Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HIFU-induced changes in optical scattering and absorption of tissue over nine orders of thermal dose

The optical properties of tissue change during thermal ablation. Multi-modal methods such as acousto-optic (AO) and photo-acoustic (PA) imaging may provide a real-time, direct measure of lesion formation. Baseline changes in optical properties have been previously measured over limited ranges of thermal dose for tissues exposed to a temperature-controlled water bath, however, there is scant data for optical properties of lesions created by HIFU. In this work, the optical scattering and absorption coefficients from 400–1300 nm of excised chicken breast exposed to HIFU were measured using an integrating sphere spectrophotometric technique. HIFU-induced spatiotemporal temperature elevations were measured using an infrared camera and used to calculate the thermal dose delivered to a localized region of tissue. Results obtained over a range of thermal dose spanning 9 orders of magnitude show that the reduced scattering coefficient increases for HIFU exposures exceeding a threshold thermal dose of CEM43 = 600 ± 81 cumulative equivalent minutes. HIFU-induced thermal damage results in changes in scattering over all optical wavelengths, with a 2.5-fold increase for thermal lesions exceeding 70 °C. The tissue absorption coefficient was also found to increase for thermally lesioned tissue, however, the magnitude was strongly dependent on the optical wavelength and there was substantial sample-to-sample variability, such that the existence of a threshold thermal dose could not be determined. Therapeutic windows, where the optical penetration depth is expected to be greatest, were identified in the near infrared regime centered near 900 nm and 1100 nm. These data motivate further research to improve the real-time AO and PA sensing of lesion formation during HIFU therapy as an alternative to thermometry.
Evaluation of Ocular Surface and Meibomian Glands Alterations with Meibography in Patients with Inactive Behçet’s Uveitis

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the ocular surface and meibography of patients with inactive Behçet’s uveitis. Methods: Twenty-five right eyes of 25 patients with inactive Behçet’s uveitis (Group 1) and 25 right eyes of 25 healthy individuals (Group 2) were enrolled. Detailed eye examination along with Schirmer 1 test, tear film break-up time (t-BUT), ocular surface staining with fluorescein and Oxford scoring, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score assessment were performed. Lower and upper eyelid Meibomian glands were examined with infrared filter of slit-lamp biomicroscope (SL-D701 with DC-4 digital camera and BG-5 background illuminator, TOPCON, Tokyo, Japan (from grade 0 (no dropout of Meibomian glands) to grade 3 (gland dropout >2/3 of the total Meibomian glands)). Results: The mean ages were 36.84 ± 7.39 (range, 23–59) and 33.88 ± 8.25 (range, 18–55) in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively (p = 0.547). When compared with Group 2, in Group 1, best-corrected visual acuity (0.28 vs. 0.00 logMAR, p < 0.001), Schirmer 1 test (18.68 vs. 23.69, p = 0.017) and mean tear film break-up time (10.76 vs. 13.36, p = 0.026) were significantly lower; Oxford scale and OSDI scores were higher (p = 0.039 and p < 0.001, respectively). No significant difference in lower, upper and total (upper + lower) meiboscores were detected in between groups (p = 0.062, p = 0.228 and p = 0.152, respectively). Conclusion: Despite the tendency toward dry eye syndrome, Behçet’s uveitis does not seem to be associated with quantitative Meibomian gland changes, which is demonstrated by gland drop-out with meibography.
Teacher training: Parent-teacher relations in Poland

