Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thin slice three dimentional (3D) reconstruction versus CT 3D reconstruction of human breast cancer

Background & objectives: With improvement in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, breast conserving therapy (BCT) is being increasingly used. Precise preoperative evaluation of the incision margin is, therefore, very important. Utilizing three dimentional (3D) images in a preoperative evaluation for breast conserving surgery has considerable significance, but the currently 3D CT scan reconstruction commonly used has problems in accurately displaying breast cancer. Thin slice 3D reconstruction is also widely used now to delineate organs and tissues of breast cancers. This study was aimed to compare 3D CT with thin slice 3D reconstruction in breast cancer patients to find a better technique for accurate evaluation of breast cancer. Methods: A total of 16-slice spiral CT scans and 3D reconstructions were performed on 15 breast cancer patients. All patients had been treated with modified radical mastectomy; 2D and 3D images of breast and tumours were obtained. The specimens were fixed and sliced at 2 mm thickness to obtain serial thin slice images, and reconstructed using 3D DOCTOR software to gain 3D images. Results: Compared with 2D CT images, thin slice images showed more clearly the morphological characteristics of tumour, breast tissues and the margins of different tissues in each slice. After 3D reconstruction, the tumour shapes obtained by the two reconstruction methods were basically the same, but the thin slice 3D reconstruction showed the tumour margins more clearly. Interpretation & conclusions: Compared with 3D CT reconstruction, thin slice 3D reconstruction of breast tumour gave clearer images, which could provide guidance for the observation and application of CT 3D reconstructed images and contribute to the accurate evaluation of tumours using CT imaging technology.
The use of challenge based learning in mobile application development

Social innovation focuses on the creative ability to solve problems in the community reality. On the other hand, mobile applications empower citizens by creating interaction channels with various industries. Challenge based learning is a collaborative methodology that enables the development of mobile applications, whose main focus is on accepting and solving challenges, performing actions, sharing experiences, and entering into a global discussion on important issues. To exemplify the use of CBL, the process of developing the SciHub application is described, which is a project network, where users can create, follow and receive notifications about them.
Personal Spirituality of Persons with Early-Stage Dementia

During times of stress and uncertainty, research has documented that individuals may turn to religion and spirituality as coping resources. But what about those with dementia who have a decreased cognitive capacity? Do they also turn to religion and spirituality and are these coping resources related to overall quality of life? The objective of this study was to describe the spiritual experiences of persons with early-stage dementia and to explore the relationship between personal spirituality and perceived quality of life. Twenty-three participants were interviewed using: a semi-structured interview guide; the System of Belief Inventory (SBI); and the Quality of Life Index (QLI). Qualitative data analysis illuminated an overall theme of `faith in God' and six related categories: beliefs; support from God; sense of meaning/purpose in life; private practice; public practice; and changes due to dementing illness. There were significant relationships between the SBI scores and the QLI scores. Findings suggest that those with early-stage dementia often find personal spirituality and its internal meanings important in coping with their life situations, that is, spirituality is associated with their perceived quality of life.
Database integration of 4923 publicly-available samples of breast cancer molecular and clinical data

We outline a paradigm for meta-microarray database creation and integration with clinical variables. We use as our implementation example a breast cancer database linking RNA expression measurements (by microarray) and clinical variables, such as survival metrics and tumor size. Such an endeavor involves integrating across different microarray datasets as well as clinical parameters. To this end, we created a data curation and processing pipeline, formal database ontology, and SQL schema to optimally query, analyze and visualize data from over 30 publicly available breast cancer microarray studies listed in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). We demonstrate several pilot examples using this database. This methodology serves as a model for future meta-analyses of complex public clinical datasets, in particular those in the field of cancer.
Genome-wide landscape of polyadenylation in Arabidopsis provides evidence for extensive alternative polyadenylation

