Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QUANTITATIVE EVALUATIONS OF MECHANISMS OF RADIOFREQUENCY INTERACTIONS WITH BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES AND PROCESSES

The complexity of interactions of electromagnetic fields up to 1012 Hz with the ions, atoms, and molecules of biological systems has given rise to a large number of established and proposed biophysical mechanisms applicable over a wide range of time and distance scales, field amplitudes, frequencies, and waveforms. This review focuses on the physical principles that guide quantitative assessment of mechanisms applicable for exposures at or below the level of endogenous electric fields associated with development, wound healing, and excitation of muscles and the nervous system (generally, 1 to 102 V m−1), with emphasis on conditions where temperature increases are insignificant (←1 K). Experiment and theory demonstrate possible demodulation at membrane barriers for frequencies ≤10 MHz, but not at higher frequencies. Although signal levels somewhat below system noise can be detected, signal-to-noise ratios substantially less than 0.1 cannot be overcome by cooperativity, signal averaging, coherent detection, or by nonlinear dynamical systems. Sensory systems and possible effects on biological magnetite suggest paradigms for extreme sensitivity at lower frequencies, but there are no known radiofrequency (RF) analogues. At the molecular level, vibrational modes are so overdamped by water molecules that excitation of molecular modes below the far infrared cannot occur. Two RF mechanisms plausibly may affect biological matter under common exposure conditions. For frequencies below approximately 150 MHz, shifts in the rate of chemical reactions can be mediated by radical pairs and, at all frequencies, dielectric and resistive heating can raise temperature and increase the entropy of the affected biological system.
An achievable region for the Wiretap multiple-access channel with common message

We derive a rate region which is achievable by the Wiretap MAC with Common Message under the strong secrecy criterion. We follow Devetak's approach to establishing strong secrecy. Using the concentration of the normed sum of bounded i.i. d. random variables around its mean, it is possible to show the existence of a code where the channel outputs at the eavesdropper are almost independent of the messages. The encoders may use a certain amount of common randomness. We give the example of a channel where the availability of common randomness is necessary for secret transmission.
Individual and contextual determinants of domestic violence in North India.

OBJECTIVES We examined individual- and community-level influences on domestic violence in Uttar Pradesh, North India. METHODS Multilevel modeling was used to explore domestic violence outcomes among a sample of 4520 married men. RESULTS Recent physical and sexual domestic violence was associated with the individual-level variables of childlessness, economic pressure, and intergenerational transmission of violence. A community environment of violent crime was associated with elevated risks of both physical and sexual violence. Community-level norms concerning wife beating were significantly related only to physical violence. CONCLUSIONS Important similarities as well as differences were evident in risk factors for physical and sexual domestic violence. Higher socioeconomic status was found to be protective against physical but not sexual violence. Our results provide additional support for the importance of contextual factors in shaping women's risks of physical and sexual violence.
Efficient Thai Grapheme-to-Phoneme Conversion Using CRF-Based Joint Sequence Modeling

This paper presents the successful results of applying joint sequence modeling in Thai grapheme-to-phoneme conversion. The proposed method utilizes Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) in two-stage prediction. The first CRF is used for textual syllable segmentation and syllable type prediction. Graphemes and their corresponding phonemes are then aligned using well-designed many-to-many alignment rules and outputs given by the first CRF. The second CRF, modeling the jointly aligned sequences, efficiently predicts phonemes. The proposed method obviously improves the prediction of linking syllables, normally hidden from their textual graphemes. Evaluation results show that the prediction word error rate (WER) of the proposed method reaches 13.66%, which is 11.09% lower than that of the baseline system.
SANet: Structure-Aware Network for Visual Tracking

Convolutional neural network (CNN) has drawn increasing interest in visual tracking owing to its powerfulness in feature extraction. Most existing CNN-based trackers treat tracking as a classification problem. However, these trackers are sensitive to similar distractors because their CNN models mainly focus on inter-class classification. To address this problem, we use self-structure information of object to distinguish it from distractors. Specifically, we utilize recurrent neural network (RNN) to model object structure, and incorporate it into CNN to improve its robustness to similar distractors. Considering that convolutional layers in different levels characterize the object from different perspectives, we use multiple RNNs to model object structure in different levels respectively. Extensive experiments on three benchmarks, OTB100, TC-128 and VOT2015, show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other methods. Code is released at www.dabi. temple.edu/hbling/code/SANet/SANet.html.
Twenty‐three new microsatellite loci in the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae)