A long-term, complex and radical reform of didactic methods and programmes as well as school system structure began in Poland in the year 1999. One of the fundamental assumptions of the educational reform was parents’ involvement in school life. “The aim of the undertaken actions, in the context of cooperation with parents, was reconstruction of the natural responsibility for a child’s fate, which should be borne by their closest relatives. [1]” School’s duties towards family may be divided into: guidelines for schools, principals’ duties, and tasks which should be fulfilled by the teachers. The law does not show directly precise guidelines for parents, except for the duty of enrolling a child for a school and ensuring it a space and conditions for studying. However, from the tasks the reform gives to schools, teachers and principals it can be deduced what the school may expect from parents.
Overexpression of Periostin in Stroma Positively Associated with Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Background Periostin is an important extracellular matrix protein involved in cell development and adhesion. Previously, we identified periostin to be up-regulated in aggressive prostate cancer (CaP) using quantitative glycoproteomics and mass spectrometry. The expression of periostin was further evaluated in primary radical prostatectomy (RP) prostate tumors and adjacent non-tumorous prostate tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Our IHC results revealed a low background periostin levels in the adjacent non-tumorous prostate tissues, but overexpressed periostin levels in the peritumoral stroma of primary CaP tumors. Methods In this study, periostin expression in CaP was further examined on multiple tissue microarrays (TMAs), which were conducted in four laboratories. To achieve consistent staining, all TMAs were stained with same protocol and scored by same image computation tool to determine the total periostin staining intensities. The TMAs were further scored by pathologists to characterize the stromal staining and epithelial staining. Results The periostin staining was observed mainly in peritumoral stromal cells and in some cases in tumor epithelial cells though the stronger staining was found in peritumoral stromal cells. Both periostin stromal staining and epithelial staining can differentiate BPH from CaP including low grade CaP (Gleason score ≤6), with significant p-value of 2.2e-16 and 0.001, respectively. Periostin epithelial staining differentiated PIN from low grade CaP (Gleason score ≤6) (p=0.001), while periostin stromal staining differentiated low grade Cap (Gleason score ≤6) from high grade Cap (Gleason score ≤6) (p=1.7e-05). In addition, a positive correlation between total periostin staining and Gleason score was observed (r=0.87, p=0.002). Conclusions The results showed that periostin staining was positively correlated with increasing Gleason score and the aggressiveness of prostate disease.
Does adult alcohol consumption combine with adverse childhood experiences to increase involvement in violence in men and women? A cross-sectional study in England and Wales

Objectives To examine if, and to what extent, a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) combines with adult alcohol consumption to predict recent violence perpetration and victimisation. Design Representative face-to-face survey (n=12 669) delivered using computer-assisted personal interviewing and self-interviewing. Setting Domiciles of individuals living in England and Wales. Participants Individuals aged 18–69 years resident within randomly selected locations. 12 669 surveys were completed with participants within our defined age range. Main outcome measures Alcohol consumption was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) and childhood adversity using the short ACEs tool. Violence was measured using questions on perpetration and victimisation in the last 12 months. Results Compliance was 55.7%. There were strong positive relationships between numbers of ACEs and recent violence perpetration and victimisation in both sexes. Recent violence was also strongly related to positive AUDIT-C (≥5) scores. In males, heavier drinking and ≥4ACEs had a strong multiplicative relationship with adjusted prevalence of recent violent perpetration rising from 1.3% (95% CIs 0.9% to 1.9%; 0 ACEs, negative AUDIT-C) to 3.6% (95% CIs 2.7% to 4.9%; 0 ACEs, positive AUDIT-C) and 8.5% (95% CI 5.6% to 12.7%; ≥4ACEs, negative AUDIT-C) to 28.3% (95% CI 22.5% to 34.8%; ≥4ACEs, positive AUDIT-C). In both sexes, violence perpetration and victimisation reduced with age independently of ACE count and AUDIT-C status. The combination of young age (18–29 years), ≥4ACEs and positive AUDIT-C resulted in the highest adjusted prevalence for both perpetration and victimisation in males (61.9%, 64.9%) and females (24.1%, 27.2%). Conclusions Those suffering multiple adverse experiences in childhood are also more likely to be heavier alcohol users. Especially for males, this combination results in substantially increased risks of violence. Addressing ACEs and heavy drinking together is rarely a feature of public health policy, but a combined approach may help reduce the vast costs associated with both.
Smoking Is Associated with Higher Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Longitudinal Study Controlling for Time-varying Covariates

