Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Hydrodynamics and Cell Signaling on the Structure and Behavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

ABSTRACT Biofilms were grown from wild-type (WT) Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and the cell signaling lasI mutant PAO1-JP1 under laminar and turbulent flows to investigate the relative contributions of hydrodynamics and cell signaling for biofilm formation. Various biofilm morphological parameters were quantified using Image Structure Analyzer software. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that both cell signaling and hydrodynamics significantly (P < 0.000) influenced biofilm structure. In turbulent flow, both biofilms formed streamlined patches, which in some cases developed ripple-like wave structures which flowed downstream along the surface of the flow cell. In laminar flow, both biofilms formed monolayers interspersed with small circular microcolonies. Ripple-like structures also formed in four out of six WT biofilms, although their velocity was approximately 10 times less than that of those that formed in the turbulent flow cells. The movement of biofilm cell clusters over solid surfaces may have important clinical implications for the dissemination of biofilm subject to fluid shear, such as that found in catheters. The ability of the cell signaling mutant to form biofilms in high shear flow demonstrates that signaling mechanisms are not required for the formation of strongly adhered biofilms. Similarity between biofilm morphologies in WT and mutant biofilms suggests that the dilution of signal molecules by mass transfer effects in faster flowing systems mollifies the dramatic influence of signal molecules on biofilm structure reported in previous studies.
Prostate cancer and the role of color Doppler US.

PURPOSE To determine the role of color Doppler imaging (CDI) in diagnosis of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and CDI were performed in 456 patients with possible prostate cancer. Of these patients, 158 underwent prostate biopsy, and these formed the study group. RESULTS The frequency of malignancy was 47% (75 of 158). Of 136 TRUS-positive cases, 72 were malignant and 64 benign. Of 84 CDI-positive cases, 65 were malignant and 19 benign (chi 2 = 12.18, P < .001). Thirteen percent of histopathologically proved cases (10 of 75) were normal at CDI. TRUS alone had a sensitivity of 96% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.53. The addition of CDI increased the PPV to 0.77 but reduced the sensitivity to 87%. In only one case out of 158 did CDI suggest the diagnosis of malignancy independently of TRUS. CONCLUSION CDI improves the PPV of TRUS but appears to have little additional value over TRUS alone in diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Correlations of Behavioral Deficits with Brain Pathology Assessed through Longitudinal MRI and Histopathology in the R6/1 Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The R6 mouse models of HD express a mutant version of exon 1 HTT and typically develop motor and cognitive impairments, a widespread huntingtin (HTT) aggregate pathology and brain atrophy. Unlike the more commonly used R6/2 mouse line, R6/1 mice have fewer CAG repeats and, subsequently, a less rapid pathological decline. Compared to the R6/2 line, fewer descriptions of the progressive pathologies exhibited by R6/1 mice exist. The association between the molecular and cellular neuropathology with brain atrophy, and with the development of behavioral phenotypes remains poorly understood in many models of HD. In attempt to link these factors in the R6/1 mouse line, we have performed detailed assessments of behavior and of regional brain abnormalities determined through longitudinal, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as an end-stage, ex vivo MRI study and histological assessment. We found progressive decline in both motor and non-motor related behavioral tasks in R6/1 mice, first evident at 11 weeks of age. Regional brain volumes were generally unaffected at 9 weeks, but by 17 weeks there was significant grey matter atrophy. This age-related brain volume loss was validated using a more precise, semi-automated Tensor Based morphometry assessment. As well as these clear progressive phenotypes, mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, the hallmark of HD molecular pathology, was widely distributed throughout the R6/1 brain and was accompanied by neuronal loss. Despite these seemingly concomitant, robust pathological phenotypes, there appeared to be little correlation between the three main outcome measures: behavioral performance, MRI-detected brain atrophy and histopathology. In conclusion, R6/1 mice exhibit many features of HD, but the underlying mechanisms driving these clear behavioral disturbances and the brain volume loss, still remain unclear.
Comprehensive Survey of Evolutionary Morphological Soft Robotic Systems

Evolutionary robotics aims to automatically design autonomous adaptive morphological robots that can evolve to accomplish a specific task while adapting to environmental changes. Soft robotics have demonstrated the feasibility of evolutionary robotics for the synthesis of robots control and morphology. The motivation of developing evolutionary soft computing techniques to that can generate task oriented structures for morphological robots makes the domain of soft robotics worthy of serious investigation and research, and hence this article summarizes an important volume of research for a computational and software architecture perspective. This paper reviews the literature and discusses various aspects of evolutionary robotics including the application on morphological soft robots to allow self assembly, self reconfiguration, self repair, and self reproduction. Then, major milestones are outlined along with important morphological soft robotic prototypes due to their importance in the field. Finally, the current state of the art in the field is assessed.
Hypoxia-enhanced Derivation of iPSCs from Human Dental Pulp Cells

