Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microbial ecology of ballast water during a transoceanic voyage and the effects of open-ocean exchange

The only procedure used frequently to reduce the risk of invasion by ballast-mediated biota is open-ocean exchange of ballast water, a procedure in which vessels release coastal water and replace it with oceanic water. Limited information exists concerning the effects of transport upon the aquatic microbial community throughout transit and following open-ocean exchange. A transoceanic voyage aboard a commercial bulk carrier afforded us the opportunity to sample the microbial com- munity in exchanged and unexchanged ballast-water holds during the journey from Hadera, Israel to Baltimore, USA. Five days following the exchange process, all microbial metrics tested (i.e. bacteria concentration, virus-like particle density, chl a and phaeopigment concentration, and microbial bio- mass) had decreased 1.6- to 34-fold from initial values. With respect to microbial measures, no sig- nificant differences existed between exchanged and unexchanged holds on Day 15, the final day of sampling. We stress that we quantified differences in total microorganism abundance and biomass, not species composition, and more research is necessary to determine the changes that nonindige- nous microorganisms, including potential pathogens, may effect in receiving waters.
Correlation analysis between expression of PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 and X-ray features in mammography in breast cancer

This study investigated expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), proliferation-associated nuclear antigen (Ki-67) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in tissues of breast invasive ductal carcinoma, and analyzed the correlations between these indexes and X-ray features in mammography. A total of 90 patients who were admitted to Huangshi Central Hospital and diagnosed as breast invasive ductal carcinoma from January 2014 to January 2016 were selected. The expression of PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 in cancer tissues and cancer-adjacent normal tissues of patients were detected by immunohistochemical staining, and X-ray features in mammography of patients were observed. By using Spearman correlation analysis, the correlations between expression of PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 and X-ray features in mammography in breast cancer were investigated. As a result, the positive expression rates of PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 in cancer tissues of the patient groups were respectively 42.2, 45.6 and 51.1%, which were significantly higher than those in cancer-adjacent normal tissues of the control group (p<0.05). PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 expression in cancer tissues of the patient group was associated with clinical staging and lymphatic metastasis (p<0.05), but had no correlation with age and tumor size (p>0.05). PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 expression in cancer tissues of the patient group had no correlation with the existence of lumps and localized density-increased shadows (p>0.05), but were associated with manifestations of architectural distortion, calcification as well as skin and nipple depression (p<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that there was a significantly positive correlation between the expression of PCNA and COX-2 in cancer tissues of the patient group (r=0.676, p<0.05); there was a significantly positive correlation between the expression of Ki-67 and COX-2 (r=0.724, p<0.05); PCNA expression had no obvious correlation with the expression of Ki-67 (p>0.05). In conclusion, PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 expression is of great significance in the occurrence, invasion and metastasis of breast invasive ductal carcinoma. There is a strong correlation between PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 expression levels and X-ray features in mammography in breast invasive ductal carcinoma. The application of X-ray features in mammography can evaluate the expression levels of PCNA, Ki-67 and COX-2 in tissues of breast invasive ductal carcinoma, thereby prospectively predicting biological behavior of these cancer cells and patient prognosis.
The Effect of Clinical Visual Stress on Stereoacuity Measured with the TNO Test.

We measured stereoacuity using TNO test on 25 patients without fixation disparity (FD) and compared the result with other 25 patients exhibited FD related to visual stress. All patients were presbyopes of ages ranging from 40 to 80 years, with visual acuity 6/6 or better in each eye, free from ocular diseases and generally healthy. The results showed statistically significant difference in the stereoacuities measured between the groups (Mann-Whitney U = 181.0, p < 0.01), suggesting that FD significantly reduced stereoacuity. Although the correlation between the magnitudes of FD and stereothreshold is statistically not significant (Spearman's r(s) = 0.33, p>0.01), elimination of FD using prisms correction statistically improved stereoacuity (Wilcoxon's Z = 2.43, p<0.01). The findings conclude that visual stress manifested as FD causes deficit in stereoperformance measurable with the TNO test and can be improved by prism correction.
Probiotic effects on faecal inflammatory markers and on faecal IgA in food allergic atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome infants

