Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumption and Dependency of Social Network Sites as a News Medium: A Comparison between College Students and General Population

This exploratory study investigates social network sites (SNS) users’ time allocation behavior among various traditional and new media. Specifically, it examines the difference in degree of dependency on SNS between the young generation and the general population as a new form of news medium based on the media system dependency (MSD) and the microeconomic consumption (MEC) theories. The research results reveal that SNS, along with other online media, such as online audio/video news, are the preferred news sources for young people and they are more likely to be interested in soft news than hard news. SNS has become online users’ news portal and is closely related to their other online and user-generated content media use. The significant difference in news media use between the general population and college students also illustrates the importance of choosing the sample in studying SNS and media use.
Mesothelial Dysplastic Changes and Lipid Peroxidation Induced by 7.5% Icodextrin

Background: The issue of icodextrin biocompatibility is somehow ambiguous. Whereas some experimental data point at better bicompatibility of icodextrin compared with high glucose concentration fluid, other reports showed substantial cytotoxic effects upon monocytes and cultured mesothelial cells. The present investigation exposes the first attempt to investigate the biocompatibility issue in an in vivo and in situ setup. Methods: Mice were intraperitoneally injected once a day with the 7.5% icodextrin solution, during 30 consecutive days. Imprints of the mesothelial monolayer covering the anterior liver surface were taken after 2 h, 15 and 30 injections, as well as after recovery periods of 7, 30 and 60 days. Changes on the cell population were evaluated as a function of: density, cell surface area, cell radius, nuclear surface area, number of nucleoli per nucleus, nuclear cytoplasmic index, as well as for prevalence of multinucleation, mitosis, non-viable cells and apoptotic bodies. Additionally, peritoneal dialysis was performed in 3 groups of rats exposed to 4.25% glucose dialysis fluid, 1.1% amino acids solution, or to 7.5% icodextrin. Samples were taken for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) from each group. Results: Mesothelial cell populations of mice exposed to 7.5% icodextrin displayed significantly reduced density, increased cell size, higher increased nuclear/cytoplasmic index, increased numbers of heterogeneous nucleoli, extremely low prevalence of mitosis, atypical mitosis, micronuclei, reduced cell viability as well as a significantly higher prevalence of apoptosis. Rats exposed to the same experimental solution showed significantly higher levels of TBARS (basically malondialdehyde), testifying for an undergoing process of lipid peroxidation. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that the 7.5% icodextrin dialysis solution induced, through a mechanism of lipid peroxidation, substantial DNA injury, leading the exposed monolayer to commit protective cellular suicide. Consequently, this information raises some doubts about the safety of 7.5% icodextrin solution in peritoneal dialysis patients.
Growth differentiation factor 15 is associated with left atrial/left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

There is evidence suggesting that growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15) appears to be associated with stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF‐related thromboembolic stroke is predominantly attributed to the thrombus from the left atrium (LA) or left atrial appendage (LAA).
Paenibacillus xanthanilyticus sp. nov., a xanthan-degrading bacterium isolated from soil.

A xanthan-degrading bacterium, strain AS7T, was isolated from soil and its taxonomic position was determined using a polyphasic approach. Strain AS7T was a Gram-stain-variable, spore-forming, motile, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain AS7T belongs to the genus Paenibacillus, sharing the highest level of sequence similarity with Paenibacillus phyllosphaerae PALXIL04T (98.0 %). The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. MK-7 was the dominant isoprenoid quinone and the major fatty acid was anteiso-C15 : 0. Polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and two unknown phospholipids. These chemotaxonomic characteristics were consistent with the isolate belonging to the genus Paenibacillus. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 51.0 mol% and the DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain AS7T and P. phyllosphaerae PALXIL04T was only 14.4±2.5 %. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and DNA-DNA relatedness value, strain AS7T represents a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus xanthanilyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AS7T (=IBRC M 10987T=LMG 29451T).
Compact and low-cost humanoid hand powered by nylon artificial muscles

This paper focuses on design, fabrication and characterization of a biomimetic, compact, low-cost and lightweight 3D printed humanoid hand (TCP Hand) that is actuated by twisted and coiled polymeric (TCP) artificial muscles. The TCP muscles were recently introduced and provided unprecedented strain, mechanical work, and lifecycle (Haines et al 2014 Science 343 868–72). The five-fingered humanoid hand is under-actuated and has 16 degrees of freedom (DOF) in total (15 for fingers and 1 at the palm). In the under-actuated hand designs, a single actuator provides coupled motions at the phalanges of each finger. Two different designs are presented along with the essential elements consisting of actuators, springs, tendons and guide systems. Experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of the TCP muscles in response to the power input (power magnitude, type of wave form such as pulsed or square wave, and pulse duration) and the resulting actuation stroke and force generation. A kinematic model of the flexor tendons was developed to simulate the flexion motion and compare with experimental results. For fast finger movements, short high-power pulses were employed. Finally, we demonstrated the grasping of various objects using the humanoid TCP hand showing an array of functions similar to a natural hand.
STM contrast of a CO dimer on a Cu(1 1 1) surface: a wave-function analysis

