Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technological advances in MRI measurement of brain perfusion

Measurement of brain perfusion using arterial spin labeling (ASL) or dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) based MRI has many potential important clinical applications. However, the clinical application of perfusion MRI has been limited by a number of factors, including a relatively poor spatial resolution, limited volume coverage, and low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). It is difficult to improve any of these aspects because both ASL and DSC methods require rapid image acquisition. In this report, recent methodological developments are discussed that alleviate some of these limitations and make perfusion MRI more suitable for clinical application. In particular, the availability of high magnetic field strength systems, increased gradient performance, the use of RF coil arrays and parallel imaging, and increasing pulse sequence efficiency allow for increased image acquisition speed and improved SNR. The use of parallel imaging facilitates the trade‐off of SNR for increases in spatial resolution. As a demonstration, we obtained DSC and ASL perfusion images at 3.0 T and 7.0 T with multichannel RF coils and parallel imaging, which allowed us to obtain high‐quality images with in‐plane voxel sizes of 1.5 × 1.5 mm2. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005. Published 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A study on the impact of fatigue on human raters when scoring speaking responses

The scoring of constructed responses may introduce construct-irrelevant factors to a test score and affect its validity and fairness. Fatigue is one of the factors that could negatively affect human performance in general, yet little is known about its effects on a human rater’s scoring quality on constructed responses. In this study, we compared the scoring quality of 72 raters under four shift conditions differing on the shift length (total scoring time in a day) and session length (time continuously spent on a task). About 14,000 audio responses to four TOEFL iBT speaking tasks were scored, including 5446 validity responses that have pre-assigned “true” scores used to measure scoring accuracy. Our results suggest that the overall scoring accuracy is high for the TOEFL iBT Speaking Test, but varying levels of rating accuracy and consistency exist across shift conditions. The raters working the shorter shifts or shorter sessions on average maintain greater rating productivity, accuracy, and consistency than those working longer shifts or sessions do. The raters working the 6-hour shift with three 2-hour sessions outperform those under other shift conditions in both rating accuracy and consistency.
Face recognition using face-ARG matching

In this paper, we propose a novel line feature-based face recognition algorithm. A face is represented by the face-ARG model, where all the geometric quantities and the structural information are encoded in an attributed relational graph (ARG) structure, then the partial ARG matching is done for matching face-ARG's. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is quite robust to various facial expression changes, varying illumination conditions and occlusion, even when a single sample per person is given.
General planar quadrilateral mesh design using conjugate direction field

We present a novel method to approximate a freeform shape with a planar quadrilateral (PQ) mesh for modeling architectural glass structures. Our method is based on the study of conjugate direction fields (CDF) which allow the presence of ±κ/4(κ ε Z) singularities. Starting with a triangle discretization of a freeform shape, we first compute an as smooth as possible conjugate direction field satisfying the user's directional and angular constraints, then apply mixed-integer quadrangulation and planarization techniques to generate a PQ mesh which approximates the input shape faithfully. We demonstrate that our method is effective and robust on various 3D models.
Ketamine Induces Dopamine-Dependent Depression of Evoked Hippocampal Activity in the Nucleus Accumbens in Freely Moving Rats

Noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists, such as ketamine, induce a transient schizophrenia-like state in healthy individuals and exacerbate psychosis in schizophrenic patients. In rodents, noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists induce a behavioral syndrome that represents an experimentally valid model of schizophrenia. Current experimental evidence has implicated the nucleus accumbens in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the psychomimetic actions of ketamine. In this study, we have demonstrated that acute systemic administration of ketamine, at a dose known to produce hyperlocomotion and stereotypy, depressed the amplitude of the monosynaptic component of fimbria-evoked field potentials recorded in the nucleus accumbens. A similar effect was observed using the more selective antagonist dizocilpine maleate, indicating the depression was NMDA receptor dependent. Paired-pulse facilitation was enhanced concomitantly with, and in proportion to, ketamine-induced depressed synaptic efficacy, indicative of a presynaptic mechanism of action. Notably, the depression of field potentials recorded in the nucleus accumbens was markedly reduced after a focal 6-hydroxydopamine lesioning procedure in the nucleus accumbens. More specifically, pretreatment with the D2/D4 antagonist haloperidol, but not the D1 antagonist SCH23390, blocked ketamine-induced depression of nucleus accumbens responses. Our findings provide supporting evidence for the contemporary theory of schizophrenia as aberrant excitatory neurotransmission at the level of the nucleus accumbens.
Rating the Rankings

