Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The urothelium of a hibernator: the American black bear

The American black bear undergoes a 3–5 month winter hibernation during which time bears do not eat, drink, defecate, or urinate. During hibernation renal function (GFR) is 16–50% of normal but urine is reabsorbed across the urinary bladder (UB) urothelium thus enabling metabolic recycling of all urinary constituents. To elucidate the mechanism(s) whereby urine is reabsorbed, we examined the UBs of five nonhibernating wild bears using light, electron (EM), and confocal immunofluorescent (IF) microscopy–concentrating on two components of the urothelial permeability barrier – the umbrella cell apical membranes and tight junctions (TJ). Bear UB has the same tissue layers (serosa, muscularis, lamina propria, urothelia) and its urothelia has the same cell layers (basal, intermediate, umbrella cells) as other mammalians. By EM, the bear apical membrane demonstrated a typical mammalian scalloped appearance with hinge and plaque regions – the latter containing an asymmetric trilaminar membrane and, on IF, uroplakins Ia, IIIa, and IIIb. The umbrella cell TJs appeared similar to those in other mammals and also contained TJ proteins occludin and claudin ‐ 4, and not claudin –2. Thus, we were unable to demonstrate urothelial apical membrane or TJ differences between active black bears and other mammals. Expression and localization of UT‐B, AQP‐1 and ‐3, and Na+, K+‐ATPase on bear urothelial membranes was similar to that of other mammals. Similar studies of urothelia of hibernating bears, including evaluation of the apical membrane lipid bilayer and GAGs layer are warranted to elucidate the mechanism(s) whereby hibernating bears reabsorb their daily urine output and thus ensure successful hibernation.
Evolution of thyroid cancer mortality in adults in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To assess the trend of thyroid cancer mortality in Brazil between 1980 and 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS An ecological study of time series. Mortality rates for thyroid cancer adjusted by age according to gender were calculated between 1980 and 2010. Data were analyzed by three distinct strategies: polynomial regression, joinpoint analysis, and moving averages. RESULTS Over 70% of deaths occur in the elderly, regardless of sex. Among young adults, the mortality rate is low, with no difference between men and women. Among mature adults and elderly, mortality is increasing, and significantly, for women. There is a trend of decreasing mortality in all female adults and overall population, and in males and 40-59 years and overall population, both excluding the elderly, with statistical significance. CONCLUSION Knowledge about trends allows setting priorities and allocating resources toward positive changes in this scenario in the Brazilian population.
Choosing a Fit Technology: Understanding Mindfulness in Technology Adoption and Continuance

Mindfulness is an important emerging concept in society. This research posits that a user’s mindful state when adopting a technology is a crucial factor that determines how the technology will fit the task context at the post-adoption stage and, thus, has profound influence on user adoption and continued use of technology. Based on the mindfulness literature, we conceive of a new concept (mindfulness of technology adoption (MTA)) as a multi-faceted reflective high-order factor. We develop a MTA-TTF (task-technology fit) framework and integrate it into the cognitive change model to develop a research model that delineates the mechanisms through which MTA influences user adoption and continued use of technology. We examined the model via a longitudinal study of students’ use of wiki systems. The results suggest that mindful adopters will more likely perceive a technology as useful and choose a technology that turns out to fit their tasks. Hence, mindful adopters are likely to have high disconfirmation, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction at the post-adoption stage. The findings have significant implications for IS research and practices.
Evolutionary algorithms and automatic transcription of music

The main problem behind Automatic Transcription (Multiple Fundamental Frequency - F0 - Estimation) relies on its complexity. Harmonic collision and partial overlapping create a frequency lattice that is almost impossible to deconstruct. Although traditional approaches to this problem of rely mainly in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) techniques, evolutionary algorithms have been applied recently to this problem and achieved competitive results. We describe all evolutionary approaches to the problem of automatic music transcription and how some were improved so they could achieve competitive results. Finally, we show how the best evolutionary approach performs on piano transcription, when compared with the state-of-the-art.
Individual and contextual factors influencing patient attrition from antiretroviral therapy care in an urban community of Lusaka, Zambia

Despite the relatively effective roll‐out of free life‐prolonging antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public sector clinics in Zambia since 2005, and the proven efficacy of ART, some people living with HIV (PLHIV) are abandoning the treatment. Drawing on a wider ethnographic study in a predominantly low‐income, high‐density residential area of Lusaka, this paper reports the reasons why PLHIV opted to discontinue their HIV treatment.
Functional connectivity density alterations in schizophrenia

