Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
4G Mobile phone consumer preference predictions by using the Rough Set Theory and flow graphs

At the moment, when mobile phone users are demanding more handset features as well as broader bandwidth, the fourth generation (4G) wireless telecommunication standard is emerging. However, how to define appropriate handset features toward various market segmentations to fulfill customers' needs and minimize the manufacturing cost has become one of the most important issues for the 4G handset manufacturers. Thus, a rule based consumer behavior forecast mechanism will be very helpful for marketers and designers of the handset manufacturers to understand and realize. Moreover, precise prediction rules for consumer behavior being derived by the forecast mechanism can be very useful for marketers and designers to define the features of the next generation handsets. Therefore, this research intends to define a Rough Set Theory (RST) based forecast mechanism for the 4G handset feature definitions. Possible handset features will first be summarized by literature reviews. After that, rules of consumers' preferences toward the 4G handsets will be summarized by the RST. To analyze the data and uncover the knowledge inside the rules further, the flow graph will further be introduced for analyzing the information flow distribution. An empirical study on Taiwanese mobile phone users will be leveraged for verifying the feasibility and demonstrate the usability of the proposed forecast mechanism. Meanwhile, the proposed consumer behavior forecast mechanism can be leveraged on defining features of other high technology products/services.
Comparison of temperature distributions in interstitial hyperthermia: experiments in bovine tongues versus generic simulations

Temperature distributions resulting from hyperthermia treatments on isolated perfused bovine tongues were compared with simulations by a treatment planning system. The aim was to test whether the discrete vessel model used for the treatment planning is able to predict correct generic temperature distributions. Tongues were heated with the multielectrode current source interstitial hyperthermia treatment (MECS IHT) system, while the steady-state temperature distribution was mapped by scanning 10 thermocouples along paths perpendicular to the interstitial implant. For simulations a tongue was defined with generic discrete vasculature and an electrode implant analogue to the experiments. To model vascular generations not described discretely, a local heatsink was implemented at the end of each terminating branch. The discretely modelled vasculature showed itself on the temperature distributions in two ways. Individual vessels caused very local, sharp wells in the tracked temperature profiles. In the presence of large vessels a collective behaviour was also seen, i.e. a regional lowering of temperature. Both phenomena can be recognized in the experimentally obtained temperature distributions too. Predicting correct generic temperature distributions is feasible with the discrete vessel model used.
Comparison of Increase in the Enalapril Dose and Addition of Hydrochlorothiazide as Second‐Step Treatment of Hypertensive Patients Not Controlled by Enalapril Alone

Forty-six patients were randomly allocated to two different groups of treatment if their diastolic blood pressure remained above 90 mm Hg after one month of treatment with 20 mg enalapril mg once daily. In the first group (ENA), 23 patients were given higher daily dosages of enalapril (40 mg and, when necessary, 60 mg). The second group of 23 patients (HCTZ) was given 20 mg/day enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/day and, when necessary, 50 mg). Blood pressure was measured by an automatic device and by the physician with a standard sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure was significantly lower in the HCTZ group, according to both the automatic device (130 ± 9/80 ± 8 vs. 141 ± 5/86 ± 8 mm Hg, p < 0.01/p < 0.05) and the sphygmomanometer (134 ± 10/89 ± 6 vs. 149 ± 16/94 ± 5 mm Hg, p < 0.001/p < 0.01). Plasma renin activity, increased by enalapril at the 20 mg dosage, rose in the HCTZ group but not in the ENA group (22.4 ± 22 vs. 10.2 ± 11 pmol/ml/h, p < 0.05). Plasma aldosterone increased significantly in the HCTZ group (0.44 ± 0.22 vs. 0.30 ± 0.17 pmol/ml, p < 0.05) but did not change in the ENA group (0.31 ± 0.11 vs. 0.30 ± 0.17 pmol/ml, NS). In the ENA group, converting enzyme activity was not reinforced (5.7 ± 8 vs. 6.6 ± 6 mU/ml, NS) despite an increase in plasma enalaprilat levels (172.4 ± 108 vs. 72.1 ± 42 ng/ml, p 0.001). Plasma potassium fell in the HCTZ group (–0.43 ± 0.3 mmol/L, p < 0.001), and was not affected by the higher doses taken by ENA group (+0.11 ± 0.3 mmol/L). The effects of converting enzyme inhibition by enalapril 20 mg o.d. are not reinforced by the administration of 40–60 mg o.d. , whereas the addition of hydrochlorothiazide 25–50 mg o.d. decreases blood pressure simultaneously with a rise in plasma renin and aldosterone. Combined therapy with enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide is a more effective antihypertensive approach than increased doses bof enalapril.
Gestão de custos na administração pública: estudo de casos do governo da Bahia e do Banco Central do Brasil

