Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain Surface Non-Rigid Registration in Auditory Processing

The fast development of new technologies such as digital medical imaging brought to the expansion of brain functional studies. One of the methodolgical key issue in brain functional studies is to compare neuronal activation between individuals. In this context, the great variability of brain size and shape is a major problem. Current methods allow inter-individual comparisions by means of normalisation of subjects’ brains in relation to a standard brain. A largerly used standard brains are the proportional grid of Talairach and Tournoux [1] and the Montreal Neurological Insititute standard brain (SPM99). However, there is a lack of more precise methods for the superposition of more variable portions of the cerebral cortex (e.g, neocrotex and perisyvlian zone) and in brain regions highly asymmetric between the two cerebral hemipsheres (e.g. planum termporale). The aim of this thesis is to evaluate a new image processing technique based on non-linear model-based registration. Contrary to the intensity-based, model-based registration uses spatial and not intensitiy information to fit one image to another. We extract identifiable anatomical features (point landmarks) in both deforming and target images and by their correspondence we determine the appropriate deformation in 3D. As landmarks, we use six control points that are situated: one on the Heschl’y Gyrus, one on the motor hand area, and one on the sylvian fissure, bilaterally. The evaluation of this model-based approach is performed on MRI and fMRI images of nine of eighteen subjects participating in the Maeder et al. [2] study.
A Survey on Various Image Enhancement Techniques

- Image Enhancement is the most important technique in image research. The main function of image enhancement is to improve the visual appearance of an image. Many images such as remote sensing images, medical images, electron microscopy images, satellite images and even real life photographs suffer from poor contrast and noise. So it is necessary to increase the contrast and remove the noise to enhance image quality. This paper presents a literature review on various image Enhancement techniques such as wavelet transform, Contrast Stretching
Differential mRNA Degradation of Two b -Tubulin Isoforms Correlates with Cytosolic Ca 2 1 Changes in Glucan-Elicited Soybean Cells 1

Transgenic soybean (Glycine max) culture cells expressing apoaequorin, a Ca 2 1 indicator, were exposed to glucan fragments derived from Phytophthora soja e or to chitin oligomers. The effects of these elicitors on cytosolic Ca 2 1 concentrations and on mRNA levels of two b -tubulin isoforms, tubB1 and tubB2, were investigated. The glucan elicitors, to which the cells are known to react with a biphasic cytosolic Ca 2 1 increase, induced a down-regulation of the tubB1 mRNA levels while the tubB2 mRNA level remained constant. The decrease of tubB1 mRNA level was observed after 1 hour of glucan treatment. In contrast, chitin oligomers, known to provoke a monophasic Ca 2 1 increase of short duration, did not affect the tubB1 mRNA level. Pre-incubation with 10 m m 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N 9 ,N 9 -tetraacetic acid, an extracellular Ca 2 1 chelator, blocked the cytosolic Ca 2 1 increase as well as the decrease of tubB1 mRNA levels induced by glucan elicitors. Likewise, pre-incubation with 1 m m neomycin, which reduced only the second glucan-induced Ca 2 1 peak, blocked the decrease of tubB1 mRNA level. Experiments with cordycepin, a transcription inhibitor, indicated that glucan fragments induced the degradation of tubB1 mRNA. In conclusion, the glucan-induced cytosolic Ca 2 1 changes are correlated with a strong increase in tubB1 mRNA degradation.
Subcellular Localization of Soybean 7S Globulin in HepG2 Cells and LDL Receptor Up-Regulation by Its (cid:1) (cid:1) Constituent Subunit 1