Probiotic bacteria are proposed to alleviate intestinal inflammation in infants with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS) and food allergy. In such infants we investigated effects of probiotic bacteria on faecal IgA, and on the intestinal inflammation markers tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), α1‐antitrypsin (AT), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). A total of 230 infants with AEDS and suspected cow's milk allergy (CMA) received in a randomized double‐blinded manner, concomitant with elimination diet, Lactobacillus GG (LGG), a mixture of four probiotic strains (MIX), or placebo for 4 wk. Four weeks after treatment, CMA was diagnosed with a double‐blind placebo‐controlled milk challenge. Faecal samples of 102 infants, randomly chosen for analysis, were collected before treatment, after 4‐wk treatment, and on the first day of milk challenge. After treatment, IgA levels tended to be higher in probiotic groups than in the placebo group (LGG vs. placebo, p = 0.064; MIX vs. placebo, p = 0.064), and AT decreased in the LGG group, but not in other treatment groups. After challenge in IgE‐associated CMA infants, faecal IgA was higher for LGG than for placebo (p = 0.014), and TNF‐α was lower for LGG than for placebo, but non‐significantly (p = 0.111). In conclusion, 4‐wk treatment with LGG may alleviate intestinal inflammation in infants with AEDS and CMA.
Computational Modelling Strategies for Nonlinear Response Prediction of Corroded Circular RC Bridge Piers

A numerical model is presented that enables simulation of the nonlinear flexural response of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) components. The model employs a force-based nonlinear fibre beam-column element. A new phenomenological uniaxial material model for corroded reinforcing steel is used. This model accounts for the impact of corrosion on buckling strength, postbuckling behaviour, and low-cycle fatigue degradation of vertical reinforcement under cyclic loading. The basic material model is validated through comparison of simulated and observed responses for uncorroded RC columns. The model is used to explore the impact of corrosion on the inelastic response of corroded RC columns.
Predicting Environmental Boundary Behaviors With a Mobile Robot

Predicting the behavior of dangerous environmental boundaries, like spreading fire or oil spill, provides relevant information to mitigate the problem or even to support evacuation actions in order to save human or animal lives. In this letter, we present a model that uses a single robot moving around an environmental boundary in order to predict its shape by an analytical continuous function, which is based on the combination of polynomial approximation and Fourier Series. We show that the method converges to the exact boundary when we increase the sample frequency and the robot velocity. In order to evaluate the estimation quality, we performed experiments with simulated and actual robots. We applied our model in some dynamic boundaries presented in the literature, as in the application of plume-front estimation, showing that it accomplish accurate results.
The impact of the needle and syringe‐exchange programme in Amsterdam on injecting risk behaviour

We interviewed a group of 145 injecting drug users (IDUs) in Amsterdam about their drug use, participation in a needle-exchange programme and needle sharing. Approximately 1 year later 60 IDUs were followed up. IDUs who exchange regularly ('exchangers') are older, inject longer and are more often in contact with methadone programmes. Exchanging is associated neither with an increase in injecting nor with lending needles to other IDUs. The risk level of injecting of the exchangers is much lower than that of the non-exchangers. From this it can be concluded that a needle exchange is an effective prevention programme against the spread of HIV infection. However, efforts have to be made to reach the group of younger short-term injectors and those IDUs who are not in contact with methadone-maintenance programmes. Since there are indications that regular injectors in particular exchange, and since young male injectors are more at risk of borrowing independent of exchanging, it is argued that an exchange programme should be complemented with other prevention approaches, i.e. intensive counselling and the spread of leaflets with information on cleaning used needles with bleach.
Dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex interactions during self-control of cigarette craving

Drug-related cues induce craving, which may perpetuate drug use or trigger relapse in addicted individuals. Craving is also under the influence of other factors in daily life, such as drug availability and self-control. Neuroimaging studies using drug cue paradigms have shown frontal lobe involvement in this contextual influence on cue reactivity, but have not clarified how and which frontal area accounts for this phenomenon. We explored frontal lobe contributions to cue-induced drug craving under different intertemporal drug availability conditions by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging in smokers. We hypothesized that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) regulates craving during changes in intertemporal availability. Subjective craving was greater when cigarettes were immediately available, and this effect was eliminated by transiently inactivating the DLPFC with transcranial magnetic stimulation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the signal most proportional to subjective craving was located in the medial orbitofrontal cortex across all contexts, whereas the DLPFC most strongly encoded intertemporal availability information. The craving-related signal in the medial orbitofrontal cortex was attenuated by inactivation of the DLPFC, particularly when cigarettes were immediately available. Inactivation of the DLPFC also reduced craving-related signals in the anterior cingulate and ventral striatum, areas implicated in transforming value signals into action. These findings indicate that DLPFC builds up value signals based on knowledge of drug availability, and support a model wherein aberrant circuitry linking dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices may underlie addiction.
Scapular-muscle performance: two training programs in adolescent swimmers.

