Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Afferent connections of the thalamic nucleus reuniens in the mouse

The nucleus reuniens (RE) is part of the midline thalamus and one of the major sources of thalamic inputs to the hippocampal formation and the medial prefrontal cortex. However, it not only sends strong efferents to these areas but is also heavily innervated by both brain regions. Based on its connectivity and supported by functional studies the RE has been suggested to represent a major hub in reciprocal hippocampal–prefrontal communication. Indeed, inactivation studies have demonstrated that this nucleus is particularly important for cognitive behaviors which depend on prefrontal–hippocampal communication, such as working memory or memory consolidation. However, besides its central role in mediating hippocampal–prefrontal communication, the RE is target of a multitude of other cortical and subcortical afferents, which likely modulate its function. So far, however, studies that have systematically investigated the afferents of the RE have only been performed in rats. Because of the unique role of the mouse as a genetically accessible model system for mammalian brain circuit analysis we have mapped the afferent connectivity of the mouse RE using retrograde Fluoro‐Gold tracing. Comparison with similar data from rats indicated a very high level of similarity in prefrontal and hippocampal afferents but some differences in afferent connectivity with other brain regions. In particular, our results suggest interspecies differences regarding the integration of the RE in circuits of fear, aversion, and defense.
Synthesis of Bulk Medium with Negative Permeability Using Ring Resonators

This paper presents simple expressions for the effective permeability of bulk metamaterial consisting of ring resonators (RRs) or split ring resonators (SRRs) based on the convenient geometrical factors of the structure compared with wavelength. The resonant frequency dependence of the medium permeability, including loss effects, is analyzed in detail. Inverting the analysis equations, useful design (or synthesis) equations are derived for a systematic design process with some examples. This paper may particularly be useful for the design of a bulk metamaterial with a specific negative relative permeability at a desired frequency. The loss of metamaterials consisting of RRs (or SRRs) is also analyzed over a wide frequency band from 10 MHz to 10 THz.
A simple, inexpensive video camera setup for the study of avian nest activity

Abstract Time-lapse video photography has become a valuable tool for collecting data on avian nest activity and depredation; however, commercially available systems are expensive (>USA $4000/unit). We designed an inexpensive system to identify causes of nest failure of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) and assessed its utility at Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia. We successfully identified raccoon (Procyon lotor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) predation on oystercatcher nests. Other detected causes of nest failure included tidal overwash, horse trampling, abandonment, and human destruction. System failure rates were comparable with commercially available units. Our system's efficacy and low cost (<$800) provided useful data for the management and conservation of the American Oystercatcher.
Measurement of Credit Risk Efficiency and Productivity Change for Commercial Banks in Taiwan

Efficiency measurement is based on the fact that the operational risks are important factors affecting the productivity of a bank. Particularly, the credit risk management of the banks has serious impact on productivity. In this paper, we use financial ratios to assess credit risk of 34 Taiwanese commercial banks over the period 2005-08, and investigate the productivity change based on the factors of credit risk with the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) approach, which is calculated from efficiency scores based on data envelopment analysis (DEA). Our results indicate that the productivity on credit risk of seventeen banks has been improving over the evaluated periods while seventeen banks have been declining. And according to the credit risk efficiency scores and credit risk MPI (CR-MPI), we classify the 34 banks into four groups. We find that different groups of banks should have different strategies of credit risk management to survive in this changing environment.
"I Don't Want Them to Not Know"

Dating platform research often focuses on people's decisions about when to reveal certain aspects of themselves to others, or self-disclosure. One example is deciding what to include in one's profile and what to reveal in chat conversations or in person. Transgender people face a particularly acute challenge in self-disclosure, but we know little about how they experience it on dating platforms. Revealing trans status can result in physical or emotional harm, but is also often considered necessary for a successful relationship and for self-fulfillment. To better understand disclosure of sensitive information, we interviewed 20 transgender dating platform users in the U.S. We find that direct, proactive disclosure of trans status was motivated by desires for safety and certainty, though this could involve tension. Physical separation and one-to-many communication surface as key affordances that facilitated disclosure. These results help us better understand motivations behind disclosure decisions.
Tails of two plume types in one mantle

