Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Focal liver lesions: characterization with nonenhanced and dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging.

PURPOSE To evaluate prospectively the diagnostic accuracy of non-enhanced and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in characterization of hepatic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-five patients with benign and 52 patients with malignant focal liver lesions underwent examination at 1.5 T that comprised nonenhanced and dynamic contrast material-enhanced images. Four experienced radiologists independently read the different sets of images without and with knowledge of clinical history. RESULTS Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging added information to nonenhanced MR studies and thereby improved distinction between benign and malignant lesions (P < .05). Knowledge of clinical data further improved lesion characterization with nonenhanced and combined nonenhanced and contrast-enhanced MR imaging (P < .05). CONCLUSION Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging is a useful adjunct for characterization of hepatic lesions. Knowledge of clinical history still has a decisive effect on interpretation of MR images of the liver.
Usability Considerations of Mobile Learning Applications

Abstract- Mobile usability is not one-dimensional property of user interface, it has many components and attributes [1] The most attributes associated with the mobile usability are as following: Satisfaction, Efficiency, Learnability, Lack of Errors, and Memorability The assessment and importance of the usability attributes varies based on the application and the type of the users. For the expert usersâ? lack of errors, reliability and efficiency are important and for the novice users beside mentioned factors the adjustability, learnability and memorability are essentials factors. This paper reveals different usability considerations for mobile learning system with approparte guidelines.
Global DNA hypomethylation increases progressively in cervical dysplasia and carcinoma

Background. Global DNA hypomethylation has been observed in some human neoplasms and has been implicated as an important factor in carcinogenesis. The current study was designed to assess whether DNA hypomethylation occurs in cervical dysplasia and cancer, and to determine the relationship between the degree of DNA hypomethylation and the grade of neoplasia.
Behavioral Study of Single-Event Burnout in Power Devices for Natural Radiation Environment Applications

Two-dimensional numerical simulations have been performed to define the sensitive volume and triggering criteria of single-event burnouts (SEBs) for standard and superjunction MOSFETs and planar and trench IGBTs for different configurations of ionizing tracks and for different conditions of polarization and temperature. The analysis of the results gives a better understanding of the SEB mechanism in each structure and a comparison of behavior and robustness of these technologies under heavy-ion irradiation.
Addressing the Challenge of Preparing Australian Pre-service Primary Teachers in Environmental Education

Concerns have been raised for some time about the preparation of Australian teachers in the area of environmental education. Few tertiary institutions that undertake teacher education in Australia have specific units or modules dedicated to environmental education. This article reports on an evaluation of such a dedicated unit recently introduced to the BEd (Primary) award at an Australian university. Students were surveyed pre- and post-instruction and the findings indicate that most participants felt more confident about teaching environmental education. This was largely attributed to improved pedagogical content knowledge and an appreciation of how to integrate environmental education into the everyday learning of their students. The efficacy of this unit in terms of the motivation and confidence of student-teachers regarding environmental education lends support to those who call for more specific environmental education content in teacher education courses.
The effects of framing social dilemmas as give‐some or take‐some games

Same-sex groups were confronted with mathematically equivalent social dilemma games, framed as take-some or give-some games. For choice behaviour no difference between take-some and give-some games was observed. However, in take-some games subjects were more inclined to relinquish decision-making authority to a leader than in give-some games. Some rival interpretations of these data are offered.
Evaluating Estimates of Markov Models of Sequence Evolution through Simulation

Current methods of evaluating techniques that estimate parameters of Markov models of sequence evolution require sequence data from populations with well-known phylogenetic relationships. Such data is not always available, since phylogenetic relationships can never be known with certainty. We propose generating sequence data for estimation technique evaluation by simulating sequence evolution in a controlled setting. Our elementary simulator assumes a Markov model and uses a binary branching process to dynamically build a phylogenetic tree from an initial seed sequence. We then observe how well estimation techniques recover the Markov model parameters specified in the simulation using the sequences at the leaves of the tree. We demonstrate our evaluation method on Arvestad and Bruno's estimation technique, and show how our approach can reveal performance variations
External Influence and Democratization: The Revenge of Geopolitics

