Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of a novel phase contrast x-ray imaging system for mammography

It is hoped that x-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCi) will provide a generational improvement in the effectiveness of mammography. XPCi is sensitive to the refraction which x-rays undergo as a result of the variation in x-ray propagation speeds within an object. XPCi is, however, seldom used in clinical applications owing mainly to a lack of suitable systems. The radiation physics group at UCL has previously designed and built an XPCi system sensitive to phase gradients in one dimension for application in security inspection. We present here the design methodology and final design of a prototype XPCi system sensitive to phase gradients in two directions for use in mammography. The technique makes efficient use of the flux available from a laboratory x-ray source, thus making it suitable for clinical use.
Reward quality influences the development of learned olfactory biases in honeybees

Plants produce flowers with complex visual and olfactory signals, but we know relatively little about the way that signals such as floral scents have evolved. One important factor that may direct the evolution of floral signals is a pollinator's ability to learn. When animals learn to associate two similar signals with different outcomes, biases in their responses to new signals can be formed. Here, we investigated whether or not pollinators develop learned biases towards floral scents that depend on nectar reward quality by training restrained honeybees to learn to associate two similar odour signals with different outcomes using a classical conditioning assay. Honeybees developed learned biases towards odours as a result of differential conditioning, and the extent to which an olfactory bias could be produced depended upon the difference in the quality of the nectar rewards experienced during conditioning. Our results suggest that differences in reward quality offered by flowers influence odour recognition by pollinators, which in turn could influence the evolution of floral scents in natural populations of co-flowering plants.
Brainology Transforming Students' Motivation to Learn

Does this have implications for students’ motivation and learning? It certainly does. In my research in collaboration with my graduate students, we have shown that what students believe about their brains—whether they see their intelligence as something that’s fixed or something that can grow and change—has profound effects on their motivation, learning, and school achievement (Dweck, 2006). These different beliefs, or mindsets, create different psychological worlds: one in which students are afraid of challenges and devastated by setbacks, and one in which students relish challenges and are resilient in the face of setbacks. 1
Software testing techniques (2. ed.)

A method of making a high temperature and stress resistant body of desired porosity in whose practice a green porous body (FIGS. 4, 5, 9, 10) of higher than the desired porosity is formed by compacting different size fractions of spherical particles (A, 23, 27 FIGS. 4, 5) or by winding fine cold-drawn wire (53 FIG. 9) or mesh of fine cold-drawn wire (73 FIG. 10) on a mandrel (51 FIG. 7; 71 FIG. 10). The green body is cemented into a rigid body and at the same time its porosity is decreased to the desired magnitude by depositing cementing material (H5 FIG. 11, 61 FIG. 9, 77 FIG. 10) in the pores (25 FIGS. 5 and 6; 55 FIG. 9) from a gas. Typically a body of tungsten is formed by reducing a tungsten halide in the pores with hydrogen.
The Metabolic Syndrome, LDL Particle Size, and Atherosclerosis: The Atherosclerosis and Insulin Resistance (AIR) Study

An operative definition of the metabolic syndrome has been suggested by a working group associated with the World Health Organization in 1998. The aim of this study was to examine whether small, low density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size was associated with the metabolic syndrome and with subclinical atherosclerosis as measured by ultrasound in the carotid and femoral arteries. The study was performed in a population-based sample of clinically healthy men (N=391), all 58 years old and not undergoing any treatment with cardiovascular drugs. Exclusion criteria were cardiovascular or other clinically overt diseases or continuous medication with cardiovascular drugs. The results showed that subjects characterized by the metabolic syndrome (n=62) had a thicker mean intima-media complex (IMT) in both the carotid and femoral arteries (0.86 versus 0.77 mm, P <0.001, and 1.03 versus 1.00 mm, P =0.022, respectively) and also lower mean values for LDL particle size (25.78 versus 26.80 nm, respectively, P <0.001) compared with subjects with no risk factors (n=77). The group with the metabolic syndrome (n=62) also had higher mean values for serum cholesterol and heart rate. In the whole study group (N=391), there were significant but weak negative relationships between small LDL particle size, increasing IMT, and increasing cross-sectional intima-media area of the carotid and femoral arteries and also negative relationships between LDL particle size and plaque occurrence and size in the carotid and femoral arteries. In summary, this is the first large-scale study to demonstrate a relationship between the clustering of risk factors that constitute the metabolic syndrome and a small LDL particle size pattern and the occurrence of preclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid and femoral arteries, as assessed by the ultrasound technique, in healthy 58-year-old men recruited from the general population.
Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty – A Controversial History and a Rationale for Contemporary Resurgence

