Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Feeding Unpredictability and Classical Conditioning on Pre-Release Training of White-Lipped Peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae)

Some authors have suggested that environmental unpredictability, accompanied by some sort of signal for behavioral conditioning, can boost activity or foster exploratory behavior, which may increase post-release success in re-introduction programs. Thus, using white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a vulnerable Neotropical species, as a model, we evaluated an unpredictable feeding schedule. Associating this with the effect of classical conditioning on behavioral activities, we assessed the inclusion of this approach in pre-release training protocols. The experimental design comprised predictable feeding phases (control phases: C1, C2 and C3) and unpredictable feeding phases (U1- signaled and U2- non-signaled). The animals explored more during the signaled and non-signaled unpredictable phases and during the second control phase (C2) than during the other two predictable phases (C1 and C3). The peccaries also spent less time feeding during the signaled unpredictable phase (U1) and the following control phase (C2) than during the other phases. Moreover, they spent more time in aggressive encounters during U1 than the other experimental phases. However, the animals did not show differences in the time they spent on affiliative interactions or in the body weight change during the different phases. The signaled unpredictability, besides improving foraging behavior, showing a prolonged effect on the next control phase (C2), also increased the competition for food. The signaled feeding unpredictability schedule, mimicking wild conditions by eliciting the expression of naturalistic behaviors in pre-release training, may be essential to fully prepare them for survival in the wild.
Importance of the Anti-Interferon Capacity of Sendai Virus C Protein for Pathogenicity in Mice

ABSTRACT The Sendai virus (SeV) C protein blocks signal transduction of interferon (IFN), thereby counteracting the antiviral actions of IFN. Using HeLa cell lines expressing truncated or mutated SeV C proteins, we found that the C-terminal half has anti-IFN capacity, and that K151A, E153A, and R154A substitutions in the C protein eliminated this capacity. Here, we further created the mutant virus SeV Cm*, in which K151A, E153K, and R157L substitutions in the C protein were introduced without changing the amino acid sequence of overlapped P, V, and W proteins. SeV Cm* was found to lack anti-IFN capacity, as expected. While the growth rate and final yield of SeV Cm* were inferior to those of the wild-type SeV in IFN-responsive, STAT1-positive 2fTGH cells, SeV Cm* grew equivalently to the wild-type SeV in IFN-nonresponsive, STAT1-deficient U3A cells. SeV Cm* was thus shown to maintain multiplication capacity, except that it lacked anti-IFN capacity. Intranasally inoculated SeV Cm* could propagate in the lungs of STAT1−/− mice but was cleared from those of STAT1+/+ mice without propagation. It was found that the anti-IFN capacity of the SeV C protein was indispensable for pathogenicity in mice. Conversely, the results show that the innate immunity contributed to elimination of SeV in early stages of infection in the absence of anti-IFN capacity.
Piezoelectric transformer structural modeling - a review

A review on piezoelectric transformer structural modeling is presented. The operating principle and the basic behavior of piezoelectric transformers as governed by the linear theory of piezoelectricity are shown by a simple, theoretical analysis on a Rosen transformer based on extensional modes of a nonhomogeneous ceramic rod. Various transformers are classified according to their structural shapes, operating modes, and voltage transforming capability. Theoretical and numerical modeling results from the theory of piezoelectricity are reviewed. More advances modeling on thermal and nonlinear effects also are discussed. The article contains 167 references.
Reallocation and the Changing Nature of Economic Fluctuations

We document several important changes in the nature of economic fluctuations that coincide with the onset of the Great Moderation and the Jobless Recoveries phenomenon. Labor productivity turned from strongly procyclical to countercyclical; sectoral reallocation of labor increased and became less temporally concentrated in the initial stages of a recession; much of the reduction in volatility of various aggregate time series was concentrated in the higher frequency component of those series, while the switch in cyclicality is concentrated in the medium frequency component; the ``efficiency wedge'' declined in importance relative to the ``labor wedge''. We construct a model of labor reallocation that can account for these facts.
Testing large software with automated software evaluation systems

