Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection and Quantification of Leptospira interrogans in Hamster and Rat Kidney Samples: Immunofluorescent Imprints versus Real-time PCR

A major limitation in the clinical management and experimental research of leptospirosis is the poor performance of the available methods for the direct detection of leptospires. In this study, we compared real-time PCR (qPCR), targeting the lipL32 gene, with the immunofluorescent imprint method (IM) for the detection and quantification of leptospires in kidney samples from the rat and hamster experimental models of leptospirosis. Using a virulent strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni, a chronic infection was established in the rat model, which were euthanized 28 days post-infection, while the hamster model simulated an acute infection and the hamsters were euthanized eight days after inoculation. Leptospires in the kidney samples were detected using culture isolation, qPCR and the IM, and quantified using qPCR and the IM. In both the acute and chronic infection models, the correlation between quantification by qPCR and the IM was found to be positive and statistically significant (P<0.05). Therefore, this study demonstrates that the IM is a viable alternative for not only the detection but also the quantification of leptospires, particularly when the use of qPCR is not feasible.
Internet identifiability and beyond: a model of the effects of identifiability on communicative behavior

K. Douglas and C. McGarty (2001) demonstrated that being identifiable to an in-group audience in a computer-mediated communication (CMC) setting leads people to describe anonymous out-group targets in more abstract or stereotypical ways. On the basis of these findings and the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE; S. Reicher, R. Spears, & T. Postmes, 1995), the authors aimed to test a model of the effects of identifiability on communicative behavior in and beyond CMC. Participants in 3 studies, 1 CMC and 2 pen and paper, were asked to write responses to controversial messages. In all 3 studies, communicators who were identifiable to an in-group audience used more stereotypical language to describe anonymous out-group targets. Studies 2 and 3 suggested that rather than being strategic, this may result from more subtle or implicit communicative processes.
Adjustment Disorders Are Uniquely Suited for eHealth Interventions: Concept and Case Study

Background Adjustment disorders (also known as mental distress in response to a stressor) are among the most frequently diagnosed mental disorders in psychiatry and clinical psychology worldwide. They are also commonly diagnosed in clients engaging in deliberate self-harm and in those consulting general practitioners. However, their reputation in research-oriented mental health remains weak since they are largely underresearched. This may change when the International Statistical Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization is introduced, including a new conceptualization of adjustment disorders as a stress-response disorder with positively defined core symptoms. Objective This paper provides an overview of evidence-based interventions for adjustment disorders. Methods We reviewed the new ICD-11 concept of adjustment disorder and discuss the the rationale and case study of an unguided self-help protocol for burglary victims with adjustment disorder, and its possible implementation as an eHealth intervention. Results Overall, the treatment with the self-help manual reduced symptoms of adjustment disorder, namely preoccupation and failure to adapt, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions E-mental health options are considered uniquely suited for offering early intervention after the experiences of stressful life events that potentially trigger adjustment disorders.
Making Sense of Emotion in Stories and Social Life

Abstract This paper is concerned with some limitations of the vignette methodology used in contemporary appraisal research and their implications for appraisal theory. We focus on two recent studies in which emotional manipulations were achieved using textual materials, and criticise the investigators' apparent implicit assumption that participation in everyday social reality is somehow comparable to reading a story. We take issue with three related aspects of this cognitive analogy between life and its narrative representation, by arguing that emotional reactions in real life are not necessarily mediated by symbolic processes, that people are involved participants of real life rather than neutral observers, and that in real life people's evaluations and emotions are typically part of an ongoing dialogue rather than the expression of a soliloquy. Results from these studies of emotional vignettes therefore tend to overestimate the importance of constructive, abstract, and individualistic processes in the e.
What is policy? 21 years later: reflections on the possibilities of policy research

This paper is a reflection on What is policy? Texts, Trajectories and Tool Boxes, which was first published in 1993, in Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. It looks back to what the 1993 paper was trying to do and at some of the developments of the ideas first sketched there in my later work, in particular in the book How Schools Do Policy (2012). It also considers the continuing tensions between domination and agency, discourse and text, in policy research and the misuse of the concept of discourse in some policy analysis work.
Multisite functional connectivity MRI classification of autism: ABIDE results