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), is a significant pest of cattle. Twenty‐three microsatellite markers were isolated from a repeat‐enriched genomic library of S. calcitrans. We characterized variation at these markers and found that 17 loci were polymorphic in two fly populations from Florida. Two to nine alleles were observed among the variable microsatellite loci and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.03704 to 0.85115. These markers will be useful for characterizing population genetic differentiation and for tracking the migration patterns of stable flies in the USA and worldwide.
Update on the management of chronic rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disorder characterized by mucosal inflammation of the nose and paranasal sinuses with sinonasal symptoms persisting for greater than 12 weeks. The etiology of CRS is incompletely understood. Current understanding supports inflammation, rather than infection, as the dominant etiologic factor. CRS significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and health care expenditure. There is no standard management of CRS. Treatment strategies differ based on divergent etiologies of the various CRS subclasses. Both systemic and topical agents are used. These interventions differ in CRS with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), CRS without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) and specific situations such as allergic fungal rhinosinusitis or aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed medication for CRS, but their role in management is not strongly supported by high-level studies. This paper provides a succinct review of the evidence supporting or refuting common therapeutic agents in the management of CRS. Novel and emerging strategies will also be discussed.
Immune responses to Rickettsia akari infection in congenitally athymic nude mice

Athymic BALB/c nude mice and euthymic BALB/c mice were infected with Rickettsia akari by the intraperitoneal route. The rickettsialpox infection was terminated in euthymic mice with only two intraperitoneal injections of the antibiotic oxytetracycline, whereas prolonged treatment was necessary to terminate the infection in athymic mice. Both athymic and euthymic mice produced specific antibody, but athymic mice were still susceptible to reinfection. Killed R. akari served as a protective immunogen in euthymic, but no in athymic, mice. When spleen cells from convalescent euthymic mice were transferred to syngeneic athymic mice, recipients showed protection against challenge. This suggests that a T-cell-dependent step is generally necessary to terminate the rickettsialpox infection.
‘Why did you not tell me?’: perspectives of caregivers and children on the social environment surrounding child HIV disclosure in Kenya

Objective:We sought to better understand how social factors shape HIV disclosure to children from the perspective of caregivers and HIV-infected children in Kenya. Design:We conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) to gain perspectives of caregivers and children on the social environment for HIV disclosure to children in western Kenya. FGDs were held with caregivers who had disclosed the HIV status to their child and those who had not, and with HIV-infected children who knew their HIV status. Methods:FGD transcripts were translated into English, transcribed, and analyzed using constant comparison, progressive coding, and triangulation to arrive at a contextualized understanding of social factors influencing HIV disclosure. Results:Sixty-one caregivers of HIV-infected children participated in eight FGDs, and 23 HIV-infected children participated in three FGDs. Decisions around disclosure were shaped by a complex social environment that included the caregiver–child dyad, family members, neighbors, friends, schools, churches, and media. Whether social actors demonstrated support or espoused negative beliefs influenced caregiver decisions to disclose. Caregivers reported that HIV-related stigma was prominent across these domains, including stereotypes associating HIV with sexual promiscuity, immorality, and death, which were tied to caregiver fears about disclosure. Children also recognized stigma as a barrier to disclosure, but were less specific about the social and cultural stereotypes cited by the caregivers. Conclusion:In this setting, caregivers and children described multiple actors who influenced disclosure, mostly due to stigmatizing beliefs about HIV. Better understanding the social factors impacting disclosure may improve the design of support services for children and caregivers.
Studying inhibition of calcium oxalate stone formation: an in vitro approach for screening hydrogen sulfide and its metabolites

ABSTRACT Purpose: Calcium oxalate urolithiasis is one of the most common urinary tract diseases and is of high prevalence. The present study proposes to evaluate the antilithiatic property of hydrogen sulfide and its metabolites like thiosulfate & sulfate in an in vitro model. Materials and Methods: The antilithiatic activity of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaSH), sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) on the kinetics of calcium oxalate crystal formation was investigated both in physiological buffer and in urine from normal and recurrent stone forming volunteers. The stones were characterized by optical and spectroscopic techniques. Results: The stones were characterized to be monoclinic, prismatic and bipyramidal habit which is of calcium monohydrate and dihydrate nature. The FTIR displayed fingerprint corresponding to calcium oxalate in the control while in NaSH treated, S=O vibrations were visible in the spectrum. The order of percentage inhibition was NaSH>Na2S2O3>Na2SO4. Conclusion: Our study indicates that sodium hydrogen sulfide and its metabolite thiosulfate are inhibitors of calcium oxalate stone agglomeration which makes them unstable both in physiological buffer and in urine. This effect is attributed to pH changes and complexing of calcium by S2O3 2-and SO4 2- moiety produced by the test compounds.
Organic farming: challenge of timing nitrogen availability to crop nitrogen requirements.

