Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability of response in cross-fostered rats

The variability of the response to drugs of immature rats bred in natural litters was compared with that of rats cross-fostered into all-male or all-female groups of 9, 12 and 14. The variability of ovarian response to gonadotrophin was significantly greater in naturally-bred animals than in those from cross-fostered litters. There was a suggestion of a similar effect in the variability of barbiturate sleeping time. Variability of seminal vesicle weight, used as an index of response to gonadotrophin in males, did not differ significantly between the cross-fostered and natural litters. Unexpectedly, cross-fostered rats gained more weight in the 4 days after weaning than naturally-bred rats.
Comment le phénomène du déplacement environnemental est-il perçu par les pays industrialisés ? Observations empiriques en Italie à partir des glissements de terrain à Sarno et à Cerzeto

Cette recherche interroge la perception du phenomene des deplaces environnementaux dans les pays industrialises a partir de l'observation de deux catastrophes en Italie. L'analyse de la gestion environnementale et de la vulnerabilite dans le contexte italien, ainsi qu'une etude qualitative sur la couverture mediatique, les discours politiques et le vecu des deplacements environnementaux causes par deux coulees de boue a Sarno (en 1998) et a Cerzeto (en 2005), ont revele les limites de l'usage de ce concept. De plus, cette recherche a montre que ces deplacements se produisent egalement dans des pays industrialises, contrairement aux debats theoriques, aux discours politiques et aux representations mediatiques actuels, qui se focalisent sur les contextes geographiques specifiques des pays en developpement. Les raisons expliquant les differences dans les discours sur ce meme phenomene sont ici enquetees, avec des instruments propres a la geographie et a la science politique. Les resultats de l'analyse revelent un dessein politique qui vise a instrumentaliser le debat dans le but de renforcer le desequilibre des pouvoirs politiques dans les pays industrialises et entre ces derniers et les pays en developpement.
The influence of emotions on inhibitory functioning in borderline personality disorder

Background. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by an emotionally unstable and impulsive cognitive and behavioral style. Inhibitory dysfunction has been hypothesized as playing a crucial role in BPD psychopathology. This study aimed to systematically investigate differential inhibitory functions in patients with BPD as compared to healthy controls, and to investigate their expected impairment in the context of aversive emotions by comparing performances in neuropsychological tasks that present both neutral and emotional material. Method. Unmedicated female patients with BPD (n=28) were compared with age-matched healthy female controls (n=30) in the following tasks: the emotional Stroop test (inhibition of interference), directed forgetting (intentional, resource-dependent inhibition), and an emotional variant of the negative priming task (automatic, resource-independent inhibition). Results. In comparison with the controls, the BPD patients showed reduced inhibition of negative material in the directed forgetting task and in the negative priming task. No effect was found in the emotional Stroop test. Significant correlations with current affect as well as trait anxiety and anger (but not impulsiveness) were found in the BPD group specifically for negative stimuli, while no such correlations were found in the control group. In addition to inhibitory deficiencies, BPD patients had difficulties remembering positive words in the directed forgetting task. Conclusions. Our data suggest that individuals with BPD have difficulties in actively suppressing irrelevant information when it is of an aversive nature. Inhibitory dysfunction appears to be closely related to state and trait variables of unstable affect, but not to self-reported impulsiveness.
BIODEGRADATION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS BY USINGHALOTOLERANT MICROBES

The present study made an attempt to find out the biodegradation of phenol by using halophilic microbes isolated from coconut retting water. Thirty two morphologically different strains were isolated and 3 identified strains were selected for the phenol degradation. Among them, Pseudomonas putida showed the maximum degradation of phenol up to 2000 mg.l-1 without any supplement. The maximum removal of phenol was observed by the three bacterial species at neutral pH, low glucose level and NaCl concentration.
Computing a Perturbation Bound for Preserving the Number of Common Zeros of a Polynomial System