In the past few years, research has been actively carried out in an attempt to improve the quality and reliability of large-scale software systems. Although progress has been made on the formal proof of program correctness, proving large-scale software systems correct by formal proof is still many years away. Automated software tools have been found to be valuable in improving software reliability and attacking the high cost of software systems. This paper attempts to describe some main features of automated software tools and some software evaluation systems that are currently available.
From Chatterbots to Natural Interaction - Face to Face Communication with Embodied Conversational Agents

In this paper, we present a game of dice that combines multi-party communication with a tangible interface. The game has been used as a testbed to study typical conversational behavior patterns in interactions between human users and synthetic agents. In particular, we were interested in the question to what extent the interaction with the agent can be considered as natural. As an evaluation criterion, we propose to investigate whether the communicative behaviors of humans differ when conversing with an agent as opposed to conversing with other humans.
A Location Inferring Model Based on Tweets and Bilateral Follow Friends

Inferring user’s location has emerged to be a critical and interesting issue in social media field. It is a challenging problem due to the sparse geo-enabled features in social media, for example, only less than 1% of tweets are geo-tagged. This paper proposes a location inferring model for microblog users who have not geo-tagged based on their tweets content and bilateral follow friends. An approach for extracting local words from “textual” data in microblog and weighting them is used to solve the sparse geo-enabled problem, and the maximum weight location vocabulary from his/her friends or tweets is inferred as the user’s location. On a Sina-Weibo test set of 10,000 users from 10 cities, with 10 selected local words for each city, the inferring location accuracy on the city-level can reach 78.85%, and on the province-level can reach 81.39%. Compared with the TEDAS method, our method can achieve better accuracy.
Fractal composite right/left-handed transmission line and its application in zeroth-order resonant antenna

This article proposes a fractal composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission line (TL). Its unit-cell is constructed by inserting a gap and 2-iteration Wunderlich-fractal short curves into a CPW-type structure. A two-unit-cell zeroth-order resonant (ZOR) antenna based on the CRLH TL is designed. The measured results show that the antenna provides smaller electronic size (0.16 λ0 × 0.13 λ0) and wider bandwidth (1.78%) than reported compact ZOR antennas.
The challenge of treating central nervous system infections.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections produce large numbers of death and disability. For example, 1733% of patients with bacterial meningitis die in spite of appropriate antibiotic therapy [1-3]. Case fatality rates can be as high as 44% in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) [4], and 20-30% in Japanese encephalitis (JE), the commonest viral encephalitis worldwide [5]. Many of the survivors are left with residual neurological sequelae; 30-54% after bacterial meningitis [3, 6], up to 47% after TBM [4, 7], and about 50% after JE [5]. CNS infections are of special concern to clinicians in developing countries, as they are commoner and produce more deaths and disability in these regions [8]. Early treatment is imperative. In bacterial meningitis, delays in treatment are associated with excess mortality and residual neurological deficits whereas early treatment has been shown to improve outcome [2, 9]. Recent advances in knowledge have helped guide treatment, especially in bacterial meningitis, but many questions remain.
Temporal Form: Toward a New Language for Describing Relationships

This paper suggests that we are engaged in a search for a new scientific language for describing relationships, which represents a move away from thought dominated by the analysis of the individual character. The concept of "temporalform" is suggested as a new basis for describing relationships. The idea is that, like an improvisational jazz group, a relationship consists of the temporal forms that are created when two people are together. The implications of this concept for both measurement and the construction of theory are discussed.
Comparison of Exact and Heuristic Algorithms for the Maximum-Leaf Spanning Tree Problem

Given a connected, undirected and unweighted graph G, the maximum leaf spanning tree problem (MLSTP) is to find the spanning tree of G, that has the maximum number of leaves. In this report, we present experimental evaluation of the performance of exact algorithms for this problem and several heuristic solutions. The heuristic which we propose is a constructive heuristic. We evaluate the algorithm by experiments and compare results to existing exact and heuristic algorithms.
Use of an Infrared Camera to Improve the Outcome of Facial Nerve Monitoring