We present a method used to intuitively interpret the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) contrast by investigating individual wave functions originating from the substrate and tip side. We use localized basis orbital density functional theory, and propagate the wave functions into the vacuum region at a real-space grid, including averaging over the lateral reciprocal space. Optimization by means of the method of Lagrange multipliers is implemented to perform a unitary transformation of the wave functions in the middle of the vacuum region. The method enables (i) reduction of the number of contributing tip-substrate wave function combinations used in the corresponding transmission matrix, and (ii) to bundle up wave functions with similar symmetry in the lateral plane, so that (iii) an intuitive understanding of the STM contrast can be achieved. The theory is applied to a CO dimer adsorbed on a Cu(1 1 1) surface scanned by a single-atom Cu tip, whose STM image is discussed in detail by the outlined method.
Bromobenzene-induced liver necrosis. Protective role of glutathione and evidence for 3,4-bromobenzene oxide as the hepatotoxic metabolite.

This laboratory has previously postulated that bromobenzene-induced hepatic necrosis results from the formation of a reactive metabolite that arylates vital cellular macromolecules. Accordingly, the severity of liver necrosis has been compared with the formation of metabolites of bromobenzene and with covalent binding of metabolites in vivo and in vitro after various pretreatment regimens that alter hepatotoxicity. These data provide direct kinetic evidence that 3,4-bromobenzene oxide is the reactive hepatotoxic metabolite. The studies also demonstrate that the hepatotoxic metabolite is preferentially conjugated (detoxified) with glutathione, thereby depleting glutathione from the liver. Liver necrosis and arylation of cellular macromolecules occur only when glutathione is no longer available. Thus, a dose threshold exists for bromobenzene-induced hepatic necrosis.
Application of the MALDI Biotyper to clinical microbiology: progress and potential

ABSTRACT Introduction: The introduction of the MALDI Biotyper in laboratories substantially changed microbiology practice, this has been called a revolution. The system accelerated diagnostic while costs were reduced and accuracy was increased. In just a few years MALDI-TOF MS became the first-line identification tool for microorganisms. Ten years after its introduction, more than 2000 MALDI Biotyper systems are installed in laboratories which are performing routine diagnostic, and the number is still increasing. Areas covered: This article summarises changes in clinical microbiology introduced by the MALDI Biotyper and its effects, as it has been published in peer reviewed articles found in PubMed. Further, the potential of novel developments to increase the value of the system is described. Expert commentary: The MALDI Biotyper has significantly improved clinical microbiology in the area of microorganism identification. Now new developments and applications, e.g. for typing and resistance testing, might further increase its value in clinical microbiology. The systems might get the central diagnostic analyser which is getting integrated into the widely automated microbiology laboratories of the future.
Single Neurons in Anterior Cingulate Cortex Signal the Need to Change Action During Performance of a Stop‐change Task that Induces Response Competition

&NA; Several human imaging studies have suggested that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is highly active when participants receive competing inputs, and that these signals may be important for influencing the downstream planning of actions. Despite increasing evidence from several neuroimaging studies, no study has examined ACC activity at the level of the single neuron in rodents performing similar tasks. To fill this gap, we recorded from single neurons in ACC while rats performed a stop‐change task. We found higher firing on trials with competing inputs (STOP trials), and that firing rates were positively correlated with accuracy and movement speed, suggesting that when ACC was engaged, rats tended to slow down and perform better. Finally, firing was the strongest when STOP trials were preceded by GO trials and was reduced when rats adapted their behavior on trials subsequent to a STOP trial. These data provide the first evidence that activity of single neurons in ACC is elevated when 2 responses are in competition with each other when there is a need to change the course of action to obtain reward.
On metric and statistical properties of topological descriptors for geometric data. (Sur les propriétés métriques et statistiques des descripteurs topologiques pour les données géométriques)

