Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Under pressure: adolescent substance users show exaggerated neural processing of aversive interoceptive stimuli.

AIMS Adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD) exhibit hyposensitivity to pleasant internally generated (interoceptive) stimuli and hypersensitivity to external rewarding stimuli. It is unclear whether similar patterns exist for aversive interoceptive stimuli. We compared activation in the insular cortex and other brain regions during the anticipation and experience of aversive stimuli between adolescents with SUD and those without. DESIGN Cross-sectional experimental study with two groups. PARTICIPANTS Adolescents (ages 15-17 years) with an alcohol or marijuana SUD (n=18) and healthy comparison subjects (CON, n=15). Participants were recruited by distributing flyers at local high schools. SETTING Keck Imaging Center, University of California San Diego, CA, USA. MEASUREMENTS Behavioral and neural responses to a continuous performance task with inspiratory breathing load recorded during an fMRI session. Questionnaires assessed life-time drug use, anxiety, sensation-seeking, impulsivity, affect and bodily awareness. Visual analog scales assessed drug craving and breathing load responses. FINDINGS Across subjects, experience of breathing load elicited greater bilateral anterior and posterior insula (AI and PI, respectively) activation than anticipation (F(1,31)=4.16, P<0.05). SUD exhibited greater left AI and bilateral PI activation during breathing load than anticipation, compared with CON (F(1,31)=4.16, P<0.05). In contrast, CON showed greater activation during anticipation than breathing load in left PI, compared with SUD (F(1,31)=4.16, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Adolescents with alcohol and marijuana substance use disorders may be hypersensitive to aversive interoceptive stimuli.
Determinants of Industrial Internet of Things Adoption in German Manufacturing Companies

This study aims at examining factors that determine the adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) by manufacturing companies applying the technology–organization–environment framework. Data of 197 German manufacturers are gathered by means of a survey questionnaire and tested using a logistic regression. This paper contributes to academic discussion by revealing determinants, which have a significant influence on the adoption of the IIoT: relative advantage associated with the IIoT, support by a company’s top management, high levels of competition, and environmental uncertainty. The study provides important implications, both for research and practitioners, related to technology management in the context of the IIoT.
An automated method for detecting systolic peaks from arterial blood pressure signals

In this paper, we present an automatic method for determining time-location of systolic peak in arterial blood pressure (ABP) signals. The method consists of four major steps: Gaussian derivative filtering, nonlinear peak amplification, Gaussian derivative based peak finding scheme, and peak position adjustment procedure. The method is tested and validated using the standard MIT-BIR Polysomnographic database containing a wide range of ABP signals, artifacts and high-frequency noises. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve better peak detection performance while maintaining very small detection error rates for both clean and noisy ABP signals. The method achieves an average sensitivity of 99.89% and positive predictivity of 99.59% on test ABP datasets consisting of 67,125 beats. Unlike other existing methods, our method is quite straightforward and simple in the sense that it does not use search-back algorithms with secondary thresholds.
Are Risk Indices Derived From CGM Interchangeable With SMBG-Based Indices?

Background: The risk of hypo- and hyperglycemia has been assessed for years by computing the well-known low blood glucose index (LBGI) and high blood glucose index (HBGI) on sparse self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) readings. These metrics have been shown to be predictive of future glycemic events and clinically relevant cutoff values to classify the state of a patient have been defined, but their application to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) profiles has not been validated yet. The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between CGM-based and SMBG-based LBGI/HBGI, and provide a guideline to follow when these indices are computed on CGM time series. Methods: Twenty-eight subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) were monitored in daily-life conditions for up to 4 weeks with both SMBG and CGM systems. Linear and nonlinear models were considered to describe the relationship between risk indices evaluated on SMBG and CGM data. Results: LBGI values obtained from CGM did not match closely SMBG-based values, with clear underestimation especially in the low risk range, and a linear transformation performed best to match CGM-based LBGI to SMBG-based LBGI. For HBGI, a linear model with unitary slope and no intercept was reliable, suggesting that no correction is needed to compute this index from CGM time series. Conclusions: Alternate versions of LBGI and HBGI adapted to the characteristics of CGM signals have been proposed that enable extending results obtained for SMBG data and using clinically relevant cutoff values previously defined to promptly classify the glycemic condition of a patient.
Overview of Analytical Models for the Design of Linear and Planar Motors

In this paper, an overview of analytical techniques for the modeling of linear and planar permanent-magnet motors is given. These models can be used complementary to finite element analysis for fast evaluations of topologies, but they are indispensable for the design of magnetically levitated planar motors and other coreless multi-degrees of freedom motors, which are applied in (ultra) high-precision applications. The analytical methods describe the magnetic fields based on magnetic surface charges and Fourier series in 2-D and 3-D.
A Contest for Legitimacy: The Divestment Movement and the Fossil Fuel Industry

