Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The TerraSAR-X Staring Spotlight Mode Concept

The paper investigates the possibility to enhance the TerraSAR-X (TSX) azimuth resolution by means of staring spotlight imaging in combination with an extended azimuth pattern steering. The current TSX spotlight modes are briefly reviewed, and the azimuth steering limitations are discussed. Based on a realistic TSX azimuth pattern simulation and performance estimation using a Kepler orbit and the WGS84 reference ellipsoid, the key performance parameters are estimated for an increasing azimuth pattern steering angle span. The azimuth ambiguity performance is identified to be the driving performance parameter. Experimental TSX staring spotlight high-resolution images are presented. They demonstrate and verify the envisaged performance estimation. The paper concludes with a concept for a high-resolution TSX staring spotlight mode that serves as baseline for the upcoming operational implementation.
Neural precursors of decisions that matter - an ERP study of the role of consciousness in deliberate and random choices

Neural precursors of voluntary actions appear before subjects report having decided on their behavior, leading some to dismiss a causal role for consciousness in decision-making. But the voluntary actions studied are typically arbitrary – bearing no purpose, meaning or consequence. We used EEG to directly compare deliberate and arbitrary decisions in a donation-preference task. Two NPOs appeared on the left/right of the screen, and subjects pressed the left/right button with the corresponding hand. In the deliberate condition, subjects’ choices led to monetary donations to the NPOs. In the arbitrary condition, both NPOs received donations irrespective of the choice. Early left/right ERP differences appeared 1s before the action only for arbitrary decisions. Following our earlier work, we interpreted these ERPs as reflecting random bias activity disjoint from decision-making processes. Our findings challenge previous studies, suggesting that early predictability of voluntary action does not generalize from arbitrary to more-interesting deliberate decisions.
Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1: a Genetically Polymorphic Transporter of Major Importance for Hepatic Drug Uptake

The importance of membrane transporters for drug pharmacokinetics has been increasingly recognized during the last decade. Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) is a genetically polymorphic influx transporter expressed on the sinusoidal membrane of human hepatocytes, and it mediates the hepatic uptake of many endogenous compounds and xenobiotics. Recent studies have demonstrated that OATP1B1 plays a major, clinically important role in the hepatic uptake of many drugs. A common single-nucleotide variation (coding DNA c.521T>C, protein p.V174A, rs4149056) in the SLCO1B1 gene encoding OATP1B1 decreases the transporting activity of OATP1B1, resulting in markedly increased plasma concentrations of, for example, many statins, particularly of active simvastatin acid. The variant thereby enhances the risk of statin-induced myopathy and decreases the therapeutic indexes of statins. However, the effect of the SLCO1B1 c.521T>C variant is different on different statins. The same variant also markedly affects the pharmacokinetics of several other drugs. Furthermore, certain SLCO1B1 variants associated with an enhanced clearance of methotrexate increase the risk of gastrointestinal toxicity by methotrexate in the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Certain drugs (e.g., cyclosporine) potently inhibit OATP1B1, causing clinically significant drug interactions. Thus, OATP1B1 plays a major role in the hepatic uptake of drugs, and genetic variants and drug interactions affecting OATP1B1 activity are important determinants of individual drug responses. In this article, we review the current knowledge about the expression, function, substrate characteristics, and pharmacogenetics of OATP1B1 as well as its role in drug interactions, in parts comparing with those of other hepatocyte-expressed organic anion transporting polypeptides, OATP1B3 and OATP2B1.
EROSION DUE TO HIGH FLOW VELOCITIES: A DESCRIPTION OF RELEVANT PROCESSES