Background: Systematic differences in functional connectivity MRI metrics have been consistently observed in autism, with predominantly decreased cortico-cortical connectivity. Previous attempts at single subject classification in high-functioning autism using whole brain point-to-point functional connectivity have yielded about 80% accurate classification of autism vs. control subjects across a wide age range. We attempted to replicate the method and results using the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) including resting state fMRI data obtained from 964 subjects and 16 separate international sites. Methods: For each of 964 subjects, we obtained pairwise functional connectivity measurements from a lattice of 7266 regions of interest covering the gray matter (26.4 million “connections”) after preprocessing that included motion and slice timing correction, coregistration to an anatomic image, normalization to standard space, and voxelwise removal by regression of motion parameters, soft tissue, CSF, and white matter signals. Connections were grouped into multiple bins, and a leave-one-out classifier was evaluated on connections comprising each set of bins. Age, age-squared, gender, handedness, and site were included as covariates for the classifier. Results: Classification accuracy significantly outperformed chance but was much lower for multisite prediction than for previous single site results. As high as 60% accuracy was obtained for whole brain classification, with the best accuracy from connections involving regions of the default mode network, parahippocampaland fusiform gyri, insula, Wernicke Area, and intraparietal sulcus. The classifier score was related to symptom severity, social function, daily living skills, and verbal IQ. Classification accuracy was significantly higher for sites with longer BOLD imaging times. Conclusions: Multisite functional connectivity classification of autism outperformed chance using a simple leave-one-out classifier, but exhibited poorer accuracy than for single site results. Attempts to use multisite classifiers will likely require improved classification algorithms, longer BOLD imaging times, and standardized acquisition parameters for possible future clinical utility.
A Survey on Clustering Routing Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

The past few years have witnessed increased interest in the potential use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in a wide range of applications and it has become a hot research area. Based on network structure, routing protocols in WSNs can be divided into two categories: flat routing and hierarchical or clustering routing. Owing to a variety of advantages, clustering is becoming an active branch of routing technology in WSNs. In this paper, we present a comprehensive and fine grained survey on clustering routing protocols proposed in the literature for WSNs. We outline the advantages and objectives of clustering for WSNs, and develop a novel taxonomy of WSN clustering routing methods based on complete and detailed clustering attributes. In particular, we systematically analyze a few prominent WSN clustering routing protocols and compare these different approaches according to our taxonomy and several significant metrics. Finally, we summarize and conclude the paper with some future directions.
Cold‐Induced Recruitment of Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis

Non‐shivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue is the main mechanism for thermoregulatory heat production in small mammals and newborns. During cold acclimation the sympathetic innervation triggers the recruitment of brown adipose tissue by hyperplasia, which involves the proliferation and differentiation of precursor cells, and by hypertrophy of mature brown adipocytes. Mitochondrial biogenesis and increased synthesis of the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP‐1) are hallmarks of the thermogenic recruitment process. The severalfold increase of mitochondrial protein content during cold acclimation recruits a large capacity for oxidative phosphorylation. However, UCP‐1 increases proton leakage across the inner membrane of brown adipocyte mitochondria and thereby dissipates proton motive force as heat instead of ATP synthesis. During recent years considerable progress has been achieved in the analysis of transcriptional mechanisms controlling Ucp1 gene expression. However, so far only little is known about the molecular basis of cold‐induced mitochondrial biogenesis in brown adipose tissue.
The Development and Validation of the Student Communication Satisfaction Scale

Four studies (N = 639) were conducted to develop and validate a global measure of student communication satisfaction with an instructor. In study one, participants were 155 students who reported on an instructor from their smallest class during the semester. Participants completed the Student Communication Satisfaction Scale (SCSS), the Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction Inventory, and the Conversational Appropriateness Scale. Results indicated that the SCSS is unidimensional, has initial concurrent validity, and is internally reliable. In study two, participants were 161 students who completed the SCSS, Attributional Confidence Scale, Revised Affective Learning Measure, and Student Motives for Communicating Scale in an attempt to establish additional concurrent validity. The SCSS was correlated positively with attributional confidence for the instructor, affect for the course and instructor, and the relational, functional, participatory, and sycophancy motives, while excuse-making was correlated negatively with communication satisfaction. Additionally, results of a confirmatory factor analysis yielded a single-factor solution. In study three, a confirmatory factor analysis of the scale using another sample (N=165) yielded a single-factor solution. In study four (N=158), discriminant validity was established as the SCSS loaded on a separate factor than the ICSI and was correlated positively with a host of instructional outcomes, student communication behavior, and perceived instructor communication.
Production and integrated training of adjectives in three individuals with nonfluent aphasia