The aims of this work were to monitor the subcellular localization of soybean 7S globulin in HepG2 cells and determine its interaction with cell protein components, by using laser-induced ﬂuorescence capillary electrophoresis (LIF-CE). Furthermore, we evaluated in the same cell line the involvement of the (cid:1) (cid:1) constituent subunit from 7S globulin in the modulation of LDL catabolism. The results indicated a main ﬂuorescein isothiocyanate-tagged 7S globulin (FITC-7S) component in the cytosolic fraction, that was not present in the nuclear compartment. The electrophoretic mobility of this tagged component suggested either a dissociation of the 7S oligomer or its partial intracellular degradation. Interactions of soybean 7S globulin with FITC-thioredoxin 1 and FITC-cyclophilin B, HepG2 cell membrane proteins, were demonstrated in in vitro assays. In a separate experiment with HepG2 cells, the ability of the (cid:1) (cid:1) subunit puriﬁed from soybean 7S globulin to modulate the activity of the LDL receptors was evaluated by tracking the uptake and degradation of labeled LDL. The up-regulation of LDL receptors by the (cid:1) (cid:1) subunit, as further conﬁrmed by a LDL receptor promoter assay, was signiﬁcantly greater than that found in the control cells. In conclusion, this study, while conﬁrming our previous indirect evidence of the key role of (cid:1) (cid:1) subunit on the cell cholesterol homeostasis, reveals a potentially interesting association of soybean 7S globulin with proteins, such as thioredoxin 1 and cyclophilin B, that are involved in cell protection against oxidative stress. J. Nutr. 133: 2149–2155,
Reconsidering documentation systems Polish preschool educators’ reflections upon

Reconsidering documentation systems: Examining Polish preschool educators’ reflections upon Polish preschool documentation system, preschool democracy and Reggio Emilia-inspired pedagogical documentation from Sweden Sweden and Poland see preschool documentation as a very important practice in Early Childhood Education and Care. Each country, however, conceives of this documentation differently. Reggio Emilia-inspired pedagogical documentation is one of the documentation practices used in Swedish preschools. There is very little research on the approach of Polish educators to this form of pedagogical documentation. Furthermore, the Swedish preschool curriculum is based on Social Pedagogy in contrast to the Polish preschool curriculum, which is based on Readiness for School. These curricular perspectives are underpinned by different views on children’s abilities and on the goal of preschool as an institution. This, in turn, reflects the relative differences in how democracy is viewed, and documentation maintained in these two countries. In this study, semi-structured interviews with four Polish preschool educators were conducted in order to document their understandings of the mentioned terms, as well as their perspectives on the forms and practices of documentation that they use. The participants were also asked about the possibility of adapting pedagogical documentation, as seen in Sweden, to the Polish preschool model. The findings showed, that the participants did not recognize Polish preschool system as democratic. What is more, the interviewees are not satisfied with the form of their preschool documentation. However, the interviews showed, that even though the teachers see value in pedagogical documentation, they do not see this approach as the appropriate one to adapt to Poland, due to the system malfunctions and reluctant co-workers. Lastly, the study shows that more research is needed to examine the relationship between documentation practices and the promotion and maintenance of democratic practices in preschool internationally, as well as suggests some changes in order to improve Polish documentation practices. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Epstein-Barr Virus LMP1 Activates EGFR, STAT3, and ERK through Effects on PKC (cid:1) (cid:1)

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that infects more than 90% of the world’s adult population and is linked to multiple malignancies, including Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The EBV oncoprotein LMP1 induces transcription of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is expressed at high levels in NPC. EGFR transcription is induced by LMP1 through a p50 NF (cid:1) B1-Bcl-3 complex, and Bcl-3 is induced by LMP1-mediated activation of STAT3. This study reveals that LMP1, through its carboxyl-terminal activation domain 1 (LMP1-CTAR1), activates both STAT3 and EGFR in a serum-independent manner with constitutive serine phosphorylation of STAT3. Upon treatment with EGF, the LMP1-CTAR1-induced EGFR was additionally phosphorylated and STAT3 became phosphorylated on tyrosine, concomitant with upregulation of a subset of STAT3 target genes. The kinase responsible for LMP1-CTAR1-mediated serine phosphorylation of STAT3 was identiﬁed PKC (cid:2) speciﬁc RNAi, dominant negative PKC (cid:2) the PKC (cid:2) inhibitor rottlerin. of PKC (cid:2) inhibited constitutive phosphorylation of EGFR and LMP1-CTAR1-induced phosphorylation of ERK. Inhibition of PKC (cid:2) blocked LMP1-CTAR1-mediated transformation of Rat-1 cells, likely through the inhibition of ERK activation. These ﬁndings indicate that LMP1 activates multiple distinct signaling pathways and suggest that PKC (cid:2) functions as a master regulator of EGFR, STAT3, and ERK activation by LMP1-CTAR1.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Amorphophallus albus , a plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP) endemic to dry-hot valley of Jinsha River CURRENT STATUS: UNDER REVIEW