In August it's the colleges, in April the graduate schools. The annual rankings of universities and their programs result in copies of U.S. News & World Report flying off the shelves, and great fanfare follows. Local news outlets report the lists and the Internet goes all abuzz with discussions about the year's gains and losses in standing. Reactions within schools are also significant, ranging from champagne and bonuses to emergency meetings and fears of pink slips
Two Clinical Isolates of Candida glabrata Exhibiting Reduced Sensitivity to Amphotericin B Both Harbor Mutations in ERG2

ABSTRACT Two novel isolates of Candida glabrata exhibiting reduced sensitivity to amphotericin B (MIC, 8 μg ml−1) were found to be ERG2 mutants, wherein Δ8-sterol intermediates comprised >90% of the total cellular sterol fraction. Both harbored an alteration at Thr121 in ERG2; the corresponding residue (Thr119) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for sterol Δ8-Δ7 isomerization. This constitutes the first report of C. glabrata harboring mutations in ERG2 and exhibiting reduced sensitivity to amphotericin B.
Group and Individual Couple Treatment for Substance Abuse Clients: A Pilot Study

Brief Couples Therapy is an eight-session, structured treatment for couples with substance-abuse problems. A randomized control study was conducted to compare a group format of BCT (Multiple Couples Treatment) to an individual couple format (Individual Couple Treatment). Twenty-seven couples were recruited and 20 completed treatment. Six-month follow-up data showed significant improvement in Brief Symptom Inventory and Adverse Consequences scores in both treatment groups. Male clients in both conditions and female clients in the ICT condition improved significantly in Dyadic Adjustment scores. Over two-thirds of the substance-abuse clients were able to meet or maintain their drug use goals at the end of treatment. These findings, together with the positive evaluation by the clients, support the use of BCT as a treatment modality for couples with substance use problems.
The olympic brain. Does corticospinal plasticity play a role in acquisition of skills required for high‐performance sports?

Non‐invasive electrophysiological and imaging techniques have recently made investigation of the intact behaving human brain possible. One of the most intriguing new research areas that have developed through these new technical advances is an improved understanding of the plastic adaptive changes in neuronal circuitries underlying improved performance in relation to skill training. Expansion of the cortical representation or modulation of corticomotor excitability of specific muscles engaged in task performance is required for the aquisition of the skill. These changes at cortical level appear to be paralleled by changes in transmission in spinal neuronal circuitries, which regulate the contribution of sensory feedback mechanisms to the execution of the task. Such adaptive changes also appear to be essential for the consolidation of a memory of performance of motor tasks and thus for the lasting ability of performing highly skilled movements such as those required for Olympic sports.
Felling of individual freestanding nanoobjects using focused-ion-beam milling for investigations of structural and transport properties

We report that, to enable studies of their compositional, structural and electrical properties, freestanding individual nanoobjects can be selectively felled in a controllable way by the technique of low-current focused-ion-beam (FIB) milling with the ion beam at a chosen angle of incidence to the nanoobject. To demonstrate the suitability of the technique, we report results for zigzag/straight tungsten nanowires grown vertically on support substrates and then felled for characterization. We also describe a systematic investigation of the effect of the experimental geometry and parameters on the felling process and on the induced wire-bending phenomenon. The method of felling freestanding nanoobjects using FIB is an advantageous new technique enabling investigations of the properties of selected individual nanoobjects.
Nfu facilitates the maturation of iron‐sulfur proteins and participates in virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

The acquisition and metabolism of iron (Fe) by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is critical for disease progression. S. aureus requires Fe to synthesize inorganic cofactors called iron‐sulfur (Fe‐S) clusters, which are required for functional Fe‐S proteins. In this study we investigated the mechanisms utilized by S. aureus to metabolize Fe‐S clusters. We identified that S. aureus utilizes the Suf biosynthetic system to synthesize Fe‐S clusters and we provide genetic evidence suggesting that the sufU and sufB gene products are essential. Additional biochemical and genetic analyses identified Nfu as an Fe‐S cluster carrier, which aids in the maturation of Fe‐S proteins. We find that deletion of the nfu gene negatively impacts staphylococcal physiology and pathogenicity. A nfu mutant accumulates both increased intracellular non‐incorporated Fe and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in DNA damage. In addition, a strain lacking Nfu is sensitive to exogenously supplied ROS and reactive nitrogen species. Congruous with ex vivo findings, a nfu mutant strain is more susceptible to oxidative killing by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and displays decreased tissue colonization in a murine model of infection. We conclude that Nfu is necessary for staphylococcal pathogenesis and establish Fe‐S cluster metabolism as an attractive antimicrobial target.
Communicating the past via translation: the manipulation of history

