Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 48-pixel array of single photon avalanche diodes for multispot single molecule analysis

In this paper we present an array of 48 Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) specifically designed for multispot Single Molecule Analysis. The detectors have been arranged in a 12x4 square geometry with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of ten in order to minimize the collection of the light from non-conjugated excitation spots. In order to explore the tradeoffs between the detectors’ performance and the optical coupling with the experimental setup, SPADs with an active diameter of 25 and of 50μm have been manufactured. The use of a custom technology, specifically designed for the fabrication of the detectors, allowed us to combine a high photon detection efficiency (peak close to 50% at a wavelength of 550nm) with a low dark count rate compatible with true single molecule detection. In order to allow easy integration into the optical setup for parallel single-molecule analysis, the SPAD array has been incorporated in a compact module containing all the electronics needed for a proper operation of the detectors.
Query association for effective retrieval

We introduce a novel technique for document summarisation which we call query association. Query association is based on the notion that a query that is highly similar to a document is a good descriptor of that document. For example, the user query "richmond football club" is likely to be a good summary of the content of a document that is ranked highly in response to the query. We describe this process of defining, maintaining, and presenting the relationship between a user query and the documents that are retrieved in response to that query. We show that associated queries are an excellent technique for describing a document: for relevance judgement, associated queries are as effective as a simple online query-biased summarisation technique. As future work, we suggest additional uses for query association including relevance feedback and query expansion.
Wnt signaling in oncogenesis and embryogenesis--a look outside the nucleus.

The Wnt cell-cell signaling pathway plays a critical and evolutionarily conserved role in directing cell fates during embryogenesis. In addition, inappropriate activation of the Wnt signal transduction pathway plays a role in a variety of human cancers. Many recent studies of Wnt signaling have provided mechanistic insight into these dual roles. Here we focus on two areas of rapid advance: (i) the machinery that regulates the stability of the key signal transducer, β-catenin, and (ii) the effect of Wnt signaling on cellular targets outside the nucleus, the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons.
Life-Course Persistent Offenders and the Propensity to Commit Sexual Assault

Moffitt’s (1993) developmental theory has garnered an extensive amount of attention from scholars across a range of disciplines, and the results generated from this body of literature have been consistently supportive. Specifically, the segment of the population predicted by Moffitt to be chronically aggressive—called life-course persistent offenders—has been found to account for a disproportionate number of serious crimes. What remains less certain, however, is whether this same group of offenders are also responsible for perpetrating acts of forced sex. The authors examined the tendency for life-course persisters to sexually assault using a nationally representative sample of individuals. Our findings suggest that life-course persisters are disproportionately more likely to be sexually coercive compared to other individuals.
Functions of the Proteasome on Chromatin

The proteasome is a large self-compartmentalized protease complex that recognizes, unfolds, and destroys ubiquitylated substrates. Proteasome activities are required for a host of cellular functions, and it has become clear in recent years that one set of critical actions of the proteasome occur on chromatin. In this review, we discuss some of the ways in which proteasomes directly regulate the structure and function of chromatin and chromatin regulatory proteins, and how this influences gene transcription. We discuss lingering controversies in the field, the relative importance of proteolytic versus non-proteolytic proteasome activities in this process, and highlight areas that require further investigation. Our intention is to show that proteasomes are involved in major steps controlling the expression of the genetic information, that proteasomes use both proteolytic mechanisms and ATP-dependent protein remodeling to accomplish this task, and that much is yet to be learned about the full spectrum of ways that proteasomes influence the genome.
Monitor displays in radiology: Part 1

Abstract Monitor displays are an integral part of today′s radiology work environment, attached to workstations, USG, CT/MRI consoles and PACS terminals. For each modality and method of use, the correct display monitor needs to be deployed. It helps to have a basic understanding of how monitors work and what are the issues involved in their selection.
Search in Social Networks: Designing Models and Algorithms That Maximize Human Influence

The ease with which people can use today's technology to form connections has generated an unprecedented situation for society: an era of global connectivity. This ease of connecting has increased the number of people using social networks, making the search for connections in this kind of network extremely complex. In this paper, grounded in concepts from Network Science and Artificial Intelligence, we report on models we have constructed and on algorithms aimed at producing a search engine integrated into social networks environments. The contribution of this engine is its ability to evaluate the numerous paths that connect source and target people, opting for the path where the interpersonal influence through the path is maximized. This increases the probability of finding reliable connections. In order to simulate its operation, we implemented this search engine in a multiagent application whose test performance produced results that exceeded expectations.
Using UML in a Non-Software Design Task: Creating an Electronic Software Engineering Handbook

