Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The stimulating effect of fatty acids and amino acid derivatives on the labellar sugar receptor of the fleshfly

Seven D-amino acids, including D-valine, D-phenylalanine, D-leucine, D- isoleucine, D-tryptophan, D-methionine, and D-alpha-aminobutyric acid, are markedly less stimulative than the corresponding L-isomers that can stimulate the labellar sugar receptor of the fleshfly. A distinct effect of len;th of the amino acid side chain is clearly observed. Esterification and amidation of the alpha-carboxyl group, as well as substitution by hydroxyl and methyl groups, result in extremely decreased responses. Amino acids whose amino groups are located at a position other than the alpha are almost ineffective. With all these rigid stereospecificities of the sugar receptor for amino acids, certain replacement of the alpha-amino group with the hydroxyl or carbonyl group shows a slight increase of the response at neutral pH. Furthermore, certain fatty acids can stimulate the sugar receptor once the solutions are buffered at neutral pH. This observation was further supported by the presence of a remarkable similarity of stimulating effectiveness between amino acids that can stimulate the sugar receptor and those fatty acids. The similarity was shown by testing the response concentration relationships, the stimulating effect of fatty acid derivatives, the effect of treatment with p-chloromercuribenzoate, the behavioral response, and so on.
In-patient and residential alternatives to standard acute psychiatric wards in England

Background Acute psychiatric wards have been the focus of widespread dissatisfaction. Residential alternatives have attracted much interest, but little research, over the past 50 years. Aims Our aims were to identify all in-patient and residential alternatives to standard acute psychiatric wards in England, to develop a typology of such services and to describe their distribution and clinical populations. Method National cross-sectional survey of alternatives to standard acute in-patient care. Results We found 131 services intended as alternatives. Most were hospital-based and situated in deprived areas, and about half were established after 2000. Several clusters with distinctive characteristics were identified, ranging from general acute wards applying innovative therapeutic models, through clinical crisis houses that are highly integrated with local health systems, to more radical voluntary sector alternatives. Most people using the alternatives had a previous history of admission, but only a few community-based services accepted compulsory admissions. Conclusions Alternatives to standard acute psychiatric wards represent an important, but previously undocumented and unevaluated, sector of the mental health economy. Further evidence is needed to assess whether they can improve the quality of acute in-patient care.
The influence of 5-HTT and COMT genotypes on verbal fluency in ecstasy users

Deficits in verbal fluency associated with ecstasy use have been well established; however, the mechanisms underlying this impairment have yet to be elucidated. In this study we investigated for the first time whether there was a disproportionate impairment in two cognitive subcomponents of verbal fluency: clustering (ability to generate words within the same subcategory) and switching (ability to change the subcategory). We also investigated a possible association between ecstasy use and verbal fluency in subjects genotyped for 5-HTT (5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR) and COMT (val108/158met, rs165599 and rs2097603) polymorphisms, in order to find a potential implication of genetic factors. Ecstasy polydrug users (n = 30) and non-ecstasy users (n = 41) were evaluated in both semantic and phonemic fluency. Results showed that ecstasy users had poorer semantic (but not phonemic) fluency performance than controls. Detailed analysis of clustering and switching performance revealed that this impairment was associated with poorer clustering mechanisms. Clustering was also modulated by the COMT rs165599 polymorphism independently of the group. A specific effect of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on switching performance was also found, with ss carriers performing significantly worse than ls and ll carriers, suggesting a serotonin modulation of frontal-executive flexibility. Based on the impaired clustering and switching strategies observed in ecstasy users, it might be proposed that both semantic knowledge and retrieval are impaired in this population. The verbal fluency deficit in ecstasy users may be attributable to a disruption of frontal-striatal circuits directly related with the serotonin function as well as a depletion of lexical-semantic stores mediated by temporal structures.
The effectiveness of nano-doxycycline activated by diode laser exposure to reduce S. aureus biofilms: an in vitro study