In the context of supervised Machine Learning, finding alternate representations, or descriptors, for data is of primary interest since it can greatly enhance the performance of algorithms. Among them, topological descriptors focus on and encode the topological information contained in geometric data. One advantage of using these descriptors is that they enjoy many good and desireable properties, due to their topological nature. For instance, they are invariant to continuous deformations of data. However, the main drawback of these descriptors is that they often lack the structure and operations required by most Machine Learning algorithms, such as a means or scalar products. In this thesis, we study the metric and statistical properties of the most common topological descriptors, the persistence diagrams and the Mappers. In particular, we show that the Mapper, which is empirically instable, can be stabilized with an appropriate metric, that we use later on to conpute confidence regions and automatic tuning of its parameters. Concerning persistence diagrams, we show that scalar products can be defined with kernel methods by defining two kernels, or embeddings, into finite and infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces.
Application of NCRP 156 Wound Model and ICRP 67 Systemic Plutonium Model for Analysis of Urine Data from Simulated Wounds in Nonhuman Primates

AbstractThe predictions of the wound model described in NCRP Report No. 156, coupled with the systemic model described in ICRP 67, were compared with the actual urinary excretion data and wound retention data from nonhuman primates injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously with 238Pu(IV) citrate. The results indicated that the early behavior of 238Pu(IV) citrate in wounds can be adequately described by the default retention parameters for moderately retained radionuclides suggested by the report. The urinary excretion rates after 200 d post intake could not be described well by the parameters of any of the default wound models because of the differences in the systemic handling of plutonium by humans compared to nonhuman primates.
Thumbnail images: uncertainties, infrastructures and search engines

ABSTRACT This article argues that thumbnail images are infrastructural images that raise issues of uncertainty in two distinct, but interrelated, areas: a legal question of how to define, understand and govern visual information infrastructures, in particular image search systems in epistemological and strategic terms; and a cultural question of how human–computer interaction design works with navigational uncertainty, both as an experience to be managed and a resource to be exploited. This paper considers two copyright infringement cases that involved search engines as defendants, Kelly v. Arriba Soft (2003) and Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc. and A9.com Inc. and Google Inc (2007). The cases are revealing of the issues that arise when thinking about thumbnails as infrastructural images in relation to uncertainty. Legal research on thumbnail images has focused on fitting them into the framework of copyright—which precedes digital technology. This article revolves around the infrastructuration of thumbnail images in a medial sense: as infrastructures of logistics and desire. The article draws on infrastructure studies, feminist visual and human computer interaction (HCI) theory and legal theory to examine how the thumbnail has been negotiated in legal terms, its cultural infrastructures, and the information behaviours they are designed to produce.
Integration of two-stage nanofiltration with arsenic and calcium intermediate chemical precipitation for gold mining effluent treatment

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate an innovative treatment route for gold-mining effluents rich in calcium, arsenic, and sulfate. This treatment route comprised two nanofiltration (NF) stages and a two-step intermediate precipitation. Arsenic and iron coprecipitation (first step) and calcium carbonate precipitation (second step) were assessed aiming to treat the first-stage NF concentrate and increase the permeate recovery rate in a second-stage NF. The pH, the molar ratio of Fe/As (first step), and the molar ratio of CO3/Ca (second step) were optimized by using rotational central composite design. Under optimal conditions, the arsenic removal was 99.8% (at pH = 7.0 and Fe/As = 4.0), and the calcium removal was 99.5% (at pH 11.5 and CO3/Ca = 3.5). The supernatant of Ca precipitation had very basic pH and had to be acidified before the second-stage NF. The pH 8.5 proved to be the best one regarding retention efficiency and flux. The flux decay of the second-stage NF was attributed to both osmotic pressure increase and reversible fouling resistance. It was concluded that the proposed treatment system is efficient for the treatment of gold-mining wastewater, ensuring higher production of treated effluent and an easy disposable of the final concentrate.
Prehospital Modified HEART Score Predictive of 30-Day Adverse Cardiac Events

Abstract Introduction The History, Electrocardiogram (ECG), Age, Risk Factors, and Troponin (HEART) score is a decision aid designed to risk stratify emergency department (ED) patients with acute chest pain. It has been validated for ED use, but it has yet to be evaluated in a prehospital setting. Hypothesis A prehospital modified HEART score can predict major adverse cardiac events (MACE) among undifferentiated chest pain patients transported to the ED. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients with chest pain transported by two county-based Emergency Medical Service (EMS) agencies to a tertiary care center was conducted. Adults without ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were included. Inter-facility transfers and those without a prehospital 12-lead ECG or an ED troponin measurement were excluded. Modified HEART scores were calculated by study investigators using a standardized data collection tool for each patient. All MACE (death, myocardial infarction [MI], or coronary revascularization) were determined by record review at 30 days. The sensitivity and negative predictive values (NPVs) for MACE at 30 days were calculated. Results Over the study period, 794 patients met inclusion criteria. A MACE at 30 days was present in 10.7% (85/794) of patients with 12 deaths (1.5%), 66 MIs (8.3%), and 12 coronary revascularizations without MI (1.5%). The modified HEART score identified 33.2% (264/794) of patients as low risk. Among low-risk patients, 1.9% (5/264) had MACE (two MIs and three revascularizations without MI). The sensitivity and NPV for 30-day MACE was 94.1% (95% CI, 86.8-98.1) and 98.1% (95% CI, 95.6-99.4), respectively. Conclusions Prehospital modified HEART scores have a high NPV for MACE at 30 days. A study in which prehospital providers prospectively apply this decision aid is warranted. StopyraJP, HarperWS, HigginsTJ, ProkesovaJV, WinslowJE, NelsonRD, AlsonRL, DavisCA, RussellGB, MillerCD, MahlerSA. Prehospital modified HEART score predictive of 30-day adverse cardiac events. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):58–62.
White matter integrity and executive dysfunction in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure : a diffusion tensor imaging study