Background: Schizophrenia is characterized by altered resting-state functional connectivity. Most previous studies have focused on changes in connectivity strengths; however, the alterations in connectivity density in schizophrenia remain largely unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate changes in resting-state functional connectivity density (rsFCD) in schizophrenia. Methods: A total of 95 schizophrenia patients and 93 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional MRI examinations. The rsFCD, which reflects the total number of functional connections between a given brain voxel and all other voxels in the entire brain, was calculated for each voxel of each subject. Voxel-based comparisons were performed to identify brain regions with significant rsFCD differences between patients and controls (P < 0.05, corrected). Results: Compared with HCs, patients with schizophrenia showed significantly increased rsFCD in the bilateral striatum and hippocampus and significantly decreased rsFCD in the bilateral sensorimotor cortices and right occipital cortex. However, the rsFCD values of these brain regions were not correlated with antipsychotic dosage, illness duration, or clinical symptom severity. Conclusions: The striatal and hippocampal regions and parietal-occipital regions exhibited completely different changes in rsFCD in schizophrenia, which roughly correspond to dopamine activity in these regions in schizophrenia. These findings support the connectivity disorder hypothesis of schizophrenia and increase our understanding of the neural mechanisms of schizophrenia.
Measurement, Modeling, and Analysis of TCP in High-Speed Mobility Scenarios

The rapid growth of high-speed transit systems, such as High Speed Rail (HSR), is putting considerable pressure on TCP-based data transmission. It is well known that TCP is suffering from severe throughput degradation in high-speed mobility scenarios. The root cause at the transport layer however remains unclear and largely undetermined to date. In this paper, we aim to pinpoint the throughput bottlenecks and develop a throughput model to understand TCP in high-speed mobility environments. Based on the analysis of real-world HSR traces, we find that high-speed mobility will introduce significant challenges to the packet retransmission process after timeouts. And ACKs are more likely to trigger spurious retransmission timeouts in TCP flows in high-speed mobile environments. Such problems are not yet considered in the existing TCP models because classic timeouts can easily be recovered by retransmission in stationary scenarios. We therefore propose an enhanced TCP throughput model to integrate the above features. Our model analysis indicates that the optimization of TCP ACK latency is critical to obtain better throughput. Moreover, reliable retransmission mechanisms, e.g., multi-path TCP (MPTCP), can also bring notable benefits in high-speed mobility environments.
Potential Integration of a Computer-Mediated Communication Platform into the Saudi EFL Classroom: A Synthetic Review

The paper aims at reviewing the research about computer mediated communication to provide an understanding and discussion of their key features and capabilities and how these features might be used in online synchronous voice-based computer mediated communication (SVCMC) to support English as a foreign language learning (EFL) in Saudi Arabia. The problem of teacher-based classrooms in Saudi Arabia and their limited support of promoting oral proficiency and interactive learning environments are discussed. This paper first presents a brief overview of EFL instruction in Saudi Arabia, followed by a brief review of relevant (Second Language Acquisition) SLA theories and research with respect to interaction, CMC, and CMC based tasks. A definition and the possible implications of Skype, a CMC tool, in language learning is then presented. Finally, this paper suggests ways in which CMC can be integrated into EFL learning in the Saudi context.
Health promoting behavior of adolescents

The purpose of this study was to test the revised Health Promotion Model of Pender and to determine the factors to promote health behavior for adolescents' smoking behavior. The subjects of the study was 783 boys of 4 high school students. among 39. schools locating in Daejeon metropolitan city. The data was collected from July 1st to 15th. 1997 by school health nurse The research tool were HPLP of Walker. Pender. General self-efficacy scale of Sherer. control scale was measured by subconcept of hardiness scale of Pollock. and perceived barrier. perceived benefit. activity-related-affect tool were made by researcher via literature review The data were analyzed by SAS program using frequency. t-test. ANOVA. Schefee test. regression. The results were as follows 1. The mean of total health promoting behavior was . Among sub domain of health promoting behavior, the highest score was interpersonal support. and the lowest was health responsibility . 2. There were statistically significant difference in total health promoting behavior according to religion. parenting style. school performance. girl friend. father's smoking of individual characteristics. 3. The socioeconomic status. smoking, parent pattern. family structure of individual characteristics and experience domain associated with perceived benefit. perceived barrier. activity-related affect. interpersonal influence of behavior-specific cognition and affect domain. The perceived barrier. self-efficacy. girl friend and father's smoking of interpersonal influence. and control explained of variance of health promoting behavior. From above results school health nurse has to emphasize on health responsibility for health promotion of adolescent. But they couldn't intervene for parent pattern. socioeconomic status. family structure of individual characteristics and experience domain. it could be possible for school health nurse to promote health of adolescents through improving perceived barrier. also develop program to increase self-efficacy and through parent health class for fathers. Above results point to the importance of including parents in smoking prevention effort targeting adolescents. Because increasing control also promotes health of adolescents. it should be studied further about the specific measure. To verify the variables for increasing the fitness of health promoting model. it needs further replication of the research.
Overlapping thin-section fast spin-echo MR of the large vestibular aqueduct syndrome.

