Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antifungal and antimycotoxigenic metabolites from native plants of northwest Argentina: isolation, identification and potential for control of Aspergillus species

Abstract Extracts from aerial parts of Prosopis ruscifolia, Bidens pilosa, Cercidium praecox and Phoradendron liga were assayed against toxigenic Aspergillus species. They were obtained by sequential extraction of the aerial parts with hexane (fHex), dichloromethane (fDCM), ethyl acetate (fEtOAc) and methanol (fMeOH). The fMeOH from P. ruscifolia showed the highest antifungal spectrum (MIC = 750–1500 µg mL−1; MID = 50–200 µg; DI = 1.7–3.0 mm). Indolizidine alkaloids (juliflorine and juliprosine) and tryptamine were identified with strong (MIC = 188 µg mL−1) and moderate antifungal activities (MIC = 750 µg mL−1), respectively, towards A. parasiticus and A. flavus. The fMeOH, the indolizidine alkaloids and tryptamine synergized the fungitoxic effect of potassium sorbate and propiconazole. They completely suppressed the biosynthesis of aflatoxins at concentrations of 47, 94 and 375 µg mL−1, respectively. Our results indicate that fMeOH and its identified alkaloids are promisory additives of commercial antifungals and are antiaflatoxigenic agents at concentrations below of those required for complete suppression of fungal growth. Graphical Abstract
The Caudal Part of Putamen Represents the Historical Object Value Information

The basal ganglia, especially the circuits originating from the putamen, are essential for controlling normal body movements. Notably, the putamen receives inputs not only from motor cortical areas but also from multiple sensory cortices. However, how these sensory signals are processed in the putamen remains unclear. We recorded the activity of tentative medium spiny neurons in the caudal part of the putamen when the monkey viewed many fractal objects. We found many neurons that responded to these objects, mostly in the ventral region. We called this region “putamen tail” (PUTt), as it is dorsally adjacent to “caudate tail” (CDt). Although PUTt and CDt are mostly separated by a thin layer of white matter, their neurons shared several features. Almost all of them had receptive fields in the contralateral hemifield. Moreover, their responses were object selective (i.e., variable across objects). The object selectivity was higher in the ventral region (i.e., CDt > PUTt). Some neurons above PUTt, which we called the caudal–dorsal putamen (cdPUT), also responded to objects, but less selectively than PUTt. Next, we examined whether these visual neurons changed their responses based on the reward outcome. We found that many neurons encoded the values of many objects based on long-term memory, but not based on short-term memory. Such stable value responses were stronger in PUTt and CDt than in cdPUT. These results suggest that PUTt, together with CDt, controls saccade/attention among objects with different historical values, and may control other motor actions as well. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although the putamen receives inputs not only from motor cortical areas but also from sensory cortical areas, how these sensory signals are processed remains unclear. Here we found that neurons in the caudal–ventral part of the putamen (putamen tail) process visual information including spatial and object features. These neurons discriminate many objects, first by their visual features and later by their reward values as well. Importantly, the value discrimination was based on long-term memory, but not on short-term memory. These results suggest that the putamen tail controls saccade/attention among objects with different historical values and might control other motor actions as well.
Entering ‘The Unified Maṇḍala of All the Siddhas:’ the Sādhana of Mahāmudrā and the Making of Vajrayāna Buddhist Subjects