Convential models for the erosion of non-cohesive sediments overestimate the erosion rate induced by high flow velocities. These high flow velocities occur, for instance, in breaching of embankments or dunes (flow velocities up to 10 m/s) or in jetting sand with a trailing suction hopper dredger (30 to 60 m/s). At these very large flow velocities the erosion process is significantly influenced by the properties of the soil mass (non-cohesive particles). Governing parameters at higher flow velocities are dilatancy, permeability and the (un)drained shear strength of the soil. The sediment concentration in the water also influences the erosion process, especially in case of higher erosion rates. Based on the concept of Van Rhee (2007, 2010) a simple analytical formula is derived that gives a clear insight into the parameters influencing hindered erosion. The concept of hindered erosion is explained by two properties of granular soils: dilatancy and permeability. This implicates that the erosion behaviour of granular soils cannot be described by the behaviour of single particles alone. The properties of the whole soil mass should be considered in predicting erosion at higher flow velocities. Results of a large-scale breach experiment performed in 1994 in the Zwin Channel in the Netherlands (Visser, 1998) are analyzed to evaluate the formula.
Using Service-Learning to Integrate Death Education Into Counselor Preparation

Service-learning can be a meaningful and effective tool for integrating death education into counselor preparation. The authors describe the design, implementation, reflection process, and evaluation of a service-learning based support program for grieving families and offer suggestions for death educators interested in service-learning as pedagogy. Their evaluation indicated that students who took a graduate-level group counseling course with a service-learning component exhibited lower distress in death-related clinical situations than students who took the course without the service component. Service-learning is closely aligned with death education aims and can be used to enhance counselor preparation program curricular alignment with relevant accreditation standards.
The effects of age and renal and hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of sildenafil.

AIMS To investigate the effects of age and renal and hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics, tolerability and safety of sildenafil (single 50-mg oral dose) and its major circulating N-desmethyl metabolite, UK-103,320. METHODS Three open-label, parallel-group studies were conducted. The first study compared sildenafil pharmacokinetics, safety and toleration in 15 healthy young male subjects (mean age 30 years; range 19--45 years) to 15 healthy elderly male subjects (mean age 70 years; range 65--81 years). The second study included eight male volunteers with normal renal function and 16 male volunteers with varying degrees of renal impairment as assessed by measurement of creatinine clearance (CLcr). The third study included 12 male volunteers with normal hepatic function and 12 male volunteers with chronic stable hepatic cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A and B). For all three studies, blood and urine samples were collected predose and at specified intervals up to 48 h postdose for assays of sildenafil and UK-103,320, and measurements of protein binding. RESULTS Significant differences in Cmax and AUC were observed between the young and the elderly subjects for both the parent drug and the metabolite. In the elderly, AUC values were approximately twice as high and Cmax values 60--70% higher than those for young men, while t1/2 values were approximately 1 h longer for sildenafil and 2 h longer for UK-103,320. Due to a significantly smaller unbound fraction of drug in the elderly, free drug concentrations were only approximately 40% higher in the elderly group compared to the young group. In the renal impairment study, significant correlations with CLcr were demonstrated for sildenafil oral clearance (CL/F) and Cmax and UK-103,320 Cmax and AUC. Pairwise comparisons between subjects with normal renal function and those with severe renal impairment (CLcr<30 ml min-1) supported these findings, showing significant increases in Cmax and AUC for both the parent drug and the metabolite in the severely impaired subjects. The hepatic impairment study demonstrated that the pharmacokinetics of sildenafil were altered in subjects with chronic stable cirrhosis, as shown by a 46% reduction in CL/F and a 47% increase in Cmax compared with subjects with normal hepatic function, suggesting a reduction in first-pass metabolism as well as systemic clearance. The increase in systemic exposure for UK-103,320 was approximately twice that seen for the parent drug. In all three studies, sildenafil was well tolerated, most adverse events were mild and no subjects discontinued treatment. CONCLUSIONS Sildenafil pharmacokinetics were affected by age and by renal and hepatic impairment, suggesting that a lower starting dose of 25 mg should be considered for patients with severely compromised renal or hepatic function.
Eighty Challenges Facing Speech Input/Output Technologies

During the past three decades, we have witnessed remarkable progress in the development of speech input/output technologies. Despite these successes, we are far from reaching human capabilities of recognizing nearly perfectly the speech spoken by many speakers, under varying acoustic environments, with essentially unrestricted vocabulary. Synthetic speech still sounds stilted and robot-like, lacking in real personality and emotion. There are many challenges that will remain unmet unless we can advance our fundamental understanding of human communication – how speech is produced and perceived, utilizing our innate linguistic competence. This paper outlines some of these challenges, ranging from signal presentation and lexical access to language understanding and multimodal integration, and speculates on how these challenges could be met.
Site of prenylation reaction in synthesis of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) by spinach chloroplasts.

