Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Approaches to the Microscopic Imaging of Trypanosoma brucei

Protozoan parasites are fearsome pathogens responsible for a substantial proportion of human mortality, morbidity, and economic hardship. The principal disease agents are members of the orders Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Eimeria) and Kinetoplastida (Trypanosomes, Leishmania). The majority of humans are at risk from infection from one or more of these organisms, with profound effects on the economy, social structure and quality of life in endemic areas; Plasmodium itself accounts for over one million deaths per annum, and an estimated 4 × 107 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), whereas the Kinetoplastida are responsible for over 100,000 deaths per annum and 4 × 106 DALYs. Current control strategies are failing due to drug resistance and inadequate implementation of existing public health strategies. Trypanosoma brucei, the African Trypanosome, has emerged as a favored model system for the study of basic cell biology in Kinetoplastida, because of several recent technical advances (transfection, inducible expression systems, and RNA interference), and these advantages, together with genome sequencing efforts are widely anticipated to provide new strategies of therapeutic intervention. Here we describe a suite of methods that have been developed for the microscopic analysis of T. brucei at the light and ultrastructural levels, an essential component of analysis of gene function and hence identification of therapeutic targets.
Emotional and Behavioral Screener

The Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) is a universal screening instrument designed to identify students whose excessive problem behaviors put them at risk of the education disability category of emotional disturbance (ED). This article reports findings from three studies that address the reliability and validity of the EBS. Studies 1 and 2 examined the test–retest and inter-rater reliability of the EBS. Study 3 investigated the convergent validity of the EBS by comparing it to the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System. The results from these studies support the reliability and validity of the EBS as a universal screening instrument for identifying students who may be at risk of ED or those who may require a greater degree of monitoring, decision-making, formal assessment, or intervention to restore normal behavior functioning and prevent identification as ED. Implications, research limitations, and future research needs are discussed.
Cancer costs and outcomes in the Finnish population 2004–2014

Abstract Introduction: The cost of cancer and outcomes of cancer care has been much debated, since cancer represents 3–6% of total healthcare costs. The objective of this study was to analyse the development of the costs and outcomes in Finland between 2004 and 2014. Material and methods: The national cost, episodes and outcomes data were obtained from the national register databases. Two hospitals were used to validate the costs of care. The outcome measures included relative survival rate, mortality, sick leave days per patient and number of new disability pensions. Results: The total cost of cancer in 2014 was 927 million €. The real costs increased by 1.7% per year over the period studied, while the cost per new cancer patient decreased. The relative survival rate was enhanced by 7%, and the number of sick leave days and new disability pensions per cancer patient was reduced. The share occupied by cancer treatment in total healthcare costs decreased slightly from 3.7% to 3.6%, indicating that cancer care has not become more expensive compared to the treatment of other diseases. Conclusions: This is the first survey to analyse the change in actual cancer costs and outcomes in the population-level within a 10-year period. Since cancer care outcomes in Finland have been among the best in Europe, the progress in terms of the costs and the conversions in the cost distributions across categories are significant and valuable sources for international comparisons.
MetaQuery: a web server for rapid annotation and quantitative analysis of specific genes in the human gut microbiome

Summary: Microbiome researchers frequently want to know how abundant a particular microbial gene or pathway is across different human hosts, including its association with disease and its co-occurrence with other genes or microbial taxa. With thousands of publicly available metagenomes, these questions should be easy to answer. However, computational barriers prevent most researchers from conducting such analyses. We address this problem with MetaQuery, a web application for rapid and quantitative analysis of specific genes in the human gut microbiome. The user inputs one or more query genes, and our software returns the estimated abundance of these genes across 1267 publicly available fecal metagenomes from American, European and Chinese individuals. In addition, our application performs downstream statistical analyses to identify features that are associated with gene variation, including other query genes (i.e. gene co-variation), taxa, clinical variables (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes) and average genome size. The speed and accessibility of MetaQuery are a step toward democratizing metagenomics research, which should allow many researchers to query the abundance and variation of specific genes in the human gut microbiome. Availability and implementation: http://metaquery.docpollard. org. Contact: snayfach@gmail.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Line-Start Permanent-Magnet Machines Using a Canned Rotor

