Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Value of ultrasound shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of adenomyosis

Background The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of ultrasound shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of adenomyosis. Methods One hundred and fifty three patients were examined. Ninety-seven patients were with suspected adenomyosis and 56 patients were with unremarkable myometrium. Adenomyosis was confirmed in 39 cases (A subgroup) and excluded in 14 cases (B subgroup) in the main group based on morphological examination. All patients underwent ultrasound examination using an Aixplorer (Supersonic Imagine, France) scanner with application of shear wave elastography during transvaginal scanning. Retrospective analysis of the elastography criteria against the findings from morphological/histological examination was performed. Results The following values of Young’s modulus were found in subgroup A (adenomyosis): Emean – 72.7 (22.6–274.2) kPa (median, 5–95th percentiles), Emax – 94.8 (29.3–300.0) kPa, SD – 9.9 (2.6–26.3) kPa; in subgroup B (non adenomyosis) – 28.3 (12.7–59.5) kPa, 33.6 (16.0–80.8) kPa, 3.0 (1.4–15.6) kPa; in the control group – 24.4 (17.9–32.4) kPa, 29.8 (21.6–40.8) kPa, 2.3 (1.3–6.1) kPa, respectively (P < 0.05 for all comparison with subgroup В and the control group). The Emean cut-off value for adenomyosis diagnosis was 34.6 kPa. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and area under curve (AUC) were 89.7%, 92.9%, 97.2%, 76.5% and 0.908. The Emax cut-off value was 45.4 kPa (89.7%, 92.9%, 97.2%, 76.5% and 0.907, respectively). Conclusion This study showed a significant increase of the myometrial stiffness estimated with shear wave elastography use in patients with adenomyosis.
Factors affecting the quality of biomass pellet for biofuel and energy analysis of pelleting process

Agricultural biomass residue such as barley, canola, oat and wheat straw has the potential to be used for sustainable production of bio-fuels and offset greenhouse gas emissions. The biomass substrate must be processed and handled in an efficient manner in order to reduce industry’s operational cost as well as meet the requirement of raw material for biofuel production. Biomass has low bulk density, making it difficult and costly to store and transport in its native loose form. Therefore, in this study, an integrated approach to densification of non-treated and steam exploded barley, canola, oat and wheat straw was developed. During this process, the significance of major contributing factors (independent variables such as biomass type, treatment, pressure and grind size) on pellet density, durability and specific energy were determined. It has been found that applied pressure (60.4%) was the most significant factor affecting pellet density followed by the application of steam explosion pre-treatment (39.4%) for lab-scale single pelleting experiments. Similarly, the type of biomass (47.1%) is the most significant factor affecting durability followed by the application of pre-treatment (38.2%) and grind size (14.6%) for pellets manufactured using the pilot-scale pellet mill. Also, applied pressure (58.3%) was the most significant factor affecting specific energy required to manufacture pellets followed by the biomass (15.3%), pre-treatment (13.3%) and grind size (13.2%), which had lower but similar effect on specific energy for lab-scale single pelleting experiments. Overall energy analysis of post-harvest processing and densification of agricultural straw was performed, which showed that a significant portion of original agricultural biomass energy (89%-94%) is available for the production of biofuels. Almost, similar amount of specific energy is required to produce pellets from barley, canola, oat and wheat straw grinds. Customized pellets having steam exploded straw required more energy to manufacture resulting in availability of only 89% of total energy for biofuel production.
Parents' Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Their Child's Cancer and Effectiveness of Initial Disease Counseling in Pediatric Oncology Patients

Objective: To examine parent's knowledge, attitude and psychosocial response regarding their child's cancer and treatment after initial disease counseling by doctor. Materials and Methods: Structured questionnaire based study of 43 mothers of newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients undergoing treatment in pediatric oncology division. Mothers received initial counseling regarding their child's cancer and treatment from the doctor. Questionnaire was administered 2-6 months after initial counseling and mothers self-reported their responses. Results: 83% mothers had school level education only and 84% belonged to lower and middle socio-economic status. More than 80% mothers knew the name of their child's cancer, type of treatment received by child and approximate duration of treatment. 93% knew regarding painful procedures and 84% mothers reported knowledge about chemotherapy side effects. Hope of cure and satisfaction with treatment were reported by 90% mothers. 81% mothers reported high levels of anxiety and 66% worried regarding painful procedures. As high as 60% of parents were afraid to send their child outside to play and 40% were afraid to send their child to school. 40% mothers wanted more information regarding child's higher education, married life & fertility. On statistical analysis, mother's age, educational status or family background did not influence their knowledge and attitude. Conclusion: Relevant information about child's cancer and treatment can be imparted effectively even to mothers with school level education. This knowledge helps to instill hopeful attitude, confidence and satisfaction in parents. Anxiety and fear related to cancer persists in mothers even after the initial stress period is over. Pain related to injections and procedures is a major concern in parents. Involvement of counselor in the treating team is desirable to overcome these problems.
The Role of Iconic Memory in Change-Detection Tasks

