Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of simulation strategies on prediction of power deposition in the tissue around electronic implants during magnetic resonance imaging

Numerical simulations are increasingly employed in safety assessment of high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with conductive medical implants such as those with deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices. Performing numerical simulations with realistic patient models and implant geometry is the preferred method as it provides the most accurate results; however, in many cases such an approach is infeasible due to limitation of computational resources. The difficulties in reconstructing realistic patient and device models and obtaining accurate electrical properties of tissue have compelled researchers to adopt compromises, either to exceedingly simplify implant structure and geometry, or the complexity of the body model. This study examines the effect of variations in anatomical details of the human body model and implant geometry on predicted values of specific absorption rate (SAR) values during MRI in a patient with a DBS implant. We used a patient-derived model of a fully implanted DBS implant and performed numerical simulations to calculate the maximum SAR during MRI at 1.5T (64 MHz) and 3T (127 MHz). We then assessed the effect of uncertainties in dielectric properties of tissue, complexity of body model, truncation of body/DBS model, and DBS lead geometry on SAR. Our results showed that 40% variation in the conductivity of individual tissues in a heterogeneous body model caused a peak of 7% variation in maximum SAR value at 64 MHz, and 10.6% variation in SAR at 127 MHz. SAR predictions from a homogeneous body model with a conductivity range of 0.01S m−1→1S m−1 could cover the full range of SAR variations predicted by the heterogeneous body model. Truncation of body model below the implanted pulse generator changed the predicted SAR by 16% at 1.5T and 32% at 3T while saving 250% and 148% in computational time and memory allocation, respectively. In contrast, variation in DBS lead geometry significantly changed the SAR by up to 51% at 64 MHz and 67% at 127 MHz. These results suggest that the error introduced by simplifying the implant’s geometry could negate the benefit of using a realistic body model, should such model be used at the expense of oversimplifying implant geometry.
Managing virtual money for satisfaction and scale up in P2P systems

In peer-to-peer data management systems query allocation is a critical issue for the good operation of the system. This task is challenging because participants may prefer to perform some queries than others. Microeconomic mechanisms aim at dealing with this, but, to the best of our knowledge, none of them has ever proposed experimental validations that, beyond query load or response time, use measures that are outside the microeconomic scope. The contribution of this paper is twofold. We present a virtual money-based query allocation process that is suitable for large-scale super peer systems. We compare a non microeconomic mediation with micro-economic ones from a satisfaction point of view. The experimental results show that the providers' invoice phase is as much important as the providers' selection phase for a virtual money-based mediation.
The acute effects of cannabidiol on the neural correlates of reward anticipation and feedback in healthy volunteers

Background: Cannabidiol has potential therapeutic benefits for people with psychiatric disorders characterised by reward function impairment. There is existing evidence that cannabidiol may influence some aspects of reward processing. However, it is unknown whether cannabidiol acutely affects brain function underpinning reward anticipation and feedback. Hypotheses: We predicted that cannabidiol would augment brain activity associated with reward anticipation and feedback. Methods: We administered a single 600 mg oral dose of cannabidiol and matched placebo to 23 healthy participants in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures design. We employed the monetary incentive delay task during functional magnetic resonance imaging to assay the neural correlates of reward anticipation and feedback. We conducted whole brain analyses and region-of-interest analyses in pre-specified reward-related brain regions. Results: The monetary incentive delay task elicited expected brain activity during reward anticipation and feedback, including in the insula, caudate, nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex. However, across the whole brain, we did not find any evidence that cannabidiol altered reward-related brain activity. Moreover, our Bayesian analyses showed that activity in our regions-of-interest was similar following cannabidiol and placebo. Additionally, our behavioural measures of motivation for reward did not show a significant difference between cannabidiol and placebo. Discussion: Cannabidiol did not acutely affect the neural correlates of reward anticipation and feedback in healthy participants. Future research should explore the effects of cannabidiol on different components of reward processing, employ different doses and administration regimens, and test its reward-related effects in people with psychiatric disorders.
Prevalence of Peri-Implantitis: A Multi-Centered Cross-Sectional Study on 248 Patients