We propose a method for computing a perturbation bound that preserves the number of common zeros in (C×)n of a polynomial system (f1, . . . , fn), where C× = C \ {0} and fj ∈ C[x1, . , xn], by using Stetter’s results on the nearest polynomial with a given zero, Bernshtein’s theorem, and minimization techniques for rational functions such as sum of squares (SOS) relaxations.
Rock image denoising by fast bilateral filtering

A fast denoising algorithm for 3D μCT images is proposed. The algorithm is based on an efficient implementation of bilateral filtering, in which the filter kernel is decomposed into a series of cosines. This reduces the evaluation of bilateral filtering to a Gaussian convolutions, for which very fast recursive algorithms are available. The frequencies of the cosine terms are optimized in the minimal square error sense and an analytical expression of the corresponding coefficients is provided. A detailed computational analysis of the proposed method is presented as well. The method is validated with images that are encountered in digital rock applications. Comparison with state of the art existing methods show the superiority of the proposed algorithm in terms of noise rejection and computation time.
The Compton hump and variable blue wing in the extreme low-flux NuSTAR observations of 1H0707-495

The narrow-line Seyfert I galaxy, 1H0707−495, has been well observed in the 0.3–10 keV band, revealing a dramatic drop in flux in the iron Kα band, a strong soft excess, and short time-scale reverberation lags associated with these spectral features. In this paper, we present the first results of a deep 250-ks NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) observation of 1H0707−495, which includes the first sensitive observations above 10 keV. Even though the NuSTAR observations caught the source in an extreme low-flux state, the Compton hump is still significantly detected. NuSTAR, with its high effective area above 7 keV, clearly detects the drop in flux in the iron Kα band, and by comparing these observations with archival XMM–Newton observations, we find that the energy of this drop increases with increasing flux. We discuss possible explanations for this, the most likely of which is that the drop in flux is the blue wing of the relativistically broadened iron Kα emission line. When the flux is low, the coronal source height is low, thus enhancing the most gravitationally redshifted emission.
1,3-Dicyclohexylimidazolidine-2,4,5-trione: a second polymorph

The title compound, C15H22N2O3, was obtained as a by-product of oxidative cleavage of 1,3-dicyclohexyl-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-2-yl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione. Herein, we report the crystal structure of a second polymorph, which was obtained by crystallization from an ethanol solution at 253 K, instead of slow evaporation of the same solvent at room temperature. While the first polymorph [Talhi et al. (2011). Acta Cryst. E67, o3243] crystallized in the non-centrosymmetric space group P212121, this second polymorph crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P21/n. Compared to the first polymorph, in the crystal no C=O⋯C=O interactions were found (C⋯O intermolecular distance longer than 3.15 Å) and instead, close packing of individual molecular units is mediated by C—H⋯π and weak C—H⋯O interactions.
Simplified Liver Splitting Technique Using a Curved Chang’s Needle

Liver-splitting techniques been previously developed for ex vivo and in situ cadaveric liver transplantation, and more recently for in situ living donor liver transplantation or liver partition with a portal vein ligation for a staged hepatectomy. We report a novel and simplified technique using a long curved needle to make whole-thickness mattress sutures along the division line of the remnant liver above the inferior vena cava to control bleeding, and then bloodlessly splitting the liver with scissors within 40 min in a case of a left lobectomy with metastases from breast cancer. The patient was uneventfully discharged on the fourth postoperative day. When a liver lobectomy or partition to enhance liver regeneration for a staged hepatectomy is necessary, this technique can be done straightforwardly without concern for the problems of venous return or congestion of the recipient or remnant donor liver. This technique is probably the simplest and fastest way for any surgeon and any facility.
Differential exposure biomarker levels among cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco consumers in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2008

Assessment of biomarkers is an appropriate way to estimate exposure to cigarette mainstream smoke and smokeless tobacco (SLT) constituents in tobacco consumers. Using the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999–2008), biomarkers of volatile organic compounds, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), acrylamide, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and metals were evaluated. In general, biomarker levels in SLT consumers were significantly lower than in smokers (excluding NNK and some HAHs) and were not significantly different compared with nonconsumers (excluding NNK and some PAHs). These results provide useful information for science-based risk assessment and regulation of tobacco products.
Primary congenital bladder diverticula: Where does the ureter drain?