Observations related to fl ood basalts suggest the existence of mantle plumes with large heads and thin trailing tails (cavity plumes). Seismic data suggest the existence of mantle plumes with thick tails (diapir plumes). The conditions required for diapir versus cavity plume generation are different, and in a chemically homogeneous mantle both types are not predicted to coexist. We show, however, that if a variable thickness chemical layer exists at the base of the mantle, consistent with seismic observations, then the coexistence of morphologically distinct plumes types is expected. The chemical layer governs temperature, and thus viscosity variations, in the thermal boundary layer from which mantle plumes rise. A locally thick layer leads to small viscosity variation instabilities and hence to diapir plumes. A locally thin chemical layer allows for large viscosity variations across the active portion of the lower mantle thermal boundary layer and, hence, for cavity plume formation. A chemical layer that can move in response to changing fl ow patterns allows for the potential that plumes can morphologically transition over their lifetimes. An expectation that the morphology and thermal structure of mantle plumes should vary according to the thickness of a chemical layer is consistent with correlations between seismic observations of chemically distinct material at the core-mantle boundary, the varied morphology of mantle thermal anomalies, and the inferred diversity in hotspot buoyancy fl uxes and excess temperatures.
TREE COMPONENT DEMOGRAPHY IN AN UPPER MONTANE MIXED OMBROPHILOUS FOREST UNDER CHRONIC ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCES

1 Received on 23.11. 2015 accepted for publication on 31.05. 2017. 2 Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Florestal, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brasil. E-mail: <juli_ajuri@hotmail.com>,<a. line_cruz@yahoo.com. br> ,<chayanesouza8@gmail.com>,<mariele.ferrer@hotmail.com>, <vanessasoboleski@hotmail.com> and <rhodineli@hotmail.com>. 3 Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Graduação em Engenharia Florestal,Lages, Santa Catarina, Brasil. E-mail: <fernandobuzzijunior@gmail.com>. 4 Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina,Departamento em Engenharia Florestal, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brasil. E-mail: <carol_sil4@yahoo.com. br> and <higuchip@gmail.com>. *Corresponding author.
Institutional Change, Happiness, and Fertility

Building on existing theories of fertility dynamics, this article provides a theoretical perspective that connects two recent strands of the literature. The first concerns gender equity and equality where institutions play a critical role. The second is that subjective well-being matters in explaining childbearing behaviour (and vice versa). Our key argument is that subjective well-being is a direct function of the discrepancy between aspirations and attainment, here interpreted as a potential mismatch between gender equity and equality. As aspirations change over time, discrepancy arises in so far institutions are unable to follow suit with new emerging preferences. This lowers subjective well-being associated with childbearing, and hence leads to lower levels of fertility. Our empirical analysis is based on the European Social Survey, and although taking an indirect approach, we provide support for this idea. Fertility and happiness are higher where institutions appear to have adapted to women’s new preferences and aspirations, which is further supported by strong gender differences in happiness associated with parenthood. Fathers are always happier than non-fathers—no matter the circumstances of the country where they reside—whereas mothers are happier only when relevant institutions are in place.
Mechanisms Mediating Nuclear Trafficking Involved in Viral Propagation by DNA Viruses

Typical viral propagation involves sequential viral entry, uncoating, replication, gene transcription and protein synthesis, and virion assembly and release. Some viral proteins must be transported into host nucleus to facilitate viral propagation, which is essential for the production of mature virions. During the transport process, nuclear localization signals (NLSs) play an important role in guiding target proteins into nucleus through the nuclear pore. To date, some classical nuclear localization signals (cNLSs) and non-classical NLSs (ncNLSs) have been identified in a number of viral proteins. These proteins are involved in viral replication, expression regulation of viral genes and virion assembly. Moreover, other proteins are transported into nucleus with unknown mechanisms. This review highlights our current knowledge about the nuclear trafficking of cellular proteins associated with viral propagation.
DESIGN AND PARAMETRIC EVALUATION OF RECTANGULAR MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA FOR GSM APPLICATION

This paper discusses design and parametric evaluation of Rectangular Microstrip Antenna (RMSA) for GSM Communication. A simple RMSA is designed using transmission line model and analyzed using Method of Moment (MoM) based software IE3D for studying its behaviour with various parameters such as, its length, width, height of substrate, location of feed position, effect of substrate dielectric constant and effect of finite ground plane. It was observed that the theoretical results obtained using IE3D are in good agreement with measured results presented in literature.
The clot thickens: Autologous and allogeneic fibrin sealants are mechanically equivalent in an ex vivo model of cartilage repair