In three experiments, subjects attempted to detect the change of a single item in a visually presented array of items. Subjects' ability to detect a change was greatly reduced if a blank interstimulus interval (ISI) was inserted between the original array and an array in which one item had changed (‘change blindness’). However, change detection improved when the location of the change was cued during the blank ISI. This suggests that people represent more information of a scene than change blindness might suggest. We test two possible hypotheses why, in the absence of a cue, this representation fails to produce good change detection. The first claims that the intervening events employed to create change blindness result in multiple neural transients which co-occur with the to-be-detected change. Poor detection rates occur because a serial search of all the transient locations is required to detect the change, during which time the representation of the original scene fades. The second claims that the occurrence of the second frame overwrites the representation of the first frame, unless that information is insulated against overwriting by attention. The results support the second hypothesis. We conclude that people may have a fairly rich visual representation of a scene while the scene is present, but fail to detect changes because they lack the ability to simultaneously represent two complete visual representations.
Immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

There are three classes of IgA nephropathy defined morphologically by the presence of predominant or co-dominant mesangial IgA deposits. In idiopathic IgA an aetiologic agent is not identified and the patients may be thus rendered a diagnosis of Bergeris disease honouring the French physician who first described it. Secondary IgA nephropathy may accompany hepatobiliary, autoimmune diseases, bacterialu viral infections, or neoplasia w1x. The third category is the vasculitic form of the disease, Henoch–Schönlein Purpura (HSP). The diagnostic hallmark of all three IgA nephropathies is diffuse IgA mesangial deposits detected by immunofluorescence (IF).
Modification of serotonin responses in rat dorsolateral septal nucleus neurons by acute and chronic cocaine.

We used standard intracellular current-clamp electrophysiological recording techniques in a brain slice preparation to determine whether chronic cocaine administration would: 1) alter the sensitivity of septal neurons to exogenous serotonin (5-HT) application and 2) modify the interaction of 5-HT with cocaine in vitro. Recordings were made from neurons in rat brain slices that contained the dorsolateral septal nucleus obtained from drug naive (DN) rats or rats give cocaine (15mg/kg, i.p., 2 X daily) for periods of 7 (CC7) or 14 (CC14) days. In addition, some of these rats also received intraventricular pertussis toxin (PTX) injections 2 to 3 days before experimentation to abolish the postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor-mediated membrane hyperpolarization and to unmask a 5-HT-induced depolarization. In comparison with DN and CC7, CC14 slices showed an increased sensitivity to 5-HT as revealed by a 2-fold leftward shift in the 5-HT EC50 values. In addition, in PTX-CC14 slices, 5-HT could hyperpolarize the cell membrane, whereas the 5-HT1A agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, and the gamma-aminobutyric acidB agonist, baclofen, failed to do so. We also observed that cocaine (3 microM) in CC14 slices did not significantly potentiate and prolong 5-HT hyperpolarizations as found in DN slices. We conclude that in the CC14 septal slice a 5-HT transporter is down-regulated and that an atypical 5-ht response can be elicited. Additionally, 5-HT1A receptor up-regulation and/or 5-HT2 receptor down-regulation may contribute to the increased sensitivity of septal neurons to 5-HT.
Nitric oxide synthase in the frog cerebellum: Response of Purkinje neurons to unilateral eighth nerve transection

When vestibular damage occurs, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression in rat cerebellar flocculus is affected. Since compensation for postural symptoms occurs and Purkinje cells play an important role in movement coordination and motor learning, we analyzed in situ the induction of NOS in the Purkinje cell population of the cerebellum (corpus cerebelli) of frog after unilateral transection of the eighth statoacoustic nerve to gain insight into the role of NO in neural plasticity after injury. Three days after neurectomy, the early effects induced NADPH diaphorase reactivity in most of the Purkinje cells on the ipsilateral side, while on the contralateral side the highest labeling was observed at 15 days. This finding can give information on the dynamics of vestibular compensation, in which NOS involvement was investigated. At 30 days, NADPH diaphorase reactivity was present in a large number of Purkinje cells of the whole cerebellum, while at 60 days a down‐regulation for NADPH diaphorase reactivity was evident. A similar trend was observed for NOS‐immunoreactivity, which was still present at 60 days in a high percentage of Purkinje cells, mainly on the ipsilateral side. On the basis of cell density evaluations, it was proposed that the early induction of NOS after neurectomy was linked to the degeneration of a part of the Purkinje neurons, while the permanence of NOS labeling might be due to a neuroprotective role of NO in the restoration phase of the vestibular compensation process. Anat Rec 268:73–83, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Seeing the unseen: autism involves reduced susceptibility to inattentional blindness.