Treatment of isolated compartment osteoarthritis with unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has had mixed reported results and still remains a controversial procedure. More recently, adherence to more stringent patient selection criteria and refined surgical technique has resulted in improved clinical outcomes and survivorship. The popularization of UKA as a more tissue-sparing procedure and minimally invasive alternative to total knee arthroplasty has also played an integral role in its recent resurgence. This review details the history, evolution, and varied results of UKA. Many different prostheses have emerged, some with exceptional long-term results. Long-term prospective analyses will be critical in determining the role of UKA as a mainstay in the treatment of single compartment knee degenerative joint disease.
Beyond the Wheelchair: The Experience of Dance

This phenomenological case study sought to understand the wheelchair dance experiences of five children (ages 6-14 years) with spina bifida. The experiences of one boy and four girls were captured using the phenomenological methods of semistructured interviews, journals, visual artifacts, and field notes. The perspectives of their parents were also gathered. The dancer data and parent data were analyzed separately, revealing four common themes: unconditional acceptance, a dream comes true, beyond the wheelchair, and a stronger self. The experience of dancing from a wheelchair was interpreted and understood by reflecting upon the concepts of ableism, dualism, and the minded body.
A Conserved Proline in the hsp90 Binding Region of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Is Required for hsp90 Heterocomplex Stabilization and Receptor Signaling*

Studies of hsp90 in yeast have supported the notion that this chaperone plays a critical role in signaling by steroid receptors. One limitation to these studies is that yeast expressing hsp90 mutants may also be deficient in fundamental cellular functions of the chaperone required for steroid-dependent induction of transcription. In this work, we have prepared mutants of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) that permit analysis of hsp90 binding and transcriptional activity in cells with normal chaperone function. Our previous data supported a model in which hsp90 binds to the receptor steroid binding domain according to a two-site model. By amino acid mutagenesis of these two sites, we have now generated three receptor mutants and analyzed their function. Upon their translationin vitro, all three mutants interacted with hsp90 similarly to the wild-type receptor. However, one mutant, P643A (GRo), was of particular interest because, although it showed normal steroid binding and transformation to a glucocorticoid response element-specific DNA binding form, it was remarkably deficient in nuclear translocation and transcriptional function at 37 °C. Furthermore, GRo·hsp90 heterocomplexes formed in vivo or assembled under cell-free conditions were much less stable than wild-type GR·hsp90 heterocomplexes. Our results demonstrate that Pro-643 plays a critical role in both stabilizing the receptor·hsp90 complex and in permitting an efficient nuclear translocation and, thus, support the concept that the chaperone is an integral component of the steroid-receptor signaling pathway.
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning A Pedagogical Framework for Mobile Learning: Categorizing Educational Applications of Mobile Technologies into Four Types

Instructional designers and educators recognize the potential of mobile technologies as a learning tool for students and have incorporated them into the distance learning environment. However, little research has been done to categorize the numerous examples of mobile learning in the context of distance education, and few instructional design guidelines based on a solid theoretical framework for mobile learning exist. In this paper I compare mobile learning (m-learning) with electronic learning (e-learning) and ubiquitous learning (u-learning) and describe the technological attributes and pedagogical affordances of mobile learning presented in previous studies. I modify transactional distance (TD) theory and adopt it as a relevant theoretical framework for mobile learning in distance education. Furthermore, I attempt to position previous studies into four types of mobile learning: 1) high transactional distance socialized m-learning, 2) high transactional distance individualized m-learning, 3) low transactional distance socialized m-learning and 4) low transactional distance individualized m-learning. As a result, this paper can be used by instructional designers of open and distance learning to learn about the concepts of mobile learning and how mobile technologies can be incorporated into their teaching and learning more effectively.
Changes in Excitability of the Cortical Projections to the Human Tibialis Anterior Following Paired Associative Stimulation

Paired associative stimulation (PAS) based on Hebbs law of association can induce plastic changes in the intact human. The optimal interstimulus interval (ISI) between the peripheral nerve and transcranial magnetic stimulus is not known for muscles of the lower leg. The aims of the current study were to investigate the effect of PAS for a variety of ISIs and to explore the efficacy of PAS when applied during dynamic activation of the target muscle. PAS was applied at 0.2 Hz for 30 minutes with the tibialis anterior (TA) at rest. The ISI was varied randomly in seven sessions (n=5). Subsequently PAS was applied (n=14, ISI=55 ms) with the TA relaxed or dorsi-flexing. Finally an optimized ISI based on the subject SEP latency plus a central processing delay (6ms) was used (n=13). Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited in the TA before and after the intervention and the size of the TA MEP extracted. ISIs of 45, 50 and 55ms increased and 40ms decreased TA MEP significantly (p=0.01). PAS during dorsi-flexion increased TA MEP size by 92% (p=0.001). PAS delivered at rest resulted in a non-significant increase, however when the ISI was optimized from SEP latency recordings, all subjects showed significant increases (p=0.002). No changes in MEP size occurred in the antagonist. Results confirm that the excitability of the corticospinal projections to the TA but not the antagonist can be increased following PAS. This is strongly dependent on the individualized ISI and on the activation state of the muscle. Page 2 of 40
Do Our Friends and Relatives Help Us Better Assess Our Health? Examining the Role of Social Networks in the Correspondence Between Self-Rated Health and Having Metabolic Syndrome