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) has been shown to play an important role in gene expression regulation in animals and plants. However, the extent of sense and antisense APA at the genome level is not known. We developed a deep-sequencing protocol that queries the junctions of 3′UTR and poly(A) tails and confidently maps the poly(A) tags to the annotated genome. The results of this mapping show that 70% of Arabidopsis genes use more than one poly(A) site, excluding microheterogeneity. Analysis of the poly(A) tags reveal extensive APA in introns and coding sequences, results of which can significantly alter transcript sequences and their encoding proteins. Although the interplay of intron splicing and polyadenylation potentially defines poly(A) site uses in introns, the polyadenylation signals leading to the use of CDS protein-coding region poly(A) sites are distinct from the rest of the genome. Interestingly, a large number of poly(A) sites correspond to putative antisense transcripts that overlap with the promoter of the associated sense transcript, a mode previously demonstrated to regulate sense gene expression. Our results suggest that APA plays a far greater role in gene expression in plants than previously expected.
Mortality in alcoholism among men in the Lundby Community Cohort, Sweden: a forty-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVE The Lundby Community Cohort has been studied at multiple points in time for more than four decades. The purpose of the present study was to estimate various aspects of mortality among alcoholic men in the cohort. METHOD The mortality rate was calculated for a defined subset of 41 originally nonalcoholic men, who were diagnosed as first incidence alcoholics during the period 1957-1972, all of whom were followed-up through four waves of investigation between 1947 and 1993. Certified causes of death were obtained from the Swedish National Bureau of Statistics and complemented with information from relatives and hospital records. RESULTS Of the 41 men, 18 (44%) had died by 1993; 27% before age 60. The average age at death was 56.6 years, (age range 25-86 years). The mortality risk for the group calculated as odds ratio was estimated to be 5.6. The most common causes of death were diseases of the circulatory system (9/18 or 50%). Accidents and suicides were also significant causes (8/18 or 44%), especially in age groups 20-59. The results were compared with those of an earlier published 15-year follow-up of another sample of alcoholics in the Lundby population. CONCLUSIONS In accordance with the international literature, the study shows a significant reduction in life expectancy for men with alcohol-related disorders compared with matched controls. The data will be used as a basis for forthcoming qualitative analyses of how individual life courses are correlated with alcoholism and heavy drinking.
SPECTRIN‐LIKE PROTEINS IN GREEN ALGAE (DESMIDIACEAE)

Immunochemical detection of actin as well as spectrin‐like proteins have been carried out in the green algae Micrasterias denticulata, Closterium lunula, and Euastrum oblongum. In these algae, actin is detected on Western blots at 43kDa with antibodies to actin from higher plant and animal origin. By use of antibodies to human and chicken erythrocyte spectrin a cross‐reactivity with desmid proteins is found at about the molecular mass of 220kDa, where also human erythrocyte spectrin is detected. Additional bands are present at 120kDa and 70kDa, which are probably breakdown products. An antibody against chicken α‐actinin, a small protein of the spectrin superfamily, recognizes bands at 90kDa, where it is expected, and 70kDa, probably the same breakdown product as mentioned for spectrin. Isoelectric focusing provides staining at pI4.6 with antibodies against spectrin. Immunogold labelling of spectrin and α‐actinin antigens on high‐pressure frozen, freeze‐substituted Micrasterias denticulata cells with the same antibodies exhibits staining, especially at membranes of different populations of secretory vesicles, at dictyosomes, and the plasma membrane. However, no clear correlation to the growth pattern of the cell could be observed. Taken together, our results demonstrate the presence of spectrin‐like proteins in desmid cells which are probably functional in exocytosis.
Cell wall proteomic of Brachypodium distachyon grains: A focus on cell wall remodeling proteins

Cell walls play key roles during plant development. Following their deposition into the cell wall, polysaccharides are continually remodeled according to the growth stage and stress environment to accommodate cell growth and differentiation. To date, little is known concerning the enzymes involved in cell wall remodeling, especially in gramineous and particularly in the grain during development. Here, we investigated the cell wall proteome of the grain of Brachypodium distachyon. This plant is a suitable model for temperate cereal crops. Among the 601 proteins identified, 299 were predicted to be secreted. These proteins were distributed into eight functional classes; the class of proteins that act on carbohydrates was the most highly represented. Among these proteins, numerous glycoside hydrolases were found. Expansins and peroxidases, which are assumed to be involved in cell wall polysaccharide remodeling, were also identified. Approximately half of the proteins identified in this study were newly discovered in grain and were not identified in the previous proteome analysis conducted using the culms and leaves of B. distachyon. Therefore, the data obtained from all organs of B. distachyon infer a global cell wall proteome consisting of 460 proteins. At present, this is the most extensive cell wall proteome of a monocot species.
Expression of Measles Virus V Protein Is Associated with Pathogenicity and Control of Viral RNA Synthesis

ABSTRACT Nonstructural proteins encoded by measles virus (MV) include the V protein which is translated from an edited P mRNA. V protein is not associated with intracellular or released viral particles and has recently been found to be dispensable for MV propagation in cell culture (H. Schneider, K. Kaelin, and M. A. Billeter, Virology 227:314–322, 1997). Using recombinant MVs (strain Edmonston [ED]) genetically engineered to overexpress V protein (ED-V+) or to be deficient for V protein (ED-V−), we found that in the absence of V both MV-specific proteins and RNAs accumulated to levels higher than those in the parental MV molecular clone (ED-tag), whereas MV-specific gene expression was strongly attenuated in human U-87 glioblastomas cells after infection with ED-V+. The titers of virus released from these cells 48 h after infection with either V mutant virus were lower than those from cells infected with ED-tag. Similarly, significantly reduced titers of infectious virus were reisolated from lung tissue of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) after intranasal infection with both editing mutants compared to titers isolated from ED-tag-infected animals. In cell culture, expression of V protein led to a redistribution of MV N protein in doubly transfected Cos-7 cells, indicating that these proteins form heterologous complexes. This interaction was further confirmed by using a two-hybrid approach with both proteins expressed as Gal4 or VP16 fusion products. Moreover, V protein efficiently competed complexes formed between MV N and P proteins. These findings indicate that V protein acts to balance accumulation of viral gene products in cell culture, and this may be dependent on its interaction with MV N protein. Furthermore, expression of V protein may contribute to viral pathogenicity in vivo.
[Procalcitonin rapid test in surgical patients treated in the intensive care unit].

