Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different neural response in human ventral visual cortex for the face and house in a wide visual field

The present study examined the coding of retinal eccentricity spatial position in object selective cortex. Using a wide-view (about 120°) visual presentation system developed for vision research and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the subject were presented with face and house, which were centrally located along the horizontal and vertical meridian in 4 level of eccentricity degree. We investigated the BLOD response to stimuli in two regions in the ventral visual cortex, the fusiform face area (FFA), and the parahippocampal place area (PPA). The analysis further revealed the weaker BLOD response in the bigger eccentricity in both the FFA and PPA areas. Moreover, the FFA had much bigger neural activation than the PPA. However, the ratio relative to central position had no difference between face and house. Regions of the FFA had bigger neural response, and associated with central representation, compared to PPA had smaller neural response, and associated with more peripheral representation. These results suggested the neural response character in ventral visual areas influenced by inherent difference between face and house, and little by the eccentricity.
Students’ Career Aspirations towards Entrepreneurial and Managerial Jobs: A Comparative Study in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia

In conditions of significant high youth unemployment rates in the transition countries of Southeast Europe, the subject of special interest of public administration and the academic community is researching the connection between stimulating entrepreneurial activity and launching independent entrepreneurial ventures and self-employment. Also, the subjectof research interest is factors influencing the entrepreneurial affinities andintentions of youth, who are finishing the process of formal education andtrying to get involved in the world of work, either as employees or employers.The subject research was conducted on a purposive (deliberate)sample of 448 respondents in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) andSerbia, collected through online questionnaire, with the aim of comparingcareer aspirations of youth towards entrepreneurial and managerial jobs.The research is an extension of the interest of the academic community,complements the previous intense research from the region of SoutheastEurope and gives a scientific contribution by modifying and testingpreviously conducted empirical research in BiH and Croatia (Umihanić,Đonlagić Alibegović & Alfirević, 2018), extending the sample to Serbia,where significant research of this kind has not been conducted. The results,obtained by using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (F-Test) andPost Hoc Fisher’s LSD test for testing research hypothesis, indicate thatthere are significant differences in the career orientation of the surveyedstudents between three observed countries. In Croatia and Serbia, the impactof society and national culture is neither favourable for entering entrepreneurship,nor for a managerial career. Attitudes are somewhat morefavourable in BiH, but not significantly more favourable in comparison toSerbia and Croatia.
An EV battery charger based on PFC Sheppard Taylor Converter

With the increasing global warming and pollution issues, the transport sector needs to be modified to a green energy based travelling system since this is the only sector which employs quarter of the whole world's energy. It also, is the main contributor to CO2 emissions. Therefore, here an EV (Electric Vehicle) could be the best alternative to solve above issues. To improve the energy utilization of an EV, an attention is needed by the battery charging phenomenon. When an EV battery is charged from a conventional AC-DC converter, it draws a peaky current from the supply and hence makes the whole power profile and indices worst. Therefore, this paper presents a solution to the poor power quality issues. A PFC (Power Factor Correction) converter based on Sheppard Taylor converter topology for a 1kW EV battery charger is presented with the proper design equations. The constant current/constant voltage (CC/CV) mode control is used to regulate the charging commands to the battery by generating the proper gate sequence to the switches used in proposed PFC converter. The proposed converter is designed and its performance is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink tool with a 48V, 100Ah lead acid battery at the output and the obtained results are shown for the EV battery charging process. The observed results verify that obtained input supply current meets the PQ (Power Quality) limits of an IEC 61000-3-2 standard.
Student budgets and widening participation: Comparative experiences of finance in low and higher income undergraduates at a northern red brick university

Drawing on a thematic analysis of longitudinal qualitative data (ntotal = 118), this article takes a “whole student lifecycle” approach to examine how lower and higher income students at an English northern red brick university variously attempted to manage their individual budgets. It explores how students reconcile their income—in the form of loans, grants, and bursaries—with the cost of living. Four arenas of interest are described: planning, budgeting, and managing “the student loan”; disruptions to financial planning; the role of familial support; and strategies of augmenting the budget. In detailing the micro‐level constraints on the individual budgets of lower and higher income undergraduates, the article highlights the importance of non‐repayable grants and bursaries in helping to sustain meaningful participation in higher tariff, more selective, higher education institutions. It also supports an emerging body of literature that suggests that the continuing amendments to the system of funding higher education in England are unlikely to address inequality of access, participation, and outcome.
Potentiation and inhibition of Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ channels by 2‐aminoethyldiphenyl borate (2‐APB) occurs independently of IP3 receptors

