Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does visual short‐term memory store bound features?

The storage of visual short‐term memory (VSTM) capacity for objects defined by features from the same dimension (colour) and from separate dimensions (texture and shape) was assessed in four experiments. In agreement with the framework proposed by Wheeler and Treisman (2002) concerning binding in VSTM, it is shown that features from the same dimension compete for storage capacity while features from separate dimensions are relatively stored in parallel. Furthermore, evidence is offered that integration between object features can be stored in VSTM, just as well as single features, provided that features from that object are encoded as the components of a single unitary object. When features are processed as properties of separate objects, integration of these features is poorly stored in VSTM.
Changes in Career Orientations in Police Officers: An Exploratory Study

This investigation compared work experiences, satisfactions, and well-being of police officers who had changed their career orientations with police officers who did not. 218 men and women in police work provided data by completing questionnaires. About half the sample had changed their career orientations in their work in policing. Police officers who had changed their career orientations were significantly less satisfied and reported poorer psychological well-being than police officers who did not change their career orientations.
Runtime Reconfiguration of Multiprocessors Based on Compile-Time Analysis

In multiprocessors, performance improvement is typically achieved by exploring parallelism with fixed granularities, such as instruction-level, task-level, or data-level parallelism. We introduce a new reconfiguration mechanism that facilitates variations in these granularities in order to optimize resource utilization in addition to performance improvements. Our reconfigurable multiprocessor QuadroCore combines the advantages of reconfigurability and parallel processing. In this article, a unified hardware-software approach for the design of our QuadroCore is presented. This design flow is enabled via compiler-driven reconfiguration which matches application-specific characteristics to a fixed set of architectural variations. A special reconfiguration mechanism has been developed that alters the architecture within a single clock cycle. The QuadroCore has been implemented on Xilinx XC2V6000 for functional validation and on UMC’s 90nm standard cell technology for performance estimation. A diverse set of applications have been mapped onto the reconfigurable multiprocessor to meet orthogonal performance characteristics in terms of time and power. Speedup measurements show a 2--11 times performance increase in comparison to a single processor. Additionally, the reconfiguration scheme has been applied to save power in data-parallel applications. Gate-level simulations have been performed to measure the power-performance trade-offs for two computationally complex applications. The power reports confirm that introducing this scheme of reconfiguration results in power savings in the range of 15--24%.
Molecular, Physicochemical and Rheological Characteristics of Introgressive Triticale/Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum Lines with Wheat 1D/1A Chromosome Substitution

Three sets of hexaploid introgressive triticale lines, with Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum (cultivated einkorn wheat) genes and a bread wheat chromosome 1D substituted for chromosome 1A, and one set of secondary triticale lines were evaluated for grain and flour physicochemical and dough rheological characteristics in two generations (F7 and F8). Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed the 1D/1A chromosome substitution. The presence or absence of einkorn high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits and the wheat Glu-D1d locus encoding the 5 + 10 subunits was assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), capillary zone electrophoresis, and allele-specific molecular markers. Significant differences were found among physicochemical properties (with the exception of the Hagberg falling number) of all introgressive Triticale/T. monococcum lines and the secondary triticale lines. The wheat 1D/1A chromosome substitution also affected these properties. The results showed that in all introgressive triticale lines, the protein and gluten content, Zeleny sedimentation value, and water absorption capacity, were increased. The rheological parameters estimated using micro-farinograph, reomixer, and Kieffer dough extensibility systems also showed an appreciable increase in dough-mixing properties, maximum resistance to extension (Rmax), and dough extensibility. Introgressive Triticale/T. monococcum lines with 5 + 10 subunits have particularly favorable rheological parameters. The results obtained in this study suggest that the cultivated einkorn genome Am, in the context of hexaploid secondary triticale lines and with a wheat 1D/1A substitution, has the potential to improve gluten polymer interactions and be a valuable genetic resource for triticale quality improvement.
ntimicrobial activities of trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole ,-iodo-2 ′-deoxyuridine and rifampicin against Staphylococcus aureus

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT), alone and in combination with rifampicin (RIF), is a therapeutic option against Staphylococcus aureus, including strains expressing meticillin resistance. However, the antimicrobial activity of SXT is antagonised by thymidine, which can be present in infected and/or inflamed tissues such as the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In this study, thymidine concentrations in CF sputa were determined and the antimicrobial activities of SXT, 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine (IdUrd) and RIF alone and in combination against S. aureus were analysed. Thymidine concentrations in the sputa -Iodo-2′-deoxyuridine ntimicrobial activity hymidine of ten different CF patients varied from <100 g/L to 38 845 g/L. The abolished antimicrobial activity of SXT against 22 S. aureus strains in the presence of thymidine was restored by combination with IdUrd. In contrast, SXT combined with RIF in the presence of thymidine did not show a synergistic effect and, furthermore, allowed the emergence of RIF-resistant bacteria. Adding RIF to the combination of SXT and IdUrd did not improve antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. In conclusion, the combination of SXT ption lsevie and RIF as a therapeutic o critically. © 2010 E
The effect of radiation therapy on lymphocyte subpopulations in cancer patients