Procalcitonin test (PCT) has been proposed to check severity of generalized infections or sepsis. The authors measured the PCT values with PCT-Q quick test (BRAHMS DIAGNOSTICA GmbH, Berlin) at 14 surgical patients treated in their intensive care unit (7 sepsis, 4 peritonitis, 2 localized pancreatic abscess, 1 postoperative fever). At 3 septic patients (2 pancreatitis, 1 intestinal necrosis) they measured the PCT levels repeatedly during treatment. In 2 patients with localized pancreatic abscess and in 1 patient with postoperative fever without evidence of infection the PCT levels were low (< 0.5 ng/ml). At 4 patients with peritonitis following gastric or colon perforation the PCT levels were highly elevated (> 10 ng/ml). At 7 patients with severe sepsis the PCT values were high (> 2 ng/ml), except for 1 patient with intestinal necrosis. At this patient the PCT levels were repeatedly low. In 2 septic patients with pancreatitis elevated PCT levels indicated the need for surgery. In most patients PCT was a good indicator of generalized infections. PCT levels measured repeatedly in sepsis were lower than in patients with peritonitis.
The effect of suggestion on children's recognition memory for seen and unseen details

Abstract The present study examined the effect of three different types of suggestion on children's recognition memory. Younger (7-year-olds; n=38) and older (11-year-olds; n=47) children listened to a class presentation about China. Three days later, they were interviewed using suggestive questions that were divided into three categories: questions suggesting that details were present when in fact they were not (commission errors), questions suggesting that presented details were absent (omission errors), and questions suggesting that details were presented differently (change errors). The following day, children participated in a recognition-memory task that contained items that referred to information suggested during the suggestive interview. Children in both age groups were more likely to erroneously endorse items involving change errors than they were to endorse items involving commission or omission errors.
Commentary: Extending Organizational Schema for Causal Effects

In recent decades, there has been an explosion of methods for causal analysis. In this issue of EpidEmiology, Gatto et al provide a valuable schema for coping with the numerous distinctions that have arisen. although the schema is already quite comprehensive, we will take it as a starting point for further discussion and development. among the crucial dimensions highlighted by Gatto and colleagues is the target population in which effects are defined. as the authors point out, this dimension is often left vague or implicit, and yet at least some (and usually all) effect measures depend on the population or person. In theory, both the effect measure to be estimated (the causal estimand or target parameter) and the population to which it applies should be determined from stated research hypotheses or policy goals. In practice, however, analysis methods and selection restrictions may result in estimates of effects for a different population, necessitating adjustment to yield estimates for the population of interest or target population for intervention. Furthermore, identifying effect variation across subpopulations or individuals (who can be viewed as subpopulations of size 1) is critical to efforts to tailor clinical practice to provide “patient-centered” care and to inform personal treatment choices. In this commentary, we explore further classification dimensions arising from the population aspect of epidemiologic measures: (1) population effects versus subgroup effects versus average individual effects and (2) collapsible versus noncollapsible effects. We also discuss method-induced subsetting and generalization problems, the latter being crucial to the translation of epidemiologic science into public policy and healthcare recommendations. We end by pointing out the importance of considering potential interference between units. as in the article by Gatto et al, our discussion will concern causal parameters (actual effects) in populations and subpopulations rather than estimates of effects.
Adolescent Skepticism toward TV Advertising and Knowledge of Advertiser Tactics

A longitudinal study of middle school students examined adolescents' skepticism toward advertising and their beliefs about the persuasive tactics advertisers employ. Comparisons across grade levels and over the course of the school year indicated that knowledge about advertiser tactics developed in the direction of adult understanding. Skeptical attitudes toward advertisers' motives showed no differences across grade levels; however, students generally became more disbelieving of advertising claims as the school year progressed. The level of skepticism toward advertising was high and was positively related to having a more adult understanding of advertising tactics. Copyright 1994 by the University of Chicago.
Student Evaluation of Lecturers as an Indicator of Instructional Quality: A Validity Study