Background Amorphophallus albus P. Y. Liu & J. F. Chen (Araceae) is a plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP) and important economic crop endemic to dry-hot valleys along the Jinsha River. In order to gain information for sustaining the development and conservation of A. albus , we studied the genetic diversity and population structure of this species using microsatellite markers (SSR). In this study, we analyzed 364 individuals belonging to 24 populations, including four wild populations and three ex-situ cultivated populations, collected in the provinces Yunnan, Sichuan and Hubei. Results The population genetic analyses indicated that A. albus possesses moderate genetic diversity with the percentage of polymorphic loci ( PPL ) from 69.23% to 100%, an expected heterozygosity ( He ) of 0.504 and an average Shannon's Information Index ( I ) 0.912. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most of the variance (71%) resided within populations and the estimated gene flow ( Nm ) was 0.61. The results of UPGMA cluster tree, STRUCTURE analyses together with the Mantel test (R 2 = 0.352, P < 0.01) indicated that geographically closely located populations are cluster together with some exceptions. Conclusions Our results showed that A. albus still possesses moderate genetic variation in most of the studied populations, and for now, most cultivated populations were naturally distributed but still some reintroduction exists. For sustaining the present genetic variation, some protections measures are necessary for the wild populations and also for the cultivated ones with high genetic diversity.
Neurological Complications and MRI Neurological Complications and MRI

Cerebrovascular diseases (cerebral infarction, intracranial haemorrhage and vasculop‐ athy) are common manifestations of sickle cell disease (SCD) associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These neurological complications and potential corresponding neuropsychological compromise may have devastating consequences for a child with SCD. This chapter aims to review the neurological complications in SCD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as both a qualitative and a quantitative tool for detecting abnormality. Advanced MRI pulse sequences, such as high‐resolution 3D T1‐weighted imaging for brain volumetrics, diffusion tensor imaging for white matter integrity and non‐invasive perfusion MRI for cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement, can provide additional information about the structure and function of brain tissue beyond the scope of conventional clinical imaging. These studies have set to establish quantitative biomarkers that relate to disease severity and neuropsychological sequelae. randomised trials of auto‐adjusting continuous positive airways pertinent tissue characteristics beyond the detection of conventional, clinical MRI/MRA. These studies open the way for use of quantitative MRI as endpoints in clinical trials.
RESEARCH ARTICLE Mechanisms Underlying Greater Propensity for Cardiovascular Disease in High Risk Populations Heat therapy reduces sympathetic activity and improves cardiovascular risk proﬁle in women who are obese with polycystic ovary syndrome

Heat therapy reduces sympathetic activity and improves cardiovascular risk proﬁle in women who are obese with polycystic ovary syndrome. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 317: R630–R640, 2019. First published September 4, 2019; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00078. 2019. —Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 15% of women and is associated with increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Repeated passive heat exposure [termed “heat therapy” (HT)] is a lifestyle intervention with the potential to reduce cardiovascular risk in obesity and PCOS. Women with obesity mass subjects one-hour hot tub sessions 8–10 wk, whereas subjects did not HT. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), blood pressure, cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and markers of vascular function the activity, provides protection from I/R stress, and substantially improves cardiovascular risk proﬁles in women who are obese with PCOS.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa ExoU augments neutrophil transepithelial migration The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters

Excessive neutrophil infiltration of the lungs is a common contributor to immune-related pathology in many pulmonary disease states. In response to pathogenic infection, airway epithelial cells produce hepoxilin A 3 (HXA 3 ), initiating neutrophil transepithelial migration. Migrated neutrophils amplify this recruitment by producing a secondary gradient of leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ). We sought to determine whether this two-step eicosanoid chemoattractant mechanism could be exploited by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa . ExoU, a P . aeruginosa cytotoxin, exhibits phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity in eukaryotic hosts, an enzyme critical for generation of certain eicosanoids. Using in vitro and in vivo models of neutrophil transepithelial migration, we evaluated the impact of ExoU expression on eicosanoid generation and function. We conclude that ExoU, by virtue of its PLA2 activity, augments and compensates for endogenous host neutrophil cPLA2 α function, leading to enhanced transepithelial migration. This suggests that ExoU expression in P host immune responses through its phospholipase activity by hijacking eicosanoid production. Using in vitro and in vivo models of neutrophil recruitment, we find that ExoU producing strains of P . aeruginosa elicit higher levels of the eicosanoid chemoattractant leukotriene B4 from migrated neutrophils. This results in increased neutrophil transepithelial migration. This work reveals a new mechanism for how bacterial pathogens alter our immune function, and highlights a new potential therapeutic strategy for moderating Pseudomonas pathogenesis in patients with cystic fibrosis and acute pneumonia. 4 synthesis during neutrophil trans-epithelial migration. This schematic depicts (1) bacterialinfectionof lung epithelialcells and the resulting (2) HXA 3 gradientwhich is produced apically from infected epithelialcells and independently of ExoU. (3) A small populationof neutrophilsrespondto the HXA 3 gradientand migrate across the epitheliuminto the airspace. Some of these neutrophilscontact infecting P . aeruginosa cells (4), which in turn results in the injectionof ExoU into the transmigrated neutrophil.Migratedneutrophil-derived cPLA2 α liberatesarachidonicacid from lipid membranes to be acted upon by 5-lipoxygenase for the generationof LTB 4 and the introduction of bacterialExoU into the neutrophil augmentsthis process by generating additionalarachidonicacid thereby amplifyingthe generation of LTB 4 (5). This release of LTB4 by post migratedneutrophilsand augmented by ExoU bolsters the chemotactic gradientdriving more neutrophils across the epithelialbarrier into the airspaceenhancingthe magnitude of the inflammatory response.
Today’s Voice-Based User Interfaces: Analysis of Six Paradoxes

This master’s thesis was about voice-based user interfaces, including the history of voice as an interactive medium, acceptance of the medium among users, and modern implementations of the interfaces. Initial problems of early implementations of voicebased user interfaces were about human-machine communication, as natural language of humans is ambiguous and highly interpretable, causing difficulties to machines when interpreting the given queries. Other topics of interest with the interfaces included implementing human-like cues to machines in order to make them more appealing to users, and how humans see inanimate objects when communicating with them. The problems of machines’ understanding of humans have been reduced greatly, and modern voice-based conversational virtual assistants emerged in the early 2010s. These assistants were examined: what they are, what they have achieved and what does the future hold for them. To evaluate voice as an interactive medium and the assistants, conceptual framework of six distinct paradoxes was used. Prior research, from history to today’s issues, was used to reflect against the conducted research.
Dual Catalytic Powers of MCPIP Implement Macrophage Polarization via the Transcription Factors STAT6 and KLF4

Macrophage polarization plays a critical role in tissue homeostasis, disease pathogenesis, and inﬂammation and its resolution. IL-4– induced macrophage polarization involves induction of STAT6 and Kr € uppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), which induce each other and promote M2 polarization. However, how these transcription factors implement M2 polarization is not understood. We report that in murine macrophages MCP-1–induced protein (MCPIP), induced by KLF4, inhibits M1 polarization by inhibiting NF- k B activation and implements M2 polarization using both its deubiquitinase and RNase activities that cause sequential induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and autophagy required for M2 polarization. MCPIP also induces C/EBP b and PPAR g , which promote M2 polarization. Macrophages from mice with myeloid-targeted overexpression of MCPIP show elevated expression of M2 markers and reduced response to LPS, whereas macrophages from mice with myeloid-speciﬁc deletion of MCPIP manifest elevated M1 polarization with enhanced phagocytic activity. Thus, both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrate that the transcription factors STAT6 and KLF4 implement IL-4–induced M2 polarization via the dual catalytic activities of MCPIP. The Journal of Immunology , 2015, 194: 000–000.
APPLICATIONS OF RADIOTECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONICS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE The NearField Thermal Microwave Radiation Response of a Biological Object to the Local Change of the Lateral Temperature Distribution 1

