Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Otopathology in Congenital Toxoplasmosis

Objective To describe the temporal bone histopathology in children with congenital toxoplasmosis. Background Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. If fetal infection occurs early in gestation, severe inflammation and necrosis can cause brain lesions, chorioretinitis, and hearing loss. Hearing loss in congenital toxoplasmosis may be preventable with early diagnosis and treatment. Materials and Methods The temporal bones of 9 subjects with congenital toxoplasmosis were removed at autopsy and studied under light microscopy. Cytocochleograms were constructed for hair cells, the stria vascularis, and cochlear neuronal cells. Results Three (33%) of 9 subjects were found to have parasites in the temporal bone. The organism was identified in the internal auditory canal, the spiral ligament, stria vascularis, and saccular macula. The cystic form of the parasite was not associated with the inflammatory response seen in the active tachyzoite form. Conclusion We infer that the hearing loss of toxoplasmosis is likely the result of a postnatal inflammatory response to the tachyzoite form of T. gondii. Our findings have implications for the early identification and management of Toxoplasmosis.
Can self-managed systems be trusted? Some views and trends

Self-managing or autonomic computing is a highly emerging field having been championed by industry and academia alike. Essentially the management of the system is being handed to the system itself, therefore the issue of trust in terms of the decisions the system makes regarding itself, is of paramount interest. This paper considers four aspects of trust in self-adaptive computing systems with the aim to identify trends and pinpoint areas that require more investigation.
The service quality analysis of public transportation system using PZB model — Dynamic bus information system

To enhance transport efficiency and service quality, a lot of countries are actively promoting Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) on public transportation today. The transport efficiency and service quality that people concern mostly are less waiting time and the reliability of the system. Dynamic bus information system is one kind of more efficiency transportation service of intelligent transportation system. Therefore the valuation of dynamic bus information system on public transportation becomes an important issue. This study builds a theoretical framework to create a survey and perform a practical investigation among users of the dynamic bus information system of Taiwan. It is an interesting finding that the dissatisfied problem tends to be a not familiar phenomenon for user.
MPC Validation and Aggregation of Unit Vectors

When dealing with privatized data, it is important to be able to protect against malformed user inputs. This becomes difficult in MPC systems as each server should not contain enough information to know what values any user has submitted. In this paper, we implement an MPC technique to verify blinded user inputs are unit vectors. In addition, we introduce a BGW circuit which can securely aggregate the blinded inputs while only releasing the result when it is above a public threshold. These distributed techniques take as input a unit vector. While this initially seems limiting compared to real number input, it is quite powerful for cases such as selecting from a list of options, indicating a location from a set of possibilities, or any system which uses one-hot encoding.
Multiple health risk behaviours and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among university students from 22 countries

The goal of the study was to investigate multiple health risk behaviours in relation to PTSD symptoms in a sample of university students from 22 countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 16804 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.8, SD = 2.8) from 23 universities in 22 countries in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and South America. Results indicate that overall, 20.9% of the university students screened positive for PTSD, and the overall mean of health risk behaviours (range from 1–10) was 2.7 for university students from all countries. Logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and social support found that each of the ten individual health risk behaviours was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. In addition, logistic regression with multiple health risk behaviours found a steady increase from 1 (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.37, CI 1.05–1.77) to 5 or more (OR: 3.57, CI 2.75–4.64) health risk behaviours in association with PTSD symptoms, adjusted for age, gender, economic family background and social support.
EASI made Easier

Lewbel and Pendakur (2008) develop the idea of implicit Marshallian demands. Implicit Marshallian demand systems allow the incorporation of both unobserved preference heterogeneity and complex Engel curves into consumer demand analysis, circumventing the standard problems associated with combining rationality with either (or both) unobserved heterogeneity and high rank in demand. They also develop the Exact A¢ ne Stone Index (EASI) implicit Marshallian demand system wherein much of the demand system is linearised and thus relatively easy to implement and estimate. The current paper o¤ers a less technical introduction to implicit Marshallian demands in general and to the EASI demand system in particular. I show how to implement the EASI demand system, paying special attention to tricks which allow the investigator to further simplify the problem without sacri cing too much in terms of model exibility. STATA code to implement the simpli ed models is included throughout the text and in an appendix.
Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories

Two multi-instrument investigations in a university clinic/lab provided an opportunity to explore the impact of reducing the number of response alternatives in a scale measuring vocational personality traits. In a simulation study, a standard computer-based administration provided a numeric scale for each item ranging from 0 to 10. The tests were then rescored to simulate the effect of only three choices. For the follow-up study, two versions of the scale were created, one with two response options and the other with six response options, and were randomly assigned to participants. Typical relationships were evident between the vocational personality traits and scores on standard measures of core personality traits with negligible impact from reducing the number of response alternatives. Neither the ability of the participants nor the self-reported distress had a measurable impact on the utility of the results with the reduction in response alternatives.
Automatic Table Recognition and Extraction from Heterogeneous Documents

