Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Searching for Bulges at the End of the Hubble Sequence

We investigate the stellar disk properties of a sample of 19 nearby spiral galaxies with low inclination and late Hubble type (Scd or later). We combine our high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope I-band observations with existing ground-based optical images to obtain surface brightness profiles that cover a high dynamic range of galactic radii. Most of these galaxies contain a nuclear star cluster, as discussed in a separate paper. The main goal of the present work is to constrain the properties of stellar bulges at these extremely late Hubble types. We find that the surface brightness profiles of the latest-type spiral galaxies are complex, with a wide range in shapes. We have sorted our sample in a sequence, starting with "pure" disk galaxies (approximately 30% of the sample). These galaxies have exponential stellar disks that extend inward to within a few tens of parsecs from the nucleus, where the light from the nuclear cluster starts to dominate. They appear to be truly bulgeless systems. Progressing along the sequence, the galaxies show increasingly prominent deviations from a simple exponential disk model on kiloparsec scales. Traditionally, such deviations have prompted "bulge-disk" decompositions. Indeed, the surface brightness profiles of these galaxies are generally well fitted by adding a second (exponential) bulge component. However, we find that most surface brightness profiles can be fitted equally well (or better) with a single Sérsic-type R1/n profile over the entire radial range of the galaxy without requiring a separate "bulge" component. We warn in a general sense against identification of bulges solely on the basis of single-band surface brightness profiles. Despite the narrow range of Hubble types in our sample, the surface brightness profiles are far from uniform. The differences between the various galaxies appear unrelated to their Hubble types, thus questioning the usefulness of the Hubble sequence for the subcategorization of the latest-type spiral galaxies. A number of galaxies show central excess emission on spatial scales of a few hundred parsecs that cannot be attributed to the nuclear cluster, the Sérsic-type description of the stellar disk, or what one would generally consider to be a bulge component. The origin of this light component remains unclear.
Estrogen receptor status of primary breast cancer is predictive of estrogen receptor status of contralateral breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Tamoxifen reduces the risk for contralateral breast cancer by approximately 30%-50%, with benefits probably limited to women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive primary disease. In a retrospective analysis of data from National Surgical and Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trials B-18, B-22, and B-25, we determined whether the ER status of primary breast cancer predicts the ER status of a subsequent contralateral breast cancer and whether tamoxifen treatment affects this relationship. In these trials, tamoxifen at 20 mg/day had been administered only to women aged 50 years or older, rather than to those determined by the ER status of their primary tumor, allowing an assessment of the treatment's effects in ER-negative disease. METHODS Among the 5513 eligible patients, 176 patients developed a contralateral breast cancer. The ER status of the primary and contralateral tumor was determined and cross-classified for women who did not receive tamoxifen (i.e., those aged 49 years or younger) and for women who did (i.e., those aged 50 years or older). ER data were available for 110 evaluable invasive contralateral breast cancers. RESULTS Among patients who did not receive tamoxifen (n = 62), 89% with an ER-positive primary cancer had an ER-positive contralateral breast cancer and 70% with an ER-negative primary breast cancer had an ER-negative contralateral breast cancer (odds ratio for the association between primary and contralateral ER status = 14.8, 95% confidence interval = 3.8 to 74.3; P<.001). Among patients who received tamoxifen (n = 48), 56% with an ER-positive primary cancer had an ER-positive contralateral breast cancer and 78% with an ER-negative primary cancer had an ER-negative contralateral breast cancer (odds ratio = 3.4, 95% confidence interval = 0.53 to 39.2; P =.25). CONCLUSION The ER status of the primary breast cancer was associated with that of the contralateral breast for patients not receiving tamoxifen. Patients with an ER-positive primary cancer who received tamoxifen had a lower concordance rate with fewer ER-positive contralateral breast cancers, which may be a result of tamoxifen treatment.
Evaluation of antioxidant effects of crocin on sperm quality in cyclophosphamide treated adult mice

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is one of the anti-neoplastic drugs. Despite its numerous clinical applications, it has devastating effects on the testicles and declines the sperm quality in treated patients. This study was aimed to investigate the protective effect of crocin in improving the toxicity induced by CP in reproductive system. In this study, 24 male adult mice (6 to 8 weeks) were randomly divided into three groups, control group received normal saline (0.1 mL, IP, daily), the CP group received CP (15 mg kg-1, IP, weekly) and the CP + crocin group received CP along with crocin (200 mg kg-1, IP, daily). After 35 days of treatment, animals were sacrificed. The samples of epididymis in human tubal fluid medium incubated for 30 min in 5% CO2 for flotation of sperm. Sperm were obtained from caudal epididymis using dissecting method. Then, the parameters of sperm quality including sperm count, motility, viability, DNA damage, nuclear maturation, and sperm morphology were evaluated. In CP group, the sperm count, motility, viability, nuclear maturation and sperm morphology were significantly decreased compared to control group (p < 0.05) and in the CP + crocin group all of these parameters significantly increased compared to CP group (p < 0.05). The percentage of sperm with DNA damage in the CP group significantly increased compared to other groups (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicated that the crocin was able to suppress free radicals and enhance the quality of sperm in CP treated animals.
Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease Using Data Mining Techniques Based on Symptoms and ECG Features