Alguns fatores, entre eles a edicao da Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal e novos instrumentos de gestao migrados do setor privado, tem motivado empresas e orgaos do setor publico no Brasil a adotarem uma nova gestao dos recursos publicos e de avaliacao dos seus resultados. Esse artigo tem como proposta relatar dois casos na administracao publica – no Governo da Bahia e no Banco Central do Brasil – de implantacao de sistema de custos. Os objetivos nessa implantacao foram de atender o disposto na LRF e avaliar os custos do Estado e do Banco de todas as acoes (atividades e projetos) desenvolvidas e dos produtos (bens e servicos) gerados. A metodologia utilizada foi do estudo de caso com relato das etapas envolvidas, beneficios esperados e resultados alcancados, bem como das dificuldades encontradas. O relato desses dois casos nao deve ser visto apenas como forma de compartilhar seus resultados, mas tambem como oportunidade de oferecer a outras organizacoes publicas, em qualquer esfera governamental, motivacao e informacoes para o empreendimento de acoes semelhantes
Virus-Like Display of a Neo-Self Antigen Reverses B Cell Anergy in a B Cell Receptor Transgenic Mouse Model1

The ability to distinguish between self and foreign Ags is a central feature of immune recognition. For B cells, however, immune tolerance is not absolute, and factors that include Ag valency, the availability of T help, and polyclonal B cell stimuli can influence the induction of autoantibody responses. Here, we evaluated whether multivalent virus-like particle (VLP)-based immunogens could induce autoantibody responses in well-characterized transgenic (Tg) mice that express a soluble form of hen egg lysozyme (HEL) and in which B cell tolerance to HEL is maintained by anergy. Immunization with multivalent VLP-arrayed HEL, but not a trivalent form of HEL, induced high-titer Ab responses against HEL in both soluble HEL Tg mice and double Tg mice that also express a monoclonal HEL-specific BCR. Induction of autoantibodies against HEL was not dependent on coadministration of strong adjuvants, such as CFA. In contrast to previous data showing the T-independent induction of Abs to foreign epitopes on VLPs, the ability of HEL-conjugated VLPs to induce anti-HEL Abs in tolerant mice was dependent on the presence of CD4+ Th cells, and could be enhanced by the presence of pre-existing cognate T cells. In in vitro studies, VLP-conjugated HEL was more potent than trivalent HEL in up-regulating surface activation markers on purified anergic B cells. Moreover, immunization with VLP-HEL reversed B cell anergy in vivo in an adoptive transfer model. Thus, Ag multivalency and T help cooperate to reverse B cell anergy, a major mechanism of B cell tolerance.
Improving Consonant Intelligibility for Ineraid Patients Fit with Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS) Processors by Enhancing Contrast Among Channel Outputs