Objective. Prior studies around the relationship between smoking and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity have reported inconsistent findings, which may be ascribed to heterogeneous study designs or biases in statistical analyses. We examined the association between smoking and RA outcomes using statistical methods that account for time-varying confounding and loss to followup. Methods. We included 282 individuals with an RA diagnosis using electronic health record data collected at a public hospital between 2013 and 2017. Current smoking status and disease activity were assessed at each visit; covariates included sex, race/ethnicity, age, obesity, and medication use. We used longitudinal targeted maximum likelihood estimation to estimate the causal effect of smoking on disease activity measures at 27 months, and compared results to conventional longitudinal methods. Results. Smoking was associated with an increase of 0.64 units in the patient global score compared to nonsmoking (p = 0.01), and with 2.58 more swollen joints (p < 0.001). While smoking was associated with a higher clinical disease activity score (2.11), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.22). We found no association between smoking and physician global score, or C-reactive protein levels, and an inverse association between smoking and tender joint count (p = 0.05). Analyses using conventional methods showed a null relationship for all outcomes. Conclusion. Smoking is associated with higher levels of disease activity in RA. Causal methods may be useful for investigations of additional exposures on longitudinal outcome measures in rheumatologic disease.
The Roles of Affect Dysregulation and Deficient Affect in Youth Violence

Children with high dysregulated affect experience a range of emotional and behavioral problems, including aggression, delinquency, and low levels of prosocial behavior. Alongside this research, the psychopathy literature suggests that abnormally low levels of affect and emotional reactivity are associated with aggression and violence. The current study builds on prior research in the fields of affect regulation and psychopathy by testing the effects of affect dysregulation and deficient affect in predicting aggression and antisociality in 179 high-risk youth. Using structural equation modeling, results suggest that affect dysregulation and deficient affect are separate risk factors for aggression, as both constructs contributed independently to aggression while showing marginal relations with one another. Features of deficient affect, but not dysregulation, were robust predictors of violent and nonviolent offending. We discuss the importance of recognizing that diverse risk factors may lead to similar outcomes and highlight the heterogeneity in risk factors underlying aggressive behaviors.
X-ray time delays from the Seyfert 2 galaxy IRAS 18325−5926

Using new XMM-Newtonobservations we detect hard X-ray time lags in the rapid variability of the Compton-thin Seyfert 2 galaxy IRAS 18325 5926. The higher-energy X-ray variations lag behind correlated lower-energy variations by up to �3 ks and the magnitude of the lag increases clearly with energy separation between the energy bands. We find that the lag-energy spectrum has a relatively simple log(E) shape. This is quite different in both shape and magnitude from the lags predicted by simple reflect ion models, but very similar to the hard X-ray lags often seen in black hole X-ray binaries. We apply several spectral models to the lag-energy spectrum and rule out simple reflection as a n origin for the hard lags. We find that both propagating fluctuations embedded in the accre tion flow and electron scattering from material embedded in or behind a cold absorbing medium offer equally good fits to the observed low-frequency hard X-ray lags and are both consistent with the time-averaged spectrum. Such models will likely look very different outside of XMM‐Newton’s observable bandpass, paving the way for future studies with NuSTAR.
Sustained protein synthesis and reduced eEF2K levels in TAp73-\- mice brain: a possible compensatory mechanism

ABSTRACT The transcription factor p73 is a member of the p53 family, of which the transactivation domain containing isoform (TAp73) plays key roles in brain development and neuronal stem cells. TAp73 also facilitates homoeostasis and prevents oxidative damage in vivo by inducing the expression of its target genes. Recently, we found that in addition to its role in regulation of transcription, TAp73 also affects mRNA translation. In cultured cells, acute TAp73 depletion activates eEF2K, which phosphorylates eEF2 reducing mRNA translation elongation. As a consequence, there is a reduction in global proteins synthesis rates and reprogramming of the translatome, leading to a selective decrease in the translation of rRNA processing factors. Given the dramatic effects of Tap73 depletion in vitro it was important to determine whether similar effects were observed in vivo. Here, we report the surprising finding that in brains of TAp73 KO mice there is a reduced level of eEF2K, which allows protein synthesis rates to be maintained suggesting a compensation model. These data provide new insights to the role of TAp73 in translation regulation and the eEF2K pathway in the brain.
Airborne lidar reflectance measurements at 1.57 μm in support of the A-SCOPE mission for atmospheric CO 2