The aim of this multicenter cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of peri-implantitis and to assess its association with several patient- and implant-related factors. Patients with at least one implant, who came for a recall visit to one of the four centers over a period of five months, were enrolled. Presence of peri-implantitis (defined as bleeding on probing, exudate/suppuration, bone loss > 0.2 mm/year and increased pocket depth) and several other variables (e.g., smoking habits, history of periodontitis, diabetes) were recorded. Out of 248 enrolled patients (1162 implants), 10 patients had at least one implant with peri-implantitis (4.03%); a total of 14 implants were affected (1.20%). A statistically significant association between peri-implantitis and diabetes was found (OR 8.65; CI: 1.94–38.57). Smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day (OR: 0.53; CI 0.03–9.45) and history of periodontitis (OR: 2.42; CI: 0.49–11.89) were not found to be statistically associated with peri-implantitis. Even if implant therapy is a consolidated treatment, biological complications do happen. Strict supportive therapy recalls could lead to lower rates of peri-implantitis and earlier diagnosis.
Actividad in vitro de posaconazol frente a levaduras aisladas en hemocultivo

espanolSe ha valorado la actividad in vitro de posaconazol comparandola con la de fluconazol en especies de levaduras aisladas en hemocultivo, asi como el factor tiempo de incubacion para la deteccion de resistencias a estos azoles. Se estudiaron un total de 112 levaduras: 32 Candida albicans, 33 C. parapsilosis, 17 C. tropicalis, 8 C. glabrata, 8 C. guilliermondii, 3 C. famata, 2 C. lusitaniae, 1 C. lipolytica, 1 C. inconspicua, 1 C. lambica, 3 Saccharomyces cerevisiae,1 Blastoschizomyces capitatus, 1 Geotricum spp. y 1 Pichia omheri. La CMI se determino mediante el metodo de microdilucion M27-A descrito por el NCCLS para Candida spp. y Cryptococcus neoformans. Las especies mas sensibles a posaconazol fueron C. parapsilosis (CMI90 0,016 mg/l), C. glabrata (CMI90 0,5 mg/l), C. guilliermondii (CMI90 0,12 mg/l) y el grupo de Candida spp. (CMI90 0,25 mg/l). Sin embargo, este azol no mejora la actividad de fluconazol frente a C. tropicalis(CMI90 8 mg/l) y C. albicans (CMI90 8 mg/l). El tiempo de lectura influyo a la hora de detectar resistencias, ya que a las 48 horas el numero de cepas resistentes fue mayor que a las 24 horas, en el caso de C. albicans y C. tropicalis; el resto de las especies estudiadas fueron igual de sensibles en los dos tiempos de lectura. EnglishThe in vitro activity of posaconazole against Candida species isolated from blood cultures and the influence of incubation time was studied and compared with that of fluconazole. A total of 112 isolates were studied: 32 Candida albicans, 33 C. parapsilosis, 17 C. tropicalis, 8 C. glabrata, 8 C. guilliermondii, 3 C. famata, 2 C. lusitaniae, 1 C. lipolytica, 1 C. inconspicua, 1 C. lambica, 3 Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 1 Blastoschizomyces capitatus, 1 Geotricum spp. and 1 Pichia omheri. The MIC was obtained using the M27-A microdilution method described by the NCCLS for Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans. The species most susceptible to posaconazole were C. parapsilosis (MCI90 0.016 mg/l), C. guilliermondii (MIC90 0.12 mg/l), C. glabrata (MCI90 0.5 mg/l) and Candida spp. (MCI90 0.25 mg/l). However, this azole did not improve the activity of fluconazole against C. tropicalis (MIC90 8 mg/l) and C. albicans (MCI90 mg/l). The time of reading was important in the detection of resistance, as the number of strains resistant to fluconazole or posaconazole was higher at 48 hours than at 24 hours for C. albicans and C. tropicalis. All the other species of Candida were susceptible at both reading times.
The Effectiveness of Multi-Session FMT Treatment in Active Ulcerative Colitis Patients: A Pilot Study

