Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Orally Administered Manganese With and Without Ascorbic Acid as a Liver-Specific Contrast Agent and Bowel Marker for Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Phase I Clinical Trial Assessing Efficacy and Safety

Objectives:The objectives of this clinical trial of orally administered manganese in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver were to assess signal enhancements in the liver with and without the addition of an uptake promoter, ascorbic acid, and to evaluate acute safety. Materials and Methods:A total of 18 healthy adult males were enrolled in the present trial. Contrast medium: MnCl2, doses: 25, 50, and 100 &mgr;moL/kg bw, respectively, and promoting agent: Ascorbic acid, doses: 50, 100, and 200 &mgr;moL/kg bw, respectively, were used. All imaging was performed on a 1.5 T clinical MRI system. Three pulse-sequences in the abdomen were used: (1) T1-weighted axial gradient-echo (GRE), (2) T1-weighted coronal gradient-echo, and (3) T1-weighted axial spin-echo (SE). Time-points for imaging were precontrast, 1 hour, 2.5, 4, 6, 9, and 24 hours after MnCl2 intake. Safety parameters assessed were clinical examinations and vital signs, including heart rate and blood pressure. Hematology and clinical chemistry were assessed with standard laboratory procedures. Results:All pulse-sequences showed a clear dose-response in liver-enhancement. Temporally, high enhancements in the liver were seen between 2.5 and 6 hours after MnCl2 intake. At the manganese dose 50-&mgr;moL/kg bw, with ascorbic acid and at the dose 100-&mgr;moL/kg bw, both with and without ascorbic acid, the hepatic enhancements were higher than 100% with the GRE pulse-sequence. The promoting effect of ascorbic acid was significant at a manganese-dose of 100-&mgr;moL/kg bw. The contrast media distributed well in the small intestine, delineating intra-abdominal organs well. No serious or unexpected adverse events were encountered. The drug was generally well tolerated, except for minor gastrointestinal adverse events. No significant alteration in hematology or clinical chemistry was seen. Conclusions:Oral manganese is easy to use, and has few side effects. Besides the liver-specific effect, an additional benefit is the delineation of the intestine.
A Multiwavelength Study of Three Solar Flares

In this paper we seek a self-consistent model for three strong limb flares observed at 17 and 34 GHz by the Nobeyama radioheliograph and also in soft X-rays and hard X-rays by the Yohkoh SXT (Soft X-Ray Telescope) and HXT (Hard X-Ray Telescope) instruments. Additional radio spectral data were provided by the Nobeyama polarimeter. The flare geometry is simple, with one well-defined flaring loop in each event. The 17 and 34 GHz emissions are optically thin gyrosynchrotron radiation from energetic electrons that outlines the flaring loops and peaks close to the loop tops. We infer that the variation of magnetic field along the loops is very small. We try to reproduce the observed radio morphologies and fluxes using a model gyrosynchrotron loop. The results of our modeling rely on the model magnetic field geometry that we choose. Although the exact loop geometry cannot be constrained from a two-dimensional snapshot, we choose for simplicity a line-dipole magnetic field, and the model field lines are circular. The SXT/HXT images are used to provide the physical parameters of the model loops. The high-frequency polarimeter data give the energy spectral index of the radio-emitting electrons. We could not reconcile the observed radio morphologies and fluxes using classic dipole magnetic field models. The best-fit model that uses the same input parameters for both frequencies and partly reconciles the observed 17 and 34 GHz morphologies and fluxes is produced when we invoke a magnetic field with constant strength along the model loop. These model loops have uniform thickness. The derived densities of the radio-emitting electrons are (1-6) × 104 cm-3 with energy limits between 60 and 5000 keV. These models are the best fits we can get under the best assumptions we can justify, but they do not in fact match the radio morphologies very well; their problems and limitations are discussed.
Strategy implementation in obsessive–compulsive disorder and trichotillomania