Objective: In Experiment 1 the objective was to determine whether patients who have been implanted with the Ineraid electrode array perform better on tests of consonant identification when signals are processed through a continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) processor than when signals are processed through an analogue (Ineraid) processor. In Experiment 2 the objective was to determine, for patients using the CIS strategy, whether identification accuracy for stop consonant place of articulation could be improved by enhancing differences in the patterns of the signal processor channel outputs. Design: In Experiment 1, 16 consonants were presented in VCV format for identification. In Experiment 1 the CIS patients evidenced difficulty in identifying /p t k/. Therefore, in Experiment 2 the voiceless stop consonants were presented in two stimulus conditions. In one, the stimuli were unfiltered. In the other, the stimuli were individually filtered so as to enhance the differences in channel outputs for /p/, /t/, and /k/. Results: In Experiment 1 the patients performed better with CIS processors than with analogue processors. In Experiment 2 the “enhanced” stimuli were identified with better accuracy than were the unfiltered stimuli. Conclusions: We confirm that Ineraid patients achieve higher scores on tests of consonant identification when using a CIS processor than when using an analogue processor. Errors in identification of stop consonant place of articulation, when using a CIS processor, are due to the similarity in the patterns of the processor's channel outputs. By showing that consonant intelligibility can be improved by filtering, we show that we have not reached the limit of speech understanding that can be supported by the population of neural elements remaining in our patients' auditory systems.
Convergence in Shareholder Law

This paper contains the tables of contents, legislation and cases, the introduction and the index of a book published by Cambridge University Press (2008). The cover text reads as follows: "On the one hand, it can be argued that the increasing economic and political interdependence of countries has led to the convergence of national legal systems. On the other hand, advocates of the counterhypothesis maintain that this development is both unrealistic and unnecessary. Mathias Siems examines the company law of the UK, the USA, Germany, France, Japan and China to see how this issue affects shareholder law. The author subsequently analyses economic and political factors which may or may not lead to convergence, and assesses the extent of this development. Thus, Convergence in Shareholder Law not only provides a thorough comparative legal analysis but also shows how company law interconnects with political forces and economic development and helps in evaluating whether harmonisation and shareholder protection should be enhanced".
Flexible and transparent benzene sensor using functionalized few-layer MoS2

We demonstrated a flexible and transparent benzene sensor using cobalt-metalloporphyrin (Co-MPP)-functionalized few-layer MoS2 as sensing material for the first time. The sensor detected benzene down to 10 ppm at room temperature. The functionalization with Co-MPP catalysts enhanced sensitivity (ΔR/R0) over 250% compared to pristine MoS2. The fabricated sensor showed good mechanical flexibility and optical transparency, which is advantageous for a wide variety of chemical sensing applications.
Association between Latent Proviral Characteristics and Immune Activation in Antiretrovirus-Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Adults

ABSTRACT Generalized immune activation during HIV infection is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, neurocognitive disease, osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, and physical frailty. The mechanisms driving this immune activation are poorly understood, particularly for individuals effectively treated with antiretroviral medications. We hypothesized that viral characteristics such as sequence diversity may play a role in driving HIV-associated immune activation. We therefore sequenced proviral DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-infected individuals on fully suppressive antiretroviral therapy. We performed phylogenetic analyses, calculated viral diversity and divergence in the env and pol genes, and determined coreceptor tropism and the frequency of drug resistance mutations. Comprehensive immune profiling included quantification of immune cell subsets, plasma cytokine levels, and intracellular signaling responses in T cells, B cells, and monocytes. These antiretroviral therapy-treated HIV-infected individuals exhibited a wide range of diversity and divergence in both env and pol genes. However, proviral diversity and divergence in env and pol, coreceptor tropism, and the level of drug resistance did not significantly correlate with markers of immune activation. A clinical history of virologic failure was also not significantly associated with levels of immune activation, indicating that a history of virologic failure does not inexorably lead to increased immune activation as long as suppressive antiretroviral medications are provided. Overall, this study demonstrates that latent viral diversity is unlikely to be a major driver of persistent HIV-associated immune activation. IMPORTANCE Chronic immune activation, which is associated with cardiovascular disease, neurologic disease, and early aging, is likely to be a major driver of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected individuals. Although treatment of HIV with antiretroviral medications decreases the level of immune activation, levels do not return to normal. The factors driving this persistent immune activation, particularly during effective treatment, are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether characteristics of the latent, integrated HIV provirus that persists during treatment are associated with immune activation. We found no relationship between latent viral characteristics and immune activation in treated individuals, indicating that qualities of the provirus are unlikely to be a major driver of persistent inflammation. We also found that individuals who had previously failed treatment but were currently effectively treated did not have significantly increased levels of immune activation, providing hope that past treatment failures do not have a lifelong “legacy” impact.
Histone deacetylase inhibition suppresses the transforming growth factor β1–induced epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition in hepatocytes