OF THE THESIS White Matter Integrity and Executive Dysfunction in Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study by Jessica W. O’Brien Master of Arts in Psychology San Diego State University, 2012 Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) affects 2-5% of the population and is associated with cognitive deficits in overall intellectual functioning and on indices of learning, memory, and attention. Individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure may demonstrate behavioral problems including hyperactivity and impulsivity and show neural abnormalities including reductions in overall and regional brain volumes, reduced white matter density, and increased gray matter density. White matter abnormalities throughout the brain have been recognized in children with prenatal exposure to alcohol. These structural abnormalities have been hypothesized to underlie many of the cognitive and behavioral deficits observed in this population. The purpose of the current study was to use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine white matter integrity in children with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. Participants included 47 children between the ages 10-16 years: children with heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol (AE = 25) and non-exposed children (CON = 22). Consistent with previous studies, prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with low fractional anisotropy (FA), high mean diffusivity (MD), and high radial diffusivity (RD), compared to non-exposed controls, in clusters in the frontal and parietal lobes, as well as the brainstem, fornix, external capsule, and cerebellum. More surprisingly, prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with clusters of high FA and low MD/RD in white matter tracts in all four lobes of the brain. To better understand these novel results, correlations between measures of white matter integrity and behavioral performance on measures of executive functioning (EF) using the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) were assessed. In clusters in the frontal and parietal lobe, decreased FA and increased MD/RD in the AE group were associated with impaired performance on several EF measures. Within areas where the AE group showed more homogenous white matter than controls, clusters in the temporal and occipital indicated that high FA and/or low MD/RD in the AE group were negatively associated with verbal and non-verbal fluency, while clusters showing reduced MD/RD (but not high FA) in the AE group in frontal-striatal tracts were positively associated with EF performance across several domains. These results suggest that white matter abnormalities in individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure may be more complex than initially believed, and are characterized by areas of both increased and decreased anisotropy relative to unaffected controls. Consistent with previous reports, we identified several clusters in which the AE group showed less homogenous white matter that were associated with impaired neuropsychological performance. However, this
Design and fabrication of injectable microcarriers composed of acellular cartilage matrix and chitosan

Abstract Cartilage is an avascular tissue with limited self-repair ability. Since the methods for treatment of cartilage defects have not been effective, new therapies based on tissue engineering are considered over the recent years. In this study, human cartilage tissue was decellularized and porous injectable microcarriers (MCs) composed of acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage tissue and chitosan (CS), with different ECM weight ratios, were fabricated by electrospraying technique to be used in the treatment of articular cartilage defects. Various properties of ECM/CS MCs such as microstructure, mechanical strength, water uptake behaviour, and biodegradability rate were investigated. MCs with 1% ECM and 2% CS show appropriate characteristics in terms of pore size, density, porosity, and mechanical properties. MTT cytotoxicity assays performed on chondrocyte cells cultured on ECM/CS MCs with various amounts of ECM showed that the sample with 1% ECM content had the greatest cell attachment. Overall, it can be concluded that the prepared MCs with 1% ECM could be a potential candidate to be used in cartilage tissue engineering applications.
Target Tracking via Particle Filter and Convolutional Network

We propose a more effective tracking algorithm which can work robustly in a complex scene such as illumination, appearance change, and partial occlusion. The algorithm is based on an improved particle filter which used the efficient design of observation model. Predefined convolutional filters are used to extract the high-order features. The global representation is generated by combining local features without changing their structures and space arrangements. It not only increases the feature invariance, but also maintains the specificity. The extracted feature from convolution network is introduced into particle filter algorithm. The observation model is constructed by fusing the color feature of the target and a set of features from templates which are extracted by convolutional networks without training in our paper. It is fused with the features extracted from convolutional network for tracking. In the process of tracking, the template is updated in real time, and then the robustness of the algorithm is improved. Experiments show that the algorithm can achieve an ideal tracking effect when the targets are in a complex environment.