Background. The use of strategies to aid performance when undertaking neuropsychological tasks is dependent on intact fronto-striatal circuitry, and growing evidence suggests impaired spontaneous use of strategies in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, studies to date have not examined the effects of strategy training on task performance in OCD or in trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling, a condition that has been argued to share overlap with OCD in terms of phenomenology and co-morbidity). Method. The ability to generate novel visuospatial sequences using a computer interface was examined before and after undertaking optimal strategy training in 20 OCD patients, 17 trichotillomania patients, and 20 controls (matched for age, education, and IQ). Results. OCD patients failed to improve ability to generate novel sequences above baseline despite successfully completing strategy training to the same extent as other groups. In contrast, performance of trichotillomania patients improved significantly after training to the same extent as controls. Groups did not differ on memory span, trial-by-trial action monitoring, or ability to generate novel visuospatial sequences prior to strategy training. Conclusions. Strategy implementation deficits, suggestive of cognitive inflexibility and fronto-striatal dysfunction, appear integral to the neurocognitive profile of OCD but not trichotillomania. Future research should investigate cognitive flexibility in obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders using a variety of paradigms, and clarify the contribution of specific neural structures and transmitter systems to deficits reported.
Sometimes when we touch: how arm embodiments change reaching and collaboration on digital tables

In tabletop work with direct input, people avoid crossing each others' arms. This natural touch avoidance has important consequences for coordination: for example, people rarely grab the same item simultaneously, and negotiate access to the workspace via turn-taking. At digital tables, however, some situations require the use of indirect input (e.g., large tables or remote participants), and in these cases, people are often represented with virtual arm embodiments. There is little information about what happens to coordination and reaching when we move from physical to digital arm embodiments. To gather this information, we carried out a controlled study of tabletop behaviour with different embodiments. We found dramatic differences in moving to a digital embodiment: people touch and cross with virtual arms far more than they do with real arms, which removes a natural coordination mechanism in tabletop work. We also show that increasing the visual realism of the embodiment does not change behaviour, but that changing the thickness has a minor effect. Our study identifies important design principles for virtual embodiments in tabletop groupware, and adds to our understanding of embodied interaction in small groups.
An RND-type multidrug efflux pump SdeXY from Serratia marcescens.

OBJECTIVES Serratia marcescens, an important cause of nosocomial infections, shows intrinsic resistance to a wide variety of antimicrobial agents (multidrug resistance). Multidrug efflux pumps are often involved in the multidrug resistance in many bacteria. A study was undertaken to characterize the multidrug efflux pumps in S. marcescens. METHODS The genes responsible for the multidrug resistance phenotype in S. marcescens were cloned into Escherichia coli KAM32, a drug-hypersusceptible strain, for further analysis. RESULTS We cloned sdeXY genes and determined the nucleotide sequence. Clones that carried the sdeXY genes displayed reduced susceptibility to several antimicrobial agents including erythromycin, tetracycline, norfloxacin, benzalkonium chloride, ethidium bromide, acriflavine and rhodamine 6G. A protein similarity search using GenBank revealed that SdeY is a member of the resistance nodulation cell-division (RND) family of multidrug efflux proteins and SdeX is a member of the membrane fusion proteins. Introduction of sdeXY into E. coli cells possessing tolC, but not in cells lacking tolC, resulted in multidrug resistance. We observed energy-dependent ethidium efflux in cells of E. coli KAM32 possessing sdeXY and tolC. CONCLUSIONS SdeXY is the first RND-type multidrug efflux pump to be characterized in multidrug-resistant S. marcescens.
Analysis of Information Content for Biological Sequences