1 The effects of the IP3‐receptor antagonist 2‐aminoethyldiphenyl borate (2‐APB) on the Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ current (ICRAC) in Jurkat human T cells, DT40 chicken B cells and rat basophilic leukaemia (RBL) cells were examined. 2 2‐APB elicited both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on Ca2+ influx through CRAC channels. At concentrations of 1–5 μm, 2‐APB enhanced Ca2+ entry in intact cells and increased ICRAC amplitude by up to fivefold. At levels ≥ 10 μm, 2‐APB caused a transient enhancement of ICRAC followed by inhibition. 3 2‐APB altered the kinetics of fast Ca2+‐dependent inactivation of ICRAC. At concentrations of 1–5 μm, 2‐APB increased the rate of fast inactivation. In contrast, 2‐APB at higher concentrations (≥ 10 μm) reduced or completely blocked inactivation. 4 2‐APB inhibited Ca2+ efflux from mitochondria. 5 2‐APB inhibited ICRAC more potently when applied extracellularly than intracellularly. Furthermore, increased protonation of 2‐APB at low pH did not affect potentiation or inhibition. Thus, 2‐APB may have an extracellular site of action. 6 Neither ICRAC activation by passive store depletion nor the effects of 2‐APB were altered by intracellular dialysis with 500 μg ml−1 heparin. 7 I CRAC is present in wild‐type as well as mutant DT40 B cells lacking all three IP3 receptor isoforms. 2‐APB also potentiates and inhibits ICRAC in both cell types, indicating that 2‐APB exerts its effects independently of IP3 receptors. 8 Our results show that CRAC channel activation does not require physical interaction with IP3 receptors as proposed in the conformational coupling model. Potentiation of ICRAC by 2‐APB may be a useful diagnostic feature for positive identification of putative CRAC channel genes, and provides a novel tool for exploring the physiological functions of store‐operated channels.
Malignancy after gastrointestinal augmentation in childhood

Introduction: To review the incidence and risks of bladder cancer following gastrointestinal augmentations done for congenial anomalies in childhood. Materials and Methods: A literature search using PubMed and Ovid Medline search engines was performed. MeSH terms evaluated were; bladder augmentations, enterocystoplasty, gastrocystoplasty, spina bifida, spinal dysraphism, myelodysplasia, neural tube defects, posterior urethral valves and bladder exstrophy were cross referenced with the terms, bladder cancer and urinary bladder neoplasm. All patients who developed a bladder cancer following a bladder augmentation for a congenital anomaly were reviewed Results: A total of 20 cases of bladder cancer following augmentations for congential anomalies, were identified, 9 arose following ileal cystoplasty, 3 following colocystolasty and 8 following gastrocystoplasty. The incidence of cancer developing per decade following surgery was 1.5% for ileal/colonic and 2.8% for gastric bladder augmentations. The majority of cancers developing within the augmented bladder are at advanced stages at the time of diagnosis (60%; 12/20 cases were ≥T3 at diagnosis). Several of the cases that developed occurred in patients exposed to known carcinogenic stimuli and/or arose in bladders with a known predisposition to carcinoma. Conclusion: Patients augmented with ileal or colonic segment for a congenital bladder anomaly have a 7—8 fold and gastric augments a 14—15 fold increased risk for the development of bladder cancer over standard norms. Published data is however unable to determine if gastrointestinal bladder augmentation is an independent risk factor for cancer over the inherent risk of cancer arising from a congenitally abnormal bladder.
Kinetics of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Load in Different Blood Compartments of Pediatric Recipients of T-Cell-Depleted HLA-Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels in whole-blood samples of 54 pediatric patients receiving T-cell-depleted haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in 2003 to 2007 were retrospectively compared with EBV DNA loads in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Determination of EBV DNA in whole blood missed 1 of 19 patients (5.2%), who tested positive for EBV DNA in PBMC. The analytical sensitivity of EBV DNA detection in whole-blood samples relative to that in PBMC was 94.7%. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation between DNA levels in PBMC and whole blood (r = 0.81; P < 0.001). Relative to that in PBMC, the appearance of EBV DNA in whole blood was delayed in 9/18 patients (median, 49 days; range, 6 to 226 days), while peak levels and clearance were reached simultaneously. Following peak levels, EBV DNA showed a slower decline in whole blood than in PBMC. In conclusion, (i) EBV DNA levels in PBMC were significantly correlated with those in whole blood; (ii) a differential kinetics of EBV DNA in the two blood compartments was observed; and (iii) monitoring of EBV DNA levels in whole blood appears to be a valuable alternative to PBMC in the follow-up of pediatric recipients of haploidentical T-cell-depleted HSCT.
Attenuated pulsatile release of prolactin in men with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Pulsatile and circadian patterns of PRL release were studied in 11 insulin-dependent diabetic men by sampling blood every 10 min for 24 h and comparing the results to those obtained in 12 normal nondiabetic men. The diabetic men had a mean (+/- SE) 24-h serum PRL concentration of 5.5 +/- 0.42 micrograms/L, which was significantly lower than that in the nondiabetic men (9.3 +/- 0.86; P = 0.0008). Quantitative Cluster analysis of pulsatile PRL time series revealed a normal pulse frequency, but decreased maximal peak amplitude (6.6 +/- 0.5 vs. 11.8 +/- 1.1 micrograms/L; P = 0.0009), peak increment (2.6 +/- 0.24 vs. 4.0 +/- 0.3 micrograms/L; P = 0.009), peak area (126 +/- 15 vs. 192 +/- 19 micrograms/L.min; P = 0.03), and interpulse valley mean concentration (4.8 +/- 0.4 vs. 8.6 +/- 1.2 micrograms/L; P = 0.0007). PRL pulse incremental amplitude correlated significantly (r2 = 0.577; P = 0.007) and negatively with duration of disease. Fourier analysis disclosed a normal circadian rhythm of PRL release in diabetic men, with a mean circadian amplitude of 1.5 micrograms/L +/- 0.31, which peaked at 0201 h +/- 89 min (+/- SE). In summary, we have demonstrated significantly reduced mean 24-h serum PRL concentrations in men with poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The concomitant suppression of spontaneous PRL pulse amplitude, peak increment, and interpulse valley mean concentrations in the presence of normal pulse frequency is consistent with a reduced mass of PRL secreted per burst and/or accelerated metabolic clearance of PRL in men with type I diabetes mellitus.
Zika Virus Disease in Children in Colombia, August 2015 to May 2016