In spinach chloroplasts, 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate is prenylated by phytyldiphosphate and subsequently methylated by S-adenosylmethionine to form phylloquinol. The site of the prenylation reaction is the chloroplast envelope membrane.
Impacts of Dietary Phytochemicals in the Presence and Absence of Pesticides on Longevity of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Because certain flavonols and phenolic acids are found in pollen and nectar of most angiosperms, they are routinely ingested by Apis mellifera, the western honey bee. The flavonol quercetin and the phenolic acid p-coumaric acid are known to upregulate detoxification enzymes in adult bees; their presence or absence in the diet may thus affect the toxicity of ingested pesticides. We conducted a series of longevity assays with one-day-old adult workers to test if dietary phytochemicals enhance longevity and pesticide tolerance. One-day-old bees were maintained on sugar syrup with or without casein (a phytochemical-free protein source) in the presence or absence of quercetin and p-coumaric acid as well as in the presence or absence of two pyrethroid insecticides, bifenthrin and β-cyfluthrin. Dietary quercetin (hazard ratio, HR = 0.82), p-coumaric acid (HR = 0.91) and casein (HR = 0.74) were associated with extended lifespan and the two pyrethroid insecticides, 4 ppm bifenthrin (HR = 9.17) and 0.5 ppm β-cyfluthrin (HR = 1.34), reduced lifespan. Dietary quercetin enhanced tolerance of both pyrethroids; p-coumaric acid had a similar effect trend, although of reduced magnitude. Casein in the diet appears to eliminate the life-prolonging effect of p-coumaric acid in the absence of quercetin. Collectively, these assays demonstrate that dietary phytochemicals influence honey bee longevity and pesticide stress; substituting sugar syrups for honey or yeast/soy flour patties may thus have hitherto unrecognized impacts on adult bee health.
Well-Being Therapy of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Background: There is increasing awareness that the goal of treatment in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) should not simply be a response, but restoration of normal function. The aim of this study was to apply a novel psychotherapeutic approach for increasing the level of remission in GAD. Methods: Twenty patients with DSM-IV GAD devoid of comorbid conditions were randomly assigned to 8 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or the sequential administration of 4 sessions of CBT followed by other 4 sessions of well-being therapy (WBT). Assessment methods included the Anxiety and Depression Scales of Paykel’s Clinical Interview for Depression, Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scales and Kellner’s Symptom Questionnaire. A one-year follow-up was undertaken. Results: Significant advantages of the CBT-WBT sequential combination over CBT only were observed with both observer and self-rated methods after treatment. Such gains were maintained at follow-up. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest the feasibility and clinical advantages of adding WBT to the treatment of GAD. They lend support to a sequential use of treatment components for achieving a more sustained recovery.
Soil Acidobacterial 16S rRNA Gene Sequences Reveal Subgroup Level Differences between Savanna-Like Cerrado and Atlantic Forest Brazilian Biomes

16S rRNA sequences from the phylum Acidobacteria have been commonly reported from soil microbial communities, including those from the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) and the Atlantic Forest biomes, two biomes that present contrasting characteristics of soil and vegetation. Using 16S rRNA sequences, the present work aimed to study acidobacterial diversity and distribution in soils of Cerrado savanna and two Atlantic forest sites. PCA and phylogenetic reconstruction showed that the acidobacterial communities found in “Mata de galeria” forest soil samples from the Cerrado biome have a tendency to separate from the other Cerrado vegetation microbial communities in the direction of those found in the Atlantic Forest, which is correlated with a high abundance of Acidobacteria subgroup 2 (GP2). Environmental conditions seem to promote a negative correlation between GP2 and subgroup 1 (GP1) abundance. Also GP2 is negatively correlated to pH, but positively correlated to high Al3+ concentrations. The Cerrado soil showed the lowest Acidobacteria richness and diversity indexes of OTUs at the species and subgroups levels when compared to Atlantic Forest soils. These results suggest specificity of acidobacterial subgroups to soils of different biomes and are a starting point to understand their ecological roles, a topic that needs to be further explored.
Assessment of Chlorophyll-a Algorithms Considering Different Trophic Statuses and Optimal Bands