ABSTRACT. Intraoperative cranial nerve neuromonitoring (IONM) has significantly reduced morbidity historically associated with skull-base procedures. It provides the surgeon with immediate feedback to preserve both anatomic and physiologic function of monitored nerves. However, when the surgeon cauterizes tissue near the nerve, the monitoring equipment is saturated by the cautery signal, eliminating IONM information at a critical time. The use of an infrared camera under the drapes to observe the face for movement due to nerve stimulation is an invaluable adjunct to traditional IONM. Monitoring may also be improved by contralateral electrode placement to help identify artifact from nerve stimulation, using the microscope's video output to compare the surgeon's hand movements to recorded activity, and learning basic anatomy of the inner ear and skull base in order to know when heightened attention is important.
IMMUNODIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS: DETECTION OF ANTIBODY REACTIVITY TO ANTIGENS OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS AND CYSTICERCUS CELLULOSAE IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS PATIENTS BY ELISA

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized and evaluated for detection of antibody response in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Cysticercus cellulosae. Sonicated extracts of heat killed M.tuberculosis H37Rv and C.cellulosae were prepared and used in ELISA to detect respective antibody response in CSFs for a definitive diagnosis as to tuberculous meningitis (TBM)/neurocysticercosis (NCC). ELISA was performed in a total of 201 CSF samples, which include Group I: chronic infections of the central nervous system (CNS) with possible diagnosis of TBM, tuberculoma, or NCC (n = 70), and Group II: control group of patients with infectious neurological (n = 19), non-infectious neurological (n = 82), and non-infectious non-neurological conditions, i.e., spinal anaesthesia CSFs (n = 30). Specificity in this study was 99.9% and no true cross-reactivity between antimycobacterial antibodies and C.cellulosae antigens and vice-versa was observed. However, in 17.14% of CSFs (12/70), both antimycobacterial and anticysticercal antibodies were detected, 50% of these cases were diagnosed as TBM. But none of the proven NCC cases showed presence of antimycobacterial antibodies. Results of this study would indicate that it would be beneficial if both antibody and antigen responses are detected in CSFs to infectious aetiologies such as M.tuberculosis, C.cellulosae, and C.neoformans in order to enhance the diagnostic accuracy and proper management, as these diseases are highly endemic in underdeveloped and developing countries.
Evaluation of Nickel and Chromium Ion Release During Fixed Orthodontic Treatment Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer: An In Vivo Study

Background: Fixed orthodontic appliances with the use of stainless steel brackets and archwires made of nitinol have a corrosive potential in the oral environment. Nickel and chromium ions released from these appliances act as allergens apart from being cytotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic in smaller quantities in the range of nanograms. This study was done to evaluate the release of nickel and chromium ions from orthodontic appliances in the oral cavity using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Materials and Methods: Saliva samples from 30 orthodontic patients undergoing treatment with 0.022″ MBT mechanotherapy were collected prior to commencement of treatment, after initial aligning wires and after 10-12 months of treatment. Salivary nickel and chromium ion concentration was measured in parts per billion (ppb) using ICP-MS. Results: Mean, standard deviation and range were computed for the concentrations of ions obtained. Results analyzed using ANOVA indicated a statistically significant increase of 10.35 ppb in nickel ion concentration and 33.53 ppb in chromium ion concentration after initial alignment. The ionic concentration at the end of 10-12 months of treatment showed a statistically significant increase in of 17.92 ppb for chromium and a statistically insignificant decrease in nickel ion concentration by 1.58 ppb. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a positive correlation for an increase in nickel concentration after aligning, but not at the end of 10-12 months. A positive correlation was seen for an increase in chromium ion concentration at both time intervals. Conclusion: Nickel and chromium ion concentration in saliva even though below the recommended daily allowance should not be ignored in light of the new knowledge regarding effects of these ions at the molecular level and the allergic potential. Careful and detailed medical history of allergy is essential. Nickel free alternatives should form an essential part of an orthodontist’s inventory.
Unsupervised segmentation based on robust estimation and cooccurrence data