BACKGROUND Children are considered a potentially vulnerable population for Zika virus infection. However, data on paediatric Zika virus infection are sparse. METHODS We analysed data from Colombia's national surveillance system during the 2015-2016 Zika virus outbreak on patients meeting the clinical case definition of Zika virus disease (ZVD) among children aged 1 month to 18 years to estimate incidence by demographic characteristics and characterize the occurrence of selected complications. RESULTS Between August 14, 2015, and May 28, 2016, there were 18 576 reported cases of postnatal ZVD among children aged 1 month to 18 years. Laboratory testing was prioritized for high-risk patients (infants, pregnant women, adults aged ≥65 years, and persons with serious co-morbidities); among 1655 that were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, 1207 (72.9%) were positive. The cumulative incidence of reported ZVD was 114.4 per 100 000. The incidence differed by sex, depending on age group; the largest difference was observed for 15-18 year olds, with females having a higher incidence than males (cumulative incidence ratio 2.5, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 2.7). At the time of report to the surveillance system, 631 patients (3.4%) were hospitalised and 96 (0.5%) had a report of an accompanying neurological diagnosis, including Guillain-Barré syndrome in 40 patients. CONCLUSIONS Only a small proportion of reported paediatric ZVD cases in Colombia were hospitalized or had reported neurological conditions following ZVD. However, the potential for some serious outcomes demonstrates the importance of preventing Zika virus infection in children.
Growth of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is promoted by exogenous hydroxamate and catechol siderophores

Siderophores bind ferric ions and are involved in receptor-specific iron transport into bacteria. Six types of siderophores were tested against strains representing the 12 different serotypes of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Ferrichrome and bis-catechol-based siderophores showed strong growth-promoting activities for A. pleuropneumoniae in a disk diffusion assay. Most strains of A. pleuropneumoniae tested were able to use ferrichrome (21 of 22 or 95%), ferrichrome A (20 of 22 or 90%), and lysine-based bis-catechol (20 of 22 or 90%), while growth of 36% (8 of 22) was promoted by a synthetic hydroxamate, N5-acetyl-N5-hydroxy-L-ornithine tripeptide. A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 (strain FMV 87-682) and serotype 5 (strain 2245) exhibited a distinct yellow halo around colonies on Chrome Azurol S agar plates, suggesting that both strains can produce an iron chelator (siderophore) in response to iron stress. The siderophore was found to be neither a phenolate nor a hydroxamate by the chemical tests of Arnow and Csaky, respectively. This is the first report demonstrating the production of an iron chelator and the use of exogenous siderophores by A. pleuropneumoniae. A spermidine-based bis-catechol siderophore conjugated to a carbacephalosporin was shown to inhibit growth of A. pleuropneumoniae. A siderophore-antibiotic-resistant strain was isolated and shown to have lost the ability to use ferrichrome, synthetic hydroxamate, or catechol-based siderophores when grown under conditions of iron restriction. This observation indicated that a common iron uptake pathway, or a common intermediate, for hydroxamate- and catechol-based siderophores may exist in A. pleuropneumoniae.
Optimal Hedging Rules for Water Supply Reservoir Operations under Forecast Uncertainty and Conditional Value-at-Risk Criterion