CONTEXT Swimming requires well-balanced scapular-muscle performance. An additional strength-training program for the shoulders is pursued by swimmers, but whether these muscle-training programs need to be generic or specific for endurance or strength is unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate isokinetic scapular-muscle performance in a population of adolescent swimmers and to compare the results of training programs designed for strength or muscle endurance. DESIGN Controlled laboratory study. SETTING University human research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Eighteen adolescent swimmers. INTERVENTION(S) Each participant pursued a 12-week scapular-training program designed to improve either muscle strength or muscle endurance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Bilateral peak force, fatigue index, and protraction/retraction strength ratios before and after the scapular-training program. RESULTS Scapular protraction/retraction ratios were slightly higher than 1 (dominant side = 1.08, nondominant side = 1.25, P = .006). Side-to-side differences in retraction strength were apparent both before and after the training program (P = .03 and P = .05, respectively). After the training program, maximal protraction (P < .05) and retraction (P < .01) strength improved on the nondominant side. Peak force and fatigue index were not different between the training groups. The fatigue indexes for protraction on both sides (P < .05) and retraction on the nondominant side (P = .009) were higher after the training program. CONCLUSIONS We describe the scapular-muscle characteristics of a group of adolescent swimmers. Both muscle-strength and muscle-endurance programs improved absolute muscle strength. Neither of the strength programs had a positive effect on scapular-muscle endurance. Our results may be valuable for coaches and physiotherapists when they are designing exercise programs for swimmers.
The Yin and Yang of American Culture: A Paradox

This title uses the unique Asian concept of yin and yang to explain how American virtues and vices are opposite sides of the same coin. Unlike the dualism characteristic of the West, in much of Asia the forces of yin and yang are seen to co-exist in everything, and to complete each other to maintain cosmic harmony. Culture amd entity regarded as yin in one light can be regarded as yang in another. Eun Y. Kim begins by looking at America in the world and continues by examining American "virtues" such as the competitive spirit, systematic planning and organization, daring to be yourself, separating the personal from the professional and the empowerment of women. Also explored are American "vices" such as owning too much, enjoying too little, refusing to grow up, the obsession with big, fading family values and too much violence. Eun Y. Kim provides an understanding which can help build the cultural bridges necessary in today's world.
An Exploration of Object Relations and the Early Working Alliance in a University Clinic Sample

The current study investigated the relationship between clients' object relations functioning and the working alliance. The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS; Westen, 1991), an object relations scoring system for the TAT, was used to assess object relations functioning. Forty-eight therapy clients at a university-based training clinic were administered the TAT, Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1977), and the short form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSD; Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). Following the initial assessment of client characteristics shortly after intake, clients and their therapists rated the working alliance 3 sessions later. Results indicated that the SCORS was significantly correlated with client and therapist ratings of the working alliance. The current study also assessed the predictive validity of the SCORS by examining how its various scales are related to aspects of the working alliance and the other measures used in this study. The findings suggest that the relationship between object relations functioning, the working alliance, symptom severity, and attachment disturbance depends on the aspect of object relations that is being assessed.
A multistep Unsupervised Fuzzy Clustering Analysis of fMRI time series

A paradigm independent multistage strategy based on the Unsupervised Fuzzy Clustering Analysis (UFCA) and its potential for fMRI data analysis are presented. The influence of the fuzziness index is studied using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) methodology and an interval of choice, around the widely used value 2, is shown to yield the best performance. The ill‐balanced data problem is also overcome using a pre‐processing step to reduce the number of voxels presented to the method. Statistical and anatomical criteria are proposed to exclude some voxels and enhance the UFCA sensitivity. An original postprocessing step aiming at statistically characterizing the obtained clusters is also developed. Two similarity criteria are used: the correlation coefficient on temporal profiles and a novel fuzzy overlap coefficient on membership degree maps. This final step provides a useful analysis tool to study intra‐individual reproducibility of the classes across series (stimulation vs. stimulation, noise vs. noise or stimulation vs. noise). Finally, a comparison between this technique and some existing or locally developed postprocessing algorithms is presented using ROC methods. Its sensitivity and robustness is compared to the classical FCA or other techniques as a function of several parameters such as Contrast‐to‐Noise Ratio (CNR) and noise amplitude. Even without knowledge about the paradigm, the hemodynamic response function and the number of clusters, the performances of the proposed strategy are comparable to those of the classical approaches where extensive prior knowledge has to be added. Hum. Brain Mapping 10:160–178, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A promising community-based hip-hop dance intervention for the promotion of psychosocial and physical well-being among youth living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood

Young people from low socio-economic, minority, and other disadvantaged groups tend to be less physically active and to have poorer health. With this in mind, a communityacademic partnership was formed to respond to the need for more physical activity programming targeting disadvantaged young people. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the implementation and perceived impact of a new hip-hop dance program on the psychological, social, and physical well-being of youth aged 11 to 16 years living in a multicultural, disadvantaged community in Ottawa. In total, two studies were conducted. The first paper responds to the first project objective, which sought to better understand the needs, barriers, and facilitators to youth participation in physical activity in order to conceptualize the new program. Three focus groups were conducted with young people and parents from the target community. Findings suggested a need for more physical activity programming that was safe, accessible, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant. Hip-hop dance was reported as an appealing program option and thus, girls-only and co-ed formats of the program were implemented across two separate 3-month sessions, with funding from United Way Ottawa. The second and third objectives related to the evaluation of the new program, which involved a non-experimental pretest-posttest design from the perspective of the youth participant, parent, and program staff. Mixed methods were used, including document review, interview, focus group, observation, and questionnaire format. The second paper reviews the implementation of this new program. Overall, the consistency and quality of program implementation were moderately satisfactory; however, important concerns were noted, and the findings suggested that this program was only partially delivered as planned. Finally, the third paper reviews the success of the program. Quantitatively, there was a significant improvement in perceived hip-hop dance skills. The qualitative findings were more promising, showing positive perceived impacts across eight areas of well-being. Overall, the findings suggested that this intervention is a promising and relevant program for the promotion of youth psychological, social, and physical well-being, particularly if implementation concerns are addressed. Implications for the promotion of physical activity among this population and future research are reviewed.
The DNA sequence of the RK strain of human herpesvirus 7.

The complete DNA sequence of human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) strain RK was determined following direct cloning of virion DNA fragments into a sequencing vector. The sequence was compared with the previously published complete sequences of HHV-7 strain JI and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) strain U1102. Despite a very close relationship between the two HHV-7 strains, differences are apparent in regions containing tandem reiterations, particularly in the "telomeric" reiterations located near the termini of the large direct repeat at the genome ends, and in a total of 179 additional positions distributed throughout the genome (i.e., about one nucleotide difference per kbp). This extent of divergence implies that the two strains arose from an ancestral virus several thousands of years ago. Differences that affect coding potential do not cluster in particular protein-coding regions, indicating that specific HHV-7 genes have not been measurably subject to unusual evolutionary pressures since divergence. Reassessments of genetic content indicated that the HHV-7 genome contains 84 different genes, whereas the HHV-6 genome contains 85. All HHV-7 genes but 1 have direct HHV-6 counterparts, and all but 2 HHV-6 genes have HHV-7 homologues. Sequence comparisons between HHV-7 and HHV-6 provided evidence that the protein-coding regions of 11 genes are expressed by splicing.
Acoustic Enhancement of Sleep Slow Oscillations and Concomitant Memory Improvement in Older Adults

Acoustic stimulation methods applied during sleep in young adults can increase slow wave activity (SWA) and improve sleep-dependent memory retention. It is unknown whether this approach enhances SWA and memory in older adults, who generally have reduced SWA compared to younger adults. Additionally, older adults are at risk for age-related cognitive impairment and therefore may benefit from non-invasive interventions. The aim of this study was to determine if acoustic stimulation can increase SWA and improve declarative memory in healthy older adults. Thirteen participants 60–84 years old completed one night of acoustic stimulation and one night of sham stimulation in random order. During sleep, a real-time algorithm using an adaptive phase-locked loop modeled the phase of endogenous slow waves in midline frontopolar electroencephalographic recordings. Pulses of pink noise were delivered when the upstate of the slow wave was predicted. Each interval of five pulses (“ON interval”) was followed by a pause of approximately equal length (“OFF interval”). SWA during the entire sleep period was similar between stimulation and sham conditions, whereas SWA and spindle activity were increased during ON intervals compared to matched periods during the sham night. The increases in SWA and spindle activity were sustained across almost the entire five-pulse ON interval compared to matched sham periods. Verbal paired-associate memory was tested before and after sleep. Overnight improvement in word recall was significantly greater with acoustic stimulation compared to sham and was correlated with changes in SWA between ON and OFF intervals. Using the phase-locked-loop method to precisely target acoustic stimulation to the upstate of sleep slow oscillations, we were able to enhance SWA and improve sleep-dependent memory storage in older adults, which strengthens the theoretical link between sleep and age-related memory integrity.