The proportion of T and B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood was determined in patients with either mammary cancer or with various pelvic malignancies. In cancer patients studied prior to irradiation the level of cells forming either E‐rosettes or EAC'‐rosettes was similar to that found among healthy controls. Radiation therapy resulted in a striking lymphopenia. The level of cells with T‐cell markers was diminished to a greater extent than the level of cells with B‐cell markers. The relative proportion of T‐cells forming high affinity E‐rosettes was not reduced following radiation, so that it can be concluded that radiation affects predominantly the subpopulation of T‐cells which do not form high affinity E‐rosettes. Irradiation of the pelvic area resulted in a more rapid reduction of the level of T lymphocytes than irradiation of the mediastinum, although the final relative proportions of the cells were similar in both groups of patients. The results of the present study suggest that the reduction of the level of T lymphocytes following irradiation results from its effect on the lymphocytes in the major blood vessels, and that radiation of the thymus is not a prerequisite for this phenomenon.
A clinical and microbiological study on the enantiomers of delmopinol

Abstract Objective The clinical part of this study aimed to investigate whether the racemate of delmopinol [(±)-delmopinol] is equivalent to its two enantiomers [(+)-delmopinol and (−)-delmopinol] with respect to efficiency and to determine and compare their pharmacokinetic properties. The purpose of the pre-clinical part was to elucidate possible differences in antimicrobial efficiency. Materials and methods The compounds were tested clinically in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study comprising three treatment periods of 4 days each. The antimicrobial efficacy of the enantiomers was compared in vitro with respect to planktonic and biofilm bacteria of different species. Results No statistically significant differences in prevention of plaque formation were observed. Except for a somewhat higher systemic exposure in terms of AUC and Cmax indicated for (−)-delmopinol compared to (+)-delmopinol, the pharmacokinetic properties were similar. The most common adverse event was a transient anaesthetic feeling in the mouth. This event was reported with the same frequency for all three test solutions. The enantiomers showed similar antimicrobial effects on planktonic bacteria and their biofilms. Conclusions The enantiomers were found to be equally effective with respect to inhibition of plaque development and only minor differences were observed with respect to their pharmacokinetic properties. No differences could be observed in the adverse events reports. There is, therefore, no reason to use one of the enantiomers of delmopinol instead of the racemate. This was further supported by the antimicrobial tests. It is suggested that the combined action of cationic and neutral delmopinol is important for its effect on biofilms.
Acute phase protein response of ewes and the release of PGFM in relation to uterine involution and the presence of intrauterine bacteria

The rate of uterine involution postpartum was monitored in 13 suckling mule ewes by using radio-opaque markers and radiography, and each ewe was also monitored for intrauterine bacterial contamination during the first week, using a sterile guarded swab. Peripheral plasma or serum concentrations of haptoglobin, seromucoid, ceruloplasmin and 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-prostaglandin F2α (PGFM) were measured up to six weeks postpartum. The maximum reduction in the length of the uterine tody and in the diameters of the homs occurred by 28 days postpartum, except in one ewe in which the size of the uterus continued to decrease for 42 days. Four ewes were positive for intrauterine bacterial contamination; Escheichia coli, clostridial species, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis and Enterococcus species were isolated in pure or mixed culture. The presence of intrauterine bacteria did not affect the time for the completion of uterine involution. No bacteria were isolated from the ewe in which involution was delayed, but it had a different acute phase protein response and was therefore excluded from further analyses. In the remaining 12 ewes the mean postpartum haptoglobin response increased, with peak concentrations occurring on day 1, and decreased slowly as uterine involution progressed, but the four contaminated ewes had a significantly greater response. There was no difference between the prepartum and postpartum concentrations of seromucoid in the eight sterile ewes, but significant increases were observed in the contaminated group; the concentrations of ceruloplasmin did not vary in either group. The concentrations of PGFM were higher during the early postpartum period in the ewes with contaminated uteri.
Bacteriophages Reduce Experimental Contamination of Hard Surfaces, Tomato, Spinach, Broccoli, and Ground Beef by Escherichia coli O157:H7

