Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation and Comparison of Underground Economy in Croatia and European Union Countries: Fuzzy Logic Approach

Underground economy (UE) is one of the undesired facts in every country. The size of the underground economy is an important parameter in determining the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policy, the rate of economic growth, and income distribution. From a scientific point of view analysis of the UE is faced with severe data problems because underground activities are not recorded and anyone engaged in it has an incentive to hide them. Therefore, economists have developed a variety of methods to estimate the size of the underground economy. The aim of this paper is to estimate and compare the size of the Croatian underground economy with the underground economy of European Union (EU) countries in the period of 2004 till 2012. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue in three ways. First, we review existing estimates of the size of the underground economy. Second, we apply a novel calculation method for estimation: fuzzy logic. Third, we calculated and compared underground economy index for 25 European Union countries and compared it, with special focus on Croatian underground economy index. Results indicated that Croatia has the thirteenth largest underground economy among measured members of the European Union. This study is the first of its kind with recent data to measure the size of underground economy in European Union countries by employing fuzzy logic approach.
Extensive analysis of native and non-native Centaurea solstitialis L. populations across the world shows no traces of polyploidization

Centaurea solstitialis L. (yellow starthistle, Asteraceae) is a Eurasian native plant introduced as an exotic into North and South America, and Australia, where it is regarded as a noxious invasive. Changes in ploidy level have been found to be responsible for numerous plant biological invasions, as they are involved in trait shifts critical to invasive success, like increased growth rate and biomass, longer life-span, or polycarpy. C. solstitialis had been reported to be diploid (2n = 2x = 16 chromosomes), however, actual data are scarce and sometimes contradictory. We determined for the first time the absolute nuclear DNA content by flow cytometry and estimated ploidy level in 52 natural populations of C. solstitialis across its native and non-native ranges, around the world. All the C. solstitialis populations screened were found to be homogeneously diploid (average 2C value of 1.72 pg, SD = ±0.06 pg), with no significant variation in DNA content between invasive and non-invasive genotypes. We did not find any meaningful difference among the extensive number of native and non-native C. solstitialis populations sampled around the globe, indicating that the species invasive success is not due to changes in genome size or ploidy level.
Brain regions involved in dispositional mindfulness during resting state and their relation with well-being

Mindfulness can be viewed as an important dispositional characteristic that reflects the tendency to be mindful in daily life, which is beneficial for improving individuals’ both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. However, no study to date has examined the brain regions involved in individual differences in dispositional mindfulness during the resting state and its relation with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. To investigate this issue, the present study employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to evaluate the regional homogeneity (ReHo) that measures the local synchronization of spontaneous brain activity in a large sample. We found that dispositional mindfulness was positively associated with the ReHo in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), and right insula implicated in emotion processing, body awareness, and self-referential processing, and negatively associated with the ReHo in right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) implicated in response inhibition and attentional control. Furthermore, we found different neural associations with hedonic (i.e., positive and negative affect) and eudaimonic well-being (i.e., the meaningful and purposeful life). Specifically, the ReHo in the IFG predicted eudaimonic well-being whereas the OFC predicted positive affect, both of which were mediated by dispositional mindfulness. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence for linking individual differences in dispositional mindfulness to spontaneous brain activity and demonstrates that dispositional mindfulness engages multiple brain mechanisms that differentially influence hedonic and eudaimonic well-being.
Protective effect of Fragaria ananassa methanolic extract on cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract This study investigated the protective effect of Fragaria ananassa methanolic extract on cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. CdCl2 was intraperitoneally injected at a dose of 6.5 mg/kg of body weight for 5 d with or without methanol extract of Fragaria ananassa (250 mg/kg). The hepatic cadmium concentration, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, glutathione (GSH) content, and antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), GSH peroxidase, and GSH reductase, were estimated. CdCl2 injection induced a significant elevation in cadmium concentration, lipid peroxidation, and nitric oxide and caused a significant depletion in GSH content compared to controls, along with a remarkable decrease in antioxidant enzymes. Oxidative stress induction and cadmium accumulation in the liver were successfully ameliorated by F. ananassa (strawberry) pre-administration. In addition, the pre-administration of strawberry decreased the elevated gene expression of the pro-apoptotic Bax gene as well as the protein expression of caspases-3 in the liver of CdCl2-injected rats. In addition, the reduced gene expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was increased. Our results show an increase in the expression of tumor necrosis factor α in the liver of rats treated with cadmium. In sum, our results suggested that F. ananassa successfully prevented deleterious effects on liver function by reinforcing the antioxidant defense system, inhibiting oxidative stress and reducing apoptosis.
A comparison of methods for focusing the field of a HIFU array transducer through human ribs