Background: Primary congenital bladder diverticulum (PCBD) is related to a deficient detrusor layer allowing out-pouching of the bladder mucosa through the inadequate muscularis wall. We aimed to review our experience with symptomatic PCBD in order to correlate clinical findings with anatomical aspects and to present late outcome. Materials and Methods: We reviewed all patients operated in our institution since 2004. We evaluated the charts for complaints, radiological exams, method of treatment, complications and length of follow-up. Results: We treated 10 cases (11 renal units - [RU]), predominantly males (9/10), mean age at surgery of 5.3 years. All patients had significant urological complaints presenting either with antenatal hydronephrosis (4) or febrile urinary tract infection (5) and urinary retention in one. The ureter was found implanted inside the diverticulum in 8/11 RU. An extravesical psoas-hitch ureteroneocystostomy and diverticulum resection was performed in 10/11 cases, whereas 1 case was treated intravesically based on surgeon′s preference without performing cystoscopy. Mean follow-up was 34.1 months (1-120) without complications. Conclusions: PCBD is an uncommon diagnosis and has a high probability of drainage inside the diverticulum (72.7%). We recommend the extravesical approach associated with diverticulectomy and ureteroneocystostomy as the preferred technique to treat this abnormality.
Indications for intracardiac electrophysiologic studies in patients with unexplained palpitations.

PATIENTS infrequently describe irregular heart action as "palpitations" and more often use expressions such as "skipped beats," "dropped beats," "fluttering in the chest," "racing heart," or "pounding in the chest. " Unlike the inaccuracies of descriptions of other symptoms, these subjective sensations often identify their source. Since most patients will not require major intervention, while others are at risk of syncope or sudden cardiac death, the clinical challenge is to gather information in an effective and logical manner to determine if treatment is necessary. One problem in evaluation is that arrhythmias and conduction defects can occur in healthy or asymptomatic individuals.1 These arrhythmias include bradyarrhythmias, atrioventricular block, and even ventricular tachycardia. However, if these same rhythms were associated with significant symptoms, specific therapy would likely result. Therefore, palpitations are nonspecific and the medical history is indispensable in evaluation. Historical information in evaluation of palpitations. The examination of medical history has two major aims: to gain an understanding of symptomatic severity and to define associated cardiovascular disease. The symptoms can be categorized into minor and major categories. Minor symptoms are sensations (palpitations) that the heart is moving abnormally within the chest and
Association of health literacy with diabetes outcomes.

CONTEXT Health literacy is a measure of patients' ability to read, comprehend, and act on medical instructions. Poor health literacy is common among racial and ethnic minorities, elderly persons, and patients with chronic conditions, particularly in public-sector settings. Little is known about the extent to which health literacy affects clinical health outcomes. OBJECTIVES To examine the association between health literacy and diabetes outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional observational study of 408 English- and Spanish-speaking patients who were older than 30 years and had type 2 diabetes identified from the clinical database of 2 primary care clinics of a university-affiliated public hospital in San Francisco, Calif. Participants were enrolled and completed questionnaires between June and December 2000. We assessed patients' health literacy by using the short-form Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (s-TOFHLA) in English or Spanish. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Most recent hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) level. Patients were classified as having tight glycemic control if their HbA(1c) was in the lowest quartile and poor control if it was in the highest quartile. We also measured the presence of self-reported diabetes complications. RESULTS After adjusting for patients' sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, social support, treatment regimen, and years with diabetes, for each 1-point decrement in s-TOFHLA score, the HbA(1c) value increased by 0.02 (P =.02). Patients with inadequate health literacy were less likely than patients with adequate health literacy to achieve tight glycemic control (HbA(1c) < or = 7.2%; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-1.00; P =. 05) and were more likely to have poor glycemic control (HbA(1c) > or = 9.5%; adjusted OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.11-3.73; P =. 02) and to report having retinopathy (adjusted OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.19-4.57; P =.01). CONCLUSIONS Among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes, inadequate health literacy is independently associated with worse glycemic control and higher rates of retinopathy. Inadequate health literacy may contribute to the disproportionate burden of diabetes-related problems among disadvantaged populations. Efforts should focus on developing and evaluating interventions to improve diabetes outcomes among patients with inadequate health literacy.
Metabolic adaptation of endothelial cells to substrate deprivation.