The modification of the microbiome through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is becoming a very promising therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Our pilot study aimed to assess the effectiveness of multi-session FMT treatment in active ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. Ten patients with UC were treated with multi-session FMT (200 mL) from healthy donors, via colonoscopy/gastroscopy. Patients were evaluated as follows: at baseline, at week 7, and after 6 months, routine blood tests (including C reactive protein (CRP) and calprotectin) were performed. 16S rRNA gene (V3V4) sequencing was used for metagenomic analysis. The severity of UC was classified based on the Truelove–Witts index. The assessment of microbial diversity showed significant differences between recipients and healthy donors. FMT contributed to long-term, significant clinical and biochemical improvement. Metagenomic analysis revealed an increase in the amount of Lactobacillaceaea, Micrococcaceae, Prevotellaceae, and TM7 phylumsp.oral clone EW055 during FMT, whereas Staphylococcaceae and Bacillaceae declined significantly. A positive increase in the proportion of the genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Rothia, Streptococcus, and Veillonella and a decrease in Bacillus, Bacteroides, and Staphylococcus were observed based on the correlation between calprotectin and Bacillus and Staphylococcus; ferritin and Lactobacillus, Veillonella, and Bifidobacterium abundance was indicated. A positive change in the abundance of Firmicutes was observed during FMT and after 6 months. The application of multi-session FMT led to the restoration of recipients’ microbiota and resulted in the remission of patients with active UC.
Cerebral Substrates for Controlling Rhythmic Movements

Our daily lives are filled with rhythmic movements, such as walking, sports, and dancing, but the mechanisms by which the brain controls rhythmic movements are poorly understood. In this review, we examine the literature on neuropsychological studies of patients with focal brain lesions, and functional brain imaging studies primarily using finger-tapping tasks. These studies suggest a close connection between sensory and motor processing of rhythm, with no apparent distinction between the two functions. Thus, we conducted two functional brain imaging studies to survey the rhythm representations relatively independent of sensory and motor functions. First, we determined brain activations related to rhythm processing in a sensory modality-independent manner. Second, we examined body part-independent brain activation related to rhythm reproduction. Based on previous literature, we discuss how brain areas contribute rhythmic motor control. Furthermore, we also discuss the mechanisms by which the brain controls rhythmic movements.
Transcranial electric stimulation as a neural interface to gain insight on human brain functions: current knowledge and future perspective.

The use of brain-stimulation approaches in social and affective science has greatly increased over the last two decades. The interest in social factors has grown along with technological advances in brain research. Transcranial electric stimulation (tES) is a research tool that allows scientists to establish contributory causality between brain functioning and social behaviour, therefore deepening our understanding of the social mind. Preliminary evidence is also starting to demonstrate that tES, either alone or in combination with pharmacological or behavioural interventions, can alleviate the symptomatology of individuals with affective or social cognition disorders. This review offers an overview of the application of tES in the field of social and affective neuroscience. We discuss issues and challenges related to this application and suggest avenue for future basic and translational research.
Relations of hair cycles in ferrets to changes in the anterior hypophysis and to light cycles

It has been demonstrated that the seasonal sexual cycles of ferrets are definitely conditioned by cyclic changes of duration and of intensity of daily illumination, or of both; and may be modified and even reversed by manipulation of the daily exposures to daylight or to electric light added after nightfall, or both. The eyes are the receptors for the stimulus which modifies these cycles in correlation with those of the anterior hypophysis. Hypophysect omy suppresses both the sexual cycles and the effects of modification of the light cycles (Bissonnette, '32, '33, '35 a, b ; and unpublished data ; Hill and Parkes, '33, '34; Allanson, Rowlands, and Parkes, '34; Marshall and Bowden, '34; and others cited by them). The relations of the activities of the anterior hypophysis to sexual cycles, to lactation, to thyroid and adrenal activities and to growth phenomena in general have been shown by recent studies too numerous to be cited here. The particular problem here dealt with is that of the relation of the cyclic changes in the hair or fur of ferrets to environmental factors, in the attempt to determine the effectiveness of the light cycle as a controller of hair cycles. The problem involves the interrelations and relative importance of cycles of light, of temperature and of activity of the reproductive organs.
Milk Proteins Affect Yield and Sensory Quality of Cooked Sausages

Sausages were produced with seven different mixtures with skim milk powder, sodium caseinate and whey protein (1.5, 3, 5%) according to a simplex-centroid design, where the proportion of each ingredient varied from 0 to 100%. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified that sausages with 1.5% milk protein were most similar in sensory quality to the controls and had minimum cooking loss. PCA was effective to reduce the number of attributes to five to describe the main variation among the 1.5% milk protein sausages. A mixture of 1 :1 blend of skim milk powder and whey protein resulted in the product with lowest cooking loss.
Local Hydrological Conditions Explain Floristic Composition in Lowland Amazonian Forests