ABSTRACT A bacteriophage cocktail (designated ECP-100) containing three Myoviridae phages lytic for Escherichia coli O157:H7 was examined for its ability to reduce experimental contamination of hard surfaces (glass coverslips and gypsum boards), tomato, spinach, broccoli, and ground beef by three virulent strains of the bacterium. The hard surfaces and foods contaminated by a mixture of three E. coli O157:H7 strains were treated with ECP-100 (test samples) or sterile phosphate-buffered saline buffer (control samples), and the efficacy of phage treatment was evaluated by comparing the number of viable E. coli organisms recovered from the test and control samples. Treatments (5 min) with the ECP-100 preparation containing three different concentrations of phages (1010, 109, and 108 PFU/ml) resulted in statistically significant reductions (P = <0.05) of 99.99%, 98%, and 94%, respectively, in the number of E. coli O157:H7 organisms recovered from the glass coverslips. Similar treatments resulted in reductions of 100%, 95%, and 85%, respectively, in the number of E. coli O157:H7 organisms recovered from the gypsum board surfaces; the reductions caused by the two most concentrated phage preparations were statistically significant. Treatment with the least concentrated preparation that elicited significantly less contamination of the hard surfaces (i.e., 109 PFU/ml) also significantly reduced the number of viable E. coli O157:H7 organisms on the four food samples. The observed reductions ranged from 94% (at 120 ± 4 h posttreatment of tomato samples) to 100% (at 24 ± 4 h posttreatment of spinach samples). The data suggest that naturally occurring bacteriophages may be useful for reducing contamination of various hard surfaces, fruits, vegetables, and ground beef by E. coli O157:H7.
Liver tumours due to endometriosis and endometrial stromal sarcoma.

BACKGROUND Endometriosis can occur in unusual sites, liver involvement being first described in 1986. Extra-uterine malignant transformation in endometriosis has been reported, occurring mainly in the ovary. Liver involvement with endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) has not been previously reported. CASE OUTLINE Two patients presenting with symptomatic liver masses related to endometriosis, who successfully underwent surgical intervention, are presented. CASE 1 A 31-year-old woman previously had been treated with hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy for severe pelvic endometriosis. Six years later, she presented with malaise from bilobar liver involvement with endometrial deposits. She proceeded acutely to hilar obstruction with obstructive jaundice and portal vein thrombosis. CASE 2 A 59-year-old post-menopausal woman had earlier presented acutely from a ruptured mesenteric cyst, which showed features of endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). Two years later, she presented with symptoms from a large ESS occupying the right lobe. DISCUSSION Endometriosis per se, as well as malignant transformation into ESS can involve the liver.These should be considered in women with hepatic space occupying lesions of unknown etiology.
A New Approach of Dynamic Clustering Based on Particle Swarm Optimization and Application in Image Segmentation

This paper presents a new approach of dynamic clustering based on improved Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and which is applied to image segmentation (called DCPSONS). Firstly, the original PSO algorithm is improved by using diversity mechanism and neighborhood search strategy. The improved PSO is then combined with the well-known data clustering k-means algorithm for dynamic clustering problem where the number of clusters has not yet been known. Finally, DCPSONS is applied to image segmentation problem, in which the number of clusters is automatically determined. Experimental results in using sixteen benchmark data sets and several images of synthetic and natural benchmark data demonstrate that the proposed DCPSONS algorithm substantially outperforms other competitive algorithms in terms of accuracy and convergence rate.
Alternative Conceptions of Plate Tectonics Held by Nonscience Undergraduates

Abstract The theory of plate tectonics is the conceptual model through which most dynamic processes on Earth are understood. A solid understanding of the basic tenets of this theory is crucial in developing a scientifically literate public and future geoscientists. The size of plates and scale of tectonic processes are inherently unobservable, necessitating the use of images and models in instruction. To explore plate tectonics conceptions held by undergraduates, we designed and administered a postinstruction survey instrument centered on a common schematic representation of plate tectonics. We report results from a sample of n =60 nongeoscience majors enrolled in five different introductory Earth-science courses taught at a major research university and a community college. Students held a number of alternative conceptions associated with terminology, plate motion, and plate-related subsurface melting. We also note that some aspects of figures commonly used to teach plate tectonics are problematic for students and may actually result in reinforcement of alternative conceptions. Further work at both the K–12 and college levels directed at innovative approaches to address student conceptions regarding plate tectonics, including designing images that support key scientific messages, is needed. This research can inform curriculum development for entry-level geoscience courses as well as the use of images to convey complex science.
A conceptual framework