This paper examines automatic recognition and extraction of tables from a large collection of het-erogeneous documents. The heterogeneous documents are initially pre-processed and converted to HTML codes, after which an algorithm recognises the table portion of the documents. Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is then applied to the HTML code in order to extract the tables. The model was trained and tested with five hundred and twenty six self-generated tables (three hundred and twenty-one (321) tables for training and two hundred and five (205) tables for testing). Viterbi algorithm was implemented for the testing part. The system was evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and f-measure. The overall evaluation results show 88.8% accuracy, 96.8% precision, 91.7% recall and 88.8% F-measure revealing that the method is good at solving the problem of table extraction.
Indirect evidence for substantial damping of low-mode internal tides in the open ocean

A global high-resolution ocean circulation model forced by atmospheric fields and the M2 tidal constituent is used to explore plausible scenarios for the damping of low-mode internal tides. The plausibility of different damping scenarios is tested by comparing the modeled barotropic tides with TPXO8, a highly accurate satellite-altimetry-constrained tide model, and by comparing the modeled coherent baroclinic tide amplitudes against along-track altimetry. Five scenarios are tested: (1) a topographic internal wave drag, argued here to represent the breaking of unresolved high vertical modes, applied to the bottom flow (default configuration), (2) a wave drag applied to the barotropic flow, (3) absence of wave drag, (4) a substantial increase in quadratic bottom friction along the continental shelves (with wave drag turned off), and (5) application of wave drag to the barotropic flow at the same time that quadratic bottom friction is substantially increased along the shelves. Of the scenarios tested here, the default configuration (1) yields the most accurate tides. In all other scenarios (2–5), the lack of damping on open ocean baroclinic motions yields baroclinic tides that are too energetic and travel too far from their sources, despite the presence of a vigorous mesoscale eddy field which can scatter and decohere internal tides in the model. The barotropic tides are also less accurate in the absence of an open ocean damping on barotropic motions, that is, in scenarios (3) and (4). The results presented here suggest that low-mode internal tides experience substantial damping in the open ocean.
Fully automatic identification and discrimination of sperm's parts in microscopic images of stained human semen smear

In the last years, digital image processing and analysis are used for computer assisted evaluation of semen quality with therapeutic goals or to estimate its fertility by means of spermatozoid motility and morphology. Sperm morphology is assessed routinely as part of standard laboratory analysis in the diagnosis of human male infertility. Nowadays assessments of sperm morphology are mostly done based on subjective criteria. In order to avoid subjectivity, numerous studies that incorporate image analysis techniques in the assessment of sperm morphology have been proposed. The primary step of all these methods is segmentation of sperm’s parts. In this paper, we have proposed a new method for segmentation of sperm’s Acrosome, Nucleus, Mid-piece and identification of sperm’s tail through some points which are placed on the sperm’s tail, accurately. These estimated points could be used to verify the morphological characteristics of sperm’s tail such as length, shape and etc. At first, sperm’s Acrosome, Nucleus and Mid-piece are segmented through a method based on a Bayesian classifier which utilizes the entropy based expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm and Markov random field (MRF) model to obtain and upgrade the class conditional probability density function (CCPDF) and the apriori probability of each class. Then, a pixel at the end of sperm’s Mid-piece, is selected as an initial point. To find other pixels which are placed on the sperm’s tail, structural similarity index (SSIM) is used in an iterative scheme. In order to stop the algorithm automatically at the end of sperm’s tail, local entropy is estimated and used as a feature to determine if a point is located on the sperm’s tail or not. To compare the performance of the proposed approach with those of previous approaches including manual segmentation, the Accuracy, Sensitivity and Specificity were calculated.
Adverse changes in tendon–muscle physiology and physical function caused by an isolated acute rheumatoid knee effusion: A case study