Yonnetti, Eben Matthew (M.A., Religious Studies) Entering ‘the Unified Maṇḍala of All the Siddhas:’ The Sādhana of Mahāmudrā and the Making of Vajrayāna Buddhist Subjects Thesis directed by Assistant Professor Holly Gayley This thesis examines the role of translation and the formation of Vajrayāna Buddhist subjects in religious transmission through an analysis of the tantric Buddhist ritual practice, the Sādhana of Mahāmudrā (SOM). Reported to be revealed as a Mind treasure (ད"ངས་ག'ར་) by the Tibetan reincarnate teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche ()ས་*མ་,ང་པ་. ན་0་1་; 1940-1987) while on retreat in Bhutan in 1968, and subsequently translated into English by Trungpa Rinpoche and his student Richard Arthure (1940), the SOM played an important role in the early process of the transnational transmission of Vajrayāna Buddhism to the ‘West. ’ Nevertheless, after more than fifty years of practice by individuals and communities around the globe, the role of the SOM in this process has yet to be studied. Moreover, scholarship on the role of Vajrayāna rituals in contemporary religious transmission is also in its nascency. In this thesis, I aim to address this lacuna through a study of the revelation of this text, its strategic translation, and its role in the making of Vajrayāna Buddhist subjects. Given that the SOM emerged at a pivotal moment as Trungpa Rinpoche re-evaluated how to best teach the buddhadharma in the ‘West,’ I argue that its partially domesticating translation was a strategic means of inducting ‘Western’ students into a foreign ritual world. As such, I argue that the SOM was a skillful method to introduce ‘Western,’ non-Buddhist students to the Vajrayāna through an iterative process of ritual enactment and training in a subjectivity both described and prescribed within the text. As such, in this thesis I analyze the important role that the SOM played in the early formation of Vajrayāna subjectivities as Vajrayāna Buddhism came to North America and in preparing the ground for the later teachings that Trungpa Rinpoche would introduce to his students. This thesis informs my broader research question: how are new subjectivities created in the process of religious transmission across radically different cultural contexts? More generally, it contributes to emergent conversations around performativity in Buddhist ritual practice and will also prove relevant to those working on the intersection of ritual practice and religious transmission in other traditions.
Suppressing Self-Discharge with Polymeric Sulfur in Li-S Batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li-S) batteries, due to their high theoretical capacity, intrinsic overcharge protection, and low cost, are considered as the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems. To promote widespread use of Li-S batteries, various tactics have been reported to improve the columbic efficiency and to suppress the shuttle effect. Herein, we report a novel polymeric sulfur via heat radical polymerization, for the Li-S battery. The insolubles after CS2 washing, and the changes in XRD (X-ray diffraction) results imply the formation of polymeric sulfur. Owing to the absence of cyclic S8 molecular, the shuttle effect is depressed, and the polymeric sulfur cathodes exhibit lower self-discharge rates, higher sulfur utilization, better rates of performance, and enhanced cycling stabilities than the commercial sublimed sulfur. Thus, polymeric sulfur provides a new train of thought and tactics for restricting the formation of the dissolution of polysulfides, and self-discharge.
Activity Monitors for Increasing Physical Activity in Adult Stroke Survivors

Elizabeth A. Lynch, Taryn M. Jones, Dawn B. Simpson, Natalie A. Fini, Suzanne Kuys, Karen Borschmann, Sharon Kramer, Liam Johnson, Michele L. Callisaya, Niruthikha Mahendran, Heidi Janssen, Coralie English and on behalf of the ACTIOnS Collaboration
Biomedical Applications of Electrospun Nanofibers: Drug and Nanoparticle Delivery

The electrospinning process has gained popularity due to its ease of use, simplicity and diverse applications. The properties of electrospun fibers can be controlled by modifying either process variables (e.g., applied voltage, solution flow rate, and distance between charged capillary and collector) or polymeric solution properties (e.g., concentration, molecular weight, viscosity, surface tension, solvent volatility, conductivity, and surface charge density). However, many variables affecting electrospinning are interdependent. An optimized electrospinning process is one in which these parameters remain constant and continuously produce nanofibers consistent in physicochemical properties. In addition, nozzle configurations, such as single nozzle, coaxial, multi-jet electrospinning, have an impact on the fiber characteristics. The polymeric solution could be aqueous, a polymeric melt or an emulsion, which in turn leads to different types of nanofiber formation. Nanofiber properties can also be modified by polarity inversion and by varying the collector design. The active moiety is incorporated into polymeric fibers by blending, surface modification or emulsion formation. The nanofibers can be further modified to deliver multiple drugs, and multilayer polymer coating allows sustained release of the incorporated active moiety. Electrospun nanofibers prepared from polymers are used to deliver antibiotic and anticancer agents, DNA, RNA, proteins and growth factors. This review provides a compilation of studies involving the use of electrospun fibers in biomedical applications with emphasis on nanoparticle-impregnated nanofibers.
Toward the Bionic Face: A Novel Neuroprosthetic Device Paradigm for Facial Reanimation Consisting of Neural Blockade and Functional Electrical Stimulation

Background: Facial palsy is a devastating condition potentially amenable to rehabilitation by functional electrical stimulation. Herein, a novel paradigm for unilateral facial reanimation using an implantable neuroprosthetic device is proposed and its feasibility demonstrated in a live rodent model. The paradigm comprises use of healthy-side electromyographic activity as control inputs to a system whose outputs are neural stimuli to effect symmetric facial displacements. The vexing issue of suppressing undesirable activity resulting from aberrant neural regeneration (synkinesis) or nerve transfer procedures is addressed using proximal neural blockade. Methods: Epimysial and nerve cuff electrode arrays were implanted in the faces of Wistar rats. Stimuli were delivered to evoke blinks and whisks of various durations and amplitudes. The dynamic relation between electromyographic signals and facial displacements was modeled, and model predictions were compared against measured displacements. Optimal parameters to achieve facial nerve blockade by means of high-frequency alternating current were determined, and the safety of continuous delivery was assessed. Results: Electrode implantation was well tolerated. Blinks and whisks of tunable amplitudes and durations were evoked by controlled variation of neural stimuli parameters. Facial displacements predicted from electromyographic input modelling matched those observed with a variance-accounted-for exceeding 96 percent. Effective and reversible facial nerve blockade in awake behaving animals was achieved, without detrimental effect noted from long-term continual use. Conclusions: Proof-of-principle of rehabilitation of hemifacial palsy by means of a neuroprosthetic device has been demonstrated. The use of proximal neural blockade coupled with distal functional electrical stimulation may have relevance to rehabilitation of other peripheral motor nerve deficits.
Présentation concrète de la prise en charge orthophonique des troubles du langage écrit