Decomposing a biological sequence into modular domains is a basic prerequisite to identify functional units in biological molecules. The commonly used segmentation procedures usually have two steps. First, collect and align a set of sequences that are homologous to the target sequence. Then, parse this multiple alignment into several blocks and identify the functionally important ones by using a semi-automatic method, which combines manual analysis and expert knowledge. In this paper, we present a novel exploratory approach to parsing and analyzing such kinds of multiple alignments. It is based on a type of analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) decomposition of the sequence information content. Unlike the traditional change-point method, this approach takes into account not only the composition biases but also the overdispersion effects among the blocks. The new approach is tested on the families of ribosomal proteins and has a promising performance. It is shown that the new approach provides a better way for judging some important residues in these proteins. This allows one to find some subsets of residues, which are critical to these proteins.
Effects of p16 gene on biological behaviours in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

AIM To investigate the effects of p16 gene on biological behaviours in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. METHODS HCC cell lines SNU-449 and HepG2.2. 15 were infected respectively by a replication defective, recombinant retrovirus capable of producing a high level of p16 protein expression (pCLXSN-p16). G418 resistant stable P16 protein expression cell lines were selected. And the biological behaviours of the p16 gene transfected HCC cells were observed. RESULTS Initial in vitro experiments in HCC cell line SNU-449 with loss of p16 protein expression demonstrated the pCLXSN-p16 treatment significantly inhibited cell growth. But there was no treatment effect when the pCLXSN-p16 was used in another HCC cell line HepG2.2. 15 which has positive p16 protein expression. Subsequent study in a nude mouse model demonstrated that the p16 gene transfected SNU-449 had a lower succeeding rate in the first time establishment of tumors and grew more slowly in the nude mice when compared with non-transfected SNU-449. Moreover, the nude mice inoculated with transfected SNU-449 had a longer surviving time than those inoculated with non-transfected SNU-449. CONCLUSION Our results show that the p16INK4a gene transfer can inhibit the proliferation and reduce the invasion ability of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Organizational culture : Critical questions for researchers and practitioners

Organizational culture is a complex field. Diverse approaches have been developed in the past, without giving a definitive answer to some crucial aspects. Rather than trying to finalize the discussion, the authors indicate which are the critical questions that every researcher and practitioner should clarify. The questions are: Is organizational culture the right concept for the research or consultancy project? ; Which definition or approach of organizational culture will be used? ; Which are the dimensions and domains of organizational culture? ; Which cultures are intended to be studied: national? organizational? departmental? or professional? ; Which is the appropriate research method? ; At which level should the data gathered be analysed? ; Which is the ideal culture for an organization?
minCEntropy: A Novel Information Theoretic Approach for the Generation of Alternative Clusterings

Traditional clustering has focused on creating a single good clustering solution, while modern, high dimensional data can often be interpreted, and hence clustered, in different ways. Alternative clustering aims at creating multiple clustering solutions that are both of high quality and distinctive from each other. Methods for alternative clustering can be divided into objective-function-oriented and data-transformation-oriented approaches. This paper presents a novel information theoretic-based, objective-function-oriented approach to generate alternative clusterings, in either an unsupervised or semi-supervised manner. We employ the conditional entropy measure for quantifying both clustering quality and distinctiveness, resulting in an analytically consistent combined criterion. Our approach employs a computationally efficient nonparametric entropy estimator, which does not impose any assumption on the probability distributions. We propose a partitional clustering algorithm, named minCEntropy, to concurrently optimize both clustering quality and distinctiveness. minCEntropy requires setting only some rather intuitive parameters, and performs competitively with existing methods for alternative clustering.
Postoperative Aspirin Use is Associated with Delayed Progression of Radiographic Healing in Tibial Fractures Treated with Internal Fixation