Hypoxia enhances the reprogramming efficiency of human dermal fibroblasts to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Because we showed previously that hypoxia facilitates the isolation and maintenance of human dental pulp cells (DPCs), we examined here whether it promotes the reprogramming of DPCs to become iPSCs. Unlike dermal fibroblasts, early and transient hypoxia (3% O2) induced the transition of DPCs to iPSCs by 3.3- to 5.1-fold compared with normoxia (21% O2). The resulting iPSCs closely resembled embryonic stem cells as well as iPSCs generated in normoxia, as judged by morphology and expression of stem cell markers. However, sustained hypoxia strongly inhibited the appearance of iPSC colonies and altered their morphology, and anti-oxidants failed to suppress this effect. Transient hypoxia increased the expression levels of NANOG and CDH1 and modulated the expression of numerous genes, including those encoding chemokines and their receptors. Therefore, we conclude that hypoxia, when optimized for cell type, is a simple and useful tool to enhance the reprogramming of somatic cells to become iPSCs.
Diagnostic evaluation of patients with blunt abdominal trauma: a decision analysis.

OBJECTIVES Using decision analysis, to compare the expected utility (EU) of diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasonography (US) to determine the optimal modality for the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) in hemodynamically stable adults. METHODS Data points for the decision analysis were obtained from three sources: 1) prevalence of BAT and the sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic modality were determined through a criteria-based review of the literature; 2) rate of BAT necessitating immediate intervention, perioperative complication rate, and operative mortality rate were calculated using data from the authors' institution's trauma registry; and 3) outcome utilities were determined by telephone survey of adults in a random sample of households in the region. The decision tree was constructed and evaluated in standard fashion. For each diagnostic modality, the authors calculated the EU using the minimum, mean, and maximum sensitivity and specificity across a range of prevalence. Mean outcome utilities were used for each branch of the tree when calculating the EU. RESULTS The EU of CT was consistently lower than the EUs of DPL and US at all levels of prevalence. However, the rank order of the EUs of US and DPL varied with the prevalence of BAT. When the prevalence was <30%, the EU of US was higher than that for DPL. When the prevalence was 30-40%, the EUs were similar. When the prevalence was >40%, the EU of US was less than that of DPL. CONCLUSIONS Among institutions operating under constraints similar to those used in this model, the optimal diagnostic modality for the evaluation of BAT can be determined based on the sensitivity and specificity of the modality at their institution and the prevalence of BAT in their patient population.
DEVELOPING "SEKOLAH PETERNAKAN RAKYAT" PROGRAM USING THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS APPROACH (CASE STUDY: BOJONEGORO REGENCY)

SPR Maju Bersama is one of the location where the concept of "Sekolah Peternakan Rakyat (SPR)" is implemented, with the aim to encourage small-scale beef cattle breeder establish a professional collective enterprise under one management. SPR is designed to change the mindset, knowledge and capability of the beef cattle breeder to become the best and self-reliant entrepreneurs in the beef cattle business. In the effort to achieve its objective, the organization has not been able to carry out the model business effectively thus new strategies are needed to improve the business model. The objectives of this research are: 1) identify the present business model carried out by SPR Maju Bersama; 2) to carry out SWOT evaluation on each element of the business model; 3) formulate strategic to improve the business model that is formulated in an accurate programs. This research used the combination of business model canvas (BMC) approach and SWOT matrix analysis. The results it is concluded that the SPR Maju Bersama need to improve the business model through alternatives strategies that have been developed include: 1) increase the number of farmer members; 2) apply the concept of "agrosilvopastura" to optimize the management of natural resources; 3) increase the intensity of assistance through e-learning; 4) improve the quality and intensity of the relationship between management and farmers; 5) develop curricula, programs and guide books as well as strengthen the system of membership; 6) expand the partnership by utilizing information technology and existing business partners; 7) establish training centers and services as a resource in the field of SPR and beef cattle; 8) utilizes a strong partnership to change the mindset of farmers; 9) increasing leadership skill and the ability to use communications technology in the management of SPR. Keywords: sekolah peternakan rakyat, Bojonegoro, BMC, matrix SWOT
Home alone : the experiences of home support workers in a climate of health care reform