Various line-start permanent-magnet (PM) machines have been around for many years: these offer the advantages of line-starting as an induction machine and running synchronously as a PM machine, both from a fixed-frequency supply. The major disadvantage is the uncertainty of successful synchronization, particularly with loads combining high inertia with high load torque. Virtually all conventional line-start PM machines use a cage-type induction winding embedded into the rotor along with the magnets. This paper describes an unusual variant of this type: comprising a very simple rotor construction of surface-mounted rotor magnets contained within an annular conducting rotor can which acts as the induction winding but can also provide environmental containment if the application requires it. The purpose of this paper is to describe the canned motor concept in detail so that its potential for other motor/drive applications can be assessed. This paper also develops and describes an analytical dynamic electromechanical model using ldquolayer theory.rdquo Experimental results demonstrating successful operation of a 2.5-kW prototype machine are presented together with the simulated results using the dynamic model. The influence of certain key design features on the synchronization process is also included.
Neuroprotective Role of a Novel Copper Chelator against Aβ 42 Induced Neurotoxicity

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and associated with the extracellular deposits of amyloid-β peptide in hippocampus region. Metal ions like Cu, Fe and Zn are known to associate with the amyloid beta (Aβ) at high concentration and interaction of these ions with soluble and aggregated forms of Aβ peptide help in development of AD. Here we showed Cu mediated neurotoxicity in the eye tissues of transgenic Drosophila expressing human amyloid β and its rescue through a novel Cu chelator. In this context, we have synthesised and characterized the compound L 2,6-Pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 2,6-bis[2-[(4-carboxyphenyl) methylene] hydrazide] by Mass spectra (MS) and Elemental analysis (EA). The Cu chelation potential of the compound L is tested in vivo in Drosophila. Oral administration of Copper to the transgenic larvae resulted in severe degeneration in eye tissues, which was rescued by the supplementation of compound L. The levels of anti-oxidant markers like SOD and MDA were measured in compound L treated flies and found a significant rescue (P < 0.001). Further rescue of the eye degeneration phenotypes as revealed by SEM affirm the role of copper in Aβ toxicity. Hence, use of compound L, an amidoamine derivative, could be a possible therapeutic measure for Aβ induced neurotoxicity.
Fermentation Characterization of Chinese Yam Polysaccharide and Its Effects on the Gut Microbiota of Rats

Rat was used to characterize Chinese Yam polysaccharides (CYPs). In Exp. 1, maximum volume and rate of gas production in CYP 3-supplemented group were higher than other CYP-supplemented groups and control group, while pH values and NH3 contents in CYP 2-, CYP 3-, and CYP 4-supplemented groups were lower than control group. Contents of acetate, propionate and butyrate increased by supplementing CYP 3 or CYP 4 compared to other groups, except for glucose-supplemented group. Contents of isobutyrate for CYPs groups decreased compared to control group. CYP 3 enhanced beneficial gut microbiota, but suppressed bacterial pathogens. In Exp. 2, contents of acetate and butyrate in cecal digesta of rats fed 0.25 or 0.5 g/kg CYP 3 were higher than other groups on day 7. pH values in 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg groups were lower than 1.0 g/kg group. Contents of acetate in 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg groups were greater than other 2 groups on day 21. Gut microflora in CYP 3-supplemented rats had greater diversity than non-supplemented rats. CYP 3 enriched beneficial gut microbiota, but suppressed bacterial pathogens in rat cecum. These findings suggested that CYP 3 is a good source of carbon and energy, and may improve bacterial community diversity and modulate short-chain fatty acid production in hindgut of rats.
Emotion, Presidential Communication, and Traumatic News

During traumatic national events, attention to the news and scrutiny of leader communication becomes particularly acute. The terrorist actions of September 11, 2001, and ensuing U.S. response focused public attention on the president to an extent unknown before the attacks. This article reports on an experimental study of audience responses to televised news coverage of the World Trade Center attacks. As the coverage of the attacks and compelling images featured on television illustrate, news can be regarded as a type of survival-relevant information with immediate consequences for viewers. Within this framework, the study examines how, in the after-math and ongoing processing of this traumatic event, a political leader's televised behavior evokes emotional and evaluative responses in viewers. For the experiment, adult and student participants were shown a series of news reports featuring negative compelling images of the attacks followed by close-up reactions and statements by President Bush. The news images varied in their intensity, while the presidential reactions varied in their potency. Results indicate that varying degrees of image intensity and communicator potency significantly influenced emotional responses to the crisis and viewer feelings of self-control. When paired with low-intensity images of traumatic news, potent presidential communication had the effect of allaying viewer anxiety; in contrast, potent appearances appeared to lose this influence when shown in conjunction with high-intensity images.
Science As a Market Process

Abstract: Scientific inquiry is amenable to economic interpretation and analysis because scientists, like other people, pursue their individual goals through purposeful action. They make choices on the basis of costs, benefits, and risks as they perceive them. Their interaction with other scientists involves both cooperation and competition in a market that bears many similarities to the traditional economic market. The Austrian school of economics offers a particularly apt basis for an economic perspective on scientific inquiry. Economic concepts remain highly underutilized and ripe for exploitation.
Sampling design for the weak signal non-Gaussian detection problem

