Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single-session tDCS over the dominant hemisphere affects contralateral spectral EEG power, but does not enhance neurofeedback-guided event-related desynchronization of the non-dominant hemisphere's sensorimotor rhythm

Background and objective Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and neurofeedback-guided motor imagery (MI) have attracted considerable interest in neurorehabilitation, given their ability to influence neuroplasticity. As tDCS has been shown to modulate event-related desynchronization (ERD), the neural signature of motor imagery detected for neurofeedback, a combination of the techniques was recently proposed. One limitation of this approach is that the area targeted for stimulation is the same from which the signal for neurofeedback is acquired. As tDCS may interfere with proximal electroencephalographic (EEG) electrodes, in this study our aim was to test whether contralateral tDCS could have interhemispheric effects on the spectral power of the unstimulated hemisphere, possibly mediated by transcallosal connection, and whether such effects could be used to enhance ERD magnitudes. A contralateral stimulation approach would indeed facilitate co-registration, as the stimulation electrode would be far from the recording sites. Methods Twenty right-handed healthy volunteers (aged 21 to 32) participated in the study: ten assigned to cathodal, ten to anodal versus sham stimulation. We applied stimulation over the dominant (left) hemisphere, and assessed ERD and spectral power over the non-dominant (right) hemisphere. The effect of tDCS was evaluated over time. Spectral power was assessed in theta, alpha and beta bands, under both rest and MI conditions, while ERD was evaluated in alpha and beta bands. Results Two main findings emerged: (1) contralateral alpha-ERD was reduced after anodal (p = 0.0147), but not enhanced after cathodal tDCS; (2) both stimulations had remote effects on the spectral power of the contralateral hemisphere, particularly in theta and alpha (significant differences in the topographical t-value maps). Conclusion The absence of contralateral cathodal ERD enhancement suggests that the protocol is not applicable in the context of MI training. Nevertheless, ERD results of anodal and spectral power results of both stimulations complement recent findings on the distant tDCS effects between functionally related areas.
Prevalence and Risk Factor Identification of Calf Coccidiosis in and Around Bahir Dar Town in Amhara Regional State, North West Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in and around Bahir Dar town to determine the prevalence of Coccidia infection in calves and to identify associated risk factors. Fecal samples were collected from a total of 384 randomly selected calves with the age of under 2 years. Collected fecal samples were examined for the presence of Eimeria oocyst by flotation technique. Out of 384 calves, 73 (19.01%) were found to be positive for Eimeria oocyst. Analysis of potential risk factors has revealed that; there was statistically significant difference (P 0.05) between coccidia infection with sex and breed of calves. In conclusion, the present finding has demonstrated that calf coccidia are one of the most important pathogens in calves in the study area. Therefore, further epidemiological investigations are required to determine the Eimeria species composition and different agro ecological risk factor on the occurrence of the disease.
WhatsApp Messenger as a Learning Tool: An Investigation of Pre-service Teachers’ Learning without Instructor Presence

This study investigated the extent to which pre-service teachers can utilize WhatsApp Messenger to create an effective learning platform without instructor interference. Twenty-six male pre-service teachers created a WhatsApp group and interacted through it independently for nine weeks. Each pre-service teacher was required to share a minimum of two posts on a weekly basis, for eighteen posts in total. The pre-service teachers were given clear rules for participation that included a wide range of topics and the definition of an accepted post. The frequency of posts was recorded to determine the magnitude of participation. Focus group interviews were conducted to investigate reasons behind each pre-service teacher’s magnitude of participation. The results of the study revealed that the participation rate of the entire group was unsatisfactory (57%), with only six pre-service teachers meeting the minimum required number of posts. Interestingly, these six pre-service teachers created a small but unique norm of learning environment by regulating their own and other peers’ performance as well. The reasons for the magnitude of participation, additional results, and implications of the study findings for educational settings are discussed.
Preliminary Data From the Study of Coagulative Profile of HIV Infected Individuals Suggest a Role For Point Mutations in the Gene in Protein S Deficiency in Individuals Undergoing Highly Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: HIV infection is a known prothrombotic condition but factors involved are still controversial. A role for antiretrovirals, especially protease inhibitors, was advocated. Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the levels of anticoagulant proteins in virally suppressed HIV-infected subjects treated with different anti-retroviral regimens. Materials and Methods: Forty-four patients were included in the study. C and PS, D-Dimers and Fibrinogen levels were determined as well as APC-resistance. PROS1 gene was sequenced in a group of patient. Results: Twelve of the 44 subjects (27%) showed reduced levels of PS, while lower levels of PC were found only in 2 patients (4,5%). No difference in the mean values of PC and PS was found stratifying the study population by antiretroviral regimen administrated (p>0.05). Three patients had higher levels of D-Dimer concentrations and in two of these patients, an association between higher D-Dimer values and lower levels of PS was observed; but however no correlation was found by statistical analysis. PROS1 gene analysis was performed in 26 of the 44 HIV-1 patients and the subjects with low levels of PS had mutation in the fifteen exon of PROS 1 gene. While among individuals with normal levels, this mutation was observed only in 8/18 (44%) of the cases (p=0,0072). Conclusion: The majority of patients with low PS levels also had mutations in the fifteen exon of PROS 1 gene. Genetic determinants, deserving further investigations, rather than antiretrovirals might cause PS deficiency in HIV-1 positive patients.
Separate roles of IL‐6 and oncostatin M in mouse macrophage polarization in vitro and in vivo