The divestment movement has sought to influence attitudes to fossil fuels by framing producer companies as pariahs and as unnecessary and redundant. In response, the fossil fuel industry has engaged in a direct and aggressive attack on the divestment movement. This article considers the relationship between the movement and the industry as a contest for legitimacy for both the organizations and the norms they advocate. Through a case study of the coal discourse in Australia from 2013 to 2016, it explores how each party has attempted to undermine the other's legitimacy and to build or defend its own. It concludes that the contest for legitimacy is complex, being conducted at multiple levels (pragmatic, moral, legal, and cognitive) and before multiple audiences. For the movement to “win” the contest, it will require more than a simple rebalancing of the legitimacy scales. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Experience with Biosimilar Infliximab (Remsima®) in Norway

Background: The first monoclonal antibody biosimilar to be used in clinical practice is the tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor Remsima® (CT-P13). The drug is approved for all indications as the originator infliximab (Remicade®) although clinical efficacy has been demonstrated only in rheumatic diseases. Since the fall of 2013, Remsima® has been available in Norway and from January 2014, it has been the drug of choice when initiating biological treatment in biologics naïve patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, many gastroenterologists have been greatly concerned about the extrapolation of indication. Switching between Remsima® and the innovator product is another issue that has been discussed. Key Messages: Good efficacy, tolerability and safety were demonstrated in a prospective observational study of IBD patients with moderate to severe disease activity. After 14 weeks of treatment there was a significant reduction in the Harvey Bradshaw index in patients with Crohns disease (CD) and reduction in the partial Mayo score and simple clinical colitis activity index in patients with ulcerative colitis. In both patient groups, there was also a significant reduction in fecal calprotectin and C-reactive protein (CRP). In another observational study, IBD patients on maintenance treatment with Remicade® were switched to Remsima®. By comparing values before and after switch, no changes in activity indices, CRP or calprotectin were observed. However, a significant increase in infliximab trough levels was shown in the CD group. No unexpected adverse events occurred after switching. Conclusions: Based on our experience in Norway, Remsima® seems to be efficacious and well tolerated in IBD. The increasing use of Remsima® in clinical practice has also contributed to significant cost savings on the health budget. Results from the NOR-SWITCH study will be available during 2016 and will hopefully contribute to answer some of the important questions that have been raised following the introduction of biosimilars as a treatment option for IBD and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Overlapping Free Trade Agreements and International Trade: A Network Approach

In our work, we have analysed the effect of the hubâ€ andâ€ spoke nature of free trade agreements (FTAs) on trade. Contrary to previous analyses, we have considered the effects of the country's position in the FTA network on the bilateral trade of the hub country. We have conducted an inâ€ depth analysis of the global network of FTAs, focusing particularly on its evolution in the last 15Â years. We have utilised a panel data set covering the period 1960â€“2010 to investigate the effects of the hubâ€ andâ€ spoke on trade. Our results show that the countries that are more connected to FTAs export more than those that are less involved, although not all the partner countries you can connect with are the same. An increase in the number of spokes that have no link between them has, on average, a negative effect on the trade of the hub, which indicates that signing FTAs with every country is not the optimal strategy for increasing trade. However, if we consider the way new FTAs change the relative position of a country, we can see that if new FTAs make the country more central or less constrained in the network, these new agreements have a strongly positive and significant proâ€ trade effect.
Separation and identification of rat skeletal muscle proteins using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

Skeletal muscle plays a major role in whole body protein metabolism, and changes in the rates of synthesis and degradation of proteins are likely to lead to characteristic changes in the amounts of different proteins in muscle under various physiological and pathological conditions. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of a proteomic approach to analyzing the protein composition of skeletal muscle. We report here the initial establishment of two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐D PAGE) reference maps for mixed skeletal muscle taken from the abdominal wall of a normal adult rat. We used immobilized pH gradients of 3–10 (non‐linear) and 4–7 (linear), and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization – time of flight mass spectrometry for protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting. More than 600 protein spots were detected on each gel, of which 100 were excised and characterized. In‐gel digestion followed by peptide mass fingerprinting enabled tentative identification of 74 of these, which included a wide range of myofibrillary and sarcoplasmic proteins. This database should provide the nucleus of a valuable resource for investigation of the biochemical basis of skeletal muscle pathologies in general and such specific disorders as alcoholic myopathy and injury.
Media Coverage of Corporate Taxes