Amazonian forests harbor a large variety of understory herbs adapted to areas with different hydrological conditions, ranging from well‐drained to seasonally flooded forests. The presence versus absence of flooding forms the extremes of a hydrological gradient, with various intermediate conditions, such as seasonal soil waterlogged areas, in between. We investigated the relationship between understory herbs and hydrological conditions in Central Amazonian forests using eighty‐eight 250 × 2 m plots distributed along a 600‐km transect. Hydrological conditions were determined regionally by precipitation and locally by topographic conditions based on drainage potential, flooding height and soil permeability (sand content). Soil cation concentration was used as a proxy for soil fertility. The floristic dissimilarities among plots were visualized by Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling, and simple and multiple regressions were used to identify the best predictor of herb species composition. Local drainage potential was more important in determining herb species composition than soil fertility or precipitation at non‐flooded and flooded sites. Flooded sites comprised a very distinctive herb species composition even when the flood height was low (0.3 m). We conclude that hydrological conditions are the primary constraint of herb distribution within this flat regional landscape with moderate amounts of soil fertility variation (0.09–2.280 cmol(+)/kg). Hydrological models that consider local water conditions explained the largest part of herb species composition. Therefore, predictions of species distribution based on large‐scale climatic variables may underestimate the favorable area for understory herbs if the variation on local hydrological conditions is not considered.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from Limpopo Province, South Africa using VITEK 2 system, Micro Scan WalkAway, disk diffusion and E-test method

A total of 300 isolates of Aeromonas Hydrophila isolated from water and stool samples were tested using the Vitek 2 system, disk diffusion, MicroScan Walkaway and E-test for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. For the total of 34 antimicrobial tested, the MICs agreement was 99.7% for isolates from all sources. Almost 100% of isolates were resistant to ampicillin using both methods with the MIC ranging from 1 to 64 µg/ml. Overall; the agreement of the AST results among all four methods for the drugs tested was (100%) Aminoglycosides, (100%) Carbapenems, (100%) Monobactams, 93% Cephalosporins and 89.4% Beta-lactam/ Beta-lactam inhibitors. Overall agreement between the disk diffusion, MicroScan Walkaway and Vitek methods was 98%, respectively. In general, discrepancies among the methods were due to isolates being interpreted as intermediately susceptible or due to an increased number of resistances detected with disk diffusion and a lower number with Vitek and MicroScan Walkaway. Key words: Vitek 2 system, E-Test, MICs, micro scan walkway, diarrhea.
FOSTERING LEARNER AUTONOMY IN EFL CLASSROOMS

Bu calismanin amaci aktiviteler kullanilarak Gazi Universitesi Hazirlik ogrencilerinde ogrenen ozerkligini arttirmaktir. Bu amaca ulasmak icin yirmi kisilik deney ve kontrol grubu rasgele secilen iki siniftan olusturulmustur. Gruplar, Gazi Universitesi’nin cesitli fakultelerinde okuyan ve Ingilizce egitim alan ogrencilerden olusmaktadir. Uygulamaya baslamadan once, uc bolumden olusan Ogrenen Ozerkligi Anketi ogrencilerin olasi ozerklik durumlarini belirlemek amaciyla ogrencilere verilmistir.Deney grubuna ozerklik uygulamasiyla egitim verilirken, kontrol grubu degisiklik olmaksizin egitimine devam etmistir. 12 haftalik uygulamadan sonra, ayni anket ogrencilere bir kez daha verilmis ve her iki gruptan elde edilen sonuclar, gruplar arasinda bir farkliligin olup olmadigini belirlemek icin ciftli ornek t ve ogrenci t testi kullanilarak incelenmistir. Bu asamanin sonunda, istatistiksel sonuclar degerlendirilmis ve yorumlanmistir. Sonuclar deney grubundaki ogrencilerin birkac istisna disinda kontrol grubundakilerden daha yuksek puanlar aldigini ve kontrol grubundan daha fazla bir ozerklige sahip oldugunu gostermistir.Bu sonuclar isiginda, Ingilizce’nin yabanci dil olarak ogretildigi siniflarda ogrenen ozerkligini artirmak icin, universitelerde uygulanan hazirlik mufredatlarinin ozerklik ilkelerini temel alarak yeniden duzenlenmesi, okutulmakta olan ders kitaplarinin ozerkligi destekler nitelikte olup olmadigi konusunda degerlendirilmesi, universitelerde gorev yapmakta olan okutmanlarin ogrenen ozerkligi konusunda bilgilendirilmek icin hizmet ici egitime alinmasinin kacinilmaz oldugu ve ogrencilerin kendi baslarina daha etkili bir sekilde calismalarina olanak taniyacak calisma odalarinin duzenlenmesi gibi onerilerde bulunulmustur.
Putative contribution of glucose kinase from Bacillus subtilis to carbon catabolite repression (CCR) : a link between enzymatic regulation and CCR?

Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) in Bacillus subtilis is mainly mediated via the central component CcpA. Nevertheless, it has been reported that some sugar metabolizing systems underlie additional CcpA-independent CCR mechanisms. Here, we present evidence supporting a potential function of glucose kinase (GlcK) in CCR, analyzing knockout mutants in CcpA and GlcK. On the one hand, GlcK inactivation has no effect on CCR by glucose or fructose of the xylose system. On the other hand, CCR of the trehalose system is affected but a remaining glucose CCR still persists. This remaining glucose repression can be explained by the appearance of unphosphorylated glucose obtained from cytoplasmic trehalose 6-phosphate hydrolysis, which is detectable in cell culture supernatant.
Competition and growth form in a woodland annual

Distributions of several variables of above-ground growth form, including plant height, vertical distribution of leaf area and vertical distribution of primary and secondary branch length, were compared for crowded (naturally occurring) and uncrowded (naturally occurring and experimentally thinned) populations of Impatiens pallida in south-eastern Pennsylvania. Growth form was examined at the population, individual plant and sub-individual levels. (.)
Transfer of Pseudomonas maltophilia Hugh 1981 to the Genus Xanthomonas as Xanthomonas maltophilia (Hugh 1981) comb. nov.

Genotypic and phenotypic data (results of deoxyribonucleic acid-ribosomal ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridizations, guanine-plus-cytosine content, comparative enzymology, type of ubiquinones, cellular fatty acid composition, growth, niches, and several other characteristics) showed that Pseudomonas maltophilia (Hugh 1981) is generically misnamed and should be transferred to Xanthomonas as Xanthomonas maltophilia (Hugh 1981) comb. nov.
Mucosal leishmaniasis: A forgotten disease, description and identification of species in 50 Colombian cases.

INTRODUCTION Mucosal leishmaniasis has a progressive course and can cause deformity and even mutilation in the affected areas. It is endemic in the American continent and it is mainly caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. OBJECTIVE To describe a series of mucosal leishmaniasis cases and the infectious Leishmania species. MATERIALS AND METHODS We included 50 patients with a clinical diagnosis of mucosal leishmaniasis and parasitological confirmation, and we described their clinical and laboratory results. We performed species typing by PCR-RFLP using the miniexon sequence and hsp70 genes; confirmation was done by sequencing. RESULTS The median time of disease evolution was 2.9 years (range: 1 month to 16 years). The relevant clinical findings included mucosal infiltration (94%), cutaneous leishmaniasis scar (74%), total loss of the nasal septum (24%), nasal deformity (22%), and mucosal ulceration (38%). The symptoms reported included nasal obstruction (90%), epistaxis (72%), rhinorrhea (72%), dysphonia (28%), dysphagia (18%), and nasal pruritus (34%). The histopathological study revealed a pattern compatible with leishmaniasis in 86% of the biopsies, and amastigotes were identified in 14% of them. The Montenegro skin test was positive in 86% of patients, immunofluorescence in 84%, and culture in 8%. Leishmania (V.) braziliensis was identified in 88% of the samples, L. (V) panamensis in 8%, and L. (V.) guyanensis and L. (L.) amazonensis in 2% respectively. CONCLUSION In this study, we found a severe nasal disease with destruction and deformity of the nasal septum in 25% of the cases, probably associated with late diagnosis. Leishmania (V.) braziliensis was the predominant species. We described a case of mucosal leishmaniasis in Colombia caused by L. (L.) amazonensis for the first time.