Endothelial cells are known to be metabolically rather robust. To study the mechanisms involved, porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC), cultured on microcarrier beads, were perfused with glucose (10 mM) or with substrate-free medium. Substrate-free perfusion for 2 h induced an almost complete loss of nucleoside triphosphates (31P-NMR) and decreased heat flux, a measure of total energy turnover, by >90% in parallel microcalorimetric measurements. Heat flux and nucleoside triphosphates recovered after addition of glucose. Because protein synthesis is a major energy consumer in PAEC, the rate of protein synthesis was measured ([14C]leucine incorporation). Reduction or blockade of energy supply resulted in a pronounced reduction in the rate of protein synthesis (up to 80% reduction). Intracellular triglyceride stores were decreased by approximately 60% after 2 h of substrate-free perfusion. Under basal perfusion conditions, PAEC released approximately 30 pmol purine. mg protein-1. min-1, i.e., 16% of the cellular ATP per hour, while ATP remained constant. Substrate deprivation increased the release of various purines and pyrimidines about threefold and also induced a twofold rise in purine de novo synthesis ([14C]formate). These results demonstrate that PAEC are capable of recovering from extended periods of substrate deprivation. They can do so by a massive downregulation of their energy expenditure, particularly protein synthesis, while at the same time using endogenous triglycerides as substrates and upregulating purine de novo synthesis to compensate for the loss of purines.
Crack Segmentation by Leveraging Multiple Frames of Varying Illumination

In this work, we present an automated inspection approach to assist remote visual examinations of nuclear power plant components. An automated approach would require detecting often low contrast cracks that could be surrounded by or even within textures with similar appearances such as welding, scratches, and grind marks. We propose a crack segmentation method for remote visual examination videos by aggregating the pixel-level classification confidence from multiple frames consisting of different illumination conditions. A dataset of 685 pixel-level ground truth images consisting of 37 cracks from remote visual examination videos is used for evaluation. The results show that the proposed method provides a significant improvement over hand-crafted feature based segmentation and 9% over convolutional neural network based method.
The design of monitor-based faces for robot-assisted language learning

Educational service robots that have been developed for language learning can be divided into the `tele-operated type' and `autonomous type'. This paper analyses a monitor-based face design for the autonomous type in the English learning of children. This experiment, which targeted elementary school students, shows that iconic or cartoon - like faces are preferred to realistic robot faces.
The oB-Dependent Promoter of the Bacillus subtilis sigB Operon Is Induced by Heat Shock

oE, a secondary sigma factor of Bacillus subtilis, was found to increase 5- to 10-fold when cultures were shifted from 37 to 48°C. Western blot (immunoblot) analyses, in which monoclonal antibodies specific for the sigB operon products RsbV, RsbW, and crB were used to probe extracts from wild-type and mutant B. subtilis strains, revealed that all three proteins increased coordinately after heat shock and that this increase was dependent on &rB but not RsbV, a positive regulator normally essential for &3-dependent sigB expression. Nuclease protection experiments of RNA synthesized after heat shock supported the notion that the shift to 48°C enhanced transcription from the sigB operon's o'B-dependent promoter. The level of mRNA initiating at the &B-dependent ctc promoter was also seen to increase approximately 5- to 10-fold after heat shock. Pulse-labeling of the proteins synthesized after a shift to 48°C demonstrated that sigB wild-type and mutant strains produced the maijor heat-inducible proteins in similar amounts; however, at least seven additional proteins were present after the temperature shift in the wild-type strain but absent in the sigB null mutant. Thus, although cr' is not required for the expression of essential heat shock genes, it is activated by heat shock to elevate its own synthesis and possibly the synthesis of several other heat-inducible proteins. a3
Prediction of Temperature Profiles in Tumors and Surrounding Normal Tissues During Magnetic Induction Heating