Introduction Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have reduced muscle mass, probably due to the catabolic effects of systemic inflammation and disuse (1). This loss leads to reduced strength and physical function (1,2). In addition, the presence of effusion in the knee joint results in reflex inhibition of the quadriceps as demonstrated by reduced electromyogram (EMG) activity and diminished strength (3,4). The wider characteristics of the tendon–muscle complex have not been investigated in acute RA or in joint effusions of other etiologies. In exercise science, electrophysiologic methods are used to investigate tendon– muscle properties in healthy populations. These include assessments of muscle-specific force (force/cross-sectional area), architecture (fiber fascicle length and pennation angle), voluntary activation capacity, contractile properties, and tendon stiffness. Application of these techniques in aging and disuse has demonstrated adverse changes in tendon and muscle properties that result in impaired function but respond well to exercise training (5,6). We have previously applied these methods in patients with well-controlled RA and found that tendon stiffness was reduced (Matschke V et al: unpublished observations), while muscle quality (specific force, voluntary activation capacity, contractile properties) was unaffected (7,8). To our knowledge, these electrophysiologic methods have not been applied in acute RA, probably due to difficulties arising from confounding factors such as pain, fatigue, and the acute effects of inflammation in other joints.
Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy (LSFM)

The development of confocal microscopy techniques introduced the ability to optically section fluorescent samples in the axial dimension, perpendicular to the image plane. These approaches, via the placement of a pinhole in the conjugate image plane, provided superior resolution in the axial (z) dimension resulting in nearly isotropic optical sections. However, increased axial resolution, via pinhole optics, comes at the cost of both speed and excitation efficiency. Light sheet fluorescent microscopy (LSFM), a century‐old idea made possible with modern developments in both excitation and detection optics, provides sub‐cellular resolution and optical sectioning capabilities without compromising speed or excitation efficiency. Over the past decade, several variations of LSFM have been implemented each with its own benefits and deficiencies. Here we discuss LSFM fundamentals and outline the basic principles of several major light‐sheet‐based imaging modalities (SPIM, inverted SPIM, multi‐view SPIM, Bessel beam SPIM, and stimulated emission depletion SPIM) while considering their biological relevance in terms of intrusiveness, temporal resolution, and sample requirements. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fast linear registration of 3D objects segmented from medical images

In this paper a linear registration framework is used for medical image registration using segmented binary objects. The method is best suited for problems where the segmentation is available, but we also propose a general bone segmentation approach for CT images. We focus on the case when the objects to be registered differ considerably because of segmentation errors. We check the applicability of the method to bone segmentation of pelvic and thoracic CT images. Comparison is also made against a classical mutual information-based registration method.
The relationship between workplace ostracism and information exchange

Purpose – The detrimental effect of workplace ostracism on core employee and organizational outcomes has received increasing attention. However, very little is known about its impact on group-related outcomes. Given that workplace relationships play a salient role in enhancing employee willingness to share information and knowledge, the purpose of this paper is to examine the link between workplace ostracism and information exchange. In doing so, the authors also highlight the mediating role of a novel construct, namely, self-serving behavior. Design/methodology/approach – To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted two studies using both a scenario paradigm (54 students) and a field study (172 working adults). Findings – Results indicated that self-serving behavior fully mediates the effect of workplace ostracism on employee information exchange. Research limitations/implications – Both studies have limitations that need to be considered. The scenario paradigm lacks realism whereas the cross-sectional .
Citizenship Education Reconsidered in the Era of Democratic Transition

This article suggests that citizenship education is essential to establish a culture of democratic practices and national commitment in Tunisia. The growing demands for and debates about democratisation and political participation from the mass citizenry, along with an increased pressure from civil society, go beyond the legalistic definition of ‘citizenship’ to encompass the more multidimensional meanings of the concept - justice, belonging, tolerance and intercultural understanding. Teaching democratic citizenship can serve as the touchstone to guarantee social harmony, civic engagement, democratic practices and a mentality of difference/tolerance inside and outside classrooms. This article makes the case that the (re)mapping of democratic citizenship in the higher education curriculum is a good paradigm to destabilise the risks of counter-revolution, religious extremism and political propaganda, which have marked the democratic transition of Tunisian society.
Parallel visualization on large clusters using MapReduce

Large-scale visualization systems are typically designed to efficiently “push” datasets through the graphics hardware. However, exploratory visualization systems are increasingly expected to support scalable data manipulation, restructuring, and querying capabilities in addition to core visualization algorithms. We posit that new emerging abstractions for parallel data processing, in particular computing clouds, can be leveraged to support large-scale data exploration through visualization. In this paper, we take a first step in evaluating the suitability of the MapReduce framework to implement large-scale visualization techniques. MapReduce is a lightweight, scalable, general-purpose parallel data processing framework increasingly popular in the context of cloud computing. Specifically, we implement and evaluate a representative suite of visualization tasks (mesh rendering, isosurface extraction, and mesh simplification) as MapReduce programs, and report quantitative performance results applying these algorithms to realistic datasets. For example, we perform isosurface extraction of up to l6 isovalues for volumes composed of 27 billion voxels, simplification of meshes with 30GBs of data and subsequent rendering with image resolutions up to 800002 pixels. Our results indicate that the parallel scalability, ease of use, ease of access to computing resources, and fault-tolerance of MapReduce offer a promising foundation for a combined data manipulation and data visualization system deployed in a public cloud or a local commodity cluster.
Structural change, employment and education in Ghana