The most common heart disease is Coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is one of the main causes of heart attacks and deaths across the globe. Early diagnosis of this disease is therefore, of great importance. A large number of methods have thus far been devised for diagnosing CAD. Most of these techniques have been conducted on the basis of the Irvine dataset (University of California), which not only has a limited number of features but is also full of missing values and thus lacks reliability. The present study was designed to seek a new set, free from missing values, comprising features such as the functional class, dyspnea, Q wave, ST elevation, ST depression, and T inversion. Information was gathered from Shaheed Rajaei Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, between Fall 2011 and Winter 2012. The dataset included 303 patients and SMO, Naïve Bayes, and a proposed ensemble algorithm were used to conduct the analyses. The accuracies of the different Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease Using Data Mining Techniques Based on Symptoms and ECG Features 543 algorithms on the dataset were calculated using tenfold cross-validation. In the best case, i.e. using the presented ensemble algorithm, up to 88.5% accuracy was achieved. Finally, several rules and relevant features to CAD, which were absent in previous studies, were extracted.
Lipocalin-2: Response to a Progressive Treadmill Protocol in Obese and Normal-weight Men

Purpose Lipocalin-2 (Lcn2), a newer adipocyte-secreted acute phase protein, was recently reported to be correlated with potential effects on obesity and inflammation. The reaction of this protein to progressive exercise has not been evaluated yet. This study was designed to compare the serum Lcn2 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels after participating in an acute bout of treadmill protocol in obese and normal-weight men. Methods Nine obese (aged: 43.2±4.6 yrs and body mass index (BMI): 31.4±1.6 kg/m2) and 9 normal-weight (aged: 42.9±4.4 yrs and BMI: 23.03±1.7 kg/m2; mean ± SD) sedentary men selected randomly from volunteers performed a single bout of exercise according to the treadmill Bruce protocol. Results Before the exercise, Lcn2 level was higher in obese than normal-weight individuals (P<0.05). A significant increase in Lcn2, hs-CRP, white blood cells (WBC) and insulin resistance index was observed after the exercise in both groups (P<0.05). The level of Lcn2, hs-CRP and WBC increase was more significant in obese individuals than normal-weight subjects after the exercise (P<0.05). Conclusions It seems that the levels of Lcn2 and other inflammatory markers elevated in obese and normal-weight men after participating in an exhaustive progressive exercise. These changes in obese men were considerable.
Exploring the potential impact of rotavirus vaccination on work absenteeism among female administrative personnel of the City of Antwerp through a retrospective database analysis

Objectives Rotavirus vaccination has been reimbursed in Belgium since November 2006 with a high uptake (>85%). Economic analyses of the vaccine have been reported, including estimates of indirect cost gain related to the reduction in work absenteeism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the latter parameter using real-life data. Design and setting A simple model estimated the reduction in absent workdays per working mother with a firstborn baby after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine. Next, data on work absences were retrospectively analysed (from 2003 to 2012) using a database of administrative employees (n=11 600 working women per year) in the City of Antwerp. Observed reductions in absenteeism after the introduction of the vaccine were compared with the results from the model. These reductions would most likely be observed during the epidemic periods of rotavirus (from January to the end of May) for short-duration absences of ≤5 days. We compared data from outside epidemic periods (from June to December), expecting no changes over time prevaccine and postvaccine introduction, as well as with a control group of women aged 30–35 years with no first child. Results Model estimates were 0.73 working days gained per working mother. In the database of the City of Antwerp, we identified a gain of 0.88 working days during the epidemic period, and an accumulated gain of 2.24 days over a 3-year follow-up period. In the control group, no decrease in absenteeism was measured. Giving vaccine access to working mothers resulted in an estimated accumulated net cost gain of €187 per mother. Conclusions Reduction in absenteeism among working mothers was observed during periods of the epidemic after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in Belgium. This reduction is in line with estimates of indirect cost gains used in economic evaluations of the rotavirus vaccine. Trial registration number HO-12-12768.
Detecting Aquatic Vegetation Changes in Taihu Lake, China Using Multi-temporal Satellite Imagery