A forward model, which predicts the scattering by human ribs of a multi-element high-intensity focused ultrasound transducer, was used to investigate the efficacy of a range of focusing approaches described in the literature. This forward model is based on the boundary element method and was described by Gélat et al (2011 Phys. Med. Biol. 56 5553–81; 2012 Phys. Med. Biol. 57 8471–97). The model has since been improved and features a complex surface impedance condition at the surface of the ribs. The inverse problem of focusing through the ribs was implemented on six transducer array-rib topologies and five methods of focusing were investigated, including spherical focusing, binarized apodization based on geometric ray tracing, phase conjugation and the decomposition of the time-reversal operator method. The excitation frequency was 1 MHz and the array was of spherical-section type. Both human and idealized rib topologies were considered. The merit of each method of focusing was examined. It was concluded that the constrained optimization approach offers greater potential than the other focusing methods in terms of maximizing the ratio of acoustic pressure magnitudes at the focus to those on the surface of the ribs whilst taking full advantage of the dynamic range of the phased array.
Pooling of Studies in Meta-analysis of Observational Research Leads to Precise but Spurious Results

To the Editor. — In a meta-analysis comparing 3 different treatment modalities of empyema in children, primary nonoperative therapy (defined as antibiotics and thoracentesis/chest-tube drainage), primary operative therapy (defined as antibiotics and either video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or thoracotomy), and primary fibrinolytic therapy (defined as fibrinolytics either at the time of or shortly after tube thoracostomy), the authors concluded that the primary operative treatment was associated with a lower mortality and less treatment failures.1 Preferably, a meta-analysis evaluating different treatments …
Use of Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques in the Evaluation of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Advanced neuroimaging techniques are now used to expand our knowledge of traumatic brain injury, and increasingly, they are being applied to children. This review will examine four of these methods as they apply to children who present acutely after injury. (1) Susceptibility weighted imaging is a 3-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging technique that is more sensitive than conventional imaging in detecting hemorrhagic lesions that are often associated with diffuse axonal injury. (2) Magnetic resonance spectroscopyacquires metabolite information reflecting neuronal integrity and function from multiple brain regions and provides sensitive, noninvasive assessment of neurochemical alterations that offers early prognostic information regarding the outcome. (3) Diffusion weighted imaging is based on differences in diffusion of water molecules within the brain and has been shown to be very sensitive in the early detection of ischemic injury. It is now being used to study the direct effects of traumatic injury as well as those due to secondary ischemia. (4) Diffusion tensor imaging is a form of diffusion weighted imaging and allows better evaluation of white matter fiber tracts by taking advantage of the intrinsic directionality (anisotropy) of water diffusion in human brain. It has been shown to be useful in identifying white matter abnormalities after diffuse axonal injury when conventional imaging appears normal. An important aspect of these advanced methods is that they demonstrate that ‘normal-appearing’ brain in many instances is not normal, i.e. there is evidence of significant undetected injury that may underlie a child’s clinical status. Availability and integration of these advanced imaging methods will lead to better treatment and change the standard of care for use of neuroimaging to evaluate children with traumatic brain injury.
Regulation of type II collagen expression by cyclin‐dependent kinase 6, cyclin D1, and p21 in articular chondrocytes

This study examined whether cell cycle regulatory proteins, such as cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs), cyclins, and CDK inhibitors, regulate type II collagen expression and mediate interlukin‐1 (IL‐1β)‐induced suppression of type II collagen expression in articular chondrocytes. IL‐1β inhibited type II collagen expression, but activated CDK6. Ectopic expression of CDK2 did not alter type II collagen expression. However, overexpression of CDK6 inhibited type II collagen expression, whereas inhibition of CDK6 activity blocked IL‐1β‐induced suppression of type II collagen expression. IL‐1β upregulated the expression of cyclin D1, which is known to activate CDK6. In turn, overexpression of cyclin D1 suppressed type II collagen expression. In contrast to cyclin D1, IL‐1β triggered down‐regulation of the CDK inhibitor, p21. Overexpression of p21 blocked IL‐1β‐ or CDK6‐induced suppression of type II collagen expression. Our results collectively indicate that CDK6/cyclin D1/p21 complex regulates type II collagen expression in articular chondrocytes. IUBMB Life, 59: 90‐98, 2007
Sequential changes of arterial spin-labeling perfusion MR images with dual postlabeling delay following reconstructive surgery for giant internal carotid artery aneurysm