Numerous algorithms have been proposed to retrieve chlorophyll-a concentrations in Case 2 waters; however, the retrieval accuracy is far from satisfactory. In this research, seven algorithms are assessed with different band combinations of multispectral and hyperspectral bands using linear (LN), quadratic polynomial (QP) and power (PW) regression approaches, resulting in altogether 43 algorithmic combinations. These algorithms are evaluated by using simulated and measured datasets to understand the strengths and limitations of these algorithms. Two simulated datasets comprising 500,000 reflectance spectra each, both based on wide ranges of inherent optical properties (IOPs), are generated for the calibration and validation stages. Results reveal that the regression approach (i.e., LN, QP, and PW) has more influence on the simulated dataset than on the measured one. The algorithms that incorporated linear regression provide the highest retrieval accuracy for the simulated dataset. Results from simulated datasets reveal that the 3-band (3b) algorithm that incorporate 665-nm and 680-nm bands and band tuning selection approach outperformed other algorithms with root mean square error (RMSE) of 15.87 mg·m−3, 16.25 mg·m−3, and 19.05 mg·m−3, respectively. The spatial distribution of the best performing algorithms, for various combinations of chlorophyll-a (Chla) and non-algal particles (NAP) concentrations, show that the 3b_tuning_QP and 3b_680_QP outperform other algorithms in terms of minimum RMSE frequency of 33.19% and 60.52%, respectively. However, the two algorithms failed to accurately retrieve Chla for many combinations of Chla and NAP, particularly for low Chla and NAP concentrations. In addition, the spatial distribution emphasizes that no single algorithm can provide outstanding accuracy for Chla retrieval and that multi-algorithms should be included to reduce the error. Comparing the results of the measured and simulated datasets reveal that the algorithms that incorporate the 665-nm band outperform other algorithms for measured dataset (RMSE = 36.84 mg·m−3), while algorithms that incorporate the band tuning approach provide the highest retrieval accuracy for the simulated dataset (RMSE = 25.05 mg·m−3).
Changing trends in clinical AIDS presentations and survival among HIV-1-infected women.

OBJECTIVES To profile trends of clinical AIDS-defining illness (ADI) among a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women over a 12-year period. METHODS In a prospective evaluation of AIDS clinical presentation in the Women and Infants Transmission Study (WITS), 2255 subjects were enrolled and followed between December 1989 and June 2002 (total, 4993 person-years). Data on clinical AIDS presentation of 140 (6.2%) HIV-seropositive subjects were evaluated across three calendar periods corresponding to the use of different therapy regimens. Incidence rates (per 1000 woman-years) for AIDS and specific ADIs were compared between periods using Poisson regression methods. RESULTS Incidence rates of AIDS, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, recurrent bacterial pneumonia, herpes simplex disease, esophageal/bronchial candidiasis, wasting syndrome, and neurological diseases have showed significant downward trends. Among women with ADI, the frequency of either esophageal or bronchial candidiasis as initial ADI showed an increasing trend (p(trend) = 0.03), whereas a decrease in proportion of cases with nontuberculosis mycobacterial infection (P(trend) = 0.05) was observed over the same periods. In the multivariate analysis, both the CD4+ lymphocyte count and HIV-1 RNA at the time of diagnosis were independently associated with survival after AIDS. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was associated with a 70% reduction in progression to death following AIDS. CONCLUSIONS Temporal changes in the incidence and clinical presentations in HIV-positive women in our cohort reflect an increased use of HAART that may have a differential effect on reduction in the risk of ADIs. These illnesses, although considerably less frequent in recent years, are still important contributors to morbidity in HIV-positive women.
An evaluation of one-handed techniques for multiple-target selection