This paper describes a design experience in which UML was used in a non-traditional way, that of modeling an electronic software engineering handbook. The handbook was created by eleven students who took a graduate course in software engineering during Spring 2006 at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA. While all other course projects involved developing software applications, the electronic handbook project required putting together a comprehensive repository of student reviews on significant software engineering articles, thus creating an expandable technical report on the discipline's current landscape and future directions. By accessing this repository, one is able to adequately peruse a plethora of information on various software engineering topics and better comprehend the discipline's vernacular. This paper covers the UML-based specification and design process of the electronic handbook and provides details of the end product. Furthermore, it shows that UML can be used as a powerful modeling tool outside the software development domain. Several pointers to future developments are also presented in the paper.
Interdisciplinary management of an adult patient with significant restorative treatment needs and a complex malocclusion

Transverse maxillary deficiency may be associated with dental crowding, compromised aesthetics and impaired function. Non-surgical correction of maxillary transverse deficiency through rapid maxillary expansion is routinely performed for young patients; however, surgical intervention is generally required for adults. An interdisciplinary treatment approach is necessary to achieve the desired treatment objectives for challenging cases. This case report demonstrates a pleasing treatment outcome for a patient with a severe maxillary transverse deficiency, significant crowding and extensive active caries.
Allocation Constraints in Stratification

When a finite population is to be stratified, one of constraints in stratification is that sample sizes from strata may not be greater than the corresponding stratum sizes and may not be smaller than two. There are several ways of treating this allocation constraint, each providing an alternative approach to stratification. In this article, it is shown that a choice of the approach has a bearing on stratification efficiency. Unfortunately, no particular approach out of the four compared is shown to be the most efficient for each population studied. In addition, the approaches are applied to stratify a real population.
Unexpected Accumulation of F-18 FDG in the Urinary Bladder After Bladder Irrigation and Retrograde Filling With Sterile Saline: A Possible Pitfall in PET Examination

Background: Bladder irrigation and retrograde filling technique has been used to reduce urinary F-18 FDG (FDG) activity for better image interpretation in patients with pelvic tumors. Despite the zealous use of this technique, FDG accumulation in the urinary bladder has been reported and might cause false-positive or false-negative results. In this study, we analyzed the pattern and estimated the incidence of the unexpected accumulation of urinary FDG activity after bladder irrigation and retrograde filling with sterile saline. Methods: We reviewed 53 patients with pelvic malignancies who underwent FDG-PET scans. All of them had bladder irrigation and retrograde filling with sterile saline via triple lumen Foley Catheters. If there was high FDG activity, either focal or diffuse, in the urinary bladder on the standard 1-hour image, bladder irrigation and retrograde filling were repeated and the delayed 3-hour images were acquired. If delayed 3-hour scanning was not possible due to time restraint or the patient's inability to cooperate, pelvic images were immediately acquired while the patient changed to the prone position. Results: On the 1-hour images, 43 of the 53 (81.1%) patients showed low urinary FDG activities and satisfactory image quality for interpretation. However, 10 (18.9%) patients had high FDG activity in the urinary bladder, which could interfere with pelvic image interpretation. Of these 10 patients, 3 (5.7%) patients had diffuse FDG activity in the urinary bladder, which could obliterate a nearby FDG-avid lesion. All of the diffuse urinary FDG activity was cleared with repeated bladder irrigation and retrograde filling. The remaining 7 (13.2%) patients had focal FDG-accumulation in the bladder, which might cause false-positive result. Five of them had repeated bladder irrigation and retrograde filling and all of the focal FDG-accumulations disappeared on the delayed images. Bladder irrigation and retrograde filling could not be performed in 2 patients and pelvic images were acquired after the patients changed to the prone position. The urinary FDG accumulation changed from the posterior portion of the bladder in the supine position to the anterior portion of the bladder in the prone position. Conclusion: Unexpected FDG activity in the urinary bladder, either focal or diffuse, may occur after bladder irrigation and retrograde filling and interfere with pelvic image interpretation. Great caution is required to avoid misdiagnosis: focal FDG accumulation may mimic tumor uptake of FDG whereas diffuse FDG activity may obliterate a FDG-avid pelvic lesion. Repeated bladder irrigation and retrograde filling, and prone-position imaging are useful techniques to ascertain the nature of the FDG accumulation.
A Secure Image-Based Authentication Scheme Employing DNA Crypto and Steganography