The accuracy of any image segmentation method depends on the correct estimation of the parameters of the different regions present in the image, as well as on the correct labelling of the pixels. Using robust estimators and relaxation labelling techniques, an unsupervised segmentation algorithm was developed. The mean gray value of each region is estimated from the histogram using robust clustering analysis. The gray level distribution of each individual region is approximated through the mean gray value cooccurrence data. The standard deviation of the gray levels of each region is estimated from this distribution using the least median of squares (LMedS) robust estimator. The labelling of the pixels is done through an iterative relaxation region growing process, taking into account both spectral and spatial information. The method is tested in various images and validated with synthetic data, where it is shown that the known true parameters are recovered accurately.
Decreasing Antibiotic Overuse in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Quality Improvement Research

Overutilization of antibiotics and emergence of resistant bacteria are important problems, particularly in intensive care units. To date, reproducible interventions to improve antibiotic utilization in hospitals have not been proven to be effective or safe. Evidence-based medicine, clinical practice guidelines, and health information technology are frequently promoted as means to cross the “quality chasm” described by the Institute of Medicine. This article outlines how these approaches intersect in a strategy for quality improvement research evaluating the safety and effectiveness of clinical practice guidelines designed to improve antibiotic use in neonatal intensive care units.
Command Selection in Gaze-based See-through Virtual Image-Guided Environments

Embedded close-to-the-eye gaze tracking permits new types of interaction in see-through augmented and virtual environments. It is however unclear how gaze-input can be used to select and confirm commands when the tracking technologies are located at close proximity to user's eyes, but cannot utilize fixed geometry as in screen-based environments. We conducted a study in a simulated image-guided medical environment where users employed gaze-input to control an on-screen display. The current hand-based interaction of such views is a frequent source of interruption and thus feasibility of alternative input modalities has to be evaluated. We created a three-stage gaze-based confirmation mechanism and evaluated its robustness and the limits of the target size. Two sizes of the target for command selection were evaluated, occupying 12 and 6 degrees of visual angle at the 30cm distance. The results show the time to perform an action using gaze input is shorter than in hand-based interaction with the real-world device, confirming that this input modality is feasible. The size of target has little effect on the interaction and the completion-error is low. The findings have implications on the design of future gaze-based input methods for these devices.
Optimal Multicommodity Flow Through the Complete Graph with Random Edge Capacities

We consider a multicommodity flow problem on a complete graph whose edges have random, independent, and identically distributed capacities. We show that, as the number of nodes tends to infinity, the maximum utility, given by the average of a concave function of each commodity flow, has an almost-sure limit. Furthermore, the asymptotically optimal flow uses only direct and two-hop paths, and can be obtained in a distributed manner.
Effect of Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma on Endothelial Function and Rho-Associated Kinase Activity in Patients With Primary Aldosteronism

The purpose of this study was to evaluate vascular function and activity of Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs) in patients with primary aldosteronism. Vascular function, including flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation, and ROCK activity in peripheral leukocytes were evaluated in 21 patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), 23 patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA), and 40 age-, sex-, and blood pressure–matched patients with essential hypertension (EHT). FMD was significantly lower in the APA group than in the IHA and EHT groups (3.2±2.0% versus 4.6±2.3% and 4.4±2.2%; P<0.05, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference in FMD between the IHA and EHT groups. There was no significant difference in nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation in the 3 groups. ROCK activity was higher in the APA group than in the IHA and EHT groups (1.29±0.57 versus 1.00±0.46 and 0.81±0.36l; P<0.05, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference in ROCK activity between the IHA and EHT groups. FMD correlated with age (r=−0.31; P<0.01), plasma aldosterone concentration (r=−0.35; P<0.01), and aldosterone:renin ratio (r=−0.34; P<0.01). ROCK activity correlated with age (r=−0.24; P=0.04), plasma aldosterone concentration (r=0.33; P<0.01), and aldosterone:renin ratio (r=0.46; P<0.01). After adrenalectomy, FMD and ROCK activity were restored in patients with APA. APA was associated with both endothelial dysfunction and increased ROCK activity compared with those in IHA and EHT. APA may have a higher risk of future cardiovascular events.
Effect of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination in Uruguay, a Middle-Income Country