Background: Current research in theoretical linguistics, experimental psychology, and clinical aphasiology suggests that adjective training may facilitate unique aspects of language production and functional communication in persons with aphasia. Although considerable research has been devoted to treatments targeting nouns and verbs, there has been relatively little treatment research directed towards adjectives. Aims: The goal of this study was to further investigate the viability of adjective training in aphasia by applying an integrated treatment approach targeting adjective production in the context of single word, sentence, and discourse levels of communication. Specific objectives were to quantify baseline adjective production, acquisition of target structures, and treatment generalisation effects. Method: A single-participant multiple-baseline design was used to evaluate treatment effects in three individuals with nonfluent chronic aphasia. A battery of experimental measures and standardised tests was also administered pre- and post-treatment to assess baseline performance and generalisation effects extending to adjectives, other parts of speech, sentence processing, and discourse production. Outcomes & Results: Two of the three participants acquired the target structures and maintained criterion performance levels 1 month after treatment. In spite of differences in baseline performance and responsiveness to treatment, all three participants demonstrated significant gains on standardised measures of language production. Conclusions: Findings add to existing literature supporting the viability of adjective training for individuals with aphasia. Participant characteristics and treatment factors that may contribute to variable outcomes are also discussed.
Downregulation of miR‐375 in aldosterone‐producing adenomas promotes tumour cell growth via MTDH

Previous studies have investigated the genetic and molecular basis of primary aldosteronism (PA), a common cause of human hypertension, but the effects of microRNAs (miRNAs) on the adrenocortical cell proliferation and aldosterone production are largely obscure. Here, we characterized miRNA expression patterns in the subtypes of PA to gain a better understanding of its pathogenesis.
Cartoon-Looking Rendering of 3D-Scenes

We present a rendering algorithm that produces images with the appearance of a traditional cartoon from a 3D description of the scene (a static or an animated scene). The 3D scene is rendered with techniques allowing to: outline the profiles and edges of objects in back, uniformly color the surface inside the outlines, render shadows (backface shadows and projected shadows) due to light sources.
Public Relations Roles in Brazil: Hierarchy Eclipses Gender Differences

This study adds to the theoretical base of knowledge about global public relations by describing the prevalence of the different social roles of Brazilian public relations professionals. Four social role constructs were validated: (1) Ethics and Social Responsibility, (2) Employee Well-Being, (3) Community Well-Being, and (4) Government Harmony. Gender and hierarchy differences were observed. Women were more likely than men to perform the Employee Well-Being role and less likely to perform the other 3 roles. In addition, being in the highest position in the hierarchy is associated with performing the Ethics and Social Responsibility role and the Community Well-Being role. However, differences between male and female role performance disappear when women occupy the higher positions in the organization; women at the top of the organization perform these roles with the same regularity as men.
Basidiomycetous (Mushroom) Infection of the Maxillary Sinus

C h r o n i c sinusitis involving the maxillary antrum is a common problem confronting the otolaryngologist. Usual pathogens include gram-positive and gramnegative organisms, as well as anaerobes. Fungal maxillary sinusitis is usually encountered in the immunocompromised host; however, recent reports show an increased incidence among the immunocompetent. ’ We have recently treated a case of chronic right maxillary sinusitis in an otherwise healthy woman who had an expansile lesion of the right antrum. Although two species of Aspergillus were initially cultured from nasal smears, the Basidiomycetous (mushroom) fungus was the only pathogen identified from operative cultures and pathology specimens. To our knowledge, this is only the third case of rnaxillary sinusitis in which the Basidiomycetous fungus has been identified as a primary pathogen. Case history, management, and review of the literature follows.
Tumors with high-density tumor infiltrating lymphocytes constitute a favorable entity in breast cancer: a pooled analysis of four prospective adjuvant trials

Background Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are considered in the prognosis of breast cancer (BC) patients. Here, we investigated the prognostic/predictive effect of TILs in patients treated in the frame of four prospective trials with adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy in the pre- and post-trastuzumab era. Methods TILs density was histologically assessed as percentage of stromal area on whole routine sections of 2613 BC (1563 Luminal A/B; 477 Luminal HER2; 246 HER2-enriched; 327 triple negative [TNBC]) and were evaluated as high/low at three cut-offs (c/o; 50% [lymphocytic predominance, LP], 35% and 25%), in separate training and validation sets. Results High TILs were present in 3.5%, 6.5% and 11.5% of all tumors, using the 50%, 35% and 25% c/o, respectively. TILs status did not interact with BC subtypes or trastuzumab treatment. LPBC patient outcome was not affected by nodal status, while high TILs were favorable in TNBC with unfavorable nodal status. When adjusted for standard clinicopathological parameters and treatment, high TILs independently predicted for favorable outcome, e.g., disease-free survival with the 35% c/o in the entire cohort (HR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.28-0.69, p < 0.001) and in specific subtypes. Conclusions High TILs tumors, especially LPBC seem worthy validating as a separate entity of favorable prognosis in breast cancer.
Knowledge Discovery in RNA Sequence Families of HIV Using Scalable Computers