The working paper Women business training programme in Kenya: Impact of incentives explores the issue of how to increase the take-up of ILO business training in Kenya, the Gender and Enterprise Together (GET) Ahead training programme. The researchers test three different types of invitations to the training, offering the participants different choices of accepting or declining participation.
Career Intentions of Pharmacy Students

Objectives In light of pharmacy workforce shortages in Great Britain, the profession's regulatory body commissioned a programme of longitudinal work to explore pharmacy career decisionmaking in relation to influences on career choice and intended career paths. Our objective was to gather data on career intentions that could be used to produce robust predictions about pharmacist supply. Methods Two annual surveys conducted with the same cohort of pharmacy students in 2005 and 2006. The questionnaires sought to clarify influences on respondents’ career intentions and their early career plans. Results Only two-thirds of respondents intended going straight into British pharmacy practice after training, with fewer white men (57%) than ethnic minority men (71%) intending to go straight into practice. Preferences for early careers reflected existing occupational segregation, with 41% of white females hoping to work in hospital pharmacy and a similar proportion of ethnic minority men (40%) hoping to work for a large multiple community pharmacy after training. Conclusions A sizeable proportion of pharmacy students do not intend entering the profession for which they have trained, a proportion which is much larger than estimated by other studies. This has significant implications for workforce planning. Existing gender and ethnic segregation in the profession may have occurred as a result of personal choice rather than being a function of constraints operating within the pharmacy labour market.
Sulforaphane destabilizes the androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells by inactivating histone deacetylase 6

High consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer in epidemiological studies. There is preliminary evidence that sulforaphane, derived from glucoraphanin found in a number of crucifers, may prevent and induce regression of prostate cancer and other malignancies in preclinical models, but the mechanisms that may explain these effects are not fully defined. Recent reports show that sulforaphane may impair prostate cancer growth through inhibition of histone deacetylases, which are up-regulated in cancer. Indeed, one of these enzymes, histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), influences the acetylation state of a key androgen receptor (AR) chaperone, HSP90. AR is the central signaling pathway in prostate cancer, and its inhibition is used for both prevention and treatment of this disease. However, it is not known whether the effects of sulforaphane involve suppression of AR. We hypothesized that sulforaphane treatment would lead to hyperacetylation of HSP90 and that this would destabilize AR and attenuate AR signaling. We confirmed this by demonstrating that sulforaphane enhances HSP90 acetylation, thereby inhibiting its association with AR. Moreover, AR is subsequently degraded in the proteasome, which leads to reduced AR target gene expression and reduced AR occupancy at its target genes. Finally, sulforaphane inhibits HDAC6 deacetylase activity, and the effects of sulforaphane on AR protein are abrogated by overexpression of HDAC6 and mimicked by HDAC6 siRNA. The inactivation by sulforaphane of HDAC6-mediated HSP90 deacetylation and consequent attenuation of AR signaling represents a newly defined mechanism that may help explain this agent's effects in prostate cancer.
An investigation into variability in microvascular skin blood flow and the responses to transdermal delivery of acetylcholine at different sites in the forearm and hand.

AIMS Transdermal iontophoresis in combination with laser Doppler fluxmetry (LDF) are useful techniques for examining dermal microcirculatory responses to different vasodilators. Differences in skin and microcirculation structure could influence the recorded baseline flux, and the observed vasodilatation. To examine this we compared baseline flux and the response of microvascular blood flow to a single vasodilator, acetylcholine, at sites in the forearm and hand. METHODS Baseline microcirculation flow was recorded by LDF in a temperature controlled laboratory. The change in flux with iontophoresis of identical doses of acetylcholine, 150 microA for 40 s, was recorded at 12 different sites in the forearm and hand in 10 female and 3 male subjects. RESULTS Baseline flux patterns and the vasodilatation to identical periods of iontophoresis of acetylcholine were site dependent. Palmar sites showed a higher baseline flux, but no vasodilatation to iontophoresis of acetylcholine. In contrast the volar forearm, dorsal hand and finger sites showed lower site-dependent baseline flux, but did vasodilate. CONCLUSIONS Patterns of baseline flux are specific to sites on the hand and forearm reflecting differences in underlying microvascular structure. The vasodilatation to transdermal delivery of acetylcholine is also site dependent, but differences in skin structure may be more important than the underlying microvasculature in determining the response.