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) plays a crucial role in the induction of the epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in hepatocytes, which contributes to the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. The inhibition of the TGFβ1 cascade suppresses EMT and the resultant fibrosis. In this study, we focus on EMT‐induced fibrosis in hepatocytes and the epigenetic regulation of the type I collagen gene. Histone acetylation is an important, major epigenetic mechanism that modulates gene transcription. We evaluated the epigenetic regulation of type I collagen in alpha mouse liver 12 hepatocytes (an untransformed mouse cell line) that had undergone EMT after treatment with TGFβ1. The histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) inhibited EMT; this was reflected by the preservation of epithelial markers and function (E‐cadherin and albumin). Fibrosis, the ultimate outcome of EMT, was abolished by TSA; this was indicated by the inhibition of type I collagen deposition. TSA exerted its anti‐EMT effects by deactivating the mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (Smad3)/Smad4 transcription complex and by interfering with p300, a coactivator of the type I collagen promoter, and preventing its binding to Smad3. TSA also restored Friend leukemia virus integration 1, an inhibitor of the type I collagen gene. TGFβ1‐induced EMT and its inhibition by TSA were replicated in human primary hepatocytes. Conclusion: Histone deacetylase inhibition abrogates TGFβ1‐induced EMT in hepatocytes and reverses EMT‐induced fibrosis by epigenetic modulation of type I collagen. (HEPATOLOGY 2010)
Altered resting‐state network connectivity in congenital blind

The brain of congenital blind (CB) has experienced a series of structural and functional alterations, either undesirable outcomes such as atrophy of the visual pathway due to sight loss from birth, or compensatory plasticity to interact efficiently with the environment. However, little is known, so far, about alterations in the functional architecture of resting‐state networks (RSNs) in CB. This study aimed to investigate intra‐ and internetwork connectivity differences between CB and sighted controls (SC), using independent component analysis (ICA) on resting state functional MRI data. Compared with SC, CB showed significantly increased network connectivity within the salience network (SN) and the occipital cortex. Moreover, CB exhibited enhanced internetwork connectivity between the SN and the frontoparietal network (FPN) and between the FPN and the occipital cortex; however, they showed decreased internetwork connectivity between the occipital cortex and the sensorimotor network. These findings suggest that CB experience large scale reorganization at the level of the functional network. More importantly, the enhanced intra‐ and internetwork connectivity of the SN, FPN, and occipital cortex in CB may improve their abilities to identify salient stimuli, to initiate the executive function, and to top‐down control of attention, which are critical for the CB to guide appropriate behavior and to better adaption to the environment. Hum Brain Mapp 35:2573–2581, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of acetazolamide on pulmonary and muscle gas exchange during normoxic and hypoxic exercise