3 Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA The clinical role of prostaglandins in fracture healing has yet to be fully elucidated. Data from animal models have shown that some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) inhibit fracture healing. However, a clear clinical association between prostaglandin inhibition and delayed fracture healing has not been established. Specifically, the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on fracture healing are unknown. The goal of our study was to test the relationship between postoperative ASA use and progression of radiographic healing of tibial fractures acutely treated with internal fixation. Thirty-five radiographs of consecutive tibial shaft fractures (OTA/AO 42) treated with intramedullary fixation were prospectively reviewed and graded for healing. Least square regression modeling was used to assess if an effect of postoperative ASA use on radiographic healing grade over time was present. Patients with and without ASA treatment had similar demographic and injury parameters. Our data show that ASA treatment had a statistically significant effect on fracture healing that decreased radiographic callus formation when compared to patients not receiving ASA postoperatively. Progression of time increased radiographic grade. Age was not associated with healing progression. Our data suggest postoperative administration of ASA delays progression of radiographic fracture healing in tibial fractures treated with intramedullary fixation. This data supports the notion that prostaglandin inhibition may have a negative effect on proper bony healing. Our results stress the importance of further study regarding the role of prostaglandin inhibition on clinical fracture healing.
Co-Evolution in an Institutionalized Environment

This paper examines the extent to which co-evolution can take place within a heavily constrained environment and how changes in the degree of institutionalization are relevant to opportunities for exercising strategic choice at the level of the firm. It addresses these questions through a detailed case study of a major Brazilian telecommunications company, Telemig, covering its life span of 27 years from 1973 to 2000. The insights obtained advance the theory of co-evolution by incorporating a political dimension of how organizations are transformed into new forms. In the case studied, new forms arose with radical changes in the rules affecting competition and with de-institutionalization of the economic regime by coalitions of actors who were strategically located in networks that crossed system levels. Although the Telemig case presents circumstances different to those usually addressed by studies of co-evolution, it nevertheless points to the virtues of combining a strategic choice approach with one that focuses on the isomorphic effects of institutional constraints.
Context and Identity Formation

This article examines the possible implications of reintegrating the concept of context into identity theory. Through the analysis of a case study of one individual attempting to form an identity within the larger juxtaposed sociocultural contexts of premodernity, modernity, and postmodernity, the article demonstrates how diversity of sociocultural context is reflected not only in identity content but also in identity structure, suggesting multiple diverse identity structures and developmental trajectories. Erikson’s concept of identity configuration is reintroduced as a concept that can deal with the diversity and dynamics of the identity of the individual-in-context. The article claims that identity development should be redefined as the configuration of identity elements in a goal-oriented structure negotiated and co-constructed within context.
The Impact of Large‐Scale Collective Action on Latino Perceptions of Commonality and Competition with African Americans

Author(s): Jones-Correa, M; Wallace, SJ; Zepeda-Millan, C | Abstract: © 2016 Southwestern Social Science Association. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of protests on Latinos' perceptions of commonality and competition with African Americans. We hypothesize that the reinforcement and politicization of in-group identities leads to greater identification and sense of commonality with other marginalized racial/ethnic groups. Methods: This study utilizes geocoded Latino National Survey data combined with an expanded protest event data set to estimate the effect of temporal and spatial proximity to immigrant rights protests on Latinos' perceptions of commonality and competition with African Americans using ordered logistic regression models. Results: The findings suggest that respondents' proximity to marches had a positive impact on Latino perceptions of commonality with African Americans. The results also show that proximity to protests did not lead to an increase in feelings of competition with African Americans except in the case of electoral representation. Conclusions: Examining temporal and spatial effects of protests improves our understanding of how protests can influence public opinion and how protests can influence identities and group relations.
A randomized multifactorial intervention study for prevention of ischaemic heart disease (Inter99): The long-term effect on physical activity