Abstract:Discussion of democracy promotion is usually isolated from that of geopolitics. It is seen as an affair between democratic countries on the one hand and governments or civil societies of autocratic and semi-autocratic states on the other. The recent crisis in Ukraine has demonstrated the inseparability of democracy promotion and power politics, especially in faultline regions where democratic and autocratic states and political cultures compete for influence. While a political choice in favor of democratic world and organizations like the European Union does not guarantee democratic consolidation, it positively correlates with the level of political freedom within a given country.
Effect of bolus length of intraarterial injections on contrast‐enhanced MR‐angiography in patients

To perform MR‐guided interventions, repetitive injections of contrast agent in the arterial system are necessary. By reducing the intraarterial bolus length during image acquisition and consecutively reducing the gadolinium‐chelate–based contrast agent dose, we focus on a comparable vascular depiction. The tradeoff in reducing bolus length is vascular depiction.
A review of recent information on the Haplosporidia, with special reference to Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX disease)

The current status of the Haplosporidia is reviewed as well as recent information on Haplosporidium nel- soni, the causative agent of MSX disease in oysters. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses with greatly increased taxon sampling support monophyly of the Haplosporidia and hypothesize placement of the group as sister taxon to the phylum Cercozoa. Oyster pathogens in the genus Bonamia should be considered haplosporidians based on molecular sequence data. Thus, the group contains 4 genera: Uropsoridium, Haplosporidium, Bonamia and Minchinia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses support monophyly of Urosporidium, Bonamia and Minchinia ,b utHaplosporidium forms a pa- raphyletic clade. Reports of haplosporidia worldwide are reviewed. Molecular detection assays have greatly increased our ability to rapidly and specifically diagnose important pathogens in the phylum and have also improved our under- standing of the distribution and biology of H. nelsoni and H. costale. Much of the data available for H. nelsoni has been integrated into a mathematical model of host/parasite/environment interactions. Model simulations support hypotheses that recent H. nelsoni outbreaks in the NE United States are related to increased winter temperatures, and that a host other than oysters is involved in the life cycle. Evidence is presented that natural resistance to H. nelsoni has developed in oysters in Delaware Bay, USA. However, in Chesapeake Bay, USA H. nelsoni has intensified in historically low salinity areas where salinities have increased because of recent drought conditions. Efforts to mitigate the impact of H. nelsoni involve selective breeding programs for disease resistance and the evaluation of disease resistant non-native oysters.
Oligarchy in the United States?

We explore the possibility that the US political system can usefully be characterized as oligarchic. Using a material-based definition drawn from Aristotle, we argue that oligarchy is not inconsistent with democracy; that oligarchs need not occupy formal office or conspire together or even engage extensively in politics in order to prevail; that great wealth can provide both the resources and the motivation to exert potent political influence. Data on the US distributions of income and wealth are used to construct several Material Power Indices, which suggest that the wealthiest Americans may exert vastly greater political influence than average citizens and that a very small group of the wealthiest (perhaps the top tenth of 1 percent) may have sufficient power to dominate policy in certain key areas. A brief review of the literature suggests possible mechanisms by which such influence could occur, through lobbying, the electoral process, opinion shaping, and the US Constitution itself.
Deep Brain Magnetic Stimulation Promotes Neurogenesis and Restores Cholinergic Activity in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive decline of memory and cognitive functions. Deep magnetic stimulation (DMS), a noninvasive and nonpharmacological brain stimulation, has been reported to alleviate stress-related cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders. Our previous study also discovered the preventive effect of DMS on cognitive decline in an AD mouse model. However, the underlying mechanism must be explored further. In this study, we investigated the effect of DMS on spatial learning and memory functions, neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG), as well as expression and activity of the cholinergic system in a transgenic mouse model of AD (5XFAD). Administration of DMS effectively improved performance in spatial learning and memory of 5XFAD mice. Furthermore, neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG of DMS-treated 5XFAD mice was clearly enhanced. In addition, DMS significantly raised the level of acetylcholine and prevented the increase in acetylcholinesterase activity as well as the decrease in acetyltransferase activity in the hippocampus of 5XFAD mice. These findings indicate that DMS may be a promising noninvasive tool for treatment and prevention of AD cognitive impairment by promoting neurogenesis and enhancing cholinergic system function.
Time-resolved dissection of early phosphoproteome and ensuing proteome changes in response to TGF-β