Acetazolamide (ACZ) is used to prevent acute mountain sickness at altitude. Because it could affect O2 transport in several different and potentially conflicting ways, we examined its effects on pulmonary and muscle gas exchange and acid–base status during cycle exercise at ∼30, 50 and 90% in normoxia (F IO 2 = 0.2093) and acute hypoxia (F IO 2 = 0.125). In a double‐blind, order‐balanced, crossover design, six healthy, trained men (normoxic = 59 ml kg−1 min−1) exercised at both F IO 2 values after ACZ (3 doses of 250 mg, 8 h apart) and placebo. One week later this protocol was repeated using the other drug (placebo or ACZ). We measured cardiac output , leg blood flow (LBF), and muscle and pulmonary gas exchange, the latter using the multiple inert gas elimination technique. ACZ did not significantly affect , , LBF or muscle gas exchange. As expected, ACZ led to lower arterial and venous blood [HCO3−], pH and lactate levels (P < 0.05), and increased ventilation (P < 0.05). In both normoxia and hypoxia, ACZ resulted in higher arterial PO2 and saturation and a lower alveolar–arterial PO2 difference (AaDO2) due to both less mismatch and less diffusion limitation (P < 0.05). In summary, ACZ improved arterial oxygenation during exercise, due to both greater ventilation and more efficient pulmonary gas exchange. However, muscle gas exchange was unaffected.
Evaluation of the dexamethasone suppression test for the diagnosis of glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism.

Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA) is a rare form of inherited hypertension caused by a characteristic gene duplication. With the advent of definitive genetic testing for GRA, the performance of the traditional screening test for GRA, the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), can be evaluated. We compared the DST to direct genetic testing in 24 patients referred for genetic screening for GRA (12 GRA positive and 12 GRA negative) based on clinical and biochemical findings, DST, and family history. Plasma aldosterone was measured before and after oral dexamethasone administration to determine the extent to which aldosterone was suppressed by glucocorticoids in each patient group. The results of the DST in these subjects were also compared to those in 19 historical patients with primary aldosteronism [4 bilateral hyperplasia and 15 aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA)] reported previously. The DST differentiated GRA-positive from GRA-negative patients with 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Cutoffs based on the post-DST plasma aldosterone level (< 4 ng/dL) or percent suppression compared to baseline (> 80%) were equally effective in correctly diagnosing GRA (only one GRA-positive patient would have been incorrectly diagnosed). However, DST in 15 APA patients revealed that 33% had greater than 80% suppression of aldosterone, and 1 had aldosterone levels below 4 ng/dL. We conclued that a post-DST aldosterone level below 4 ng/dL will correctly diagnose GRA patients with high sensitivity and specificity. Suppression compared to baseline can be misleading, as evidenced by the results in APA patients and referred subjects who genetically screened negative.
Activation of Human TRPC6 Channels by Receptor Stimulation*

The human TRPC6 channel was expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells, and activity was monitored using the giga-seal technique. Whole cell membrane currents with distinctive inward and outward rectification were activated by carbachol (CCh) in TRPC6-expressing cells, but not in lacZ-transfected controls. The effect of CCh was steeply dose-dependent with a K0.5 of ∼10 μm and a Hill coefficient of 3–4. A steep concentration-response relationship was also observed when TRPC6 activity was measured using a fluorescence-based imaging plate reader (FLIPR) assay for membrane depolarization. Ionomycin, thapsigargin, and dialysis of the cell with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate via the patch pipette had no effect on TRPC6 currents, but exogenous application of 1-oleoyl acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG, 30–300 μm) produced a slow increase in channel activity. The PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 0.5 μm) had no significant acute effect on TRPC6, or on the subsequent response to OAG. In contrast, the response to CCh was blocked >90% by PMA pretreatment. To further explore the role of DAG in receptor stimulation, TRPC6 currents were monitored following the sequential addition of CCh and OAG. Surprisingly, concentrations of CCh that produced little or no response in the absence of OAG, produced increases in TRPC6 currents in the presence of OAG that were larger than the sum of either agent alone. Likewise, the response to OAG was superadditive following prior stimulation of the cells with near threshold concentrations of CCh. Overall, these results suggest that generation of DAG alone may not fully account for activation of TRPC6, and that other receptor-mediated events act synergistically with DAG to stimulate channel activity. This synergy may explain, at least in part, the steep dose-response relationship observed for CCh-induced TRPC6 currents expressed in HEK cells.