Background: Arterial spin-labeling magnetic resonance perfusion imaging (ASL-MRI) allows noninvasive measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) but depends on arterial transit time (ATT). To overcome this problem, we developed a simple ASL technique with dual postlabeling delay (PLD) settings. In addition to the routinely used PLD of 1.5 seconds, we selected another PLD of 2.5 seconds to assess slowly streaming blood flow and detect arterial transit artifacts (ATAs) resulting from stagnant intravascular magnetically labeled spins. Case Description: We validated the dual PLD method with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) findings in a patient with an unruptured right giant internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm who underwent proximal ligation of the right cervical ICA followed by right superficial temporal artery–middle cerebral artery anastomosis. The giant aneurysm was detected as a strongly hyperintense signal area of ATA using both values of PLD. Decreased signal in the right hemisphere at PLD 1.5 seconds was somewhat improved at PLD 2.5 seconds. DSA revealed that this laterality resulted from the different ATT values between hemispheres due to stagnation of the labeled spin within the aneurysm. Postoperatively, with gradual but complete thrombosis and regression of the aneurysm, the size of the ASL hyperintense signal area decreased markedly. At postoperative 2 years, the aneurysm was not demonstrated as an ATA; furthermore, the decreased signals in the right hemisphere at PLD 1.5 seconds had mostly improved. Conclusion: Serial ASL-MRI with dual PLDs could show dynamic changes of giant aneurysms and the associated hemodynamic state following the surgery.
The prognostic significance of thymic germinal center proliferation in myasthenia gravis

Since the early discovery of the association between myasthenia gravis and thymic cellular patterns, much attention has been focused on searching out a mechanism for this relationship. ’ Sloan’ first noted the strikingly high percentage (70 percent) of germinal cell hyperplasia in patients with myasthenia gravis. Investigating a possible correlation, MacKay and associates3 reported that after thymectomy, patients with proliferation of thymic germinal centers improved but those with atrophic thymuses did not. This finding contrasts with the observations of Alpert and co-workers4 who reported that patients with many germinal centers have a higher morbidity and a more delayed remission than thymectomized myasthenic patients with fewer germinal centers. This disagreement prompted us to investigate the remission rate o f ’ thymectomized myasthenic patients as a function of the number of thymic germinal centers.
Challenges and Opportunities in Designing Experiences for Advanced Amateur Sportsmen

Abstract While new technologies supporting the experience of sports appear every day, we still do not have a full understanding of how to design technology that augments the experience of physical exercise. As more and more users practice sports in western societies, interaction design must learn to readdress the practical, social, physical and psychological aspects of sports. In this paper, I reflect on my past studies in the nascent field of designing interactive technologies for advanced amateur sportsmen. I share the practical challenges involved in augmenting experiences of training and race day performance. I discuss issues of qualitative experience, community, motivation and temporality to highlight where current sports technologies are insufficient. In particular, I focus on the experiences of those already involved in training routines and place less emphasis on beginners or those who need to be convinced to practice sports. I then discuss reasons for the difficulties involved in developing sports technologies and propose potential solutions to those difficulties to identify ways to move interaction design for sports forward.
Analysis of Resource Use Efficiency in Small-Scale Maize Production in Tafawa-Balewa Local Government of Bauchi State Nigeria

This paper analyzed the resource-use efficiency of small-scale Maize production in Tafawa-Balewa local government area of Bauchi State. Data were collected from a sample of 120 Maize farmers selected through multi-stage sampling procedure using questionnaire and analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, double-log function and marginal value productivity analysis. The result showed that 90.17% had formal education; 51.67% were males; 90.17% were between the ages of 21-50. Majority 72.50% were married. In terms of farming experience, majority (86.67%) of the respondent had farming experience between 5-20 years. 75.00% had no contact with extension. The double-log function gave the best fit with Adjusted R 2 of 81.16%. Production inputs such as seed, fertilizer, labour affected output significantly. Maize production in the study area has an increasing return to scale from the sum of elasticity of production (1.747). Seed and fertilizer were underutilized in Maize production, whereas labour was over used. The major problem confronting the farmers include high cost of inputs (77.50%); Untimely disbursement of credit/inputs (62.50; inadequate extension services (59.17); unstable price (41.67%); draught (33.33%), inadequate credit facilities (31.67%) etc. Profit could be enhanced by increasing the quantity used of seed and fertilizer inputs, its timely supply. Labour should be reduced to optimum level for increase output and total revenue respectively. It is also recommended that extension education and financial support to farmers be improved to allow them increase output and total revenue. There is need for adjustment in resource use in order to improve farm profit at this level of technology used by Maize farmers in the study area.
European storminess and associated circulation weather types: future changes deduced from a multi-model ensemble of GCM simulations