PURPOSE To evaluate a high-resolution, thin-section fast spin-echo MR imaging technique of the inner ear to identify the large vestibular aqueduct syndrome seen on temporal bone CT scans. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the temporal bone CT scans of 21 patients with hearing loss and enlarged bony vestibular aqueducts by CT criteria. High-resolution fast spin-echo MR imaging was then performed on these patients using dual 3-inch phased-array receiver coils fixed in a temporomandibular joint holder and centered over the temporal bones. MR imaging included axial and oblique sagittal fast spin-echo sequences. The diameter of the midvestibular aqueduct on CT scans and the signal at the level of the midaqueduct on MR images were measured on axial sequences, then compared. High-resolution MR imaging with the same protocol was performed in 44 control subjects with normal ears, and similar measurements were taken. RESULTS The average size of the enlarged bony vestibular aqueduct on CT scans was 3.7 mm, and the average width of the signal from within the enlarged aqueduct on MR images was 3.8 mm. Statistical analysis showed excellent correlation. MR images alone displayed the enlarged extraosseous endolymphatic sac, which accompanies the enlarged aqueduct in this syndrome. Five ears in three patients with enlarged bony vestibular aqueducts on CT scans showed no evidence of an enlarged endolymphatic duct or sac on MR images. An enlarged endolymphatic sac was seen on MR images in one patient with a bony vestibular aqueduct, which had normal measurements on CT scans. MR imaging alone identified a single case of mild cochlear dysplasia (Mondini malformation). In the 88 normal ears studied, the average size of the endolymphatic sac at its midpoint between the common crus and the external aperture measured on MR images was 0.8 mm (range, 0.5 to 1.4 mm). In 25% of the normal ears, no signal was seen from within the vestibular aqueduct. CONCLUSION Thin-section, high-resolution fast spin-echo MR imaging of the inner ear is complementary to CT in studying patients with the large vestibular aqueduct syndrome, as MR imaging better displays the soft tissue and fluid of the membranous labyrinth.
Cerebral Microbleeds, Vascular Risk Factors, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers: The Northern Manhattan Study

Background Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) represent intracerebral hemorrhages due to amyloid angiopathy or exposure to modifiable risk factors. Few community‐based stroke‐free studies including blacks and Hispanics have been done. Methods and Results The Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) is a stroke‐free, racially and ethnically diverse cohort study. Brain MRI was performed in 1290 participants, 925 of whom had available T2* gradient‐recall echo data. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of sociodemographics, vascular risk factors, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, and brain MRI markers with CMB presence and location. The prevalence of CMBs in our cohort was 5%. Of the 46 participants with CMBs, 37% had only deep CMBs, 48% had only lobar CMBs, and 15% had CMBs in both locations. The difference in CMB distribution was not statistically significant across race/ethnic group or APOE genotype. In multivariable analyses, age (OR [95% CI]: 1.09 [1.04, 1.15]) and SBIs (2.58 [1.01, 6.59]) were positively associated with CMB presence, and diabetes medication use was negatively associated (0.25 [0.07, 0.86]). Conclusions CMBs may represent the severity of vascular disease in this racially and ethnically diverse cohort. Larger studies are needed to elucidate the association between diabetes medication use and CMB presence.
In Vitro Sensitivity of Paired Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis Samples Isolated before Meglumine Antimoniate Treatment and after Treatment Failure or Reactivation of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