Aim: To examine the effect of a randomized multiple risk factor intervention study for prevention of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) on the development in physical activity over a 36-month period. Methods: Two random samples (high intensity intervention, group A, n=11,708; low intensity intervention, group B, n=1,308) were invited for a health examination, an assessment of absolute risk of developing IHD, and an individualized lifestyle intervention. The participation rate was 52.5%. High-risk persons in group A were also offered diet/physical activity and/or smoking cessation group counselling. High-risk persons in group B were referred to their GP. High-risk persons were re-counselled after 12 and 36 months. The control group (group C, n=5,264, response rate=61.3%) answered a mailed questionnaire. Data were analysed using longitudinal linear regression models with random effects. Main outcome: Change in physical activity from baseline to 12-and 36-month follow-up. Results: In men, the high-intensity (group A) intervention had a beneficial effect at 12-month follow-up, whereas after 36 months both the high-intensity and the low-intensity (group B) intervention had a beneficial effect on the development in physical activity when compared with group C. This was regardless of baseline physical activity level. At 36-month follow-up there was no significant difference between groups A and B. There was no intervention effect among women. Conclusions: Only men seemed to benefit from the intervention.
Visual Sentiment Analysis for Review Images with Item-Oriented and User-Oriented CNN

Online reviews are prevalent. When recounting their experience with a product, service, or venue, in addition to textual narration, a reviewer frequently includes images as photographic record. While textual sentiment analysis has been widely studied, in this paper we are interested in visual sentiment analysis to infer whether a given image included as part of a review expresses the overall positive or negative sentiment of that review. Visual sentiment analysis can be formulated as image classification using deep learning methods such as Convolutional Neural Networks or CNN. However, we observe that the sentiment captured within an image may be affected by three factors: image factor, user factor, and item factor. Essentially, only the first factor had been taken into account by previous works on visual sentiment analysis. We develop item-oriented and user-oriented CNN that we hypothesize would better capture the interaction of image features with specific expressions of users or items. Experiments on images from restaurant reviews show these to be more effective at classifying the sentiments of review images.
Effect of olive oil and an olive-oil-containing fluoridated mouthrinse on enamel and dentin erosion in vitro

Objective. The study aimed to analyse the impact of olive oil and an olive-oil-containing fluoridated mouthrinse on enamel and dentin erosion. Material and Methods. Bovine enamel and dentin specimens were submitted to 10 alternating demineralization and remineralization cycles each consisting of 5 min pretreatment with the test solutions, i.e. distilled water as negative control, 100% olive oil, 2% olive oil emulsion, 2% olive-oil-containing mouthrinse (Xerostom®), acidic 13.2 mmol·l−1 (250 ppm) fluoride solution as positive control, storage in artificial saliva (30 min), demineralization in citric acid (3 min, pH 2.3) and again storage in artificial saliva (60 min). Each group contained 10 enamel and dentin samples. Enamel and dentin loss was analyzed by profilometry after 10 cycles. Results. Treatment with 100% olive oil was not effective in reducing enamel and dentin loss. Application of 2% olive oil or the olive-oil-containing mouthrinse also showed protection against erosion, but to a lesser degree compared to the positive control. Conclusion. Olive oil offered protection against enamel and dentin erosion when applied as 2% emulsion or 2% olive-oil-containing mouthrinse, but is not effective when applied as pure oil (100%). However, 2% olive oil emulsion is less effective in reducing erosion compared to the acidic 13.2 mol·l−1 fluoride solution.
Incremental multi-robot task selection for resource constrained and interrelated tasks

When the tasks of a mission are interrelated and subject to several resource constraints, more efforts are needed to coordinate robots towards achieving the mission than independent tasks. In this work, we formulate the Coordinated Task Selection Problem (CTSP) to form the basis of an efficient dynamic task selection scheme for allocation of interrelated tasks of a complex mission to the members of a multi-robot team. Since processing times of tasks are not exactly known in advance, the incremental task selection scheme for the eligible tasks prevents redundant efforts as, instead of scheduling all of the tasks, they are allocated to robots as needed. This approach results in globally efficient solutions through mechanisms that form priority based rough schedules and select the most suitable tasks from these schedules. Since our method is targeted at real world task execution, communication requirements are kept limited. Empirical evaluations of the proposed approach are performed on the Webots simulator and the real robots. The results validate that the proposed approach is scalable, efficient and suitable to the real world safe mission achievement.