L'objectif de cet article est de presenter les soins orthophoniques dans le domaine des troubles developpementaux du langage ecrit, qui concernent les enfants, mais aussi les adolescents et les adultes. Nous ferons tout d'abord un bref rappel du role des orthophonistes, puis decrirons la demarche d'evaluation et de diagnostic qui constitue l'entree en matiere de la reeducation. Nous proposerons ensuite une trame generale des objectifs de la prise en charge ainsi qu'un essai de formalisation des pratiques selon differents axes, versants et regards, en illustrant par des exemples concrets d'activites.
Design and evaluation of a module with interactive video and non linear navigation for continuous education in sexology

Using a Design-based research approach, a learning module has been developed in collaboration with subject matter experts for continuous education in sexology. Its main feature is a video of an interview, played by actors, that introduces learners to the specific structure and particularities of such an interview. Text captions appear during the film that focus the learner’s attention to the main dimensions of the interview. They are linked to reflection pages with interactive exercises on these subjects. Based on adult learning and constructivist theories, a non linear structure allows for a very flexible navigation in the module. This pedagogical scenario allows individualized learning processes adapting to very different learner profiles. The module has been developed in three iterative cycles, each being thoroughly analyzed regarding usability and learning experience. Test users were quite representative of an aim public of highly educated professionals of the medical or paramedical field. Tests were conducted in real life settings. Results were integrated into the following step and the final version is a learning module that is close to a quality allowing online publication. Analysis of usability showed no major problems. The non linear structure was well accepted and satisfaction of the test users was good. This research also allowed identifying several design rules. Staying close to the real life situation of continuous education in sexology, this research allowed first observations of the usability, acceptance and learning effectiveness of an innovative learning module that combines interactive video with a non linear structure.
Synchronization of Coupled Harmonic Oscillators With Asynchronous Intermittent Communication

This paper adopts two different approaches, the small-gain technique and the integral quadratic constraints (IQCs), to investigate the synchronization problem of coupled harmonic oscillators (CHOs) via an event-triggered control strategy in a directed graph. First, a novel control protocol is proposed such that every state signal of the CHO decides when to exchange information with its neighbors asynchronously. Then, the resulting closed-loop system based on the designed control protocol is converted into a feedback interconnection of a linear system and a bounded operator, and the stable condition of the feedback interconnection is presented by employing the small-gain technique. In order to better describe the relationship between the input and output, the IQCs theorem is applied to derive the stable condition on the basis of the Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov lemma. Finally, a simulation example is provided to verify the proposed new algorithms.
Pathway-Specific Drive of Cerebellar Golgi Cells Reveals Integrative Rules of Cortical Inhibition

Cerebellar granule cells (GrCs) constitute over half of all neurons in the vertebrate brain and are proposed to decorrelate convergent mossy fiber (MF) inputs in service of learning. Interneurons within the GrC layer, Golgi cells (GoCs), are the primary inhibitors of this vast population and therefore play a major role in influencing the computations performed within the layer. Despite this central function for GoCs, few studies have directly examined how GoCs integrate inputs from specific afferents, which vary in density to regulate GrC population activity. We used a variety of methods in mice of either sex to study feedforward inhibition recruited by identified MFs, focusing on features that would influence integration by GrCs. Comprehensive 3D reconstruction and quantification of GoC axonal boutons revealed tightly clustered boutons that focus feedforward inhibition in the neighborhood of GoC somata. Acute whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from GrCs in brain slices showed that, despite high GoC bouton density, fast phasic inhibition was very sparse relative to slow spillover mediated inhibition. Dynamic-clamp simulating inhibition combined with optogenetic MF activation at moderate rates supported a predominant role of slow spillover mediated inhibition in reducing GrC activity. Whole-cell recordings from GoCs revealed a role for the density of active MFs in preferentially driving them. Thus, our data provide empirical confirmation of predicted rules by which MFs activate GoCs to regulate GrC activity levels. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A unifying framework in neural circuit analysis is identifying circuit motifs that subserve common computations. Wide-field inhibitory interneurons globally inhibit neighbors and have been studied extensively in the insect olfactory system and proposed to serve pattern separation functions. Cerebellar Golgi cells (GoCs), a type of mammalian wide-field inhibitory interneuron observed in the granule cell layer, are well suited to perform normalization or pattern separation functions, but the relationship between spatial characteristics of input patterns to GoC-mediated inhibition has received limited attention. This study provides unprecedented quantitative structural details of GoCs and identifies a role for population input activity levels in recruiting inhibition using in vitro electrophysiology and optogenetics.
Minimal Case Relative Pose Computation Using Ray-Point-Ray Features