Proteomics analysis of TGF-β signaling in keratinocytes reveals widespread changes in protein phosphorylation and abundance. In Deep with TGF-β Signaling TGF-β signaling regulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is associated with increased migratory behavior, in various tissues during development and in cancer. D’Souza et al. analyzed temporal changes in the proteome and phosphoproteome of cultured keratinocytes undergoing TGF-β–induced EMT. They identified thousands of changes in proteins involved in many cellular processes, including the cell cycle, cell motility, DNA repair, and vesicle transport. This comprehensive analysis represents a vast resource of data for researchers interested in TGF-β–dependent biology. Transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) signaling promotes cell motility by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) in normal physiology and development, as well as in pathological conditions, such as cancer. We performed a time-resolved analysis of the proteomic and phosphoproteomic changes of cultured human keratinocytes undergoing EMT and cell cycle arrest in response to stimulation with TGF-β. We quantified significant changes in 2079 proteins and 2892 phosphorylation sites regulated by TGF-β. We identified several proteins known to be involved in TGF-β–induced cellular processes, such as the cytostatic response, extracellular matrix remodeling, and epithelial dedifferentiation. In addition, we identified proteins involved in other cellular functions, such as vesicle trafficking, that were not previously associated with TGF-β signaling. Although many TGF-β responses are mediated by phosphorylation of the transcriptional regulators of the SMAD family by the TGF-β receptor complex, we observed rapid kinetics of changes in protein phosphorylation, indicating that many responses were mediated through SMAD-independent TGF-β signaling. Combined analysis of changes in protein abundance and phosphorylation and knowledge of protein interactions and transcriptional regulation provided a comprehensive representation of the dynamic signaling events underlying TGF-β–induced changes in cell behavior. Our data suggest that in epithelial cells stimulated with TGF-β, early signaling is a mixture of both pro- and antiproliferative signals, whereas later signaling primarily inhibits proliferation.
Karyotypic similarities between two species of Rhamphichthys (Rhamphichthyidae, Gymnotiformes) from the Amazon basin

Abstract The family Rhamphichthyidae includes three genera: Rhamphichthys Müller et Troschel, 1846, Gymnorhamphichthys M. M. Ellis, 1912 and Iracema Triques, 1996. From this family, only the species Rhamphichthys hanni Meinken, 1937 has had its karyotype described. Here, we describe the karyotypes of two additional Rhamphichthys species: Rhamphichthys marmoratus Castelnau, 1855 from the Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá, Amazonas state and Rhamphichthys prope rostratus Linnaeus, 1766 from Pará state, both in Brazil. Our karyotypic analyses demonstrated that the diploid number is conserved for the genus (2n = 50), but the karyotypic formulas (KFs) differed between Rhamphichthys marmoratus (44m/sm+6a) and Rhamphichthys prope rostratus (42m/sm+8a). In both species, the constitutive heterochromatin (CH) was located in the centromeric region of most chromosomes. Large heterochromatic blocks were found on the long arms of pairs 4 and 14 in Rhamphichthys marmoratus and on chromosomes 3, 4 and 19 in Rhamphichthys prope rostratus, which also has a heteromorphism in chromosome pair 1. The CH was DAPI positive, indicating that it is rich in AT base pairs. The Nucleolus Organizer Region (NOR) showed staining at a single location in both species: the long arm of pair 1 in Rhamphichthys marmoratus and the long arm of pair 12 in Rhamphichthys prope rostratus, where it showed a size heteromorphism. CMA3 staining coincided with that of Ag-NOR, indicating that the ribosomal genes contain interspaced GC-rich sequences. FISH with an 18S rDNA probe confirmed that there is only one NOR site in each species. These results can be used as potential cytogenetic markers for fish populations, and comparative analysis of the karyotypes of Hypopygus Hoedman, 1962, Rhamphichthys and Steatogenys Boulenger, 1898 suggests that the first two genera diverged later that the third.
A Methane-Dependent Coccus, with Notes on Classification and Nomenclature of Obligate, Methane-Utilizing Bacteria