AbstractTo assess the extent to which student evaluations of lecturers are accurate indicators of quality of instruction (teacher effectiveness), 128 students taking a multisection course in University Mathematics evaluated the performance of their particular lecturers. Initial tests indicated no difference among the students taking the different sections (same content) in either aptitude or expected performance. Hence, the fact that significantly positive correlations were obtained between average student performance and average student evaluations of their lecturers across the various sections suggests that student evaluations of this kind can be used as a measure of instructional effectiveness under appropriate conditions.
Viki Humanoid : Towards an Integrated Approach

Our goal is to develop techniques and a work methodology that allow conceiving and building robots, and more in general artefacts, with an integrated approach. This is due to different reasons. First of all, we believe that such an approach is economically advantageous, more efficient, faster, and leads to new design attitudes and “state of mind” with respect to an engineering point of view. In contrast to the topdown approach of equipping a humanoid with as many sensors, motors, power, etc. as possible, we developed a bottom-up approach to the construction of humanoids – an approach that attempts to minimize the robot complexity. For the development of the bottom-up approach we find inspiration from recent work in embodied artificial intelligence that puts emphasis on the correspondence and interrelatedness between material, electronic hardware, energy use, and control. Indeed, the Viki humanoid robots were able to win the world championship though they include much less sensors, motors and energy use than their competitors.
Failure mechanisms of interconnections in drop impact

This study performs experimental tracking of crack propagation (stage II fatigue) in a single solder interconnection during drop impact. A high resolution, highspeed four-point resistance measurement system is used for tracking crack progression. Results indicate that most of the drop impact low-cycle fatigue life of the solder joint is spent in the crack initiation stage. Cross-sections and fractographs show that various mixes of intermetallic and bulk failure are possible within a single joint. Several failure mechanisms are suggested. Comparisons of failure modes are also made between drop impact, quasi-static loading and high-cycle fatigue. A thorough understanding of failure mechanisms is important for the development of failure criteria and life prediction models for drop impact
Doing Good and Doing Well

In recent years, Teach for America (TFA) has placed thousands of high-achieving college graduates in hard-to-staff schools, and its popularity continues to grow. TFA thus represents an anomaly: it attracts higher education’s top students to primary and secondary education’s least desired jobs. This article reviews the current explanations for TFA’s success and draws from credentialism theory to explain how these theories overlook a key characteristic differentiating TFA from other programs, and how this difference limits TFA’s generalizability. Using credentialism theory, previous research, and official recruitment messages, this article delineates TFA’s use and exchange values and finds that TFA, by recruiting noneducation majors from prestigious universities, remaining selective, embedding members in a resource-rich social network, and increasing access and reducing the costs for its members to connect to nonteaching career ladders, has increased its credential’s exchange value relative to other preparation programs. The research and policy implications of TFA’s high exchange value are discussed.
Low-noise Instrumentation for the Measurement of Piezoresistive AFM Cantilever Deflection in Robotic Nanobiocharacterization Applications

Characterization of biological samples with nano-resolution is an extremely growing research area due to the evolution of the technology for developing nanosensors for biological measurements. One of the most important nanobiosensors is the AFM tip used in scanning probe microscopes. The AFM tip interacts with the biological sample and gets topographic, mechanical, electrical and chemical information with extremely high resolution. Advances in piezoelectric actuators allow robots to position with nm resolution. If they are equipped with AFM tips, these nanorobots overcome some limitations of the classical AFM microscopes: nanorobots can cooperate between them and with microscopes to perform more complex nanobiocharacterization experiments. The main technological limitation of AFM-tip equipped robots is the need of use an alternative to the classical laser-photodiode cantilever deflection detection system. Piezoresistive cantilevers seem to be the adequate solution but they are noisier than laser-photodiode and then the robots' force sensitivity is limited. In this work we present the design of low-noise instrumentation for accurate sensing of piezoresistive cantilevers and the test-bench to characterize and compare the resolution in force of the robot equipped with a commercial AFM tip as nanosensor. Results show a noise of 5 nN in the measured force and a resolution of 6 nN in the force applied by the robot, which is good enough for cell studies but it's still high for interacting with biomolecules.
Simplified learning with binary orthogonal constraints

Deep architecture based Deep Brief Nets (DBNs) has shown its data modelling power by stacking up several Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs). However, the multiple-layer structure used in DBN brings expensive computation, and furthermore leads to slow convergence. This is because the pretraining stage is usually implemented in a data-driven way, and class information attached to the training data is only used for fine-tuning. In this paper, we aim to simplify a multiple-layer DBN to a one-layer structure. We use class information as a constraint to the hidden layer during pre-training. For each training instance and its corresponding class, a binary sequence will be generated in order to adapt the output of hidden layer. We test our approaches on four data sets: basic, MNIST, basic negative MNIST, rotation MNIST and rectangle (tall vs. wide rectangles). The obtained results show that the adapted one-layer structure can compete with a three-layer, DBN.