Groundwater has become increasingly degraded by NO 3 , and this degradation has been partially attributed to the use of commercial inorganic N fertilizers. Conversion from conventional fertilizer management to organic farming has been proposed as a means to reduce groundwater degradation. Matching soil inorganic N supply with crop N requirement on a temporal basis is important to achieve high yield and low water degradation. Dynamics of N mineralization from two manures and N-uptake dynamics for two crops were derived from published data, and multi year simulations were done using the ENVIRON-GRO computer model, which accounts for N and irrigation management effects on crop yield and N leaching. The temporal N-mineralization and N-uptake curves did not match well. The potential N uptake for corn (Zea mays L.) exceeded the cumulative mineralized N during a significant period that would cause reduced yield. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has a low and flat N-uptake peak, so that the cumulative mineralized N met N demand by wheat during the growing season. A crop with a very high maximum N-uptake rate, such as corn, would be difficult to fertilize with only organic N to meet peak demands without excessive N in the soil before and after crop growth. In order to satisfy crop N demand, a large amount of manure, which would leave much N or subsequent leaching, must be applied. It took two or more years after conversion to organic sources of N to reach maximum yield because of carryover of unmineralized manure and accumulation of mineralized N after crop uptake which was not completely leached during the winter. High initial applications to build up the organic pool followed by reduced inputs in subsequent years would be appropriate.
Muscle dysmorphia in male weightlifters: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder in which individuals develop a pathological preoccupation with their muscularity. METHOD The authors interviewed 24 men with muscle dysmorphia and 30 normal comparison weightlifters, recruited from gymnasiums in the Boston area, using a battery of demographic, psychiatric, and physical measures. RESULTS The men with muscle dysmorphia differed significantly from the normal comparison weightlifters on numerous measures, including body dissatisfaction, eating attitudes, prevalence of anabolic steroid use, and lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. The men with muscle dysmorphia frequently described shame, embarrassment, and impairment of social and occupational functioning in association with their condition. By contrast, normal weightlifters displayed little pathology. Indeed, in an a posteriori analysis, the normal weightlifters proved closely comparable to a group of male college students recruited as a normal comparison group in an earlier study. CONCLUSIONS Muscle dysmorphia appears to be a valid diagnostic entity, possibly related to a larger group of disorders, and is associated with striking and stereotypical features. Men with muscle dysmorphia differ sharply from normal weightlifters, most of whom display little psychopathology. Further research is necessary to characterize the nosology and potential treatment of this syndrome.
Functional anatomy of the mental representation of upper extremity movements in healthy subjects.

1. Differences in the distribution of relative regional cerebral blood flow during motor imagery and execution of a joy-stick movement were investigated in six healthy volunteers with the use of positron emission tomography (PET). Both tasks were compared with a common baseline condition, motor preparation, and with each other. Data were analyzed for individual subjects and for the group, and areas of significant flow differences were related to anatomy by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 2. Imagining movements activated a number of frontal and parietal regions: medial and lateral premotor areas, anterior cingulate areas, ventral opercular premotor areas, and parts of superior and inferior parietal areas were all activated bilaterally when compared with preparation to move. 3. Execution of movements compared with imagining movements led to additional activations of the left primary sensorimotor cortex and adjacent areas: dorsal parts of the medial and lateral premotor cortex; adjacent cingulate areas; and rostral parts of the left superior parietal cortex. 4. Functionally distinct rostral and caudal parts of the posterior supplementary motor area (operationally defined as the SMA behind the coronal plane at the level of the anterior commissure) were identified. In the group, the rostral part of posterior SMA was activated by imagining movements, and a more caudoventral part was additionally activated during their execution. A similar dissociation was observed in the cingulate areas. Individual subjects showed that the precise site of these activations varied with the individual anatomy; however, a constant pattern of preferential activation within separate but adjacent gyri of the left hemisphere was preserved. 5. Functionally distinct regions were also observed in the parietal lobe: the caudal part of the superior parietal cortex [medial Brodmann area (BA) 7] was activated by imagining movements compared with preparing to execute them, whereas the more rostral parts of the superior parietal lobe (BA 5), mainly on the left, were additionally activated by execution of the movements. 6. Within the operculum, three functionally distinct areas were observed: rostrally, prefrontal areas (BA 44 and 45) were more active during imagined than executed movements; a ventral premotor area (BA 6) was activated during both imagined and executed movements; and more caudally in the parietal lobe, an area was found that was mainly activated by execution presumably SII. 7. These data suggest that imagined movements can be viewed as a special form of "motor behavior' that, when compared with preparing to move, activate areas associated heretofore with selection of actions and multisensory integration. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Psychometrische Analyse, Dimensionalität und Leistungskorrelate von Mental Toughness im Klettersport