Arginase‐1 (Arg‐1)‐expressing M2‐like macrophages are associated with Th2‐skewed immune responses, allergic airway pathology, ectopic B16 melanoma cancer growth in murine models, and can be induced by Oncostatin M (OSM) transient overexpression in vivo. Here, we compare OSM to the gp130‐cytokine IL‐6 in mediating macrophage polarization, and find that IL‐6 overexpression alone (Ad vector, AdIL‐6) did not induce Arg‐1 protein in mouse lungs at day 7, nor ectopic melanoma tumor growth at day 14, in contrast to overexpression of OSM (AdOSM). AdOSM elevated levels of IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, whereas AdIL‐6 did not. Bone marrow‐derived macrophages respond with Arg‐1 enzymatic activity to M2 stimuli (IL‐4/IL‐13), which was further elevated in combination with IL‐6 stimulation; however, OSM or LIF had no detectable activity in vitro. Arg‐1 mRNA expression induced by AdOSM was attenuated in IL‐6‐/‐ and STAT6‐/‐ mice, suggesting requirements for both IL‐6 and IL‐4/IL‐13 signaling in vivo. Ectopic B16 tumor burden was also reduced in IL‐6‐/‐ mice. Thus, OSM induces Arg‐1+ macrophage accumulation indirectly through elevation of Th2 cytokines and IL‐6 in vivo, whereas IL‐6 acts directly on macrophages but requires a Th2 microenvironment, demonstrating distinct roles for OSM and IL‐6 in M2 macrophage polarization.
Metamorphic Testing

Metamorphic testing is an approach to both test case generation and test result verification. A central element is a set of metamorphic relations, which are necessary properties of the target function or algorithm in relation to multiple inputs and their expected outputs. Since its first publication, we have witnessed a rapidly increasing body of work examining metamorphic testing from various perspectives, including metamorphic relation identification, test case generation, integration with other software engineering techniques, and the validation and evaluation of software systems. In this article, we review the current research of metamorphic testing and discuss the challenges yet to be addressed. We also present visions for further improvement of metamorphic testing and highlight opportunities for new research.
Effect of ultra-high temperature processing on quality of watermelon juice

KEYWORD: Ultra-high temperature; watermelon juice; flavor; quality; GC-MS ABSTRACT: The effect of ultra-high temperature processing on the quality and flavor of watermelon juice was evaluated. The temperature of 120 and 135 oC was effective to reduce the total flora count to 2 LogCFU/ml and reduce the color variety of the watermelon juice. However, the higher temperature leaded to a flavor change compared with the un-treatment juice. The ultra-high temperature processing of 120 oC was a proper temperature for the processing of the watermelon juice.
Electrophysiological Responses to Affective Stimuli in Neglectful Mothers

Results illustrating an atypical neural processing in the early and late differentiation of infant faces have been obtained with neglectful mothers. The present study explores whether a different pattern of response is observed when using non-infant affective pictures. We examined the event-related evoked potentials and induced delta, theta and alpha activity in 14 neglectful mothers and 14 control mothers elicited while categorizing positive, negative and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Self-reports of anhedonia and empathy were also recorded. Early posterior negativity, P200 and late positive potential components were modulated by the emotional content of pictures in both groups. However, the LPP waveform had a more delayed and more attenuated maximum in neglectful mothers than in control mothers. Oscillatory responses indicated lower power increases for neglectful mothers than for control mothers in delta (1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz) and lower alpha (8–10 Hz) bands at frontal sites, and a more consistent increase for neglectful mothers in theta and lower alpha bands at occipital sites, especially for negative pictures. These findings help us to better understand the limits of emotional insensitivity in neglectful mothers.
Neural mechanisms of behavioral change in young adults with high‐functioning autism receiving virtual reality social cognition training: A pilot study