The energy efficiency of IT has become one of the hottest topics in the last few years. The problem has been typically addressed by hardware manufacturers and designers, but recently the attention of industry and academia shifted to the role of software for IT sustainability. Writing energy efficient software is one of the most challenging issues in this area, because it requires not only a change of mindset for software developers and designers, but also models and tools to measure and reduce the effect of software on the energy consumption of the underlying hardware. In this paper we present a conceptual framework that provides a unifying view on the strategies, models and tools available so far for designing and developing greener software.
Communicative styles in English and German

In this paper cultural differences in communicative styles preferred by speakers of German and English are presented, and their impact on intercultural misunderstandings and the ascription of politeness or impoliteness is discussed. Concretely, five dimensions along which these cultural differences (as outcomes of extensive contrastive-pragmatic work can be placed) are introduced and exemplified. Further, the value and the explanatory power these dimensions might have for culture clashes and for the perception of misunderstanding and (im)politeness are discussed.
Association between availability of health service prices and payments for these services.

IMPORTANCE Recent governmental and private initiatives have sought to reduce health care costs by making health care prices more transparent. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the use of an employer-sponsored private price transparency platform was associated with lower claims payments for 3 common medical services. DESIGN Payments for clinical services provided were compared between patients who searched a pricing website before using the service with patients who had not researched prior to receiving this service. Multivariable generalized linear model regressions with propensity score adjustment controlled for demographic, geographic, and procedure differences. To test for selection bias, payments for individuals who used the platform to search for services (searchers) were compared with those who did not use the platform to search for services (nonsearchers) in the period before the platform was available. The exposure was the use of the price transparency platform to search for laboratory tests, advanced imaging services, or clinician office visits before receiving care for that service. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Medical claims from 2010-2013 of 502,949 patients who were insured in the United States by 18 employers who provided a price transparency platform to their employees. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was total claims payments (the sum of employer and employee spending for each claim) for laboratory tests, advanced imaging services, and clinician office visits. RESULTS Following access to the platform, 5.9% of 2,988,663 laboratory test claims, 6.9% of 76,768 advanced imaging claims, and 26.8% of 2,653,227 clinician office visit claims were associated with a prior search on the price transparency platform. Before having access to the price transparency platform, searchers had higher claims payments than nonsearchers for laboratory tests (4.11%; 95% CI, 1.87%-6.41%), higher payments for advanced imaging services (5.57%; 95% CI, 1.83%-9.44%), and no difference in payments for clinician office visits (0.26%; 95% CI; 0.53%-0.005%). Following access to the price transparency platform, relative claim payments for searchers were lower for searchers than nonsearchers by 13.93% (95% CI, 10.28%-17.43%) for laboratory tests, 13.15% (95% CI, 9.49%-16.66%) for advanced imaging, and 1.02% (95% CI, 0.57%-1.47%) for clinician office visits. The absolute payment differences were $3.45 (95% CI, $1.78-$5.12) for laboratory tests, $124.74 (95% CI, $83.06-$166.42) for advanced imaging services, and $1.18 (95% CI, $0.66-$1.70) for clinician office visits. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Use of price transparency information was associated with lower total claims payments for common medical services. The magnitude of the difference was largest for advanced imaging services and smallest for clinical office visits. Patient access to pricing information before obtaining clinical services may result in lower overall payments made for clinical care.
Optimising the quality of antibiotic prescribing in out-of-hours primary care in Belgium: a study protocol for an action research project

Introduction Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health threat driven by inappropriate antibiotic use, mainly in general practice and for respiratory tract infections. In Belgium, the quality of general practitioners’ (GPs) antibiotic prescribing is low. To improve antibiotic use, we need a better understanding of this quality problem and corresponding interventions. A general practitioners cooperative (GPC) for out-of-hours (OOH) care presents a unique opportunity to reach a large group of GPs and work on quality improvement. Participatory action research (PAR) is a bottom-up approach that focuses on implementing change into daily practice and has the potential to empower practitioners to produce their own solutions to optimise their antibiotic prescribing. Methods This PAR study to improve antibiotic prescribing quality in OOH care uses a mixed methods approach. In a first exploratory phase, we will develop a partnership with a GPC and map the existing barriers and opportunities. In a second phase, we will focus on facilitating change and implementing interventions through PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles. In a third phase, antibiotic prescribing quality outside and antibiotic use during office hours will be evaluated. Equally important are the process evaluation and theory building on improving antibiotic prescribing. Ethics The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Antwerp University Hospital/University of Antwerp. PAR unfolds in response to the needs and issues of the stakeholders, therefore new ethics approval will be obtained at each new stage of the research. Dissemination Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing are needed now more than ever and outcomes will be highly relevant for GPCs, GPs in daily practice, national policymakers and the international scientific community. Trial registration number NCT03082521; Pre-results.