OBJECTIVE Attention research in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has produced conflicting results. Some findings demonstrate greater distractibility while others suggest superior focused attention. Applying Lavie's load theory of attention to account for this discrepancy led us to hypothesize increased perceptual capacity in ASD. Preliminary support for our hypothesis has so far been found for adults with ASD with reaction time (RT) and signal detection sensitivity measures. Here we test the novel prediction we derived from this hypothesis that children with ASD should have lower rates of inattentional blindness than controls. METHOD Twenty-four children with ASD (mean age = 10 years 10 months) and 39 typically developing children (age and IQ matched) took part in the study. We assessed the effects of perceptual load on the rates of inattentional blindness in each group. Participants performing a line discrimination task in either a high load or low load condition were presented with an unexpected extra stimulus on a critical trial. Performance on the line judgment task and rates of detection and stimulus identification were recorded. RESULTS Overall rates of detection and identification were higher in the ASD group than in the controls. Moreover, whereas both detection and identification rates were significantly lower in the high (compared with low) load conditions for the controls, these were unaffected by load in the ASD group. CONCLUSION Reduced inattentional blindness rates under load in ASD suggests higher perceptual capacity is a core feature, present from childhood and leading to superior performance in various measures of perception and attention.
One-Year Follow Up of Auditory Performance in Post-Lingually Deafened Adults Implanted with the Neurelec Digisonic® SP/Saphyr® Neo Cochlear Implant System

This study aimed to quantify outcomes in a group of patients who were implanted with an Oticon Medical Neurelec (Vallauris, France) cochlear implant system, the Digisonic(®) SP/Saphyr(®) Neo. Ten participants took part in this preliminary study. Their speech perception capacities were evaluated at 3, 6, and 12-months after cochlear implant activation and compared to pre-implantation scores and to scores observed with former versions of the sound processor. Compared to former versions of the sound processor, patients using the Saphyr(®) Neo processor obtained better speech perception scores for sentences in silence at each tests session (3 months: 79%, 6 months: 82% and 12 months: 94%) compared to Digisonic(®) users (respectively: 58%, 69% and 75%) and Convex sound processor users (resp. 39%, 59% and 51%). These observations confirm that the technological improvements made in the Saphyr(®) Neo sound processor coupled with the Digisonic(®) implant, provided quantifiable benefits in speech perception in Quiet compared to former versions of the processor Convex and Digisonic(®) SP.
Self-Construal Priming Affects Speed of Retrieval from Short-Term Memory

We investigated the effects of collective or individual self-construal priming on recall in a short-term memory (STM) task. We primed participants to either their individual or their collective self-construals or a neutral control condition. Participants then completed a STM retrieval task using either random or patterned digit strings. Findings revealed that priming an individual self-construal resulted in faster retrieval of information from STM for both stimulus types. These results indicate that individual self-accessibility improves retrieval speed of digits from STM, regardless of set configuration. More broadly, the present findings extend prior research by adding further evidence of the effects of self-construal priming on cognitive information processing.
Properties advanced of the silicon nitride based ceramics and recent performance on automotive parts manufacture by machining process: Advanced Ceramics, demand Forecast

Automotive parts manufacture by machining process using silicon nitride-based ceramic tool development in Brazil already is a reality. Si3N4-based ceramic cutting tools offer a high productivity due to their excellent hot hardness, which allows high cutting speeds. Under such conditions the cutting tool must be resistant to a combination of mechanical, thermal and chemical attacks. Silicon nitride based ceramic materials constitute a mature technology with a very broad base of current and potential applications. The best opportunities for Si3N4-based ceramics include ballistic armor, composite automotive brakes, diesel particulate filters, joint replacement products and others. The goal of this work was to show latter advance in silicon nitride manufacture and its recent evolution on machining process of gray cast iron, compacted graphite iron and Ti6Al-4V. Materials characterization and machining tests were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Vickers hardness and toughness fracture and technical norm. In recent works the authors has been proved to advance in microstructural, mechanical and physic properties control. These facts prove that silicon nitride-based ceramic has enough resistance to withstand the impacts inherent to the machining of gray cast iron (CI), compacted graphite iron (CGI) and Ti-6Al-4V (6-4).
Rapid subsurface warming and circulation changes of Antarctic coastal waters by poleward shifting winds