In this paper, we present a sampling design for the weak signal detection in additive non-Gaussian noise. We employ the theory of spherically invariant random processes (SIRP) to express the non-Gaussian noise. Our approach for the design of sampling schemes is based on the class of Ali-Silvey distance measures. A design objective function for this problem is derived and is maximized to obtain the sampling scheme for the detection problem under consideration. Its detection performance is compared with that of the uniform sampling scheme by means of a numerical example. Comparisons show that our sampling design results in a superior performance.
FAIRDOMHub: a repository and collaboration environment for sharing systems biology research

The FAIRDOMHub is a repository for publishing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) Data, Operating procedures and Models (https://fairdomhub.org/) for the Systems Biology community. It is a web-accessible repository for storing and sharing systems biology research assets. It enables researchers to organize, share and publish data, models and protocols, interlink them in the context of the systems biology investigations that produced them, and to interrogate them via API interfaces. By using the FAIRDOMHub, researchers can achieve more effective exchange with geographically distributed collaborators during projects, ensure results are sustained and preserved and generate reproducible publications that adhere to the FAIR guiding principles of data stewardship.
The testing effect, collaborative learning, and retrieval-induced facilitation in a classroom setting

Two studies were conducted to investigate aspects of the test effect in a tertiary education setting. During weekly tutorial sessions first year psychology students watched a psychobiology video (Phase 1), followed by different video-related activities (Phase 2). In the tutorial 1 week later, students took an unexpected test (Phase 3). In Phase 2 of Study 1, students completed a quiz in small groups (group quiz) or individually (individual quiz), highlighted the video transcript (re-study), or did nothing further (no-activity). Group quiz performance was superior to individual quiz in both Phase 2 and Phase 3. In Phase 3 individual quiz students performed better than no-activity students, but not better than restudy students. In exploring the individual testing effect further, Phase 2 of Study 2 included quiz (individual), restudy, and no-activity conditions. Quiz participants were presented with one (target) of two sets of questions, whereas restudy participants were presented with equivalent statements. During Phase 3, all participants answered both sets of questions (target and related). Quiz performance was superior to restudy and no-activity performance on both target and related material, supporting the retrieval-induced facilitation explanation of the testing effect. Implications of the current research for assessment practices in classroom settings are discussed, and directions for future research are indicated.
Characteristics of Cold and Hot Pressed Iron Aluminum Powder Metallurgical Alloys

Iron powders having average particle sizes of ~40 µm are mechanically mixed thoroughly with aluminum powders ranging from 1 to 10 in wt. %, with an average particle size of ~10 µm. Two different powder metallurgy (PM) techniques, cold and hot pressing, are used to study the effect of the additive element powder on the mechanical properties, wear properties, and the microstructure of the iron based alloys. The hot pressing technique was performed at a temperature reaching up to 500 °C at 445.6 MPa. The cold pressing technique was performed at 909 MPa at room temperature. By increasing the Al content to 10 wt. % in the base Fe-based matrix, the Brinell hardness number was decreased from 780 to 690 and the radial strength from 380 to 228 MPa with reductions of 11.5% and 40%, respectively. Improvement of the wear resistance with the increase addition of the Al powder to the Fe matrix up to five times was achieved, compared to the alloy without Al addition for different wear parameters: wear time and sliding speed.
Mother-Daughter Attachment and Drug Abuse among Latinas in the United States

Although the risks and protective processes influencing substance use behaviors of adult Latinos have been increasingly examined in the literature, substance abuse among adult Latinas remains a relatively understudied area. This study examined associations between mother-daughter attachment and substance abuse among 158 Latina mothers and their adult daughters (N = 316). Dyads of mothers and daughters were categorized into four groups: (a) mother/daughter both drug or alcohol abusers (Dyad 1), (b) mother abuser and daughter non-abuser (Dyad 2), (c) mother non-abuser and daughter abuser (Dyad 3), and (d) mother/daughter both non-abusers (Dyad 4). Dyad 1 participants reported lower levels of attachment to each other than all other types of dyads. Participants born in the U.S. reported more substance abuse than their non-U.S. born counterparts. Future longitudinal research is recommended to determine the presence of a mother-daughter attachment threshold that, if established early and maintained, may act as a protective mechanism against the intergenerational co-occurrence of substance abuse among adult Latinas.
Multi-user Signals Combined with Quadratic Residue Code for Monitoring System