Hedging rules for water supply reservoir operations provide guidelines for balancing the consequences of competing water allocations. When inflow forecast uncertainty is addressed, hedging acts as insurances for offsetting the negative influence of water shortage in the future, especially when drought is anticipated. This study used a risk-averse criterion, the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR), rather than the expected value (EV) criterion, to rationalize water delivery for overcoming the shortcomings of risk-neutral hedging rules in minimizing water shortage impacts in unfavorable realizations, in which actual inflow is less than anticipated. A two-period hedging model with the objective of maximizing the CVaR of total benefits from water delivery and water storage is established, and the optimal hedging rules using first-order optimality condition are analytically derived. Differences in hedging rules under the two criteria are highlighted by theoretical analysis and numerical experiments. The methods are applied to guide the operations of a water supply reservoir, and results show that: (1) the hedging rules under the EV criterion are special cases under the CVaR criterion; (2) water delivery in the current period would be greatly curtailed under the high influence of forecast uncertainty or the significant risk-averse attitude of decision makers; (3) hedging to maximize the CVaR of total benefit is at the cost of reducing the EV of total benefit; and (4) in real-time operations, compared with the hedging policies under the EV criterion, the hedging policies under the CVaR criterion would be more effective when applied to dry and extremely dry hydrological conditions, especially when inflow is overestimated. These implications provide new insights into rationing water supply and risk aversion.
Modelling and forecasting stock and stock market volatility

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Surface functionalization of carbon nanotubes by direct encapsulation with varying dosages of amphiphilic block copolymers

Encapsulation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by amphiphilic block copolymers is an efficient way to stabilize CNTs in solvents. However, the appropriate dosages of copolymers and the assembled structures are difficult to predict and control because of the insufficient understanding on the encapsulation process. We encapsulate multiwalled CNTs with polystyrene-block-poly (4-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) by directly mixing them in acetic acid under sonication. The copolymer forms a lamellar structure along the surface of CNTs with the PS blocks anchoring on the tube wall and the P4VP blocks exposed to the outside. The encapsulated CNTs achieve good dispersibility in polar solvents over long periods. To increase our understanding of the encapsulation process we investigate the assembled structures and stability of copolymer/CNTs mixtures with changing mass ratios. Stable dispersions are obtained at high mass ratios between the copolymer and CNTs, i.e. 2 or 3, with the presence of free spherical micelles. Transmission electron microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis determine that the threshold for the complete coverage of CNTs by the copolymer occurs at the mass ratio of 1.5. The coated copolymer layer activates the surface of CNTs, enabling further functionalization of CNTs. For instance, atomic layer deposition of TiO2 produces conformal thin layers on the encapsulated CNTs while isolated TiO2 bumps are produced on the pristine, inert CNTs.
Prion-induced Activation of Cholesterogenic Gene Expression by Srebp2 in Neuronal Cells*

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative diseases associated with the accumulation of a pathogenic isoform of the host-encoded prion protein. The cellular responses to prion infection are not well defined. By performing microarray analysis on cultured neuronal cells infected with prion strain 22L, in the group of up-regulated genes we observed predominantly genes of the cholesterol pathway. Increased transcript levels of at least nine enzymes involved in cholesterol synthesis, including the gene for the rate-limiting hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase, were detected. Up-regulation of cholesterogenic genes was attributable to a prion-dependent increase in the amount and activity of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein Srebp2, resulting in elevated levels of total and free cellular cholesterol. The up-regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis appeared to be a characteristic response of neurons to prion challenge, as cholesterogenic transcripts were also elevated in persistently infected GT-1 cells and prion-exposed primary hippocampal neurons but not in microglial cells and primary astrocytes. These results convincingly demonstrate that prion propagation not only depends on the availability of cholesterol but that neuronal cells themselves respond to prions with specific up-regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis.
A VLSI Architecture for Image Composition

This paper describes a new parallel architecture for performing high-speed raster graphics. A central host broadcasts graphical objects to a number of identical graphics processors Each graphics processor produces a raster depicting Its graphical object on a transparent black background. and passes the raster to a leaf of a tree of VLSI processors called Compositors. Each Compositor combines a pair of rasters, performing anti-aliased hidden surface removal, and passes the composed raster to the next level of the tree, Appearing at the root of the tree is the final raster containing all objects at the correct depth with hidden surfaces removed. This paper gives an outline of the algorithm by Duff that the Compositor Will implement The algorithm proves to be too complex for our implementation technology, so a modification of Duff's algorithm is introduced. The high-level design of the dataflow part of the VLSI chip which implements this modified algorithm is then presented, followed by performance simulations and conclusions.