Background In 2008, a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced into the routine childhood immunization program in Uruguay, with a 2+1 schedule. In 2010, PCV13 replaced PCV7, and the same 2+1 schedule was used. The effect of these pneumococcal vaccines on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal infections (IPD) and on serotype distribution was analyzed retrospectively, based on passive national laboratory surveillance. Methods Data from 1,887 IPD isolates from 5 years before and 5 years after PCV7 introduction (7 before and 3 after PCV13 introduction) was examined to assess the incidence rate per 100,000 age-specific population of all IPD, PCV7-serotypes, and PCV13-serotypes associated IPD among children <2 years and 2 to 4 years old, and patients ≥5 years old. Trends of frequency for each serotype were also analyzed. Results Comparison of pre-vaccination (2003–2007) and post-vaccination (2008–2012) periods showed a significant decrease in IPD incidence among children <2 years old (IR 68.7 to IR 29.6, p<0.001) and children 2 to 4 years (p<0.04). IPD caused by serotypes in PCV7 was reduced by 95.6% and IPD caused by 6 serotypes added in PCV13 was reduced by 83.9% in children <5 years old. Indirect effects of both conjugate vaccines were observed among patients ≥5 years old one year after the introduction of each vaccine, in 2010 for PCV7 and in 2012 for PCV13. Nevertheless, for reasons that still need to be explained, perhaps due to ascertainment bias, total IPD in this group increased after 2007. In 2012, the relative frequency of vaccine serotypes among vaccinated and unvaccinated population declined, except for serotype 3. Non vaccine serotypes with increasing frequency were identified, in rank order: 12F, 8, 24F, 22F, 24A, 15C, 9N, 10A and 33. Conclusion Consecutive immunization with PCV7 and PCV13 has significantly reduced IPD in children <5 years of age in Uruguay.
Truncation of Macrophage-derived Chemokine by CD26/ Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV beyond Its Predicted Cleavage Site Affects Chemotactic Activity and CC Chemokine Receptor 4 Interaction*

The serine protease CD26/dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (CD26/DPP IV) and chemokines are known key players in immunological processes. Surprisingly, CD26/DPP IV not only removed the expected Gly1-Pro2 dipeptide from the NH2 terminus of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) but subsequently also the Tyr3-Gly4 dipeptide, generating MDC(5–69). This second cleavage after a Gly residue demonstrated that the substrate specificity of this protease is less restricted than anticipated. The unusual processing of MDC by CD26/DPP IV was confirmed on the synthetic peptides GPYGANMED (MDC(1–9)) and YGANMED (MDC(3–9)). Compared with intact MDC(1–69), CD26/DPP IV-processed MDC(5–69) had reduced chemotactic activity on lymphocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells, showed impaired mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ through CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), and was unable to desensitize for MDC-induced Ca2+-responses in CCR4 transfectants. However, MDC(5–69) remained equally chemotactic as intact MDC(1–69) on monocytes. In contrast to the reduced binding to lymphocytes and CCR4 transfectants, MDC(5–69) retained its binding properties to monocytes and its anti-HIV-1 activity. Thus, NH2-terminal truncation of MDC by CD26/DPP IV has profound biological consequences and may be an important regulatory mechanism during the migration of Th2 lymphocytes and dendritic cells to germinal centers and to sites of inflammation.