Biofilms are collections of microorganisms that attach to a surface and are covered with extracellular matrices produced by these microorganisms from the environment. A biofilm is an ideal place for plasmid exchange, where plasmids can carry genes that regulate resistance to antibiotics so that biofilms play a role in the spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This allegedly due to changes and rearrangement of cell walls so that antibiotics do not easily penetrate it. An alternative method for reducing biofilm S.aureus is photodynamic inactivation. PDI is a method of inactivation of microorganisms that utilize light, photosensitizers, and Reactive Oxygen Species. This present work aims to determine the potential of blue diode laser as an activator of nano doxycycline to reduce Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. The treatment was divided into six groups, the control group without any treatment, the control group with doxycycline photosensitizer, the control group with nano doxycycline photosensitizer, laser treatment group, laser, and doxycycline treatment group, laser, and nano doxycycline treatment groups. The laser treatment group has a variation of exposure time 30s (4.37 J / cm2), 60s (8.73 J / cm2), 90s (13.09 J / cm2), 120s (17.47 J / cm2), and 150s ( 21.83 J / cm2). Biofilm reduction was measured using an ELISA reader and analyzed using factorial ANOVA. The results showed that 403 nm blue diode laser exposure for 150s with energy density 21.83 J / cm2 could reduce biofilms up to (31.74 ± 1.67)% for the laser treatment group, (65.01 ± 1.67)% for laser and doxycycline treatment groups, (80.25 ± 1.67)% for the laser treatment group and nano doxycycline. So, the exposure of blue diode laser has the potential to activate nano doxycycline to increase the percentage of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm death.
Task Planning With Active Sensing For Autonomous Compliant Motion

Previous research has shown that the execution of contact tasks under uncertainty benefits from on-line estimation of the geometrical contact parameters, such as positions, orientations and dimensions of the contacting objects. However, the constant translational and rotational velocities commonly used to trigger the contact formation (CF) transitions are often not sufficiently exciting to estimate all geometrical parameters. In this paper, we focus on the calculation of a fine-motion task plan, which improves the observation of inaccurately known geometrical parameters. This is called active sensing. Our approach to active sensing is to optimize the task plan (i) by minimizing an objective function, such as the expected execution time, which is an important criterion in industrial applications, and (ii) by constraining the task plans to plans which observe the geometrical parameter estimates to the required accuracy. Active sensing for compliant motion is a new research area. Hence, this paper primarily aims at formulating the active sensing problem and decoupling it into smaller optimization problems. The main contributions of this paper are (i) the definition of the CF-observable parameter space, which allows us to decouple the active sensing requirement for the task plan into a requirement for the CF sequence and requirements for the active sensing motions in each CF, and (ii) the description of practical (suboptimal) solutions and heuristics, making on-line replanning feasible.
Adaptive Game Mechanics for Learning Purposes - Making Serious Games Playable and Fun

This paper investigates adaptive games mechanics and how to implement them. First, a comprehensive review of existing adaptive models is presented. Next, we propose a new adaptive model, which combines dynamic difficulty adaptation, the player’s performance, and adaptive flow. An implementation of these new adaptive mechanics is presented in the form of a simple serious game called Number to Number Combat. This game was released freely on the internet in order to be tested by the gaming community. It has shown very promising results that will help us to improve our adaptive model.
Relationship of Body Image to Site of Cancer

Summary Two body‐image scores derived from the Rorschach test were used to evaluate the body‐image fantasies of 59 patients with body‐exterior cancer and of 30 patients with body‐interior cancer. Formal scores and impressionistic sorting procedures both indicate that to a statistically significant degree the patient with body‐exterior cancer has a greater tendency to conceive of his body as enclosed by an impenetrable boundary than does the patient with interior cancer. It was shown by means of a control group that the Rorschach body‐image indices are not merely resultants of the pain and other sensations associated with the cancer symptoms. On the contrary, the differences in body‐image scores between the body‐exterior cancer group and the body‐interior cancer group seem to reflect basic differences in personality orientation. Apparently, then, personality variables may play a significant role in the total complex of factors that determine the site of development of cancer in an individual.
United States comparative costs and absenteeism of diabetic ophthalmic conditions

Abstract Objective: This retrospective cohort study examined the impact of diabetic macular edema (DME), diabetic retinopathy (DR), or diabetes on annual health benefit costs and absenteeism in US employees. Methods: Claims data from 2001 to 2012 was extracted from the Human Capital Management Services Group Research Reference Database on annual direct/indirect health benefit costs and absences for employees aged ≥ 18 years. Employees with DME, DR, or diabetes were identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Employees were divided into two groups, drivers or nondrivers, and examined in separate analyses. For drivers and nondrivers, the DME, DR, and diabetes cohorts were compared with their respective control groups (without diabetes). Two-part regression models controlled for demographics and job-related characteristics. Results: A total of 39,702 driver and 426,549 nondriver employees were identified as having ≥ 1 year’s continuous health plan enrollment. Direct medical costs for drivers with DME, DR, or diabetes were $6470, $8021, and $5102, respectively (>2.8 times higher and statistically significant compared with driver controls). Nondrivers with DME and DR incurred significantly higher sick leave and short-term disability costs compared with the nondrivers with diabetes and nondriver controls. In drivers with DME, the majority of days of absence were for short- and long-term disability (12.41 and 11.43 days, respectively). In drivers with DR, the majority of days of absence were for short-term disability (10.70 days). In nondrivers with DME and nondrivers with DR, the majority of days of absence were for sick leave (5.74 and 4.93 days, respectively) and short-term disability (5.08 and 4.93 days, respectively). Conclusion: DME and DR are associated with substantial direct medical cost and absenteeism in this real-world sample of medically insured employees. This research highlights the negative impact of DME and DR on annual costs and absenteeism and may assist employers in assessing the impact of these conditions on employees.
Leukocytosis at diagnosis and the risk of subsequent thrombosis in patients with low‐risk essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera

Advanced age and a history of thrombosis were well‐established risk factors for thrombosis in essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV); cytoreductive therapy was indicated in their presence. Recent studies have suggested leukocytosis as an additional risk factor; however, such an association would be treatment‐relevant in the context of low‐risk disease.
Fast Coordinated Control of DFIG Wind Turbine Generators for Low and High Voltage Ride-Through

This paper presents a fast coordinated control scheme of the rotor side converter (RSC), the Direct Current (DC) chopper and the grid side converter (GSC) of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine generators (WTGs) to improve the low voltage ride through (LVRT) and high voltage ride through (HVRT) capability of the DFIG WTGs. The characteristics of DFIG WTGs under voltage sags and swells were studied focusing on the DFIG WTG stator flux and rotor voltages during the transient periods of grid voltage changes. The protection schemes of the rotor crowbar circuit and the DC chopper circuit were proposed considering the characteristics of the DFIG WTGs during voltage changes. The fast coordinated control of RSC and GSC were developed based on the characteristic analysis in order to realize efficient LVRT and HVRT of the DFIG WTGs. The proposed fast coordinated control schemes were verified by time domain simulations using Matlab-Simulink.
Melioidosis: molecular aspects of pathogenesis

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a gram-negative bacterium that causes melioidosis, a multifaceted disease that is highly endemic in southeast Asia and northern Australia. This facultative intracellular pathogen possesses a large genome that encodes a wide array of virulence factors that promote survival in vivo by manipulating host cell processes and disarming elements of the host immune system. Antigens and systems that play key roles in B. pseudomallei virulence include capsular polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide, adhesins, specialized secretion systems, actin-based motility and various secreted factors. This review provides an overview of the current and steadily expanding knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms used by this organism to survive within a host and their contribution to the pathogenesis of melioidosis.
Recent Advances in Adaptive Sampling and Reconstruction for Monte Carlo Rendering

Monte Carlo integration is firmly established as the basis for most practical realistic image synthesis algorithms because of its flexibility and generality. However, the visual quality of rendered images often suffers from estimator variance, which appears as visually distracting noise. Adaptive sampling and reconstruction algorithms reduce variance by controlling the sampling density and aggregating samples in a reconstruction step, possibly over large image regions. In this paper we survey recent advances in this area. We distinguish between “a priori” methods that analyze the light transport equations and derive sampling rates and reconstruction filters from this analysis, and “a posteriori” methods that apply statistical techniques to sets of samples to drive the adaptive sampling and reconstruction process. They typically estimate the errors of several reconstruction filters, and select the best filter locally to minimize error. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of recent state‐of‐the‐art techniques, and provide visual and quantitative comparisons. Some of these techniques are proving useful in real‐world applications, and we aim to provide an overview for practitioners and researchers to assess these approaches. In addition, we discuss directions for potential further improvements.
Cricket fast bowling workload patterns as risk factors for tendon, muscle, bone and joint injuries

Objective To assess workload-related risk factors for injuries to particular tissue types in cricket fast bowlers. Design 235 fast bowlers who bowled in 14600 player innings over a period of 15 years were followed in a prospective cohort risk factor study to compare overs bowled in each match (including preceding workload patterns) and injury risk in the 3–4 weeks subsequent to the match. Injuries were categorised according to the affected tissue type as either: bone stress, tendon injuries, muscle strain or joint injuries. Workload risk factors were examined using binomial logistic regression multivariate analysis, with a forward stepwise procedure requiring a significance of <0.05. Results High acute match workload and high previous season workload were risk factors for tendon injuries, but high medium term (3-month workload) was protective. For bone stress injuries, high medium term workload and low career workload were risk factors. For joint injuries, high previous season and career workload were risk factors. There was little relationship between muscle injury and workload although high previous season workload was slightly protective. Conclusions The level of injury risk for some tissue types varies in response to preceding fast bowling workload, with tendon injuries most affected by workload patterns. Workload planning may need to be individualised, depending on individual susceptibility to various injury types. This study supports the theory that tendons are at lowest risk with consistent workloads and susceptible to injury with sudden upgrades in workload. Gradual upgrades are recommended, particularly at the start of a bowler's career to reduce the risk of bone stress injury.
When second wave HCI meets third wave challenges