Measuring treatment efficacy in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relies primarily on behaviors, with limited evidence as to the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral gains. This pilot study addresses this void by investigating neural and behavioral changes in a Phase I trial in young adults with high‐functioning ASD who received an evidence‐based behavioral intervention, Virtual Reality‐Social Cognition Training over 5 weeks for a total of 10 hr. The participants were tested pre‐ and post‐training with a validated biological/social versus scrambled/nonsocial motion neuroimaging task, previously shown to activate regions within the social brain networks. Three significant brain‐behavior changes were identified. First, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, a hub for socio‐cognitive processing, showed increased brain activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli in individuals with greater gains on a theory‐of‐mind measure. Second, the left inferior frontal gyrus, a region for socio‐emotional processing, tracked individual gains in emotion recognition with decreased activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli. Finally, the left superior parietal lobule, a region for visual attention, showed significantly decreased activation to nonsocial versus social stimuli across all participants, where heightened attention to nonsocial contingencies has been considered a disabling aspect of ASD. This study provides, albeit preliminary, some of the first evidence of the harnessable neuroplasticity in adults with ASD through an age‐appropriate intervention in brain regions tightly linked to social abilities. This pilot trial motivates future efforts to develop and test social interventions to improve behaviors and supporting brain networks in adults with ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 713–725. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling and Analysis of Nanostructured Thermoelectric Power Generation and Cooling Systems

MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURED THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATION AND COOLING SYSTEMS Ronil Rabari Advisors: University of Guelph, 2015 Dr. Shohel Mahmud Dr. Animesh Dutta This thesis is an investigation of heat transfer processes in nanostructured thermoelectric (TE) systems. TE systems include solid state thermoelectric generators (TEG) and thermoelectric coolers (TEC). Current TE systems exhibit low performance (i.e., thermal efficiency and Coefficient of Performance (COP)) compared to conventional energy conversion devices. The higher Figure-of-Merit nanostructured TE materials can increase the performance of TE systems. In this study, a mathematical model of a TE system was developed including the Seebeck, Peltier, and Thomson effects, Fourier heat conduction, Joule heat, and convection heat transfer. Numerical simulations were performed using the coupled TE constitutive equations. The simulated results were expressed as contours of temperature and electric potential and as streamlines of heat flow and electric current. The effective thermal conductivities, calculated using different transport property models, were used to investigate nanostructured TE systems. Additionally, Bismuth-Telluride based nanostructured TE materials were prepared using the solid state synthesis method. The study results report parameters which affect the thermal efficiency, COP, and entropy generation in nanostructured TEG and TEC systems. These parameters include the temperature difference, electric current, volume fraction of nanoparticles, and convection heat transfer coefficients at different locations: the side surfaces of TE legs; between the thermal source and the hot side of a TE system; and between the thermal sink and the cold side of a TE system. The results show a decrease in the thermal efficiency and COP of a TEG and TEC system, respectively, as the convection heat transfer coefficient increases. Nevertheless, a TEC system with a higher electric potential input increases the COP with an increase in the convection heat transfer coefficient. This study establishes that the heat conduction contribution to the total heat input for TEG and TEC systems should remain as low as possible for maximum system performance. The synthesized Bi2Te2.7Se0. 3, using the indirect resistance heating method, exhibited low density which may have contributed to a higher electrical resistivity and a lower Seebeck coefficient. The macroscopic modeling of nanostructured TE systems performed in this thesis provided results which can be applied to the design of next generation thermal management and power generation solutions.
Plasma phospholipid trans fatty acids and risk of heart failure.

BACKGROUND Although trans fatty acids (TFAs) may increase the risk of dyslipidemia and coronary artery disease (CAD), limited data are available on their association with heart failure (HF). OBJECTIVE Our goal was to assess associations of plasma and dietary TFAs with HF and CAD. DESIGN We used a prospective, nested case-control design to select 788 incident HF cases and 788 matched controls from the Physicians' Health Study for biomarker analyses and a prospective cohort for the dietary analyses. Plasma fatty acids were assessed by using gas chromatography, and dietary intake was estimated by using a food-frequency questionnaire. Self-reported HF was ascertained by using annual follow-up questionnaires with validation in a subsample. We used conditional logistic (or Cox) regression to estimate multivariable-adjusted ORs (or HRs) for HF and CAD. RESULTS Multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for HF across consecutive quintiles of plasma trans 18:2 (linoleic acid) fatty acids were 1.0 (reference), 1.10 (0.79, 1.54), 0.88 (0.62, 1.25), 0.71 (0.49, 1.02), and 0.67 (0.45, 0.98) (P-trend = 0.01). Each SD of plasma trans 18:2 was associated with a 22% lower risk of HF (95% CI: 6%, 36%). Plasma trans 16:1 and 18:1 were not associated with risk of HF (P > 0.05). Dietary trans fats were not associated with incident HF or CAD. CONCLUSIONS Our data are consistent with a lower risk of HF with higher concentrations of plasma trans 18:2 but not with trans 16:1 or trans 18:1 fatty acids in male physicians. Dietary TFAs were not related to incident HF or CAD.
Attentional effects of self-affirmation in response to graphic antismoking images.