Authentication is considered as one of the critical aspects of Information security to ensure identity. Authentication is generally carried out using conventional authentication methods such as text based passwords, but considering the increased usage of electronic services a user has to remember many id-password pairs which often leads to memorability issues. This inspire users to reuse passwords across e-services, but this practice is vulnerable to security attacks. To improve security strength, various authentication techniques have been proposed including two factor schemes based on smart card, tokens etc. and advanced biometric techniques. Graphical Image based authentication systems has received relevant diligence as it provides better usability by way of memorable image passwords. But the tradeoff between usability and security is a major concern while strengthening authentication. This paper proposes a novel two-way secure authentication scheme using DNA cryptography and steganography considering both security and usability. The protocol uses text and image password of which text password is converted into cipher text using DNA cryptography and embedded into image password by applying steganography. Hash value of the generated stego image is calculated using SHA-256 and the same will be used for verification to authenticate legitimate user.
The biological routes of gene delivery mediated by lipid-based non-viral vectors

Cationic lipid/DNA complexes (lipoplexes) represent an attractive alternative to viral vectors for cell transfection in vitro and in vivo but still suffer from relatively low efficiency. Comprehension of the interactions between vectors and DNA as well as cellular pathways and mechanisms in DNA entry into cells and ultimately nuclei will lead to the design of better adapted non-viral vectors for gene therapy applications. Here, some recent developments in the field on the pathways and mechanisms involved in lipoplex-mediated transfection are discussed. The techniques that are widely used to study the mechanism of gene delivery are also discussed.
Racial and ethnic disparities in preconception risk factors and preconception care.

OBJECTIVE At-risk drinking, cigarette smoking, obesity, diabetes, and frequent mental distress, as well as their co-occurrence in childbearing aged women, are risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study estimated the prevalence of these five risk factors individually and in combination among nonpregnant women aged 18-44 years by demographic and psychosocial characteristics, with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities. METHODS Data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on nonpregnant women aged 18-44 years (n=54,612) were used to estimate the prevalences of five risk factors, pairs of co-occurring risk factors, and multiple risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS The majority of women had at least one risk factor, and 18.7% had two or more risk factors. Having two or more risk factors was highest among women who were American Indian and Alaska Native (34.4%), had less than a high school education (28.7%), were unable to work (50.1%), were unmarried (23.3%), and reported sometimes, rarely, or never receiving sufficient social and emotional support (32.8%). The most prevalent pair of co-occurring risk factors was at-risk drinking and smoking (5.7%). CONCLUSIONS The high proportion of women of childbearing age with preconception risk factors highlights the need for preconception care. The common occurrence of multiple risk factors suggests the importance of developing screening tools and interventions that address risk factors that can lead to poor pregnancy outcomes. Increased attention should be given to high-risk subgroups.
The Role of Brain MRI in Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy

Leukoencephalopathy is a hallmark of mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) a devastating disorder characterized by ptosis, ophthalmoparesis, gastrointestinal dysfunction and polyneuropathy. To characterize MNGIE-associated leukoencephalopathy and to correlate it with clinical, biochemical and molecular data, four MNGIE patients with heterogeneous clinical phenotypes (enteropathic arthritis, exercise intolerance, CIDP-like phenotype and typical presentation) were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were also obtained. In two patients we also investigated the role of brain MRI in monitoring the evolution of leukoencephalopathy by performing follow-up imaging studies at an interval of one and two years. The extension and distribution of leukoencephalopathy were not clearly linked with age, phenotype or disease severity, and did not seem to be related to TYMP mutations, enzyme activity or pyrimidine levels. In the studied patients MRS revealed reduced N-acetyl-aspartate and increased choline signals. Although DWI appeared normal in all patients but one, ADC maps always showed moderate increased diffusivity. Leukoencephalopathy worsened over a two-year period in two patients, regardless of the clinical course, indicating a lack of correlation between clinical phenotype, size and progression of white matter abnormalities during this period. Brain MRI should be considered a very useful tool to diagnose both classical and atypical MNGIE. Serial MRIs in untreated and treated MNGIE patients will help to establish whether the leukoencephalopathy is a reversible condition or not.
Is sexual contact a major mode of hepatitis C virus transmission?