Abstract. The characteristics of the lidar reflectance of the Earth's surface is an important issue for the IPDA lidar technique (integrated path differential absorption lidar) which is the proposed method for the spaceborne measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide within the framework of ESA's A-SCOPE project. Both, the absolute reflectance of the ground and its variations have an impact on the measurement sensitivity. The first aspect influences the instrument's signal to noise ratio, the second one can lead to retrieval errors, if the ground reflectance changes are strong on small scales. The investigation of the latter is the main purpose of this study. Airborne measurements of the lidar ground reflectance at 1.57 μm wavelength were performed in Central and Western Europe, including many typical land surface coverages as well as the open sea. The analyses of the data show, that the lidar ground reflectance is highly variable on a wide range of spatial scales. However, by means of the assumption of laser footprints in the order of several tens of meters, as planned for spaceborne systems, and by means of an averaging of the data it was shown, that this specific retrieval error is well below 1 ppm (CO2 column mixing ratio), and so compatible with the sensitivity requirements of spaceborne CO2 measurements. Several approaches for upscaling the data in terms of the consideration of larger laser footprints, compared to the one used here, are shown and discussed. Furthermore, the collected data are compared to MODIS ground reflectance data.
Kinetics of Microbial Production of 2, 3-Butanediol from Cheese Whey Using Klebsiella pneumonia

 Abstract—In the light of limitation arising from the expensive nature of the production of 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) from competitive petrochemical products and treatment of cheese whey based on biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) posed to the environment. The effect of aerated condition, pH, initial concentration of the cheese whey was studied with an aim to provide insight into optimal conditions for maximum bioremediation as an attractive alternative for cheese whey treatment and production of 2,3-BD using Klebsiella pneumonia (KP) at room temperature of 28 0 C for 96 h and kinetics parameters were evaluated from the experimental result. Based on the result of the proximate analysis, lactose content in 40g/l of cheese whey produced 61.3 percent of 2,3-BD at an optimum pH value of 6.40 and 36.6 percent of 2,3-BD at an optimum pH value of 6.46 in an air-stirred batch reactor and unstirred batch reactor respectively while lactose content in 20g/l of cheese whey produced 60.9 percent 2,3-BD at an optimum pH value of 5.92 and 29.2 percent of 2,3-BD at an optimum pH value of 6.14 in an air-stirred batch reactor and unstirred batch reactor respectively. The result shows that Klebsiella pneumonia has good bioremediation potential and production of 2,3-BD in air-stirred batch reactor compared to unstirred batch reactor at room temperature of 28 0 C under
Initial conditions for inflation in an FRW universe

We examine the class of initial conditions which give rise to inflation. Our analysis is carried out for several popular models including: Higgs inflation, Starobinsky inflation, chaotic inflation, axion monodromy inflation and non-canonical inflation. In each case we determine the set of initial conditions which give rise to sufficient inflation, with at least $60$ e-foldings. A phase-space analysis has been performed for each of these models and the effect of the initial inflationary energy scale on inflation has been studied numerically. This paper discusses two scenarios of Higgs inflation: (i) the Higgs is coupled to the scalar curvature, (ii) the Higgs Lagrangian contains a non-canonical kinetic term. In both cases we find Higgs inflation to be very robust since it can arise for a large class of initial conditions. One of the central results of our analysis is that, for plateau-like potentials associated with the Higgs and Starobinsky models, inflation can be realized even for initial scalar field values which lie close to the minimum of the potential. This dispels a misconception relating to plateau potentials prevailing in the literature. We also find that inflation in all models is more robust for larger values of the initial energy scale.
Issues in the Differential Diagnosis of Uterine Low-grade Endometrioid Carcinoma, Including Mixed Endometrial Carcinomas: Recommendations from the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists

This article provides practical recommendations developed from the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists Endometrial Carcinoma Project to address 4 issues that may arise in the diagnosis of uterine corpus low-grade endometrioid carcinoma: (1) The distinction between atypical hyperplasia and low-grade endometrioid carcinoma. (2) The distinction between low-grade endometrioid carcinoma and serous carcinoma. (3) The distinction between corded and hyalinized or spindle cell variants of low-grade endometrioid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma. (4) The diagnostic criteria for mixed endometrial carcinomas, a rare entity that should be diagnosed only after exclusion of a spectrum of tumors including morphologic variants of endometrioid carcinoma, dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, and endometrial carcinomas with ambiguous morphology.
Comparison of Air Emissions between Cordwood and Wax-Sawdust Firelogs Burned in Residential Fireplaces

Air emissions from the use of wax-sawdust firelogs and cordwood in fireplaces were measured. The study was designed to operate the fireplaces during testing in a manner that simulated real-world use and to use the most common/typical appliance type, cordwood, and set-up. Standard air quality source testing and analysis methods were used. Results showed that emissions of key air pollutants associated with residential wood combustion were reduced in the range from 69% to 90% through the use of waxsawdust firelogs in fireplaces. Particulate and carbon monoxide emission reductions documented in this study were consistent with previous studies. Emissions of the hazardous air pollutants of formaldehyde, benzene and polycyclic organic matter (POM), measured for the first time for firelogs in this study, were also significantly lower than for cordwood and their emission reductions were comparable in magnitude as seen for particles and carbon monoxide. The majority of the particulate emissions from both cordwood and firelogs were PM2.5, however, the fraction of the total particles that were PM 2.5 were slightly less for firelogs than for cordwood,
Scenario Planning: a Tool for Conservation in an Uncertain World

Abstract: Conservation decisions about how, when, and where to act are typically based on our expectations for the future. When the world is highly unpredictable and we are working from a limited range of expectations, however, our expectations will frequently be proved wrong. Scenario planning offers a framework for developing more resilient conservation policies when faced with uncontrollable, irreducible uncertainty. A scenario in this context is an account of a plausible future. Scenario planning consists of using a few contrasting scenarios to explore the uncertainty surrounding the future consequences of a decision. Ideally, scenarios should be constructed by a diverse group of people for a single, stated purpose. Scenario planning can incorporate a variety of quantitative and qualitative information in the decision‐making process. Often, consideration of this diverse information in a systemic way leads to better decisions. Furthermore, the participation of a diverse group of people in a systemic process of collecting, discussing, and analyzing scenarios builds shared understanding. The robustness provided by the consideration of multiple possible futures has served several groups well; we present examples from business, government, and conservation planning that illustrate the value of scenario planning. For conservation, major benefits of using scenario planning are ( 1 ) increased understanding of key uncertainties, ( 2 ) incorporation of alternative perspectives into conservation planning, and ( 3 ) greater resilience of decisions to surprise.
Economic Viability of Cat Fish Production in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract The study was conducted in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State. Sixty farmers were selected using simple random techniques drawn from five local government purposively selected from the study area. Structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents; statistical analysis was accomplished by means of frequency distribution, percentages, gross margin analysis, profitability ratio and multiple regression technique. The result of the analysis showed that the average total cost per kilogram of fish was N204.00 and the average total revenue per kg of fish was N 308.00k. This gives a gross margin of N194.60 per kilogram of fish produced. The result also revealed that there is a significant relationship between total revenue and cost of feed, years of farming experience, size of pond and labour. The study also showed that the sum total of elasticities of variables was less than unity (i.e. 0.801), which indicates that fish production in the study area is in stage II, which is the rational stage of production. Due to expensive nature of flow-through and re-circulatory ponds, earthen ponds were mostly preferred by majority (46.7%) of the fish farmers in the study area.