This paper surveys the current status of second generation HCI theory, faced with the challenges brought to HCI by the so-called third wave. In the third wave, the use context and application types are broadened, and intermixed, relative to the focus of the second wave on work. Technology spreads from the workplace to our homes and everyday lives and culture. Using these challenges the paper specifically addresses the topics of multiplicity, context, boundaries, experience and participation in order to discuss where second wave theory and conceptions can still be positioned to make a contribution as part of the maturing of our handling of the challenges brought on by the third wave.
Infliximab Therapy for 2 Patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome

Purpose: To report the authors' experience using infliximab to treat 2 patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH). Design: Interventional case series. Methods: Medical records of the 2 patients were reviewed. Results: After starting infliximab intravenous infusions, 5 mg/kg, both patients experienced rapid improvement in their VKH disease, and were able to taper and discontinue prednisone without disease recurrence for the several-month follow-up period. Conclusions: Infliximab may be effective treatment for VKH, and spares patients the side effects of corticosteroids and conventional immunosuppressive drugs.
Climate change and the spring bloom: a mesocosm study on the influence of light and temperature on phytoplankton and mesozooplankton

We examined the simultaneous effect of climate warming and light availability on the phytoplankton spring bloom using 1400 l (1 m depth) indoor mesocosms. The timing of the spring bloom was advanced both by warming and higher light intensity, but the influence of temperature on the phytoplankton community was stronger than the light effect. Warming affected phytoplankton directly and indirectly via enhanced grazing pressure at higher temperatures. Warming resulted in markedly lower phytoplankton biomass and a shift towards smaller cell sizes. It also led to changes in the community structure of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Among phytoplankton, large-celled diatoms were most negatively affected by warming. Overwintering zooplankton species (Oithona, Pseudocalanus) remained dominant in the cold treatments, while they were replaced by late spring or summer species (Acartia, Centropages, Temora) in the warmed treatments. Our results show that understanding food web interactions might be very important to the study of the effects of climate warming on pelagic ecosystems.
Normal-pressure hydrocephalus: saga or swamp?

Normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) was first identified by Adams et al 1 in 1965. They described three patients: two women aged 62 and 63 years and one man aged 65 years who presented with the triad of dementia of recent onset, gait disorder, and urinary incontinence. Cerebrospinal fluid shunting provided a spectacular cure in all three cases. Since that time, many case series have been published (for example, references 2 through 5) and reviewed. 6,7 The syndrome is one of communicating hydrocephalus in which intracranial hypertension is either absent or goes unrecognized. Although it can occur secondary to head injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial surgery, brain tumors, or meningitis, most patients give no such history and the syndrome is consequently termed "idiopathic. " 6 In this issue ofThe Journal, Friedland 8 provides us with a case history that involves a successful shunt procedure for an elderly woman with NPH. What makes this
Release of Heavy Metals from the Pyrite Tailings of Huangjiagou Pyrite Mine: Batch Experiments

To provide the basic information about the release of heavy metals from the pyrite tailings of Huangjiagou pyrite mine, the pyrite tailings were investigated through a series of batch experiments under different initial pH of extractant, temperature, liquid-solid (LS) ratio, and soaking time conditions. Moreover, calcium carbonate was added in the pyrite tailings to determine the reduction effect on the release of heavy metals. The results show that Fe, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Ni were the major heavy metals in the pyrite tailings. Low initial pH and high LS ratio significantly promoted Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn release, and high temperature significantly promoted Fe, Cu, Mn, and Ni release. Only small amounts of Cr were detected at low LS ratios. With the increase of soaking time, the released amount of Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn increased to the maximum value within 48 h, respectively. After adding calcium carbonate, the released amounts of Fe, Cu, and Zn reduced at least 70.80% within 48 h soaking time. The results indicate that summer and the early soaking stage are the main phases for the release of heavy metals from the pyrite tailings. In the pyrite tailings, Cr is difficult to release. Adding calcium carbonate can effectively reduce the release of Fe, Cu, and Zn.
Advanced techniques for interactive visualization of multi-resolution meshes

This paper addresses the problem of interactive visualization of multi-resolution triangle meshes. Visible switching between different levels of detail is avoided by smoothly interpolating mesh geometry between different levels. The interpolation parameter is derived from the screen-space geometric error of the affected mesh region instead of assigning a fixed time to the transition. The shortcomings of straightforward frame rate control mechanisms (i.e., overshooting and oscillation) are avoided by a semi-predictive algorithm. The average rendering time per triangle is measured and used to determine the desired number of faces. A set of experiments demonstrates the advantages of both methods. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.