Recent research has revealed that a large population of mobile users usually use one hand when interacting with mobile devices. However, very few techniques have been developed to support multiple-target selection. In this paper, we introduce Burst and ZoomTap, two techniques that aim to facilitate accurate and fast multiple-target acquisition with one-handed thumb operation on touch-based mobile devices. We compare our two techniques to Shift in a controlled experiment. The results show that for multiple-target selection, Burst and ZoomTap can outperform Shift; also according to the questionnaire, participants prefer Burst and ZoomTap to Shift.
Avatars with Sex Appeal as Pedagogical Agents: Attractiveness, Trustworthiness, Expertise, and Gender Differences

The study focused on the use of pedagogical agents with sex appeal in a computer-assisted learning environment. The study adopted a 2 (male/female) × 3 (demure/seductive/overtly sexual) experimental design. The primary analysis consisted of 2 parts: (a) comparing the impact of effective learning on students' perceptions of demure, seductive, or overtly sexual pedagogical agents, and (b) exploring gender differences in the usage of pedagogical agents with sex appeal. The empirical study results revealed that the sex appeal of female pedagogical agents is more helpful in effective learning than those of male agents. The sexy appearances of pedagogical agents are perceived by students as attractive, untrustworthy, and unprofessional. A seductive appearance in pedagogical agents is the most beneficial for effective learning than demure or overtly sexual ones. Students' and pedagogical agents' gender affect the impact of pedagogical agents with sex appeal on effective learning.
Skin Pigmentation, A Rare Side Effect of Chlorpromazine

A greyish-brownish-bluish skin discolouration is described in patients who have received chlorpromazine in high dosages for a considerable length of time. Prior to the skin pigmentation an increased melanocytic activity with ocular manifestations appears, which beyond a certain point in some patients leads to exhaustion of melanocytic activity and to deposit of melanin in the dermis. The melanin/chlorpromazine complex is discussed and a hypothetical mechanism of chlorpromazine action is proposed which may lead to the described skin and ocular pathology.
Exceptional Motifs in Different Markov Chain Models for a Statistical Analysis of DNA Sequences

Identifying exceptional motifs is often used for extracting information from long DNA sequences. The two difficulties of the method are the choice of the model that defines the expected frequencies of words and the approximation of the variance of the difference T(W) between the number of occurrences of a word W and its estimation. We consider here different Markov chain models, either with stationary or periodic transition probabilities. We estimate the variance of the difference T(W) by the conditional variance of the number of occurrences of W given the oligonucleotides counts that define the model. Two applications show how to use asymptotically standard normal statistics associated with the counts to describe a given sequence in terms of its outlying words. Sequences of Escherichia coli and of Bacillus subtilis are compared with respect to their exceptional tri- and tetranucleotides. For both bacteria, exceptional 3-words are mainly found in the coding frame. E. coli palindrome counts are analyzed in different models, showing that many overabundant words are one-letter mutations of avoided palindromes.
Diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases in pediatric patients

ABSTRACT Introduction: The optimal management of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in children requires prompt and precise diagnosis that enables timely implementation of appropriate antifungal therapy and decreased use of unnecessary toxic antifungals. Areas covered: Traditional approaches such as culture, microscopy and histopathology remain the gold standard but are often not sufficiently sensitive and specific. These limitations have led to the development of alternative non-invasive diagnostic methods that in most cases detect fungal components, such as antigens or nucleic acids. To date, galactomannan and 1,3 β-D-glucan assays are the most efficient non-culture methods for diagnosis and monitoring of antifungal therapy. New technologies from nano-sciences are applied, like T2Candida assay. However, these are not standardized or validated in children. Herein, we focus on IFI diagnosis emphasizing current perspectives, interpretation difficulties, and need for further evaluation in pediatrics. Expert commentary: The new diagnostic tools may enhance diagnostic capacity in combination with traditional methods.