Corners are popular features for relative pose computation with 2D-2D point correspondences. Stable corners may be formed by two 3D rays sharing a common starting point. We call such elements ray-point-ray (RPR) structures. Besides a local invariant keypoint given by the lines’ intersection, their reprojection also defines a corner orientation and an inscribed angle in the image plane. The present paper investigates such RPR features, and aims at answering the fundamental question of what additional constraints can be formed from correspondences between RPR features in two views. In particular, we show that knowing the value of the inscribed angle between the two 3D rays poses additional constraints on the relative orientation. Using the latter enables the solution of the relative pose problem with as few as 3 correspondences across the two images. We provide a detailed analysis of all minimal cases distinguishing between 90-degree RPR-structures and structures with an arbitrary, known inscribed angle. We furthermore investigate the special cases of a known directional correspondence and planar motion, the latter being solvable with only a single RPR correspondence. We complete the exposition by outlining an image processing technique for robust RPR-feature extraction. Our results suggest high practicality in man-made environments, where 90-degree RPR-structures naturally occur.
The effects of relaxation training on depression and anxiety in people living with long-term neurological conditions

Abstract Purpose: The present study investigated the effects of a relaxation training program on self-reported depression and anxiety in participants living with long-term neurological conditions, including acquired brain injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Materials and methods: A five-session relaxation training program, plus a follow-up session was offered to people living with a long-term neurological condition as part of routine clinical practice, and was delivered in their own homes. A self-report measure (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) was administered at the pre- and post-intervention time points and at follow-up, around 5 weeks after the final session. Participants also completed an individual assessment of change questionnaire at follow-up, reporting on subjective views of observed changes. Results: Statistically significant improvements were found on measures of both anxiety and depression following completion of the relaxation program. Scores at follow-up (mean = 5 weeks) revealed the improvement was maintained for anxiety, and there was further significant improvement for depression. Reliable change analyses from pre- to post-intervention demonstrated a clinically significant decrease in anxiety scores for 47% of participants and in depression scores for 30% of participants. No clinically significant increase in depression and anxiety was identified from pre- to post-intervention, and this was generally maintained at follow-up. Conclusion: Relaxation training is proposed as a clinically effective treatment for anxiety and depression in people living with long-term neurological conditions, which could in turn lead to better functional outcomes of neurorehabilitation. The program investigated here has additional benefits of being delivered in people’s own homes, which overcomes barriers to attending hospital, and is consistent with trends towards home as opposed to hospital care. This program may also be less costly to administer as it can be delivered as part of a stepped-care program by therapy assistants under supervision from qualified staff, and encourages self-management over the longer term. Design limitations may reduce the generalisability of these findings, but are clinically encouraging and should stimulate further research. Implications for Rehabilitation Relaxation training…• could be offered as an effective first-line intervention, as an alternative to medication to treat anxiety and depression to people living with Long-Term Neurological Conditions is a self-management strategy which can be taught in people’s own homes, if getting out of the house is difficult can be delivered as a stepped-care intervention via therapy assistants, helping to reduce costs and demands on rehabilitation services may help to improve the functional outcomes of wider rehabilitation interventions by addressing psychological issues which can be a barrier
Crystal structure of the Redβ C-terminal domain in complex with λ Exonuclease reveals an unexpected homology with λ Orf and an interaction with Escherichia coli single stranded DNA binding protein

Abstract Bacteriophage λ encodes a DNA recombination system that includes a 5′-3′ exonuclease (λ Exo) and a single strand annealing protein (Redβ). The two proteins form a complex that is thought to mediate loading of Redβ directly onto the single-stranded 3′-overhang generated by λ Exo. Here, we present a 2.3 Å crystal structure of the λ Exo trimer bound to three copies of the Redβ C-terminal domain (CTD). Mutation of residues at the hydrophobic core of the interface disrupts complex formation in vitro and impairs recombination in vivo. The Redβ CTD forms a three-helix bundle with unexpected structural homology to phage λ Orf, a protein that binds to E. coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) to function as a recombination mediator. Based on this relationship, we found that Redβ binds to full-length SSB, and to a peptide corresponding to its nine C-terminal residues, in an interaction that requires the CTD. These results suggest a dual role of the CTD, first in binding to λ Exo to facilitate loading of Redβ directly onto the initial single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at a 3′-overhang, and second in binding to SSB to facilitate annealing of the overhang to SSB-coated ssDNA at the replication fork.