Foster, J. W. (The University of Texas, Austin), and Richard H. Davis. A methane-dependent coccus, with notes on classification and nomenclature of obligate, methane-utilizing bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 91:1924–1931. 1966. —A new coccus-shaped bacterium capable of aerobic growth at the expense of methane or methanol in a mineral salts medium is described. The organism did not grow at the expense of any of the conventional substrates or homologous hydrocarbons tested. It is gram-negative, nonmotile, and thermotolerant. It grows well at 50 C, optimally at 37 C, but does not grow at 55 C. The cells are encapsulated and have a characteristic diplococcoid arrangement. Washed, “resting-cell” suspensions oxidized certain primary alcohols and short-chain alkanes, an example of “nongrowth oxidation. ” Of the methane-C utilized, 86% was “fixed” in organic form; the remainder was oxidized to CO2. The guanine-cytosine content of the extracted deoxyribonucleic acid was 62.5%. Obligate methane-utilizing bacteria are considered as “one-carbon” organisms rather than hydrocarbon utilizers. The assimilation pathway in the obligate methane-methanol bacteria is different from that in the facultative methanol utilizers. Nomenclatural problems arising from the use of the prefix “Methano-” to denote both bacteria that oxidize methane and bacteria that produce methane are discussed. The obligate, one-carbon, methane-methanol bacteria are considered as “methyl” utilizers, and the prefix “Methylo-” is suggested as a solution to the problem of generic cognomens. “Methylococcus capsulatus” gen. n. , sp. n. is the name proposed for the new methane coccus.
Mobile Payment for Financial Inclusion : Investigation of a Pilot Project In Brazil

This paper presents an investigation of a pilot project that implemented a mobile payment platform in a poor community in Brazil. This project involved the creation of a network of organizations that includes a local microfinance institution, a large retail bank, a mobile phone operator, an international credit card company, and an acquirer, as well as small local merchants. The objective of this paper is to describe the process in which this platform was created and how it was maintained through time, considering the business objectives of the partners involved. Two conceptual approaches were combined for developing a theoretical understanding of this pilot project first to describe the process of inter-organizational network establishment and second to analyze its evolution during its first year of operation. The study points to the critical role played by governance processes, the environmental dynamics, the two dimensions of adoption (users and merchants) in mobile payments platforms, and how it can compromise the success of establishment and maintenance of such inter-organizational networks.
Surveillance of biting midges (Culicoides spp.) in Northern Ireland: influence of seasonality, surrounding habitat and livestock housing

Biting midges, Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are important vectors of viral pathogens. Following the outbreak of bluetongue serotype 8 in Europe between 2006 and 2009, many Culicoides surveillance programmes were initiated to identify vector‐active periods, in accordance with European Commission regulation 2007/1266/EC. This study utilized surveillance data from 4 years of continuous light‐trapping at 14 sites in Northern Ireland. The number of captured Culicoides varied from none during the vector‐free period (December–April) to more than 36 000 per night during peak activity in the summer. The Obsoletus group represented 75% of Culicoides collected and the Pulicaris group represented 21%. A total of 91% of Culicoides were female, of which 42% were parous. Abundance data, sex ratios and parous rates suggested that both the Obsoletus and Pulicaris groups underwent three generations/year. The Obsoletus group was associated with cattle‐rearing habitats and woodland, the Impunctatus group was found in habitats related to sheep rearing and the Pulicaris group were associated with both cattle and sheep. Housing did not reduce incursion of female Obsoletus group Culicoides but it did for males and for the Pulicaris group Culicoides. The influence of housing was strongly affected by time of year, probably reflecting the presence of livestock indoors/outdoors.
Clinical indicators of ineffective airway clearance for patients in the cardiac postoperative period