This study evaluated the in vitro sensitivity of paired Leishmania braziliensis samples isolated from the same patient before pentavalent antimonial treatment (Sample A) and after treatment failure or cutaneous leishmaniasis reactivation (Sample B) in patients undergoing intralesional administration or injections (5 mgSbV/kg/d) of meglumine antimoniate. Fourteen samples from 7 patients were studied. After 24 h of drug exposure, 50% lethal dose (LD50) values for promastigotes ranged from 0.37 mg/mL to 5.86 mg/mL for samples obtained before treatment (A) and 0.89 mg/mL to 7.80 mg/mL for samples obtained after treatment (B). After 48 h, LD50 values ranged from 0.37 mg/mL to 5.75 mg/mL and 0.70 mg/mL to 7.68 mg/mL for A and B samples, respectively. After 48 h, LD50 values for amastigotes ranged from 11.7 to 44.3 μg/mL for A samples and 13.7 to 52.7 μg/mL for B samples. Of 7 patients, 1 discontinued treatment and 6 were cured after retreatment with amphotericin B (4 cases) or meglumine antimoniate (2 cases). Overall the B samples had higher LD50 values than A samples; however the difference was not significant. These results do not support the hypothesis that low-dose and intralesional treatments induce selection of resistant parasites in vitro and suggest that other factors may influence therapeutic outcome in patients with poor response to initial treatment.
The Hannover Dialysis Outcome study: comparison of standard versus intensified extended dialysis for treatment of patients with acute kidney injury in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND Increasing the dose of renal replacement therapy has been shown to improve survival in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in several smaller European trials. However, a very recent large multicentre trial in the USA could not detect an effect of dose of renal replacement therapy on mortality. Based on those studies, it is not known whether a further increase in dialysis dose above and beyond the currently employed doses would improve survival in patients with AKI. We therefore aimed to assess mortality and renal recovery of patients with AKI receiving either standard (SED) or intensified extended dialysis (IED) therapy in the intensive care unit. METHODS A prospective randomized parallel group study was conducted in seven intensive care units of a tertiary university hospital. Pre-existing chronic kidney disease was an exclusion criterion. A total of 156 patients (570 screened) with AKI requiring renal replacement therapy were randomly assigned to receive standard dialysis [dosed to maintain plasma urea levels between 120 and 150 mg/dL (20-25 mmol/L)] or intensified dialysis [dosed to maintain plasma urea levels <90 mg/dL (<15 mmol/L)]. Outcome measures were survival at Day 14 (primary) and survival and renal recovery at Day 28 (secondary) after initiation of renal replacement therapy. RESULTS Treatment intensity differed significantly (P < 0.01 for plasma urea and administered dose). No differences between intensified and standard treatment were seen for survival by Day 14 (70.4% versus 70.7%) or Day 28 (55.6% versus 61.3%), or for renal recovery amongst the survivors by Day 28 (60.0% versus 63.0%). CONCLUSIONS Although this study cannot deliver a definitive answer, it suggests that increasing the dose of extended dialysis above the currently recommended dose might neither reduce mortality nor improve renal recovery in critically ill patients, mainly septic patients, with AKI.
Credibility on the internet: shifting from authority to reliability

Purpose – This paper seeks to understand how users determine credibility in the internet environment from a conceptual level and the implications of these new methods of credibility determination on internet tools (primarily software) and services.Design/methodology/approach – The author first examines the underlying reasons for increased dependence on the internet for information, using electronic commerce as a starting point. The central concept of “information self‐sufficiency” is introduced and then examined through the lens of the internet and conversation theory.Findings – The author finds that users are shifting from more traditional “authority” methods of credibility determination, where users cede determinations to trusted third parties, to a “reliability” approach where users seek commonalities and coherence among multiple information sources. This has led to an increased pressure for participation and openness at all levels of the internet.Research limitations/implications – Studies on users an.
The association between serum uric acid and diabetes mellitus is stronger in women.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have demonstrated an association between increased serum uric acid (SUA) levels and incident diabetes. Most clinical and epidemiological investigations, however, focused solely on male populations or did not analyze men and women separately. We assessed the association between SUA levels and diabetes incidence in a large cohort of apparently healthy men and women. METHODS Data were retrospectively gathered from 9140 adults who participated in annual medical screening visits during 2000-2009. Mean follow-up time was 4.8 years, and the median age was 50 years. Laboratory test results, data from physical examinations, medical history, and lifestyle information were extracted. The main outcome measure was incident diabetes, defined as two consecutive fasting glucose tests higher than 125 mg/dL. Cox proportional-hazards multivariate models were applied for measuring hazard ratios (HRs) for diabetes according to continuous and categorical levels of uric acid. RESULTS We identified 499 new cases of diabetes (total, 5.5%: men, 6.2%; women, 3.6%) during the follow-up period. The gender-specific HRs for diabetes, adjusted for age and a set of prespecified multiple risk and protective factors, were 1.57 for each 1 mg/dL increase in SUA (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-1.86) in women and 1.08 (95% CI, 0.99-1.17) in men; p for interaction of SUA by gender <0.001. CONCLUSION SUA is independently associated with diabetes outcome, considerably more in women than in men.
Learning Maps for Indoor Mobile Robot Navigation.

Abstract : Autonomous robots must be able to learn and maintain models of their environments. Research on mobile robot navigation has produced two major paradigms for mapping indoor environments: grid-based and topological. While grid-based methods produce accurate metric maps, their complexity often prohibits efficient planning and problem solving in large-scale indoor environments. Topological maps, on the other hand, can be used much more efficiently, yet accurate and consistent topological maps are considerably difficult to learn in large-scale environments. This paper describes an approach that integrates both paradigms: grid-based and topological. Grid-based maps are learned using artificial neural networks and Bayesian integration. Topological maps are generated on top of the grid- based maps, by partitioning the latter into coherent regions. By combining both paradigms-grid-based and topological-, the approach presented here gains the best of both worlds: accuracy/consistency and efficiency. The paper gives results for autonomously operating a mobile robot equipped with sonar sensors in populated multi-room environments.