The transition from institutional to home based health care relies heavily on the caring work of Home Support Workers (HSWs). Despite the importance of their labor, HSWs are under paid, under valued and misunderstood. Policy guiding home based care does little to alleviate this paradox. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to improve understanding about the ways home care policy impacts the caring experience. The question posed is, What are the experiences of Home Support Workers providing care to cognitively impaired elderly people in the community? A feminist approach is applied in this qualitative study. Unstructured, interviews conducted with a sample of three HSWs where succeeded by a focus group of leaders in the home support industry. Findings reveal an emotional component to their caring work which is hidden and unrecognized. A model for integrating HSWs into the interdisciplinary care team is proposed. Limitations of the study and future research are discussed. The timeliness of this topic, and the critical inequities inherent in the home support industry makes this study particularly relevant to social work.
Changes in Refraction, Ocular Aberrations, and Corneal Structure After Suspending Rigid Gas-Permeable Contact Lens Wear in Keratoconus

Purpose: This study reports on changes in visual acuity, ocular higher-order aberrations, and refraction after suspending rigid gas-permeable lens wear for 1 week in 15 patients with moderate to severe keratoconus. Alterations in the anterior surface, central corneal powers and axes, and central corneal thickness were also explored. Methods: Scheimpflug photography and Hartmann–Shack aberrometry were performed at 2 visits, 7 days apart, after the patients had removed their habitual contact lenses. Subjective refraction and both high- and low-contrast logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuities were also recorded at both visits. Results: Reductions in both high-contrast visual acuity (P = 0.001) and low-contrast visual acuity (P = 0.002), along with an increase in third-order root mean square aberrations (P = 0.008), occurred after rigid gas-permeable lens wear was suspended in these patients with keratoconus. However, no significant changes in subjective refraction were found over the 1-week period (P ≥ 0.10). Significant correlations were observed between third-order coma root mean square aberrations and the measured high-contrast (rp ≥ 0.59; P ⩽ 0.02) and low-contrast visual acuities (rP ≥ 0.61; P ⩽ 0.015). In addition to increases in the anterior surface central corneal powers (P ⩽ 0.02), a reduction in central corneal thickness also was found between the 2 visits (P = 0.00016). Conclusions: Changes in the optical and structural parameters of the keratoconic cornea occur after suspending rigid gas-permeable contact lens wear. This information may be of interest to practitioners concerned with prescribing aberration-controlling soft contact lenses for such patients.
Enhancing topological ATPG with high-level information and symbolic techniques

This paper proposes a method to enhance topological ATPG algorithms by exploiting some information computed through symbolic techniques. Since symbolic techniques can only be applied to small circuits, suitable circuit portions (named macros) are first selected, and then symbolic techniques are used to analyze their state graphs. The topological ATPG algorithm benefits from this analysis to bound its search tree. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is effective in reducing the required CPU time and increasing both the Fault Coverage and the Fault Efficiency. When high-level information about the circuit behavior and structure is available, it can be fruitfully exploited for macro selection.
Human erythroid burst-forming unit: T-cell requirement for proliferation in vitro

Human mononuclear leukocytes were fractionated into populations of null, T and B cells by immunoabsorbent column chromatography followed by E-rosette formation and purification of T cells by differential centrifugation and osmotic lysis. The unfractionated and fractionated cell populations were first separately cultured for 14 days in plasma clots in the presence of two international units erythropoietin. Typical erythroid burst-forming unit (BFU-E)-derived colonies grew in the unfractionated cell cultures but not from T- or B-cell cultures. BFU-E colonies grew in null cell cultures but most of the colonies were small and variably hemoglobinized with less than three subcolonies. When intact T cells were added to null cells and cocultured, many typical large BFU-E colonies with more than 10 well homogenized subcolonies appeared. Increasing numbers of large BFU-E colonies in null cell cultures were induced by stepwise addition of T cells but not by the addition of B cells. A conditioned medium in which T cells had been induced to divide by tetanus toxoid substituted for intact T cells in this T-cell-dependent BFU-E colony formation observed in null cells. These findings demonstrate that the BFU-E, a committeded erythroid stem cell, resides in the null cell fraction of peripheral blood, but its proliferative capacity and differentiation in vitro requires a soluble product of T cells. Such experiments now permit a new approach to the assessment of various disorders of erythropoiesis. Erythroid hypoplasia in a particular case may be due to dysfunction of the committed precursor cell or to a failure of a helper effect induced by T cells.
Evolution of Fuzzy Neural Networks Using an Evolution Strategy with Fuzzy Genotype Values