If individuals believe they are healthier than they actually are, they may feel less compelled to improve their health. This study aims to examine the importance of a person’s connections in the correspondence between a person’s self-reported health (SRH) and having metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants of the Kingston Senior Women’s Study (n = 100, 65 years of age and older) completed a questionnaire on their social background, psychosocial conditions, health behaviors, and health. Participants also provided physiological measures and medical information. Health overestimation was defined as reporting high SRH yet being diagnosed with MetS. Logistic regression was used to examine whether a person’s social networks increased the odds of health overestimation. About a third reported a high SRH and had MetS (36%), that is, overestimated their health. Participants had more than four social network ties on average, with a maximum of six reported ties. When control variables were accounted for, participants with larger network size had lower odds of health overestimation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.26, 0.80]). Women with larger social networks may have greater access to information about their own health, leading possibly to more accurate assessments. Such information may be conveyed via feedback from ties or via a more representative perception of what constitutes good health when self-assessing one’s health.
Bone marrow transplantation: hope for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B?

TO THE EDITOR: Adoptive immunotherapy by bone marrow transplantation (BMT) offers a novel insight to the treatment of hepatitis B (HBV) infection refractory to interferon treatment (1–4). A recent publication by Shouval and Ilan (2) reporting successful sero-conversion of HBV infection by BMT encouraged us to report a case from our institution with a similar outcome.
DataBlade extensions for INFORMIX-Universal Server

In September 1996, Informix Software released the first version of its new object-relational database management system to developers and partners. This system, called the INFORMIX-Universal Server, supported a new way of building and deploying database applications. Developers could write software modules, called DataBlade extensions, that extended the database server with knowledge of new types and operations. This paper describes the architecture of INFORMIX-Universal Server and how it supports DataBlade extensions. The paper describes the way that DataBlade developers and application developers interact with the server. Finally, it describes a set of DataBlade extensions that were available for the server at the end of 1996.
Automatic question answering for Turkish with pattern parsing

In this study we have explained the implementation details of a Automatic Question Answering System for Turkish. Automatic Question Answering (QA) is a sub-field of information retrieval (IR) that deals with finding the answers of submitted free text questions. Automatic QA is important for daily life because, it retrieves the answers or answer sets of submitted questions without wasting time for searching the entire document corpus that include the answers. The important issue in QA systems is to extract the features of each sentence to create their semantic meaning. In this study, documents are processed with pattern matching techniques and features of documents are extracted for question answering system. We propose to categorize the questions automatically and then select the correct answer from corresponding answer set. We have used name entity recognition and pattern matching to categorize the type of questions. Additionally we have used range queries to submit the questions. Instead of using traditional distance metrics we have proposed a new approach to rank the similar documents. Each approach has been evaluated and described in this study.
A multimethod search approach based on adaptive generations level

Integration of single methods into hybrid are researched scarcely in the recent past. This paper investigates the effect of integration of single methods: MOEA/D [1] and NSGA-II [2] in a multimethod search approach, so-called, MMTD, based on self-adaptive generations level proposed in this paper. During implementation, MMTD borrows some concepts from the specialized literature of evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO). The synergetic combination of MOEA/D and NSGA-II can unleash their full strength and biases self-adaptively in MMTD framework and can solve efficiently two set of problems: 1) ZDT test problems [3], 2) cec09 unconstrained test instances [4], as compared to the state-of-the-art EMO methods, MOEA/D only and NSGA-II only.
A clock-feedthrough compensation technique for bootstrapped switch

This paper presents a clock-feedthrough compensation technique for bootstrapped switches. The proposed technique utilizes a dummy transistor to generate a reverse voltage, which compensates the input-dependent error caused by clock feedthrough effect of sampling switch. Simulation result shows the differential sampling error of bootstrapped switch reduces from 7.2mV to 1.4mV for the worst case, operating at 500MHz sampling speed in 55nm CMOS technology with a 300fF hold capacitor. The bootstrapped switch consumes 27uW power with only 1.5uW in compensation.
. Primary Photochemistry: The Reaction Centre