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, die Zusammenhange zwischen den drei Mental Toughness (MT) Skalen (MTQ48, SMTQ und TROSCI) in einem sportlichen Kontext zu untersuchen sowie deren Faktorenstruktur anhand einer explorativen und konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalyse zu beurteilen. Die Ergebnisse von MT-Fragebogen wurden mit der Kletterleistung, der Klettererfahrung, den leistungsrelevanten Personlichkeitseigenschaften, dem Alter der Menarche bei Frauen und der korperlichen Variable des 2D:4D in Verbindung gebracht. Da der Fokus dieser Arbeit beim Sportklettern liegt, wurde zusatzlich mittels Dominanzanalyse untersucht, in welchem Ausmas die Varianz der Kletterleistung durch die Varianz der mentalen, korperlichen und trainingsbezogenen Variablen aufgeklart wird. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 97 grostenteils osterreichischen KletterInnen (Alter: M = 31.94, SD = 8.66 Jahre). Die Ergebnisse zeigen signifikante Ubereinstimmungen zwischen den MT-Skalen, dennoch weisen einige Subskalen niedrige interne Konsistenzen auf. Auch die Faktoranalyse weist eine uneindeutige Faktorenstruktur in den MT-Skalen auf. Die Arbeit ergab einen positiven Zusammenhang zwischen MT und Klettererfahrung, der allerdings nur bei Mannern signifikant ausfiel. Fur das 2D:4D sowie Alter der Menarche bei Frauen konnten keine erwarteten negativen Zusammenhange mit MT gefunden werden. Bei der Vorhersage der Kletterleistung durch die Pradiktoren konnte festgestellt werden, dass neben den trainingsbezogenen Variablen (Klettererfahrung und Trainingsintensitat) als starkster Pradiktor, auch Handgriffstarke, Geschlecht, die Personlichkeitseigenschaft Sensation Seeking, ASW/KGr und zuletzt Mental Toughness masgeblich sind.
Outer retinal tubulation: a novel optical coherence tomography finding.

OBJECTIVE To describe tubular structures found in the outer retina seen in a variety of retinal disorders. METHODS Sixty-nine eyes of 63 patients were examined with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Optical coherence tomography C-scans were correlated with their corresponding B-scans. The prevalence, number, size, and shape of the tubular structures were determined. RESULTS Branching tubules were identified in the outer retina of 54 patients with age-related macular degeneration and in 9 patients with other diagnoses. The tubules appeared as round or ovoid hyporeflective spaces with hyperreflective borders on the B-scans, measuring 40 to 140 microm high and 40 to 2260 microm wide. Morphologic features ranged from single straight or branching tubules to complex cavitary networks, usually overlying areas of pigment epithelial alteration or subretinal fibrosis. The tubules generally remained stable over time. In a retinal practice specializing in advanced age-related macular degeneration, these structures were identified in 60 of 248 patients (24.2%) seen during a 3-month period. CONCLUSIONS Degenerating photoreceptors may become arranged in a circular or ovoid fashion during a process we propose to term outer retinal tubulation. These changes are apparently common in advanced diseases affecting the outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium. This observation has practical implications because these findings can be misinterpreted as intraretinal or subretinal fluid, possibly prompting unnecessary interventions.
Rapid Characterization of Vegetation Structure with a Microsoft Kinect Sensor

The importance of vegetation structure and biomass in controlling land-atmosphere exchange is widely recognized, but measurements of canopy structure are challenging, time consuming, and often rely on destructive methods. The Microsoft Kinect is an infrared sensor designed for video gaming that outputs synchronized color and depth images and that has the potential to allow rapid characterization of vegetation structure. We compared depth images from a Kinect sensor with manual measurements of plant structure and size for two species growing in a California grassland. The depth images agreed well with the horizontal and vertical measurements of plant size made manually. Similarly, the plant volumes calculated with a three-dimensional convex hulls approach was well related to plant biomass. The Kinect showed some limitations for ecological observation associated with a short measurement range and daytime light contamination. Nonetheless, the Kinect's light weight, fast acquisition time, low power requirement, and cost make it a promising tool for rapid field surveys of canopy structure, especially in small-statured vegetation.
Integration of a Systems Biological Network Analysis and QTL Results for Biomass Heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana

To contribute to a further insight into heterosis we applied an integrative analysis to a systems biological network approach and a quantitative genetics analysis towards biomass heterosis in early Arabidopsis thaliana development. The study was performed on the parental accessions C24 and Col-0 and the reciprocal crosses. In an over-representation analysis it was tested if the overlap between the resulting gene lists of the two approaches is significantly larger than expected by chance. Top ranked genes in the results list of the systems biological analysis were significantly over-represented in the heterotic QTL candidate regions for either hybrid as well as regarding mid-parent and best-parent heterosis. This suggests that not only a few but rather several genes that influence biomass heterosis are located within each heterotic QTL region. Furthermore, the overlapping resulting genes of the two integrated approaches were particularly enriched in biomass related pathways. A chromosome-wise over-representation analysis gave rise to the hypothesis that chromosomes number 2 and 4 probably carry a majority of the genes involved in biomass heterosis in the early development of Arabidopsis thaliana.