Evolution strategy (ES) is a well-known instance of evolutionary algorithms, and there have been many studies on ES. In this paper, the author proposes an extended ES for solving fuzzy-valued optimization problems. In the proposed ES, genotype values are not real numbers but fuzzy numbers. Evolutionary processes in the ES are extended so that it can handle genotype instances with fuzzy numbers. In this study, the proposed method is experimentally applied to the evolution of neural networks with fuzzy weights and biases. Results reveal that fuzzy neural networks evolved using the proposed ES with fuzzy genotype values can model hidden target fuzzy functions even though no training data are explicitly provided. Next, the proposed method is evaluated in terms of variations in specifying fuzzy numbers as genotype values. One of the mostly adopted fuzzy numbers is a symmetric triangular one that can be specified by its lower and upper bounds (LU) or its center and width (CW). Experimental results revealed that the LU model contributed better to the fuzzy ES than the CW model, which indicates that the LU model should be adopted in future applications of the proposed method. Keywords—Evolutionary algorithm, evolution strategy, fuzzy number, feedforward neural network, neuroevolution.
The Clash of the Titans: On Retailer and Manufacturer Vulnerability in Conflict Delistings

The days of dominant manufacturers dictating the game to obedient retailers are long gone. When parties believe they have equal bargaining power, negotiations end in deadlock more frequently and result in conflict delistings wherein the manufacturers’ brands get removed from the retailers’ assortments. This might cause major sales losses as consumers are forced to change stores or brands. The authors study both parties’ vulnerabilities by investigating their market share shifts during a highly publicized real-life conflict delisting executed by a major retailer against a major manufacturer, involving multiple brands and categories. Generally, both parties lost sales, yet the retailer was the most vulnerable party. Manufacturer-brand and retailer-assortment characteristics moderated both parties’ vulnerability: the manufacturer and retailer became respectively less and more vulnerable when a high-equity brand was delisted in a small assortment. Both parties lost more in necessity than in impulse categories. The authors additionally investigate long-term consequences that occurred after the conflict was settled: the retailer's market share recovered to the predelisting level, whereas the manufacturer's share underwent a long-term level rise.
When a good company transgresses: A study of the influences of CSR, moral decoupling, and ethnocentrism

Abstract Transgressions can result in negative consequences, especially when committed by global companies. Some of the biggest multinational companies in the world take extra steps to be socially responsible and to have positive reputations in domestic and foreign markets. Despite the extra steps that may be taken, it is a common occurrence for some of these companies to commit transgressions. The knowledge of the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) history and the country of origin of transgressing companies is scarce in studies that examine the consumers’ reasoning process to forgive or not to forgive the transgression. While the moral reasoning process to forgive transgressions has been examined in instances with public figures, studies are lacking in the instance of companies. This study will bridge these gaps by examining the effects of CSR history and consumer ethnocentrism on the evaluation of companies before and after transgressions. This study will also examine the effects of company evaluations before and after transgressions in the reasoning process of consumers. The authors conclude the study by discussing implications for marketing managers and the potential for further research.
Public Goods and Contingent Valuation

Many applications of the contingent valuation (CV) method are concerned with public goods. This chapter considers some of the special problems involved in eliciting preferences for such goods. In economic theory, the distinction between public and private goods is clear-cut. What is now the standard deWnition of a public good derives from a classic paper, only three pages long, by Paul Samuelson (1954); this encapsulates some of the key elements of a tradition of public Wnance which can be traced back to Lindahl (1919/1958) and Wicksell (1896/1958). The deWning characteristic of a public good is that the same units of the good are consumed by, or give utility to, more than one individual. For example, consider the beneWts that the residents of a suburban area derive from an expanse of open-access woodland. One way of modelling these beneWts would be to deWne a good, `open-access woodland', measured in hectares. A typical resident, we may assume, prefers more of this good to less, just as she prefers to have more rather than less of private consumption goods, such as food and clothing. But there is a crucial diVerence between food and clothing on the one hand and the woodland on the other. In relation to food and clothing, individual consumers are rivals: if any given unit of one of these goods (say, a particular packet of frozen peas or a particular coat) is consumed by one person then, necessarily, it is not consumed by another person. In contrast, in the case of the woodland, there is non-rivalry: each hectare of woodland is giving beneWts to many people simultaneously. Thus, when we specify the utility functions of a set of individuals, the level of provision of each public good is represented by a single variable, which is an argument in each individuals' utility function, while the level of consumption of each private good is represented by a separate variable for each individual.
Leptin and cancer

The prevalence of obesity has markedly increased over the past two decades, especially in the industrialized countries. While the impact of excess body weight on the development of cardiac disease and diabetes has been well documented, the link between obesity and carcinogenesis is just being recognized. This review will focus on the link between leptin, a cytokine that is elevated in obese individuals, and cancer development. First, we briefly discuss the biological functions of leptin and its signaling pathways. Then, we summarize the effects of leptin on different cancer types in experimental cellular and animal models. Next, we analyze epidemiological data on the relationship between obesity and the presence of cancer or cancer risk in patients. Finally, leptin as a target for cancer treatment and prevention will be discussed. J. Cell. Physiol. 207: 12–22, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.