Fibrin sealants are commonly used in cartilage repair surgeries to adhere cells or grafts into a cartilage defect. Both autologous and commercial allogeneic fibrin sealants are used in cartilage repair surgeries, yet there are no studies characterizing and comparing the mechanical properties of fibrin sealants from all-autologous sources. The objectives of this study were to investigate (i) the effect of fibrinogen and thrombin sources on failure mechanics of sealants, and (ii) how sealants affect the adhesion of particulated cartilage graft material (BioCartilage) to surrounding cartilage under physiological loading. Allogeneic thrombin and fibrinogen were purchased (Tisseel), and autologous sources were prepared from platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) generated from human blood. To compare failure characteristics, sealants were sandwiched between cartilage explants and pulled to failure. The effect of sealant on the adhesion of BioCartilage graft to cartilage was determined by quantifying microscale strains at the graft-cartilage interface using an in vitro cartilage defect model subjected to shear loading at physiological strains well below failure thresholds. Fibrinogen sources were not equivalent; PRP fibrinogen created sealants that were more brittle, failed at lower strains, and resulted in sustained higher strains through the graft-cartilage interface depth compared to PPP and allogeneic sources. PPP clotted slower compared to PRP, suggesting PPP may percolate deeper into the repair to provide more stability through the tissue depth. There was no difference in bulk failure properties or microscale strains at the graft-cartilage interface between the purely autologous sealant (autologous thrombin + PPP fibrinogen) and the commercial allogeneic sealant. Clinical Significance: All-autologous fibrin sealants fabricated with PPP have comparable adhesion strength as commercial allogeneic sealants in vitro, whereas PRP creates an inferior all-autologous sealant that sustains higher strains through the graft-cartilage interface depth.
Ecosystem services: Challenges and opportunities for hydrologic modeling to support decision making

Ecosystem characteristics and processes provide significant value to human health and well‐being, and there is growing interest in quantifying those values. Of particular interest are water‐related ecosystem services and the incorporation of their value into local and regional decision making. This presents multiple challenges and opportunities to the hydrologic‐modeling community. To motivate advances in water‐resources research, we first present three common decision contexts that draw upon an ecosystem‐service framework: scenario analysis, payments for watershed services, and spatial planning. Within these contexts, we highlight the particular challenges to hydrologic modeling, and then present a set of opportunities that arise from ecosystem‐service decisions. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations regarding how we can prioritize our work to support decisions based on ecosystem‐service valuation.
Poster: Effective Layers in Coverage Metrics for Deep Neural Networks

Deep neural networks (DNNs) gained in popularity as an effective machine learning algorithm, but their high complexity leads to the lack of model interpretability and difficulty in the verification of deep learning. Fuzzing, which is an automated software testing technique, is recently applied to DNNs as an effort to address these problems by following the trend of coverage-based fuzzing. However, new coverage metrics on DNNs may bring out the question of which layer to measure the coverage in DNNs. In this poster, we empirically evaluate the performance of existing coverage metrics. By the comparative analysis of experimental results, we compile the most effective layer for each of coverage metrics and discuss a future direction of DNN fuzzing.
Slim graph: practical lossy graph compression for approximate graph processing, storage, and analytics

We propose Slim Graph: the first programming model and framework for practical lossy graph compression that facilitates high-performance approximate graph processing, storage, and analytics. Slim Graph enables the developer to express numerous compression schemes using small and programmable compression kernels that can access and modify local parts of input graphs. Such kernels are executed in parallel by the underlying engine, isolating developers from complexities of parallel programming. Our kernels implement novel graph compression schemes that preserve numerous graph properties, for example connected components, minimum spanning trees, or graph spectra. Finally, Slim Graph uses statistical divergences and other metrics to analyze the accuracy of lossy graph compression. We illustrate both theoretically and empirically that Slim Graph accelerates numerous graph algorithms, reduces storage used by graph datasets, and ensures high accuracy of results. Slim Graph may become the common ground for developing, executing, and analyzing emerging lossy graph compression schemes.
Climate of the Past An independently dated 2000-yr volcanic record from Law Dome , East Antarctica , including a new perspective on the dating of the 1450 s CE eruption of Kuwae , Vanuatu

Volcanic eruptions are an important cause of natural climate variability. In order to improve the accuracy of climate models, precise dating and magnitude of the climatic effects of past volcanism are necessary. Here we present a 2000-yr record of Southern Hemisphere volcanism recorded in ice cores from the high accumulation Law Dome site, East Antarctica. The ice cores were analysed for a suite of chemistry signals and are independently dated via annual layer counting, with 11 ambiguous years at 23 BCE, which has presently the lowest error of all published long Antarctic ice cores. Independently dated records are important to avoid circular dating where volcanic signatures are assigned a date from some external information rather than using the date it is found in the ice core. Forty-five volcanic events have been identified using the sulphate chemistry of the Law Dome record. The low dating error and comparison with the NGRIP (North Greenland Ice Core Project) volcanic records (on the GICC05 timescale) suggest Law Dome is the most accurately dated Antarctic volcanic dataset, which will improve the dating of individual volcanic events and potentially allow better correlation between ice core records, leading to improvements in global volcanic forcing datasets. One of the most important volcanic events of the last two millennia is the large 1450s CE event, usually assigned to the eruption of Kuwae, Vanuatu. In this study, we review the evidence surrounding the presently accepted date for this event, and make the case that two separate eruptions have caused confusion in the assignment of this event. Volcanic sulphate deposition estimates are important for modelling the climatic response to eruptions. The largest volcanic sulphate events in our record are dated at 1458 CE (Kuwae? , Vanuatu), 1257 and 422 CE (unidentified).
What's in a Review