The southern hemisphere westerly winds have been strengthening and shifting poleward since the 1950s. This wind trend is projected to persist under continued anthropogenic forcing, but the impact of the changing winds on Antarctic coastal heat distribution remains poorly understood. Here we show that a poleward wind shift at the latitudes of the Antarctic Peninsula can produce an intense warming of subsurface coastal waters that exceeds 2°C at 200–700 m depth. The model simulated warming results from a rapid advective heat flux induced by weakened near‐shore Ekman pumping and is associated with weakened coastal currents. This analysis shows that anthropogenically induced wind changes can dramatically increase the temperature of ocean water at ice sheet grounding lines and at the base of floating ice shelves around Antarctica, with potentially significant ramifications for global sea level rise.
Stoichiometry of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Phosphorylation in the Nigrostriatal and Mesolimbic Systems In Vivo

Abstract ; Electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle increases 32P incorporation into striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) at Ser 19, Ser31, and Ser40. In the present studies, the effects of acute haloperidol and related drugs on sitespecific TH phosphorylation stoichiometry (PS) in the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic systems were determined by quantitative blot immunolabeling using phosphorylation statespecific antibodies. The striatum (Str), substantia nigra (SN), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) from Sprague‐Dawley rats were harvested 30‐40 min after a single injection of either vehicle, haloperidol (2 mg/kg), raclopride (2 mg/kg), clozapine (30 mg/kg), or SCH23390 (0.5 mg/kg). In vehicle‐injected control rats, Ser19 PS was 1.5‐ to 2.5‐fold lower in Str and NAc than in SN and VTA, Ser31 PS was two‐to fourfold higher in Str and NAc than in SN and VTA, and Ser40 PS was similar between the terminal field and cell body regions. After haloperidol, Ser40 PS increased twofold in Str and NAc, whereas a smaller increase in SN and VTA was observed. The effects of haloperidol on Ser19 PS were similar to those on Ser40 in each region ; however, haloperidol treatment increased Ser31 PS at least 1.6‐fold in all regions. The effects of raclopride on TH PS were comparable to those of haloperidol, whereas clozapine treatment increased TH PS at all sites in all regions. By contrast, the effects of SCH23390 on TH PS were relatively small and restricted to the NAc. The stoichiometries of site‐specific TH phosphorylation in vivo are presented for the first time. The nigrostriatal and mesolimbic systems have common features of TH PS, distinguished by differences in TH PS between the terminal field and cell body regions and by dissimilar increases in TH PS in the terminal field and cell body regions after acute haloperidol.
Repeatability of Feather Mite Prevalence and Intensity in Passerine Birds

Understanding why host species differ so much in symbiont loads and how this depends on ecological host and symbiont traits is a major issue in the ecology of symbiosis. A first step in this inquiry is to know whether observed differences among host species are species-specific traits or more related with host-symbiont environmental conditions. Here we analysed the repeatability (R) of the intensity and the prevalence of feather mites to partition within- and among-host species variance components. We compiled the largest dataset so far available: 119 Paleartic passerine bird species, 75,944 individual birds, ca. 1.8 million mites, seven countries, 23 study years. Several analyses and approaches were made to estimate R and adjusted repeatability (Radj) after controlling for potential confounding factors (breeding period, weather, habitat, spatial autocorrelation and researcher identity). The prevalence of feather mites was moderately repeatable (R = 0.26–0.53; Radj = 0.32–0.57); smaller values were found for intensity (R = 0.19–0.30; Radj = 0.18–0.30). These moderate repeatabilities show that prevalence and intensity of feather mites differ among species, but also that the high variation within species leads to considerable overlap among bird species. Differences in the prevalence and intensity of feather mites within bird species were small among habitats, suggesting that local factors are playing a secondary role. However, effects of local climatic conditions were partially observed for intensity.
Learning-based auditory encoding for robust speech recognition

This paper describes ways of speeding up the optimization process for learning physiologically-motivated components of a feature computation module directly from data. During training, word lattices generated by the speech decoder and conjugate gradient descent were included to train the parameters of logistic functions in a fashion that maximizes the a posteriori probability of the correct class in the training data. These functions represent the rate-level nonlinearities found in most mammalian auditory systems. Experiments conducted using the CMU SPHINX-III system on the DARPA Resource Management and Wall Street Journal tasks show that the use of discriminative training to estimate the shape of the rate-level nonlinearity provides better recognition accuracy in the presence of background noise than traditional procedures which do not employ learning. More importantly, the inclusion of conjugate gradient descent optimization and a word lattice to reduce the number of hypotheses considered greatly increases the training speed, which makes training with much more complicated models possible.