The development and preliminary verification of a simple two-compartment model describing the thermal response of adjacent normal and cancerous tissues subjected to magnetic induction heating is presented. Analytical expressions were found for estimating the spatial temperature distributions in the system composed of a spherical tumor mass imbedded in a cylindrical normal tissue as a function of the field intensity and the tissue's physical, geometrical, and physiological characteristics. The conditions leading to preferential heating of the tumor are described.
Hetero-Vancomycin-Intermediate Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolate from a Medical Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico

ABSTRACT A survey of 152 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from medical centers in Las Cruces, NM, and El Paso, TX, revealed the presence of spa types 2 and 24 (clone USA100) and spa type 1 (clone USA300-0114). Las Cruces MRSA displayed relatively high vancomycin MICs, and one hetero-vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus strain was identified.
Business Processes and Knowledge Management

Knowledge has been a subject of interest and inquiry for thousands of years since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, and no doubt even before that. “What is knowledge” continues to be an important topic of discussion in philosophy. More recently, interest in managing knowledge has grown in step with the perception that increasingly we live in a knowledge-based economy. Drucker (1969) is usually credited as being the first to popularize the knowledge-based economy concept by linking the importance of knowledge with rapid technological change in Drucker (1969). Karl Wiig coined the term knowledge management (hereafter KM) for a NATO seminar in 1986, and its popularity took off following the publication of Nonaka and Takeuchi’s book “The Knowledge Creating Company” (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995). Knowledge creation is in fact just one of many activities involved in KM. Others include sharing, retaining, refining, and using knowledge. There are many such lists of activities (Holsapple & Joshi, 2000; Probst, Raub, & Romhardt, 1999; Skyrme, 1999; Wiig, De Hoog, & Van der Spek, 1997). Both academic and practical interest in KM has continued to increase throughout the last decade. In this article, first the different types of knowledge are outlined, then comes a discussion of various routes by which knowledge management can be implemented, advocating a process-based route. An explanation follows of how people, processes, and technology need to fit together for effective KM, and some examples of this route in use are given. Finally, there is a look towards the future.
Nutrient Limitation and Physiology Mediate the Fine-Scale (De)coupling of Biogeochemical Cycles

Nutrients in the environment are coupled over broad timescales (days to seasons) when organisms add or withdraw multiple nutrients simultaneously and in ratios that are roughly constant. But at finer timescales (seconds to days), nutrients become decoupled if physiological traits such as nutrient storage limits, circadian rhythms, or enzyme kinetics cause one nutrient to be processed faster than another. To explore the interactions among these coupling and decoupling mechanisms, we introduce a model in which organisms process resources via uptake, excretion, growth, respiration, and mortality according to adjustable trait parameters. The model predicts that uptake can couple the input of one nutrient to the export of another in a ratio reflecting biological demand stoichiometry, but coupling occurs only when the input nutrient is limiting. Temporal nutrient coupling may, therefore, be a useful indicator of ecosystem limitation status. Fine-scale patterns of nutrient coupling are further modulated by, and potentially diagnostic of, physiological traits governing growth, uptake, and internal nutrient storage. Together, limitation status and physiological traits create a complex and informative relationship between nutrient inputs and exports. Understanding the mechanisms behind that relationship could enrich interpretations of fine-scale time-series data such as those now emerging from in situ solute sensors.