Abstract This paper examines the connection between translation and narratives of history, with particular attention to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States and its Spanish version, La otra historia de los Estados Unidos. It is argued that translation interacts with history in many ways: translation is fundamental to history and, in addition, the translational activity contributes to communicate historical narratives to other cultures. The paper discusses the linguistic transformation and translational strategies used in the Spanish version of a highly controversial history book to ascertain whether the Spanish version translates the text or rather uses Zinn's book.
Earth sound earth signal: energies and earth magnitude in the arts

this shift challenges the study of new media, which consequently must place less emphasis on ready-made categories used to define media objects, in favour of a focus on entangled processes that ultimately defy easy categorical cuts, though they admit the difficulty of avoiding all categorical distinctions. Nonetheless, their book sends out a clarion call (eliciting this cross-disciplinary review, from sociology) to reach beyond the borders of existing institutions – both categorical and organizational. In response, perhaps we may consider ‘doing media studies otherwise’ and perform those acts that cut well.
ACKNOWLEDGED SPOUSAL FORMS OF ADDRESS PREDICT COUPLE COMMUNICATION PATTERNS

How one spouse addresses the other spouse predicts their couple communication. The present study focuses on the spousal forms of address with acknowledgement and investigates the link between the forms of address and couple communication patterns. The pilot study sampled 161 university students in Japan and surveyed semantic differences of the spousal forms of address. The main study sampled 76 married women and 55 married men in Japan. They answered the communication patterns questionnaire and their daily forms of address. Results showed that arrogant meaning of husbands’ forms of address for their wives was a significant negative predictor of mutual constructive communication and a significant positive predictor of mutual avoidance. On the other hand, wives’ form of address for their husbands did not predict couple communication patterns. Husbands’ arrogant forms of address with wives’ acknowledgement might predict negative couple communication patterns.
The Effects of Torture: Two Community Studies

The goal of the 2 studies discussed in this article was to explore how persons who have undergone torture and other general trauma differ from persons who have undergone only general trauma and to compare the effects of torture to other kinds of traumas. The studies were conducted in 2001 and 2003. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found that although tortured individuals have a significantly higher trauma dose, they are more resilient, are more socioculturally adjusted, have more posttraumatic growth, and practice their religion more. They are more tolerant of differences in religion, race, and culture, and feel more supported. However, they are less healthy physically than individuals in the community who were not tortured. We used theories of attribution, identity trauma, and cumulative trauma to understand the results. Recommendations for counseling and therapy are discussed.
Students' ideas on conservation of matter: Effects of expertise and context variables

Recent research on chemistry learning and teaching has described some alternative conceptions held by students as to their understanding of the properties of matter. Several classifications have been proposed to analyze students' conceptions about matter and its changes. Starting from Anderson's categorization, this research studied students' understanding of the qualitative conservation of matter (substance), and how this understanding is influenced by previous instruction in chemistry and task variables. Here, task variables include chemical content and problem context. Four groups of adolescents that differed in age (from 12 to 17 years) and scientific instruction, and two groups of university students with different expertise in chemistry were presented with a 22-item paper-and-pencil test about the conservation of matter. The items involved physical changes (solutions or changes of state) and chemical changes (reactions), and were posed both in academic chemistry contexts and everyday situations. Results show the influence of group membership, task content, and problem context on students' performance. Test scores increased with age and instruction in chemistry, but the influence of chemical expertise was smaller than that predicted from research in other scientific areas. Concerning context, for everyday situations reactions are the most difficult content; on the other hand, in academic chemistry the most difficult content was solutions. Analyses for category answers showed that subjects are likely to concentrate their interpretations in two main categories, interaction (substances interact to form new ones) and modification with identity (substances modified in appearance continue to be the same). However, conceptions depend also significantly on content and context task. Finally, we have found that science instruction increases the consistency of the conceptions held by subjects. Younger subjects and adolescents without scientific instruction tended to be less consistent than more expert subjects. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of Perioperative Remifentanil With Controlled Hypotension on Intraoperative Bleeding and Postoperative Edema and Ecchymosis in Open Rhinoplasty