A range of possible changes in the frequency and characteristics of European wind storms under future climate conditions was investigated on the basis of a multi-model ensemble of 9 coupled global climate model (GCM) simulations for the 20th and 21st centuries following the IPCC SRES A1B scenario. A multi-model approach allowed an estimation of the (un)certainties of the climate change signals. General changes in large-scale atmospheric flow were analysed, the occur- rence of wind storms was quantified, and atmospheric features associated with wind storm events were considered. Identified storm days were investigated according to atmospheric circulation, asso- ciated pressure patterns, cyclone tracks and wind speed patterns. Validation against reanalysis data revealed that the GCMs are in general capable of realistically reproducing characteristics of Euro- pean circulation weather types (CWTs) and wind storms. Results are given with respect to frequency of occurrence, storm-associated flow conditions, cyclone tracks and specific wind speed patterns. Under anthropogenic climate change conditions (SRES A1B scenario), increased frequency of west- erly flow during winter is detected over the central European investigation area. In the ensemble mean, the number of detected wind storm days increases between 19 and 33% for 2 different mea- sures of storminess, only 1 GCM revealed less storm days. The increased number of storm days detected in most models is disproportionately high compared to the related CWT changes. The mean intensity of cyclones associated with storm days in the ensemble mean increases by about 10 (±10)% in the Eastern Atlantic, near the British Isles and in the North Sea. Accordingly, wind speeds associ- ated with storm events increase significantly by about 5 (±5)% over large parts of central Europe, mainly on days with westerly flow. The basic conclusions of this work remain valid if different ensem- ble contructions are considered, leaving out an outlier model or including multiple runs of one partic- ular model.
Mobilization, collection, and immunomagnetic selection of peripheral blood CD34 cells in recovered aplastic anemia patients

BACKGROUND: Most patients with severe aplastic anemia (sAA) respond to immunosuppression, but a significant number relapse or develop clonal abnormalities such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, myelodysplasia, or leukemia. In principle, patients without matched sibling donors and older patients might benefit from transplantation of autologous hematopoietic peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) obtained during remission. Even patients who have clinically recovered from aplastic anemia have diminished hematopoietic progenitor cells, so the practicability of PBPC mobilization in these individuals is unknown.
Connectome-scale Groupwise Consistent Resting-state Network Analysis in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Understanding the organizational architecture of human brain function and its alteration patterns in diseased brains such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients are of great interests. In-vivo Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) offers a unique window to investigate the mechanism of brain function and to identify functional network components of the human brain. Previously, we have shown that multiple concurrent functional networks can be derived from fMRI signals using whole-brain sparse representation. Yet it is still an open question to derive group-wise consistent networks featured in ASD patients and controls. Here we proposed an effective volumetric network descriptor, named connectivity map, to compactly describe spatial patterns of brain network maps and implemented a fast framework in Apache Spark environment that can effectively identify group-wise consistent networks in big fMRI dataset. Our experiment results identified 144 group-wisely common Intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) shared between ASD patients and healthy control subjects, where some ICNs are substantially different between the two groups. Moreover, further analysis on the functional connectivity and spatial overlap between these 144 common ICNs reveals connectomics signatures characterizing ASD patients and controls. In particular, the computing time of our Spark-enabled functional connectomics framework is significantly reduced from 240 hours (C++ code, single core) to 20 hours, exhibiting a great potential to handle fMRI big data in the future.
Blood‐brain barrier dysfunction, TGFβ signaling, and astrocyte dysfunction in epilepsy

Brain insults, including traumatic and ischemic injuries, are frequently followed by acute seizures and delayed development of epilepsy. Dysfunction of the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) is a hallmark of brain insults and is usually surrounding the core lesion. Recent studies from several laboratories confirmed that vascular pathology is involved in the development of epilepsy and demonstrate a key role for astroglia in this process. In this review, we focus on glia‐related mechanisms linking vascular pathology, and specifically BBB dysfunction, to seizures and epilepsy. We summarize molecular and physiological experimental data demonstrating that the function of astrocytes is altered due to direct exposure to serum albumin, mediated by transforming growth factor beta signaling. We discuss the reported changes and their potential role in the observed hyperexcitability as well as potential implications of these findings for the future development of new diagnostic modalities and treatments to allow a full implementation of the gained knowledge for the benefit of patients with epilepsy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.