OBJECTIVE Self-affirmation has been shown to reduce defensive responding to threatening information. However, little is known about the cognitive and attentional processes underlying these effects. In the current eye-movement study, the authors explored whether self-affirmation affects attention allocation (i.e., number of fixations) among those for whom a threatening health message is self-relevant. METHODS After a self-affirmation manipulation, 47 smokers and 52 nonsmokers viewed a series of cigarette packs displaying high or low threat smoking-related images accompanied by a brief smoking message containing risk, coping or neutral textual information. RESULTS Self-affirmed smokers made more fixations to the cigarette packs than did nonaffirmed smokers (across both high and low threat images), whereas self-affirmed nonsmokers made fewer fixations to the cigarette packs than did nonaffirmed nonsmokers (again across both image types). The textual information did not moderate responses. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate attention-increasing effects of self-affirmation among those for whom the information is self-relevant (smokers) and attention-decreasing effects of self-affirmation among those for whom the information is not self-relevant (nonsmokers). Such findings are consistent with the calibration model of self-affirmation (Griffin & Harris, 2011) in which self-affirmation increases sensitivity to the self-relevance of health-risk information. The use of an implicit measure of visual orienting informs our understanding of the working mechanisms of self-affirmation when encoding health information, and may also hold practical implications for the design and delivery of graphic warning labels. (PsycINFO Database Record
Cytotoxicity and Mutagenicity of N2 Cement - Root Canal Filling Material Cytotoksyczność i mutagenność cementu N2 - materiału do wypełniania kanałów korzeniowych

Background. Biocompatibility can be described as the ability of a material to function so as not to violate cell and tissue integrity when applied. Objectives. The contemporary requirements for biocompatible materials evaluated according to “evidence−based medicine” induced the authors to evaluate the mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of dental materials (medical devices) authorized for sale in the EU. The use of some endodontic materials is questioned by many specialists. Material and Methods. The Ames test was used to evaluate the mutagenicity of the most controversial endodon− tic cement, N2, according to the PN−EN ISO 10993−3:2008 norm. The cytotoxicity of this material was evaluated according to the PN−EN ISO 10993−5:2008 norm. Results: The tested material did not show any mutagenic activity, but it was severely cytotoxic in the concentra− tion range of 0.78–200 mg/ml. Conclusions. In view of the broad availability of safe and effective alternatives, the use of paraformaldehyde−con− taining “aged” filling materials or root canal sealers is undoubtedly below the standard of care for endodontic tre− atment (Adv Clin Exp Med 2009, 18, 6, 615–621).
Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide.

AIM To produce a framework for the development of a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. BACKGROUND Rigorous data collection procedures fundamentally influence the results of studies. The semi-structured interview is a common data collection method, but methodological research on the development of a semi-structured interview guide is sparse. DESIGN Systematic methodological review. DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science for methodological papers on semi-structured interview guides from October 2004-September 2014. Having examined 2,703 titles and abstracts and 21 full texts, we finally selected 10 papers. REVIEW METHODS We analysed the data using the qualitative content analysis method. RESULTS Our analysis resulted in new synthesized knowledge on the development of a semi-structured interview guide, including five phases: (1) identifying the prerequisites for using semi-structured interviews; (2) retrieving and using previous knowledge; (3) formulating the preliminary semi-structured interview guide; (4) pilot testing the guide; and (5) presenting the complete semi-structured interview guide. CONCLUSION Rigorous development of a qualitative semi-structured interview guide contributes to the objectivity and trustworthiness of studies and makes the results more plausible. Researchers should consider using this five-step process to develop a semi-structured interview guide and justify the decisions made during it.
Exploiting the Distance Information of the Interaural Level Difference for Binaural Robot Motion Control

This letter proposes a control framework allowing to position a robot in range and orientation with respect to a sound source from a binaural system. To this end, a sensor-based control framework is developed upon interaural level difference (ILD) cues. ILD is known to be implicitly related to the sound source azimuth, but also to the sound source distance. We emphasize the latter property by introducing the concept of ILD annulus. Then, a sensor-based task is designed in order to approach a sound source. This method is validated in simulation and in real world experiments performed on a humanoid robot.