Managers express growing concern over media coverage of corporate taxes, yet no large-sample empirical study examines this phenomenon. As a first step to fill this void, we identify factors associated with the likelihood and negative tone of media tax coverage and examine firms' tax avoidance behavior following media tax coverage. We find the likelihood of media tax coverage is greater for firms with GAAP effective tax rates below the top U.S. statutory rate of 35 percent and for firms with greater visibility. The degree of negative tone is increasing in cash tax avoidance and firm size. We also find evidence of more frequent and more negative tax coverage during economic recessions. We find no evidence that firms reduce their tax avoidance following media coverage. Although our analyses are subject to limitations, our results suggest the media may not have the same influence over corporate tax policy as other external stakeholders. JEL Classifications: H25; H26; H20; M41; G39. Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the paper.
A Dual-Core FPGA-Based Embedded System Development Platform

A dual-core FPGA-based embedded system development platform named MorFPGA Duo is presented in this paper. The MorFPGA Duo platform adopts the modular design concept and is capable of a dual core employing the ARM Cortex A9, two channel SDI cameras with Full-HD resolution, versatile built-in peripherals and high expandability to satisfy users' eager needs for state-of-the-art research topics. This platform consists of two boards: The core modular board mainly includes a dual core Zynq and versatile peripherals, while the multimedia modular board supports the two-channel video sources with SDI interface to support 3D video applications. With the standardized PMOD and FMC connectors, the various kinds of daughter boards are enabled to integrate into MorFPGA Duo system. The MediaWiki online forum is adopted to deliver users the latest lab materials. The design flow and two system design examples are presented to show the MorFPGA Duo is workable. One design example introduces how the software and hardware design can be integrated and demonstrated in this platform, while the other example shows the duo SDI cameras for 3D video applications.
Antimicrobial activity of food-compatible plant extracts and chitosan against naturally occurring micro-organisms in tomato juice.

BACKGROUND Chitosan (AC) and five hydroalcoholic extracts from Lithospermum erythrorhizon (SE), Rheum palmatum (RE), Thymus vulgaris (AT), Lippia citriodora (PLX) and a mixture of Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia lavandulifolia and Thymus mastichina (LA) were tested for antimicrobial activity against bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi using two broth dilution methods. The effects of adding single extracts on naturally occurring micro-organisms and sensory qualities of raw tomato juice were also evaluated. RESULTS SE extract exhibited the strongest activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 100-400 µg mL⁻¹ for Gram-positive and 1600-3200 µg mL⁻¹ for Gram-negative bacteria. Enterobacter aerogenes showed the greatest susceptibility to AC (MIC 1600 µg mL⁻¹). Lethal effects of extracts and AC were achieved at a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/MIC ratio of 2 in 88% of assays. SE and RE extracts and AC also exhibited antifungal effect against yeasts, but they had no activity on filamentous fungi. Control and 100 mg L⁻¹ SE-added tomato juices did not differ in acceptance, but this SE concentration was not effective in the control of microbial load throughout cold storage. CONCLUSION Results confirm the antimicrobial potential of the plant extracts, but additional research is needed until the agents responsible for the activities have been determined in order to use them as natural constituents of multiple-barrier food preservation systems.
Orthogonal ray imaging with megavoltage beams: Simulated results with an anthropomorphic phantom

Orthogonal ray imaging is a new technique under investigation by our groups. It shows good potential for (1) dose verification in external beam radiotherapy and (2) very-low-dose computed tomography (CT-like) imaging. We have simulated with Geant4 the performance of four flat-panel-like perfect detectors for evaluating the capabilities of orthogonal ray imaging and portal imaging for assisting external beam therapy. The four detectors were positioned surrounding the head of the patient, three parallel and one perpendicular to the beam axis. Each detector covers an area of 185 mm × 185 mm and the simulation scores every particle seen by every detector. This allows for a second-stage investigation of optimum acceptance angles and energy thresholds, presented here. For demonstration purposes one small rectangular, sub-therapeutic beam with a front area of 20 mm × 5 mm, maximum entrance dose in the buildup region of 1.3 mGy, and tumor dose of 0.8 mGy, was shot at the region of the pituitary gland of an anthropomorphic phantom. Despite the low dose, visual inspection shows a remarkable agreement both with the predicted dose and with patient bone structures, collected with the orthogonal ray detectors. The portal imaging detector could not provide comparable information based on a single shot. In addition, seven small rectangular beamlets irradiating the region of the pituitary gland of the phantom with 4.6 mGy and simulating an intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment-like scenario were also analyzed, showing equally a visual agreement with the planed dose distribution. We finally evaluate the possibility of using rotation-free, scanned megavoltage orthogonal ray imaging (multi-slice collimation) for patient morphologic imaging. The technique provides images of high visual correlation with phantom morphology, therefore being of potential usefulness e.g. for low-dose, on-board patient imaging prior to a radiotherapy treatment, among other applications.
About the Stability of Phase Shifts Between Slow Oscillations Around 0.1 Hz in Cardiovascular and Cerebral Systems