Background: The accuracy of an indicator determines the direct relationship between a defining characteristic and the presence or absence of a specific nursing diagnosis. Aims: To analyse the accuracy of the clinical indicators of ineffective airway clearance in patients during the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Methods: A total of 98 patients recruited from a postoperative unit were included in the study. An analysis of sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve was used to determine the accuracy of these clinical indicators. Results: Four clinical indicators showed the highest levels of accuracy by statistical measure: dyspnoea, adventitious breath sounds, ineffective cough, and retained secretions. The indicators retained secretions and ineffective cough showed high diagnostic odds ratios (62.8 and 28.1, respectively). Conclusion: The results suggest that there are differences between the ineffective airway clearance indicators as accuracy measures.
User Activities Outliers Detection; Integration of Statistical and Computational Intelligence Techniques

In this article, a hybrid technique for user activities outliers detection is introduced. The hybrid technique consists of a two‐stage integration of principal component analysis and fuzzy rule‐based systems. In the first stage, the Hamming distance is used to measure the differences between different activities. Principal component analysis is then applied to the distance measures to find two indices of Hotelling's T2 and squared prediction error. In the second stage of the process, the calculated indices are provided as inputs to the fuzzy rule‐based systems to model them heuristically. The model is used to identify the outliers and classify them. The proposed system is tested in real home environments, equipped with appropriate sensory devices, to identify outliers in the activities of daily living of the user. Three case studies are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system. The proposed system successfully identifies the outliers in activities distinguishing between the normal and abnormal behavioral patterns.
IL-10 and viral IL-10 prevent IL-4-induced IgE synthesis by inhibiting the accessory cell function of monocytes.

In the present study it is demonstrated that IL-10 and viral (v)-IL-10 inhibit IL-4-induced IgG4 and IgE synthesis in cultures of PBMC from healthy nonatopic donors. The inhibition occurred at the mRNA level. IL-10 strongly reduced IL-4-induced expression of both germline and productive epsilon transcripts in PBMC. The inhibitory effects were completely neutralized, or IgG4 and IgE synthesis was even enhanced, by anti-IL-10 mAb, demonstrating the specificity of the reaction. IL-4-induced IgG4 and IgE synthesis by PBMC was monocyte dependent. IL-4 failed to induce IgG4 or IgE synthesis by monocyte-depleted PBMC, but the production of these isotypes was completely restored by reconstitution with autologous monocytes. However, monocytes preincubated with IL-10 for 24 h failed to provide the accessory signals required for IL-4-induced IgG4 and IgE synthesis, indicating that the inhibitory effects of IL-10 are indirectly mediated via monocytes. This notion was further supported by the finding that IL-10 and v-IL-10 failed to inhibit IL-4-induced IgE synthesis in the absence of monocytes, i.e., when highly purified B cells were cultured in the presence of anti-CD40 mAb or cloned activated CD4+ T cells. Moreover, IL-10 failed to inhibit IL-4-induced germline epsilon mRNA synthesis in highly purified B cells. The inhibitory effects of IL-10 could not be restored by exogenous TNF-alpha or IL-6, indicating that the inhibitory effects were not mediated through inhibition of production of these cytokines. This is compatible with the observation that monocytes preincubated with IL-10 did not inhibit IgG4 or IgE synthesis in a monocyte- and T cell-independent culture system, in which purified B cells were cultured in the presence of anti-CD40 mAb and IL-4. Collectively, these data indicate that IL-10 mediates a potent, monocyte-dependent, inhibitory effect on IL-4-induced IgG4 and IgE production by human PBMC.