in the apparent absence of elevated copper levels. Hence, up-regulation of these genes by switching suggests that in some cases they may play roles in colonization and virulence not immediately obvious from the roles played by their orthologs in S. cerevisiae.