Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Putting open science into practice: A social dilemma?

Digital technologies carry the promise of transforming science and opening up the research process. We interviewed researchers from a variety of backgrounds about their attitudes towards and experiences with openness in their research practices. We observe a considerable discrepancy between the concept of open science and scholarly reality. While many researchers support open science in theory, the individual researcher is confronted with various difficulties when putting open science into practice. We analyse the major obstacles to open science and group them into two main categories: individual obstacles and systemic obstacles. We argue that the phenomenon of open science can be seen through the prism of a social dilemma: what is in the collective best interest of the scientific community is not necessarily in the best interest of the individual scientist. We discuss the possibilities of transferring theoretical solutions to social dilemma problems to the realm of open science.
Multiuser Serially Concatenated Continuous Phase Modulation

A multiuser communication system using serially concatenated and randomly interleaved continuous phase modulation (SCCPM) over the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel is investigated. The users, which may be asynchronous, are allowed to have individual energy levels as well as carrier frequencies and phases. This model incorporates multiple-access signaling similar to direct-sequence code division multiple-access (DS-CDMA), trellis-coded multiple-access (TCMA), and frequency division multiple-access (FDMA) with arbitrary spectral overlap, as well as non-intentional co-channel or adjacent channel interference of the same signaling type. First, the system is analyzed through analytical upper bounds on the average bit error probability for a given user under maximum-likelihood (ML) detection, where the R> average is over the ensemble of systems over all sets of interleavers. It is shown that in a properly designed system, the bit error probability vanishes for infinite interleaver sizes and a sufficiently large channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), regardless of the signal correlation between the users. Thus, even with equal modulation, energy levels, and carrier frequencies and phases, the users can be detected adequately provided they employ random interleaving. The second part of the analysis concerns iterative decoding of multiuser SCCPM. A convergence analysis based on EXIT charts is presented, along with decoding threshold estimates. It is observed that in systems with no frequency offset, the performance of ML detection does not always carry over to iterative decoding. On the other hand, for many other systems excellent performance can be obtained both in terms of power efficiency (bit error rate as a function of SNR) and spectral efficiency (bandwidth). In particular, systems are demonstrated with performance within 1 dB of the average-power limited Shannon capacity at 1 bit/s/Hz, and within 2.3 dB at 2 bits/s/Hz.
Variability between current definitions of 'normal' ambulatory blood pressure. Implications in the assessment of white coat hypertension.

The assessment of white coat hypertension is complicated by the lack of generally agreed-on normal limits of ambulatory blood pressure. To assess the influence of four of these limits on the prevalence of white coat hypertension and the corresponding distribution of left ventricular hypertrophy, we performed 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiographic studies in 346 untreated patients with essential hypertension and 47 age-matched normotensive control subjects. The upper limits of normal daytime ambulatory blood pressure were lower using standards drawn from clinically normotensive populations than using standards drawn, partly or entirely, from general populations. The prevalence of white coat hypertension differed markedly using the different standards, being 12.1%, 16.5%, 28.9%, and 53.2% (chi 2 = 346.0, p less than 0.0001). Left ventricular mass index averaged 77 g/m2 in the control group, 85 g/m2 in the two groups with white coat hypertension defined by using standards drawn from normotensive populations (both comparisons not significant versus control group), and 90 and 98 g/m2 in the two groups with white coat hypertension defined by using the other two standards (both p less than 0.01 versus control group). The prevalence of echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy was 0% in the control group, 2.4% and 3.5% in the two groups with white coat hypertension defined by using standards drawn from normotensive populations, and 9.0% and 14.7% in the other two groups with white coat hypertension (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01, respectively, versus control group). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A History of Acute Bacterial Meningitis

Although meningitis was not yet known as such, its symptoms have been conceptualized in different ways and many theories about its causes have been formulated in the course of time. Terms like hydrocephalus and brain fever were used for different clinical manifestations of what today would be recognized as meningitis. Pathological-anatomical findings led to the emergence of the clinical entity from several old concepts of disease. Initially, diagnostic means were limited and therapeutic methods did not differ much from those that had been applied for centuries, even far into the nineteenth century. Discoveries in bacteriology and the introduction of the lumbar puncture provided a new paradigm for knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of what then became known with the term meningitis. The development of new therapeutic methods including antiserum, sulfonamides, and penicillin resulted in a decreasing mortality during the past century. Nowadays, with the use of antibiotics, bacterial meningitis can often be cured.
Hot DAVs: a probable new class of pulsating white dwarf stars