The prediction of RNA secondary structure on the basis of sequence information is an important tool in biosequence analysis. However, it has typically been restricted to molecules containing no more than 4000 nucleotides due to the computational complexity of the underlying dynamic programming algorithm used. We desribe here an approach to RNA sequence analysis based upon scalable computers, which enables molecules containing up to 20,000 nucleotides to be analysed. We apply the approach to investigation of the entire HIV genome, illustrating the power of these methods to perform knowledge discovery by identification of important secondary structure motifs within RNA sequence families.
Amplitude-preserved wave-equation migration

We analyze the amplitude variation as a function of reflection angle (AVA) for angle-domain common image gathers (ADCIG) produced via wave-equation migration. Straightforward implementations of the two main ADCIG methods lead to contradictory, thus inaccurate, amplitude responses. The amplitude inaccuracy is related to the fact that downward-continuation migration is the adjoint of upward-continuation modeling, but it is only a poor approximation of its inverse. We derive the frequency-wavenumber domain diagonal weighting operators that make migration a good approximation to the inverse of modeling. With these weights, both ADCIG methods produce consistent results. The main applications that follow from this paper are true-amplitude migration and pseudounitary modeling/migration, usable for iterative inversion. The two most important factors that degrade the accuracy of wave-equation ADCIGs are the limited sampling and offset range, combined with the band-limited nature of seismic data.
Reactivity and developmental competence in preterm and full-term infants.

We evaluated physiological and behavioral reactivity to a novel stimulus in 24 preterm and 24 full-term infants at 8 months and examined its association with developmental competence. Infants who reacted to the stimulus with increased vagal tone more often engaged in focused examination and exhibited greater range in exploratory play than those whose vagal tone decreased in response to the stimulus. Some differences in developmental performance were detected based on term status. Preterm perinatal risk factors were inversely associated with exploratory examination and range. Results are discussed in terms of a challenge model for assessing behavioral and physiological functioning
Roles of Biopsychosocial Factors in the Development of Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the roles of biopsychosocial risk factors in the development of breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS This hospital-based case-control study included 491 women with breast cancer (study group) and 512 women who did not have cancer or other serious diseases (control group). Biological, psychological, and social risk factors were compared between the two groups. Data were collected using the semi-structured interview, the Stress Assessment Form, and the Coping Strategy Indicator to assess these factors. RESULTS When the significantly different biopsychosocial variables between the study and the control groups were evaluated together, independent breast cancer risk factors were found as follows: a stressor experienced in the last 5 years, age 40 years and older, inadequate social support perception, use of avoidance coping strategy, being a housewife, having a family history of cancer, and having a body mass index ≥25. CONCLUSION This study showed a relationship between breast cancer risk and manageable variables (obesity, stressor and coping strategy, social support, and employment status), age and family history of cancer, which are biopsychosocial factors. Biopsychosocial aspects are becoming a greater part of many different healthcare systems.
Petri-Net based modeling and scheduling of a flexible manufacturing system

In this paper, a timed place Petri-net (TPPN) model for flexible manufacturing systems with the components of machines, limited buffers, robots and the material handling systems, automated guided vehicles (AGV's) is constructed. Since a firing sequence of the TPPN from the initial marking to the final marking can be seen as a schedule of the modeled FMS, by using an A* based search algorithm, namely, Limited-Expansion A algorithm, a near-optimal schedule of the part processing can be obtained using reasonable computing time and memory requirement. For a large volume of parts, the authors also propose an adaptive scheduling approach to generate a near-optimal schedule in an economical computing time. In order to show the effectiveness of the proposed method, a prototype FMS in the Automation Lab of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, is used as a target system for implementation. <<ETX>>
Counsellor verbal response mode usage and client-perceived rapport

Abstract The effects of usage of eight verbal response modes by trainee counsellors during an initial interview were determined by reference to client-perceived rapport. Data on rapport were gathered via a standardized client's minute-by-minute ratings of his experience of rapport on a five-point scale during the interview. A total of ten counselling interviews were conducted, and data were examinedfor overall effects (i.e. during the interview as a whole) and minute-by-minute effects. Restatements, Minimal Encouragers and Verbosity were significantly dafferent in occurrence in high versus low rated interviews. Minute-by-minute data revealed that these overall differences were not consistent at all stages of the interviews. Implications for counsellor training are discussed.