We have measured the water quality and bio-optical parameters of 94 samples from Taihu Lake in situ and/or in the lab between June 10-18, 2007. A transparency-assisted decision tree was developed to more accurately divide the aquatic vegetation zone into a floating vegetation-dominated zone and a submerged vegetation-dominated zone, whose respective present biomass retrieval models were easily developed with an empirical approach because of the quasi-concurrence of ground field investigations with the satellite sensor flight over the lake. The significant quantitative relationships between the vegetation index NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of different images at different times were used to help develop the past biomass retrieval model on the basis of the present developed model. In Taihu Lake, the total covering area of aquatic vegetations decreased from 454.6 km2 in 2001 to 364.1 km2 in 2007. Correspondingly, the total biomass decreased from 489,000 tons in 2001 to 406,000 tons in 2007, suggesting that a great change in the ecological environment has been taking place in Taihu Lake over this period.
Proteomics-Based Systems Biology Modeling of Bovine Germinal Vesicle Stage Oocyte and Cumulus Cell Interaction

Background Oocytes are the female gametes which establish the program of life after fertilization. Interactions between oocyte and the surrounding cumulus cells at germinal vesicle (GV) stage are considered essential for proper maturation or ‘programming’ of oocytes, which is crucial for normal fertilization and embryonic development. However, despite its importance, little is known about the molecular events and pathways involved in this bidirectional communication. Methodology/Principal Findings We used differential detergent fractionation multidimensional protein identification technology (DDF-Mud PIT) on bovine GV oocyte and cumulus cells and identified 811 and 1247 proteins in GV oocyte and cumulus cells, respectively; 371 proteins were significantly differentially expressed between each cell type. Systems biology modeling, which included Gene Ontology (GO) and canonical genetic pathway analysis, showed that cumulus cells have higher expression of proteins involved in cell communication, generation of precursor metabolites and energy, as well as transport than GV oocytes. Our data also suggests a hypothesis that oocytes may depend on the presence of cumulus cells to generate specific cellular signals to coordinate their growth and maturation. Conclusions/Significance Systems biology modeling of bovine oocytes and cumulus cells in the context of GO and protein interaction networks identified the signaling pathways associated with the proteins involved in cell-to-cell signaling biological process that may have implications in oocyte competence and maturation. This first comprehensive systems biology modeling of bovine oocytes and cumulus cell proteomes not only provides a foundation for signaling and cell physiology at the GV stage of oocyte development, but are also valuable for comparative studies of other stages of oocyte development at the molecular level.
The Price Elasticity of the Long-Run Supply of New Housing Construction

The purchase price of a new house is comprised of essentially two components: the price of the structure and the price of the land. Given that the supply of land available for residential construction in urban areas is not perfectly elastic, it is inevitable that a rising demand for new homes will drive up the price of land and consequently the price of housing. Less clear is what effect, if any, increased demand for the structure component of new housing has upon the long-run price of housing. This paper examines whether the demand for the
A Dynamic Application of the AIDS Model to Import Demand for Tropical Fresh Fruits in the USA

We estimate a dynamic version of an almost ideal demand system (AIDS) model for U.S.A. imports of fresh tropical fruits: bananas, pineapples, avocadoes, papayas, mangoes/guavas, grapes and other fresh fruit imports. An error correction model specification is justified after unit root and cointegration test results confirm nonstationarity and cointegration of the data. Estimated income elasticities show that fresh grapes and other fresh fruit imports appear to be considered luxury commodities. All own-price elasticities were negative and significant. While imported bananas, pineapples, U.S.A. grapes and other fresh fruit were quite inelastic, demand for papayas and mangoes/guavas were elastic. Fresh fruits that are shown to be complementary to imported fruits include bananas, imported grapes, U.S.A. grapes and avocados, and imported avocados/other fresh fruits. Key
How Noise and Language Proficiency Influence Speech Recognition by Individual Non-Native Listeners

This study investigated how speech recognition in noise is affected by language proficiency for individual non-native speakers. The recognition of English and Chinese sentences was measured as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in sixty native Chinese speakers who never lived in an English-speaking environment. The recognition score for speech in quiet (which varied from 15%–92%) was found to be uncorrelated with speech recognition threshold (SRTQ /2), i.e. the SNR at which the recognition score drops to 50% of the recognition score in quiet. This result demonstrates separable contributions of language proficiency and auditory processing to speech recognition in noise.
An Extreme Sediment Transfer Event in a Canadian High Arctic Stream

Abstract Two large suspended sediment concentration (SSC) pulses were recorded in 1998 in a small snowmelt-fed stream on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic. The largest pulse occurred from 7 to 8 July, when 32% of the monitored seasonal sediment transport occurred in only four hours. SSC reached 83,760 mg L−1, exceeding all previously recorded values from high arctic glacially-fed and snowmelt-fed rivers by more than one order of magnitude. The event occurred after the majority of snow in the watershed had melted, and was preceded by a long period of relatively high air temperature, and a small rainfall event on 7 July. We consider the most likely cause of the event to be a rapid mass movement.
Development of an instrument (the COLT) to measure conceptions on learning and teaching of teachers, in student-centred medical education