One important feature of the baroreflex loop is its strong preference for oscillations around 0.1 Hz. In this study, we investigated heart rate intervals, arterial blood pressure (BP), and prefrontal oxyhemoglobin changes during 5 min rest and during brisk finger movements in 19 healthy subjects. We analyzed the phase coupling around 0.1 Hz between cardiovascular and (de)oxyhemoglobin oscillations, using the cross-spectral method. The analyses revealed phase shifts for slow oscillations in BP and heart rate intervals between -10° and -118° (BP always leading). These phase shifts increased significantly (p <; 0.01) in the movement session. The coupling between cardiovascular and oxyhemoglobin oscillations was less clear. Only 12 subjects demonstrated a phase coupling (COH2 ≥ 0.5) between oxyhemoglobin and BP oscillations. This may be explained by an overwhelming proportion of nonlinearity in cardiovascular and hemodynamic systems. The phase shifts between slow cardiovascular and hemodynamic oscillations are relatively stable subject-specific biometric features and could be of interest for person identification in addition to other biometric data. Slow BP-coupled oscillations in prefrontal oxyhemoglobin changes can seriously impair the detection of mentally induced hemodynamic changes in an optical brain-computer interface, a novel nonmuscular communication system.
Intracellular Acidosis Enhances the Excitability of Working Muscle

Intracellular acidification of skeletal muscles is commonly thought to contribute to muscle fatigue. However, intracellular acidosis also acts to preserve muscle excitability when muscles become depolarized, which occurs with working muscles. Here, we show that this process may be mediated by decreased chloride permeability, which enables action potentials to still be propagated along the internal network of tubules in a muscle fiber (the T system) despite muscle depolarization. These results implicate chloride ion channels in muscle function and emphasize that intracellular acidosis of muscle has protective effects during muscle fatigue.
Scatter kernel estimation with an edge-spread function method for cone-beam computed tomography imaging

The clinical applications of kilovoltage x-ray cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) have been compromised by the limited quality of CBCT images, which typically is due to a substantial scatter component in the projection data. In this paper, we describe an experimental method of deriving the scatter kernel of a CBCT imaging system. The estimated scatter kernel can be used to remove the scatter component from the CBCT projection images, thus improving the quality of the reconstructed image. The scattered radiation was approximated as depth-dependent, pencil-beam kernels, which were derived using an edge-spread function (ESF) method. The ESF geometry was achieved with a half-beam block created by a 3 mm thick lead sheet placed on a stack of slab solid-water phantoms. Measurements for ten water-equivalent thicknesses (WET) ranging from 0 cm to 41 cm were taken with (half-blocked) and without (unblocked) the lead sheet, and corresponding pencil-beam scatter kernels or point-spread functions (PSFs) were then derived without assuming any empirical trial function. The derived scatter kernels were verified with phantom studies. Scatter correction was then incorporated into the reconstruction process to improve image quality. For a 32 cm diameter cylinder phantom, the flatness of the reconstructed image was improved from 22% to 5%. When the method was applied to CBCT images for patients undergoing image-guided therapy of the pelvis and lung, the variation in selected regions of interest (ROIs) was reduced from >300 HU to <100 HU. We conclude that the scatter reduction technique utilizing the scatter kernel effectively suppresses the artifact caused by scatter in CBCT.
Ethyl 2-[3-(4-nitrobenzoyl)thioureido]benzoate

In the title compound, C17H15N3O5S, the nitro and thioureido groups are twisted by 7.2 (7) and 21.4 (2)°, respectively, from the nitrobenzene ring plane whereas the thioureido and the ethyl ester group make dihedral angles of 43.0 (1) and 18.0 (2)°, respectively, with the benzene rings to which they are attached. Intramolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding interactions are observed. In the crystal, intermolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect the molecules into chains running along the a axis.
Analysis of Common-Mode Voltage in Utility-Interactive Fuel Cell Power Conditioners

Fuel cell stacks produce a dc output with a 2:1 voltage variation from no load to full load. It is customary for a utility-scale fuel cell stack to consist of several hundreds of series-connected cells, each producing 0.6 V at full load. A power conditioner consisting of dc-dc and dc-ac converters is required for utility interface, which are operated in high frequency, employing pulsewidth-modulation control for voltage and current regulation. Due to their switch-mode nature, a common-mode voltage with respect to ground is generated. The common-mode voltage, in turn, contributes to the circulating ground current, which can interfere with the ground fault protection system. In addition, it also contributes to the neutral shift and electromagnetic interference. Moreover, the electrostatic potential to ground within the fuel cell stack needs to be limited for safe operation. This paper presents an analysis of common-mode voltage in several fuel-cell-powered converter topologies connected to the electric utility and discusses several mitigation methods suitable for utility-scale generation.