A layerbylayer method is theoretically develop ed for reconstructing the temperature distribution inside a biological object from the measured outgoing thermal microwave radiation energy flux. The mea� surement is carried out along the plane parallel to the heated object surface in the surface's nearfield area. The equation of the inverse problem is obtained. The equation couples the 2D spatial Fouriercomponent of Poynting's outgoing radiation vector with the similar Fouriercomponent of the lateral temperature distribu� tion along elementary inner layers parallel to the object surface. The obtained equation is solved for the case of a 1D periodic or local depthuniform lateral temperat ure distribution inside an object. The effective half� width of the spatialharmonic spectrum for the outgoing thermal radiation energy flux is shown to be esti� mated by the double wave number inside the object. At the same time, the spatial halfwidth of a biological object's thermalradiation response to a local change in the lateral temperature distribution is estimated as a half of the wavelength inside the object. This result justifies the antenna size conventionally applied in bio� medical research.
PPA_A_310662 967..974

1Department of Psychiatry and Social Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; 2Department of Physiotherapy, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; 3Royal Foundation Victoria Eugenia, Madrid, Spain; 4Department of Basic Psychology and Methodology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain Introduction: The episodic or on-demand administration of clotting factor concentrates in hemophilia patients in the event of hemorrhage is employed to restore hemostasis. Adherence to on-demand treatments needs to be assessed in order to improve patient management, avoiding adverse effects and serious clinical complications. Aim: To validate the Spanish version of the treatment adherence scale in patients with hemophilia, namely, Validated Hemophilia Regimen Treatment Adherence Scale-PRN (VERITAS-PRN). Methods: Eighty-five patients were recruited in three hemophilia patient associations in Spain. The VERITAS-PRN scale was adapted through a back-translation process from English to Spanish. A native Spanish bilingual translator translated the scale from English to Spanish, and subsequently another native English bilingual translator translated the scale from Spanish to English. The scale was applied twice (two months apart) to assess test–retest reliability. Results: Internal consistency reliability was slightly lower in the VERITAS-PRN in Spanish (0.80) versus the English version (0.85). There were no differences (p > 0.05) between the means of the dimensions or in the total scores between the sample of patients in Spain and the USA. The test–retest reliability coefficient of the scores on the total scale was 0.80 [CI, 0.74–0.86]. The test–retest reliability coefficient was greater than 0.90 in all subscales. Conclusion: The Spanish version of VERITAS-PRN has high consistency and empirical validity. This scale is useful for assessing the degree of adherence to treatment in adult patients with hemophilia following episodic infusion treatment.
The quality of the Estonian intervocalic /l/ in three quantity degrees

This paper investigates the effect of the surrounding vowel on the quality and duration of the Estonian intervocalic /l/. Previous studies have shown that quantity affects the quality and duration of consonants in Estonian, but how the different environing vowels affect the consonant in interaction with three quantity degrees is mostly unclear. The results re-vealed that in the context of front vowels /e i/ the consonants F1 was lower and F2 higher as compared to back vowels /a u/. The quality of /l/ was affected by quantity, the gender of the subject and the position of the test word in the utterance. The surrounding vowel affected the duration of /l/ in three quantity degrees. The duration of the intervocalic /l/ was longer in the context of high vowels /i u/. Compared to test words in the utterance-medial position, the duration of /l/ was longer in the utterance-final position. Gender affected the duration of /l/, which was shorter for male subjects. The results suggest that the quality and duration of the intervocalic /l/ is dependent on the quality of the environing vowels and thus not fixed.