BackgroundThis randomized, double-blind study was designed to assess the effect of perioperative remifentanil with controlled hypotension on intraoperative bleeding, postoperative edema, and ecchymosis. MethodsFifty-two patients undergoing rhinoplasty were divided into 2 groups. The remifentanil group received 1 µg · kg−1 intravenously as a bolus before induction of anesthesia, 0.5 to 1 µg · kg−1 · h−1 by continuous intravenous infusion during the operation. After anesthesia induction with propofol (2–3 mg · kg−1) and fentanyl (1–15 µg · kg−1), muscle relaxation was achieved with rocuronium (0.45–0.90 mg · kg−1). Mean arterial pressure was maintained at 50 to 60 mm Hg in controlled hypotensive anesthesia achieved using remifentanil infusion. Perioperative hemodynamics and bleeding; early postoperative pain and agitation scale; postoperative first, third, and seventh day edema; and ecchymosis were evaluated. Edema and ecchymosis were evaluated using graded scale from 0 to 4. ResultsRemifentanil reduced mean arterial pressure during the entire operative period and the first 30 minutes postoperatively (P < 0.05 for these comparisons). Intraoperative bleeding also decreased (P < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in edema in both upper and lower eyelid edema on the first and third days in the remifentanil group, although this difference was not detected on the seventh day (P1upper = 0.000, P1lower = 0.000, P3upper = 0.008, and P3lower = 0.002). Ecchymosis decreased significantly in both upper and lower eyelids on the first, third, and seventh days in the remifentanil group (P1upper = 0.000, P3upper = 0.000, P3upper = 0.002, P3lower = 0.002, P7upper = 0.049, and P7lower = 0.038). There were no differences in postoperative pain and agitation between 2 groups. ConclusionsRemifentanil with controlled hypotension may reduce edema and ecchymosis of the upper and lower eyelids, by reducing mean arterial pressure and amount of bleeding in rhinoplasty.
On inverse problems with unknown operators

Consider a problem of recovery of a smooth function (signal, image) f/spl isin//spl Fscr//spl isin/L/sub 2/([0, 1]/sup d/) passed through an unknown filter and then contaminated by a noise. A typical model discussed in the paper is described by a stochastic differential equation dY/sub f//sup /spl epsi//(t)=(Hf)(t)dt+/spl epsi/dW(t), t/spl isin/[0, 1]/sup d/, /spl epsi/>0 where H is a linear operator modeling the filter and W is a Brownian motion (sheet) modeling a noise. The aim is to recover f with asymptotically (as /spl epsi//spl rarr/0) minimax mean integrated squared error. Traditionally, the problem is studied under the assumption that the operator H is known, then the ill-posedness of the problem is the main concern. In this paper, a more complicated and more realistic case is considered where the operator is unknown; instead, a training set of n pairs {(e/sub l/, Y(e/sub l/)/sup /spl sigma//), l=1, 2,. , n}, where {e/sub l/} is an orthonormal system in L/sub 2/ and {Y(e/sub l/)/sup /spl sigma//} denote the solutions of stochastic differential equations of the above type with f=e/sub l/ and /spl epsi/=/spl sigma/ is available. An optimal (in a minimax sense over considered operators and signals) data-driven recovery of the signal is suggested. The influence of /spl epsi/, /spl sigma/, and n on the recovery is thoroughly studied; in particular, we discuss an interesting case of a larger noise during the training and present formulas for threshold levels for n beyond which no improvement in recovery of input signals occurs. We also discuss the case where H is an unknown perturbation of a known operator. We describe a class of perturbations for which the accuracy of recovery of the signal is asymptotically the same (up to a constant) as in the case of precisely known operator.
A randomised control trial of a Tier-2 small-group intervention (‘MiniLit’) for young struggling readers1

The response-to-intervention model is predicated upon increasingly intensive tiers of instruction. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of a Tier-2 small-group literacy intervention (‘MiniLit’) designed for young readers who are still struggling after experiencing whole-class initial instruction. A total of 22 students in Kindergarten and Year 2 at a New South Wales public school were randomly allocated to form two comparable groups. The experimental group received the Tier-2 small-group literacy intervention for one hour per day for four days per week for three school terms (27 weeks of instruction) while the control group continued to receive regular whole-class literacy instruction during this time. All students were assessed on four measures of reading and related skills before the intervention commenced, again after two terms of instruction and once more after three terms of instruction. Large and statistically significant mean differences between the two groups were evident at post-test on two of the four tests employed measuring phonological recoding and single word reading. Large effect sizes provided evidence for the efficacy of the small-group intervention for young struggling readers.
A BRIEF CRITIQUE OF PRIOR RESEARCH ON ALLIANCES

This paper introduces a social network perspective to the study of strategic alliances. It extends prior research, which has primarily considered alliances as dyadic exchanges and paid less attention to the fact that key precursors, processes, and outcomes associated with alliances can be defined and shaped in important ways by the social networks within which most firms are embedded. It identifies five key issues for the study of alliances: (1) the formation of alliances, (2) the choice of governance structure, (3) the dynamic evolution of alliances, (4) the performance of alliances, and (5) the performance consequences for firms entering alliances. For each of these issues, this paper outlines some of the current research and debates at the firm and dyad level and then discusses some of the new and important insights that result from introducing a network perspective. It highlights current network research on alliances and suggests an agenda for future research.  1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.