We have discovered a pulsating DA white dwarf at the lower end of the temperature range 45 000–30 000 K where a few helium atmosphere white dwarfs are known. There are now three such pulsators known, suggesting that a new class of theoretically predicted pulsating white dwarf stars exists. We name them the hot DAV stars. From high-speed photometric observations with the ULTRACAM photometer on the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope, we show that the hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf star WD1017−138 pulsates in at least one mode with a frequency of 1.62 mHz (a period of 624 s). The amplitude of that mode was near 1 mmag at a 10σ confidence level on one night of observation and an 8. 4σ confidence level on a second night. The combined data have a confidence level of 11. 8σ. This supports the two other detections of hot DAV stars previously reported. From three Very Large Telescope Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph spectra we confirm also that WD1017−138 is a hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf with no trace of helium or metals with Teff = 32 600 K, log g = 7.8 (cgs) and M = 0.55 M⊙. The existence of pulsations in these DA white dwarfs at the cool edge of the 45 000–30 000 K temperature range supports the thin hydrogen layer model for the deficit of helium atmosphere white dwarfs in this range. DA white dwarfs with thick hydrogen layers do not have the superadiabatic, chemically inhomogeneous (μ-gradient) zone that drives pulsation in this temperature range. The potential for higher amplitude hot DAV stars exists; their discovery would open the possibility of a direct test of the explanation for the deficit of helium atmosphere white dwarfs at these temperatures by asteroseismic probing of the atmospheric layers of the hot DAV stars. A search for pulsation in a further 22 candidates with ULTRACAM on the European Southern Observatory New Technology Telescope gave null results for pulsation at precisions in the range 0.5–3 mmag, suggesting that the pulsation amplitudes in such stars are relatively low, hence near the detection limit with the ground-based telescopes used in the survey.
Lineage Tracking for Probing Heritable Phenotypes at Single-Cell Resolution

Determining the phenotype and genotype of single cells is central to understand microbial evolution. DNA sequencing technologies allow the detection of mutants at high resolution, but similar approaches for phenotypic analyses are still lacking. We show that a drop-based millifluidic system enables the detection of heritable phenotypic changes in evolving bacterial populations. At time intervals, cells were sampled and individually compartmentalized in 100 nL drops. Growth through 15 generations was monitored using a fluorescent protein reporter. Amplification of heritable changes–via growth–over multiple generations yields phenotypically distinct clusters reflecting variation relevant for evolution. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we follow the evolution of Escherichia coli populations during 30 days of starvation. Phenotypic diversity was observed to rapidly increase upon starvation with the emergence of heritable phenotypes. Mutations corresponding to each phenotypic class were identified by DNA sequencing. This scalable lineage-tracking technology opens the door to large-scale phenotyping methods with special utility for microbiology and microbial population biology.
Exploring the Association between Adult Attachment Styles in Romantic Relationships, Perceptions of Parents from Childhood and Relationship Satisfaction

Little research has examined how attachment styles in childhood are related to current romantic relationship experiences. The aim of this study was to explore the association between perceptions of childhood experiences with parents, attachment styles in romantic relationships, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of young adults. The sample consisted of 227 participants, 153 of which were university students and the remaining 69 were members of the general population. Of these, 177 (78%) were female and 50 (22%) were male, with an age range of 18 - 39. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures assessing their attachment style in romantic relationships, satisfaction in their current romantic relationship, and an adjective checklist describing their parents and their parent’s relationship with each other. The majority of males had an avoidant-fearful style, while females tended to have an avoidant-fearful or secure style. Findings were that participants’ descriptions of their mother, father, and parental relationship were associated with their attachment style. In terms of a current romantic relationship, those with a secure attachment style were much more likely to be in a relationship whereas those with an avoidant-fearful style were not. Secure participants were more satisfied in their relationships than the insecure styles of attachment. Finally, chi-square tests revealed that there was no association between gender and attachment style. Results were discussed in terms of methodological limitations such as the use of self-report measures; theoretical weaknesses for example the variability in the approaches used in attachment research; and future research, which included the use of longitudinal studies which may offer insight into how early parenting behaviours act as predictors of later relationship functioning.
Effects of Cyclosporine on Transplant Tolerance: The Role of IL‐2