As video game press ("experts") and casual gamers ("amateurs") have different motivations when writing video game reviews, discrepancies in their reviews may arise. To study such potential discrepancies, we conduct a large-scale investigation of more than 1 million reviews on the Metacritic review platform. In particular, we assess the existence and nature of discrepancies in video game appraisal by experts and amateurs, and how they manifest in ratings, over time, and in review language. Leveraging these insights, we explore the predictive power of early expert vs. amateur reviews in forecasting video game reputation in the short- and long-term. We find that amateurs, in contrast to experts, give more polarized ratings of video games, rate games surprisingly long after game release, and are positively biased towards older games. On a textual level, we observe that experts write rather complex, less readable texts than amateurs, whose reviews are more emotionally charged. While in the short-term amateur reviews are remarkably predictive of game reputation among other amateurs (achieving 91% ROC AUC in a binary classification), both expert and amateur reviews are equally well suited for long-term predictions. Overall, our work is the first large-scale comparative study of video game reviewing behavior, with practical implications for amateurs when deciding which games to play, and for game developers when planning which games to design, develop, or continuously support. More broadly, our work contributes to the discussion of wisdom of the few vs. wisdom of the crowds, as we uncover the limits of experts in capturing the views of amateurs in the particular context of video game reviews.
Identification of key genes and long non-coding RNA associated ceRNA networks in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although multiple efforts have been made to understand the development of HCC, morbidity, and mortality rates remain high. In this study, we aimed to discover the mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that contribute to the progression of HCC. We constructed a lncRNA-related competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network to elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying HCC. Methods A microarray dataset (GSE54238) containing information about both mRNAs and lncRNAs was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in tumor tissues and non-cancerous tissues were identified using the limma package of the R software. The miRNAs that are targeted by DElncRNAs were predicted using miRcode, while the target mRNAs of miRNAs were retrieved from miRDB, miRTarBas, and TargetScan. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment of DEGs were performed using the EnrichNet website. We constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs using STRING, and identified the hub genes using Cytoscape. Survival analysis of the hub genes and DElncRNAs was performed using the gene expression profiling interactive analysis database. The expression of molecules with prognostic values was validated on the UALCAN database. The hepatic expression of hub genes was examined using the Human Protein Atlas. The hub genes and DElncRNAs with prognostic values as well as the predictive miRNAs were selected to construct the ceRNA networks. Results We found that 10 hub genes (KPNA2, MCM7, CKS2, KIF23, HMGB2, ZWINT, E2F1, MCM4, H2AFX, and EZH2) and four lncRNAs (FAM182B, SNHG6, SNHG1, and SNHG3) with prognostic values were overexpressed in the hepatic tumor samples. We also constructed a network containing 10 lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA pathways, which might be responsible for regulating the biological mechanisms underlying HCC. Conclusion We found that the 10 significantly overexpressed hub genes and four lncRNAs were negatively correlated with the prognosis of HCC. Further, we suggest that lncRNA SNHG1 and the SNHG3-related ceRNAs can be potential research targets for exploring the molecular mechanisms of HCC.
A Composite Vectors Modulation Strategy for PMSM DTC Systems

The operation performance of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) driven by direct torque control (DTC) are affected by torque error compensation and flux error compensation in each control period. The error compensational effects provided by different vectors under different control strategies are analyzed in this paper. The precondition of accurate error compensation is applied to the proposed novel composite vectors modulation strategy (CVM) for a PMSM DTC system. In CVM-DTC, the operating conditions of PMSM are divided into three cases according to the relationships between the errors and the actual error compensations, including steady-state case, dynamic-state case, and transient-state case. In order to establish the novel CVM-DTC strategy smoothly, the effect factors are introduced and used to represent the error compensational effects, which are obtained through the proposed effect factors’ controller. The analysis of error compensational effects provided by single active vector and synthetic voltage vector are described in detail while the PMSM is operated in different operation conditions. Finally, the effectiveness of the novel CVM-DTC strategy is verified through the experimental results in a 100-W PMSM drive system.