Quadratic residue code (QR code) was designed to carry significantly more data than its ID counterpart. These codes are general used in industrial information tagging applications where database high data capacity, mobility, and data robustness are required. In this paper, we have developed the amplitude-lock loop (ALL) separation model combined with application of quadratic residue code. The separated multi-user signal information embedded in QR code through QR code generation. Then, we can decode to obtain the information of multi-user signals by mobile device with camera. The mobile device must embed to decode the middleware for QR code. The multi-user signals combined with quadratic residue code for monitoring system, which includes five functions. The system composed of FM model, PLL model, ALL model, QR code generation and mobile device. We adopted the MATLAB/Simulink to simulate this system then reached the purpose of monitor.
Enabling Anticancer Therapeutics by Nanoparticle Carriers: The Delivery of Paclitaxel

Anticancer drugs, such as paclitaxel (PTX), are indispensable for the treatment of a variety of malignancies. However, the application of most drugs is greatly limited by the low water solubility, poor permeability, or high efflux from cells. Nanoparticles have been widely investigated to enable drug delivery due to their low toxicity, sustained drug release, molecular targeting, and additional therapeutic and imaging functions. This review takes paclitaxel as an example and compares different nanoparticle-based delivery systems for their effectiveness in cancer chemotherapy.
IMPACT OF VICTIMIZATION ON RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY: EXPLAINING RACIAL AND ETHNIC PATTERNS USING THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY†

Criminal victimization is known to influence households’ moving decisions, but theories suggest that the processes leading to a moving decision can vary across racial and ethnic groups. Drawing from current literature, we hypothesized that victimization would have a stronger effect on moving decisions for Whites than for Blacks or Hispanics, and that racial/ethnic residential segregation would moderate the impact of victimization on mobility. Using a longitudinal sample of 34,134 housing units compiled from the National Crime Victimization Survey for the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the United States (1995–2003), we found results that both support and contradict the hypotheses. Specifically, White residents display consistent evidence that victimization is a significant predictor of household mobility. Blacks and Hispanics, in contrast, are more varied in their moving behavior after victimization. In addition, significant differences exist among these groups in responses to victimization and in how mobility is influenced by residential segregation. Higher levels of residential segregation play a part in the victimization–mobility relationship among Blacks in a way that is more complex than we hypothesized.
The development of the eye-system for the intelligent huggable robot ANTY

The purpose of this study is to design and develop an anthropomorphic based eye-system, used in the intelligent huggable robot ANTY. The intelligent huggable robot ANTY aspires social children-robot interactions relying on face-to-face communication. The anatomy of an anthropomorphic eye and its movements are presented and linked to the design of the artificial robot eye-system.
Pairwise input neural network for target-ligand interaction prediction

Prediction the interactions between proteins (targets) and small molecules (ligands) is a critical task for the drug discovery in silico. In this work, we consider the target binding site instead of the whole target and propose a pairwise input neural network (PINN) for constructing the site-ligand interaction prediction model. Different with the ordinary artificial neural network (ANN) with one vector as input, the proposed PINN can accept a pair of vectors as the input, corresponding to a binding site and a ligand respectively. The 5-CV evaluation results show that PINN outperforms other representative target-ligand interaction prediction methods.
Cognitive fit between conceptual schemas and internal problem representations: the case of geospatio-temporal conceptual schema comprehension

Geospatio-temporal conceptual models provide a mechanism to explicitly represent geospatial and temporal aspects of applications. Such models, which focus on both "what" and "when/where," need to be more expressive than conventional conceptual models (e.g., the ER model), which primarily focus on "what" is important for a given application. In this study, we view conceptual schema comprehension of geospatio-temporal data semantics in terms of matching the external problem representation (that is, the conceptual schema) to the problem-solving task (that is, syntactic and semantic comprehension tasks), an argument based on the theory of cognitive fit. Our theory suggests that an external problem representation that matches the problem solver's internal task representation will enhance performance, for example, in comprehending such schemas. To assess performance on geospatio-temporal schema comprehension tasks, we conducted a laboratory experiment using two semantically identical conceptual schemas, one of which mapped closely to the internal task representation while the other did not. As expected, we found that the geospatio-temporal conceptual schema that corresponded to the internal representation of the task enhanced the accuracy of schema comprehension; comprehension time was equivalent for both. Cognitive fit between the internal representation of the task and conceptual schemas with geospatio-temporal annotations was, therefore, manifested in accuracy of schema comprehension and not in time for problem solution. Our findings suggest that the annotated schemas facilitate understanding of data semantics represented on the schema.
ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY IMPLEMENTATION WITH ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

The first description of ANN integrated circuit implements a continuous time analog circuit for AM. The design used a 22 x 22 matrix with 20,000 transistors, averaging 40 transistors per node to implement a Hopfield AM network. The design faced a scalability challenge at higher levels of integration. The paper advocates handling larger problems by a collection of smaller networks or hierarchical solutions, while predicting, “Significantly different connection technologies” as essential for success in larger systems.