Background: Conceptions of medical teachers regarding learning and teaching affect their teaching practice. Therefore conceptions should be addressed in faculty development. Aim: To facilitate this, we constructed the Conceptions Of Learning and Teaching (COLT) instrument. Method: The COLT was adapted based on experts’ comments during a meeting and interviews, followed by a Delphi procedure (Part I). It was administered to teachers from two Dutch medical schools with different traditions in student-centred education (Part II; N = 646). The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis. Results: 324 Teachers (50.2%) completed the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis did not confirm the underlying theoretical model, but an alternative model demonstrated a good fit. This led to an instrument with eighteen items reflecting three underlying factors: ‘teacher centredness’, ‘appreciation of active learning’, and ‘orientation to professional practice’. We found significant differences in COLT scores between the faculty of the two medical schools. Conclusions: The COLT appears to be a construct valid tool resulting in reliable scores of teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching, in student-centred medical education. Two of the three factors are new and may be specific for student-centred medical education. The COLT may be a promising tool to improve faculty development.
A 82% efficiency 0.5% ripple 16-phase fully integrated capacitive voltage doubler

A fully integrated voltage doubler is presented. Using a 16-phase switching strategy, the output voltage ripple is reduced to less then 0.5% of the output voltage. To the author's knowledge, the peak efficiency and nominal efficiency of this voltage doubler, respectively 82% and 79%, exceed the efficiency of any known fully integrated converter, inductive as well as capacitive. The converter is fabricated in a 130nm CMOS process.
Subgenual cingulate connectivity in children with a history of preschool-depression

The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) presents altered functional connections with other regions of the brain in individuals with depression. However, the developmental nature of this phenomenon remains largely unexplored. Functional connections of the sgACC were examined in 36 school age children, 17 with a history of preschool onset major depressive disorder (PO-MDD). The sgACC exhibited increased connections with cognitive control regions in healthy children and increased connections with thalamic and parietal regions in the PO-MDD group. A significant correlation between dysregulated emotional behavior and connectivity of the sgACC and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex was also found. These findings demonstrate that atypical sgACC functional connections are evident as early as school age in children with a history of PO-MDD and suggest an association with a very early episode of depression.
Scheduled Interval Trans-Catheter Arterial Chemoembolization Followed by Radiation Therapy in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Combination treatment of trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and conformal radiation therapy (RT) reported promising results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but, optimal interval was not determined. We hypothesized that a two-week interval between TACE and RT would be optimal. Therefore, we designed this study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of scheduled interval TACE followed by RT. HCC patients who were not eligible for standard therapies were enrolled for scheduled interval TACE followed by RT (START). Patients received TACE on the first day of treatment, and then RT was delivered after 14 days. The entire course of treatment took between four and five weeks. In 81 patients (96.4%), START was completed in the planned treatment period. RT was delayed in the remaining three patients because of decreased liver function or poor performance status after TACE. Of the 81 patients, objective response was observed in 57 patients (70.4%). One unexpected death occurred after START due to hepatic failure. Other toxicities were manageable. The median survival was 14.7 months. There was a significant difference in overall survival according to the response to START (P < 0.001). In conclusion, START is safe and feasible.
Global Financial Crisis, Its Impact on India and the Policy Response

India could not insulate itself from the adverse developments in the international financial markets, despite having a banking and financial system that had little to do with investments in structured financial instruments carved out of subprime mortgages, whose failure had set off the chain of events culminating in a global crisis. Economic growth decelerated in 2008-09 to 6.7 percent. This represented a decline of 2.1 percent from the average growth rate of 8.8 percent in the previous five years. To counter the negative fallout of the global slowdown on the Indian economy, the federal Government responded by providing three focused fiscal stimulus packages in the form of tax relief to boost demand and increased expenditure on public projects to create employment and public assets. India’s central Bank – the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took a number of monetary easing and liquidity enhancing measures to facilitate flow of funds from the financial system to meet the needs of productive sectors. China.
The Processing of Causal and Hierarchical Relations in Semantic Memory as Revealed by N400 and Frontal Negativity

Most current studies investigating semantic memory have focused on associative (ring-emerald) or taxonomic relations (bird-sparrow). Little is known about the question of how causal relations (virus- epidemic) are stored and accessed in semantic memory. The goal of this study was to examine the processing of causally related, general associatively related and hierarchically related word pairs when participants were required to evaluate whether pairs of words were related in any way. The ERP data showed that the N400 amplitude (200-500ms) elicited by unrelated related words was more negative than all related words. Furthermore, the late frontal distributed negativity (500-700ms) elicited by causally related words was smaller than hierarchically related words, but not for general associated words. These results suggested the processing of causal relations and hierarchical relations in semantic memory recruited different degrees of cognitive resources, especially for role binding.