Allograft † transplant outcome, rejection or tolerance, depends upon striking a balance between the pertinent cytopathic and regulatory T cells. The drug cyclosporine is a widely used immunosuppressive agent among transplant recipients. Previous studies have demonstrated that cyclosporine blocks apoptosis of activated T cells and the ability of costimulation blockade based regimens to create peripheral transplant tolerance. We now test the hypothesis that the mechanism by which cyclosporine blocks tolerance induction is IL‐2 dependent, and linked to a detrimental effect upon Treg function. Our study demonstrates that cyclosporine blocks IL‐2 gene expression and activation induced cell death (AICD) of alloreactive T effector cells. We also show that cyclosporine abolishes the beneficial effects of a donor specific transfusion (DST) plus anti‐CD154 monoclonal antibody (αCD154) regimen on enhanced Tregs function and allograft tolerance induction. Interestingly, provision of IL‐2/Fc, a long‐lived form of IL‐2, completely reverses the detrimental effects of this adjunctive cyclosporine treatment on AICD of alloreactive T effectors, Tregs function and tolerance induction. Futhermore, in a MHC mismatched islet allograft model, the combination of cyclosporine with IL‐2/Fc permitted long‐term allograft survival and induced alloantigen specific allograft tolerance. The combination of IL‐2/Fc and cyclosporine treatment may provide a new clinical strategy to promote transplant tolerance.
Emotions and Their Cognitive Precursors

This study used Smith and Lazarus's appraisal model to explore nurses' emotional reactions to self-identified distressing work situations. Key situations reported typically involved time or interpersonal pressure, coping with errors at work, difficulties with patients, and managerial conflict. The strongest emotions experienced were anger and frustration. Anxiety and sadness were less endorsed. Most nurses felt able to cope emotionally and problem-solve solutions to the problems they faced. The findings were generally supportive of Smith and Lazarus's theory, with the exception of the emotion of sadness. The implications of the results are discussed.
A Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis Presenting as an Intra-articular Mass of the Wrist Joint in a Patient with Chronic Monoarthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mainly affects polyarticular joints and is characterized by inflammation of the synovial membrane leading to joint destruction. We report on an unusual case of RA presenting as an intra-articular mass invading bone of the wrist joint in a patient with chronic monoarthritis. A 43-year-old man presented with left wrist joint pain and swelling lasting several years. A plain radiograph showed a non-specific osteolytic lesion in the distal ulna but a magnetic resonance image demonstrated an intra-articular irregular mass-like lesion with eccentric bone erosion the distal radioulnar joint. Synovial biopsy detected hyperplasia of the synovial lining cell layer and finger-like protrusions of inflamed and edematous fibrovascular stroma containing dense inflammatory infiltrates, mainly plasma cells, B cells, and CD4+ T cells. Rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibody were highly positive. The patient was diagnosed with RA and treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, showing a good response on further follow-up. (J Rheum Dis 2015;22:298-302)
Phytoremediation efficiency OF CD by Eucalyptus globulus transplanted from polluted and unpolluted sites

abstract The capacity of plants to uptake heavy metals from contaminated soils has shown great phytoremediation potential. The development, resistibility and Cd extraction of Eucalyptus globulus individuals from metalliferous and clean sites in different years were analyzed under a specific environment. Eucalyptus globulus planted in Guiyu for phytoremediation or cultivated in an uncontaminated, natural environment for economic purposes were transplanted to Yuecheng town, which, in recent years, has been involved in the e-waste dismantling and recycling business, to compare the phytoremediation efficiency of Eucalyptus globulus trees grown in different environments. Trees cultivated in polluted areas can remove far more Cd and Hg from the contaminated soil than the individuals from clean soils because metalliferous Eucalyptus globulus can produce more biomass and uptake more heavy metals than nonmetalliferous plants per year. As polluted environments negatively affect the growth of plants, we speculated that the phytoremediation efficiency of metalliferous Eucalyptus globulus should decrease over time and that nonmetalliferous trees should adapt to the local environment.
Corticosteroid irrigation of parotid gland for treatment of xerostomia in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of corticosteroid irrigation of the parotid gland in relieving salivary flow deficiency in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome. METHODS The parotid glands of 31 patients with primary (24) or secondary (seven) Sjögren’s syndrome were irrigated either with saline solution followed by corticosteroid solution, or with saline solution alone. Salivary function was assessed by Saxon test. RESULTS Corticosteroid irrigation significantly increased the salivary flow rate in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (p< 0.0001), with clinical improvement detectable 3.7 (2.4) weeks (mean (SD)) after initial corticosteroid irrigation. The extent of improvement in salivary function was reciprocal to the clinical severity of the disease, with patients at the early stages obtaining 1.20 (0.57) g net increase in salivary flow rate, and patients at the most advanced stages obtaining 0.20 (0.47) g net increase. Repeated corticosteroid irrigations did not evoke corticosteroid refractoriness of the salivary gland; similar levels of net increase in salivary flow rate were observed after the second to fourth challenge of the corticosteroid in these patients. The sustained period was 8.4 (3.5) months (mean (SD)). CONCLUSION These findings suggest the clinical usefulness of corticosteroid irrigation therapy in relieving xerostomia in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome.
An observational study of safe injection practices in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Introduction: Giving medicine is probably one of the most critical duties of nurses since the resulting errors may have unintended, serious consequences for the patient. Many diseases like Hepatitis-B, Hepatitis-C, and HIV/AIDS and up to some extent other blood borne diseases are transmitted by parenteral route also. People receiving and providing healthcare services are at increased risk of iatrogenic infections as more injectable drugs are being prescribed and in addition they are delivered by unsafe injectable practices. Aims and Objectives: To observe the prevalent injection practice and to get information about knowledge and awareness among health workers regarding safe injection practice. Material and Methods: An observational and cross-sectional study, including 10 healthcare providers to assess their knowledge and awareness about safe injection practice was conducted at injection room in tertiary care hospital. Questionnaire was prepared from WHO and other checklists and observations were taken accordingly. Data was analysed by using Microsoft Excel 2010, manual analysis was also done for some data. Results were expressed in percentage and were compared with various checklists. Results: Reading of label was done prior to preparation of injection in 100%. Around 99.03% of total injections were prepared in clean are using aseptic technique. Two handed recapping of needle was done in only 9.35% of total injections. Multi-dose vials were kept in centralised medication area and were discarded as per schedule. Healthcare providers followed proper technique while administering drugs by intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal and intravenous route. Healthcare providers were immunised against hepatitis-B infection. Conclusion: The study result showed that the knowledge of healthcare providers about safe injection practice is nearly up to mark. More emphasis should be put into the basic nursing education and in the introduction to medication procedures in clinical practice to improve the nurses' medication knowledge and reduce the risk of error.
What are the keys to successful adrenal venous sampling (AVS) in patients with primary aldosteronism?

Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the criterion standard to distinguish between unilateral and bilateral adrenal disease in patients with primary aldosteronism. The keys to successful AVS include appropriate patient selection, careful patient preparation, focused technical expertise, defined protocol, and accurate data interpretation. The use of AVS should be based on patient preferences, patient age, clinical comorbidities, and the clinical probability of finding an aldosterone‐producing adenoma. AVS is optimally performed in the fasting state in the morning. AVS is an intricate procedure because the right adrenal vein is small and may be difficult to locate – the success rate depends on the proficiency of the angiographer. The key factors that determine the successful catheterization of both adrenal veins are experience, dedication and repetition. With experience, and focusing the expertise to 1 or 2 radiologists at a referral centre, the AVS success rate can be as high as 96%. A centre‐specific, written protocol is mandatory. The protocol should be developed by an interested group of endocrinologists, radiologists and laboratory personnel. Safeguards should be in place to prevent mislabelling of the blood tubes in the radiology suite and to prevent sample mix‐up in the laboratory.
Effects of ganglioside GM 1 and neural growth factor on neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation

Neurogenesis, recovery from nerve injury, neurodegeneration, and Parkinson’s disease affect people’s health, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigated the effect of ganglioside GM1 and neural growth factor (NGF) on neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation in vitro to provide a scientific basis for comprehensive treatment of nervous system diseases via NSC application. As widely applied methods of relatively high accuracy, cell counts and 3-(4,5-dimethyl2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were used to assess NSC proliferation. In addition, western blotting
White, man, and highly followed: gender and race inequalities in Twitter

Social media is considered a democratic space in which people connect and interact with each other regardless of their gender, race, or any other demographic factor. Despite numerous efforts that explore demographic factors in social media, it is still unclear whether social media perpetuates old inequalities from the offline world. In this paper, we attempt to identify gender and race of Twitter users located in U.S. using advanced image processing algorithms from Face++. Then, we investigate how different demographic groups (i.e. male/female, Asian/Black/White) connect with other. We quantify to what extent one group follow and interact with each other and the extent to which these connections and interactions reflect in inequalities in Twitter. Our analysis shows that users identified as White and male tend to attain higher positions in Twitter, in terms of the number of followers and number of times in user's lists. We hope our effort can stimulate the development of new theories of demographic information in the online space.
A secure authentication scheme for session initiation protocol by using ECC on the basis of the Tang and Liu scheme

Session initiation protocol SIP provides the basis for establishing the voice over internet protocol sessions after authentication and exchanging signaling messages. SIP is one of the significant and extensively used protocols in the multimedia protocol stack. Since the RFC2617 was put forth, numerous schemes for SIP authentication have been presented to overcome the flaws. Recently, in 2012, Tang and Liu proposed SIP based authentication protocol and claimed for eliminating the threats in Arshad and Ikram protocol. However the scheme can be made more robust by making further improvements, as the former scheme may come under a threat by adversaries through impersonating a server, given that the user password is compromised. We have proposed an improved protocol for SIP authentication by using elliptic curve cryptography that encounters the previous threat with enhanced security. The analysis shows that proposed scheme is suitable for applications with higher security requirements. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.