Medical opinion varies considerably regarding the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through sexual contact. Based on the study design, representativeness of the study population, and the methods used for case ascertainment, we analyzed 80 qualifying reports regarding the evidence for or against sexual transmission. Regarding heterosexual transmission, the weight of evidence is that there is no increased risk of sexual transmission of HCV among heterosexual couples in regular relationships. This risk increases among persons with multiple sexual partners (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.2‐2.9), but this association may be confounded by increased likelihood of injection drug use with increased number of partners. There appears to be a real increased risk for women coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or other sexually transmitted infections (aOR 3.3‐3.9) and especially for HIV‐infected gay men who are having sex with one another compared with HIV‐uninfected men (aOR 4.1‐5.7). HIV‐infected gay men increase their risk of such transmission in association with practices that lead to mucosal trauma (multiple sexual partners, fisting, use of sex toys) and the presence of genital ulcerative disease. Conclusion: This review should inform, and not distract from, recommendations to reduce the risk of HCV transmission. Health care providers need to pay special attention to sexual transmission of HCV among HIV‐infected individuals. HEPATOLOGY 2010
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux in Noncystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

The clinical presentation of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis may be complicated by concomitant conditions, including gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR). Increased acidic GOR is principally caused by gastro-oesophageal junction incompetence and may arise from lower oesophageal sphincter hypotension, including transient relaxations, hiatus hernia, and oesophageal dysmotility. Specific pathophysiological features which are characteristic of respiratory diseases including coughing may further increase the risk of GOR in bronchiectasis. Reflux may impact on lung disease severity by two mechanisms, reflex bronchoconstriction and pulmonary microaspiration. Symptomatic and clinically silent reflux has been detected in bronchiectasis, with the prevalence of 26 to 75%. The cause and effect relationship has not been established, but preliminary reports suggest that GOR may influence the severity of bronchiectasis. Further studies examining the implications of GOR in this condition, including its effect across the disease spectrum using a combination of diagnostic tools, will clarify the clinical significance of this comorbidity.
Phleomycin Increases Transformation Efficiency and Promotes Single Integrations in Schizophyllum commune

ABSTRACT Phleomycin is mutagenic by introducing double-strand breaks in DNA. The ble gene of Streptoalloteychus hindustanus, which confers resistance to this substance, is widely used as a selection marker for transformation. Schizophyllum commune grows on 25 μg of phleomycin ml−1 after introduction of a resistance cassette based on the ble gene. However, we here report that growth of resistant colonies on this concentration of phleomycin resulted in aberrant colony morphologies. Apparently, phleomycin was mutagenic despite acquired resistance. Therefore, a new selection system was developed based on resistance to the antibiotic nourseothricin. However, the transformation efficiency was tenfold lower than that obtained with phleomycin as a selection agent. This low transformation efficiency could be rescued by addition of a nonselective concentration of phleomycin during protoplast regeneration. This was accompanied by a higher incidence of single-copy integrations and with an increase of expression of key genes involved in double-strand break repair. Taken together, we conclude that the effect of a nonselective concentration of phleomycin strongly resembles the effect of restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) but, unlike REMI, it does not depend on the presence of a target restriction site.
Axon degeneration: make the Schwann cell great again

Axonal degeneration is a pivotal feature of many neurodegenerative conditions and substantially accounts for neurological morbidity. A widely used experimental model to study the mechanisms of axonal degeneration is Wallerian degeneration (WD), which occurs after acute axonal injury. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), WD is characterized by swift dismantling and clearance of injured axons with their myelin sheaths. This is a prerequisite for successful axonal regeneration. In the central nervous system (CNS), WD is much slower, which significantly contributes to failed axonal regeneration. Although it is well-documented that Schwann cells (SCs) have a critical role in the regenerative potential of the PNS, to date we have only scarce knowledge as to how SCs 'sense' axonal injury and immediately respond to it. In this regard, it remains unknown as to whether SCs play the role of a passive bystander or an active director during the execution of the highly orchestrated disintegration program of axons. Older reports, together with more recent studies, suggest that SCs mount dynamic injury responses minutes after axonal injury, long before axonal breakdown occurs. The swift SC response to axonal injury could play either a pro-degenerative role, or alternatively a supportive role, to the integrity of distressed axons that have not yet committed to degenerate. Indeed, supporting the latter concept, recent findings in a chronic PNS neurodegeneration model indicate that deactivation of a key molecule promoting SC injury responses exacerbates axonal loss. If this holds true in a broader spectrum of conditions, it may provide the grounds for the development of new glia-centric therapeutic approaches to counteract axonal loss.