Photosystem II (PSII) is a specialized protein complex that uses light energy to drive the transfer of electrons from water to plastoquinone, resulting in the production of oxygen and the release of reduced plastoquinone into the photosynthetic membrane. The key components of the PSII complex include a peripheral antenna system that employs chlorophyll and other pigment molecules to absorb light, a reaction centre at the core of the complex that is the site of the initial electron transfer reactions, an Mn4OxCa cluster that catalyses water oxidation and a binding pocket for the reduction of plastoquinone. PSII is the sole source of oxygen production in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, which include plants, algae and cyanobacteria. In these organisms, PSII operates in series with other protein complexes, including the PSI reaction centre, to produce the reduced form of nicotenamide–adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used in the Calvin–Benson cycle to produce carbohydrates from carbon dioxide.
Human immune response to iron-repressible outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis

Neisseria meningitidis grown under iron-limiting conditions in vitro expresses additional iron-repressible outer membrane proteins (FeRPs). To see which FeRPs were expressed and immunogenic in human infection, we examined purified membranes from four meningococcal disease isolates with Western blotting of patient sera. Convalescent serum from each patient contained immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies against the homologous 70-kilodalton (kDa) FeRP and IgG antibody to the homologous 94-kDa FeRPs. Three other immunoreactive FeRPs were identified in two or more strains. Neither acute-phase sera nor pooled normal human sera contained appreciable levels of these antibodies. Antigenic cross-reactivity among FeRPs was suggested by the observation that the convalescent sera of two patients contained IgG antibodies reactive with the 70- and 94-kDa FeRPs and IgM antibodies reactive with the 70-kDa FeRPs from all four strains. Additionally, rabbit antiserum against the 70-kDa FeRP from one of these disease isolates contained IgG and IgM antibodies that reacted in Western blots with the 70-kDa FeRPs in all four strains. These results demonstrate that meningococcal FeRPs are expressed and immunogenic in vivo and that certain of these proteins are immunologically cross-reactive.
How to use non-linguistic utterances to convey emotion in child-robot interaction

Vocal affective displays are vital for achieving engaging and effective Human-Robot Interaction. The same can be said for linguistic interaction also, however, while emphasis may be placed upon linguistic interaction, there are also inherent risks: users are bound to a single language, and breakdowns are frequent due to current technical limitations. This work explores the potential of non-linguistic utterances. A recent study is briefly outlined in which school children were asked to rate a variety of non-linguistic utterances on an affective level using a facial gesture tool. Results suggest, for example, that utterance rhythm may be an influential independent factor, whilst the pitch contour of an utterance may have little importance. Also evidence for categorical perception of emotions is presented, an issue that may impact important areas of HRI away from vocal displays of affect.
Signaling in Regulation of Podocyte Phenotypes

The kidney podocyte is a terminally differentiated and highly specialized cell. The function of the glomerular filtration barrier depends on the integrity of the podocyte. Podocyte injury and loss have been observed in human and experimental models of glomerular diseases. Three major podocyte phenotypes have been described in glomerular diseases: effacement, apoptosis, and proliferation. Here, we highlight the signaling cascades that are responsible for the manifestation of these pathologic phenotypes. The integrity of the podocyte foot process is determined by the interaction of nephrin with proteins in the slit diaphragm complex, the regulation of actin dynamics by the Rho family of GTPases, and the transduction of extracellular signals through focal adhesion complexes. Activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and transforming growth factor-β1 causes podocyte apoptosis. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase and its downstream target AKT protect podocytes from apoptosis. In human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy, Src-dependent activation of Stat3, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1,2, and hypoxia-inducible factor 2α is an important driver of podocyte proliferation. At the level of intracellular signaling, it appears that different extracellular signals can converge onto a few pathways to induce changes in the phenotype of podocytes.
Long Noncoding RNA Expression during Human B-Cell Development

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of diverse cellular processes, but their roles in the developing immune system are poorly understood. In this study, we analysed lncRNA expression during human B-cell development by array-based expression profiling of eleven distinct flow-sorted B-cell subsets, comprising pre-B1, pre-B2, immature, naive, memory, and plasma cells from bone marrow biopsies (n = 7), and naive, centroblast, centrocyte, memory, and plasmablast cells from tonsil tissue samples (n = 6), respectively. A remapping strategy was used to assign the array probes to 37630 gene-level probe sets, reflecting recent updates in genomic and transcriptomic databases, which enabled expression profiling of 19579 long noncoding RNAs, comprising 3947 antisense RNAs, 5277 lincRNAs, 7625 pseudogenes, and 2730 additional lncRNAs. As a first step towards inferring the functions of the identified lncRNAs in developing B-cells, we analysed their co-expression with well-characterized protein-coding genes, a method known as “guilt by association”. By using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we identified 272 lincRNAs, 471 antisense RNAs, 376 pseudogene RNAs, and 64 lncRNAs within seven sub-networks associated with distinct stages of B-cell development, such as early B-cell development, B-cell proliferation, affinity maturation of antibody, and terminal differentiation. These data provide an important resource for future studies on the functions of lncRNAs in development of the adaptive immune response, and the pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies that originate from distinct B-cell subpopulations.