Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of water chemistry on the acute toxicity of copper and zinc to the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia cf dubia

This study determined the influence of key water chemistry parameters (pH, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon [DOC], and hardness) on the aqueous speciation of copper and zinc and its relationship to the acute toxicity of these metals to the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia cf dubia. Immobilization tests were performed for 48‐h in synthetic or natural waters buffered at various pH values from 5.5 to 8.4 (other chemical parameters held constant). The toxicity of copper to C. cf dubia decreased fivefold with increasing pH, whereas the toxicity of zinc increased fivefold with increasing pH. The effect of DOC on copper and zinc toxicity to C. cf dubia was determined using natural fulvic acid in the synthetic water. Increasing DOC was found to decrease linearly the toxicity of copper, with the mean effect concentration of copper that immobilized 50% of the cladocerans (EC50) value 45 times higher at 10 mg/L, relative to 0.1 mg/L DOC at pH 6.5. In contrast, the addition of 10 mg/L DOC only resulted in a very small (1.3‐fold) reduction in the toxicity of zinc to C. cf dubia. Copper toxicity to C. cf dubia generally did not vary as a function of hardness, whereas zinc toxicity was reduced by a factor of only two, with an increase in water hardness from 44 to 374 mg CaCO3/L. Increasing bicarbonate alkalinity of synthetic waters (30–125 mg/L as CaCO3) decreased the toxicity of copper up to fivefold, which mainly could be attributed to the formation of copper‐carbonate complexes, in addition to a pH effect. The toxicity of copper added to a range of natural waters with varying DOC content, pH, and hardness was consistent with the toxicity predicted using the data obtained from the synthetic waters.
El turismo solidario como instrumento de desarrollo: un estudio de caso para analizar las principales motivaciones de los turistas solidarios

espanolEste estudio se centra en el concepto y evolucion del turismo solidario asi como en las motivaciones del turista que lo realiza. Tras la revision de la literatura y basado en un estudio cuantitativo de la cartera de clientes de una ONG espanola especializada en viajes solidarios, se concluye que la interactuacion con otras culturas y el enriquecimiento personal son dos de las principales motivaciones de este tipo de viajero. Los resultados del estudio presentan algunas orientaciones para que las comunidades adapten su oferta actual hacia una mayor integracion con el viajero. EnglishThis study is focused on the concept and evolution of responsible tourism and on the main motivations for tourists. Based on the literature review and on the quantitative study based on the clients data base of a Spanish NGO specialize in this kind of trips, it is concluded that the interaction between different cultures and the personal enrichment are two of the main motivations for this traveler. The results of this study present some guidelines for communities, in order to adapt their current supply to a greater integration with the traveler.
Recognition memory and decision processes: A meta-analysis of remember, know, and guess responses

A meta-analysis of proportions of remember, know, and guess responses was carried out on observations from 86 experimental conditions in 23 different recognition memory experiments. Unlike remember and know responses, guess responses revealed no memory for the test items that elicited them. A signal detection analysis of these data showed that A′ estimates of the strength of the memory trace depended on response criteria. A′ estimates increased significantly when know responses were added to remember responses, and decreased significantly when guess responses were added to remember and know responses. It was guessing, rather than knowing, that was most strongly correlated with overall response criteria. Nor were remembering and knowing correlated significantly. These results do not support a quantitative trace strength model according to which these responses merely reflect different response criteria. They support theories that ascribe remembering and knowing to qualitatively distinct memory systems or processes.
Memory for Chronic Pain Intensity: Correlates of Accuracy

In this study the effects of psychosocial factors on chronic pain recall were investigated. 61 female back pain patients first rated their pain intensity on visual analogue scales during a baseline period. At follow-up 18 mo. later the participants were asked to recall their pain. In addition, they completed a battery of questionnaires including such factors as current depression, pain, helplessness, activities of daily living, and psychosocial work environment, to assess whether these factors affect memory. The results indicated that about 70% of the participants “overestimated” their remembered pain. No significant relationships between recall accuracy and current depression, pain, activities of daily living, or sleep quality were found. However, moderate and significant correlations were found for helplessness and four psychosocial work environment items. These results replicate other reports showing poor memory for intensity of pain and underscore the possible importance of psychosocial work environment factors in memory for intensity of chronic pain.
Finding and interpreting genetic variations that are important to ophthalmologists.

PURPOSE To explore two approaches for making the human genome more accessible and useful to practicing ophthalmologists. METHODS DNA samples were obtained from patients with inherited eye diseases, and these samples were screened for sequence variations in known disease genes with a combination of single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and automated DNA sequencing. Data from this screening were then used to evaluate strategies for productively narrowing the sample space as well as for estimating the pathogenic potential of variations that were discovered in individual patients. For the latter purpose, a universal nomenclature for pathogenic potential was proposed based upon the segregation of disease alleles and the evolutionary conservation of specific residues as reflected by a substitution matrix known as blosum 62. RESULTS Sequence variations were found to be unevenly distributed among disease-associated genes, such that screening strategies could be refined to discover more than 50% of clinically important sequence variations with only 10% of the effort. The use of the blosum 62 matrix was more statistically powerful than our previous method of estimating pathogenic probability. CONCLUSIONS The size of the human genome requires that clinical questions be very carefully focused if they are to be meaningfully answered in a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable amount of resources. By examining the behavior of known disease genes, one can design strategies for significantly focusing the sample space and for more effectively interpreting the variations that are found.
Probabilistic Automata Model of a Soft Robot for the Planning of Manipulation Tasks

Soft robots must be able to structure an automation problem into a sequence of actions that lead to a desired state, before they can fulfill a meaningful role in automation applications. This, however, can only be successful if the robot can predict the outcome of an action. The theory of rigid industrial robots is not applicable without major changes, because kinematic chains do not adequately describe the continuous deformation of the complex, often biologically inspired shapes of soft robots. Analytic solutions have not been found yet. Numerical solutions based on finite elements are slow, technically challenging, and only suitable for one specific robot. It is, however, possible to observe the outcome of an action, and use these observations to plan a sequence of actions that let the robot accomplish an automation task. In this paper, we analyze a probabilistic automaton that computes the optimal sequence of actions to bring the robot into a desired state. An earlier article explained the functioning of the method in a toy example. In this paper, we analyze if it is feasible to apply the method to a planning problem inspired by a real soft robot. We show the results and document the planning process. We identify the analog of an impulse response, although it is not closed form due to the nonparametric nature of the method.Note to Practitioners—A soft robotic sorting table has a computer-controlled soft surface that can move delicate objects without damaging them. There are currently no closed-loop control systems for such robots, because it is unclear how to relate the control signals to the behavior of the table, or which actions to choose in order to solve a manipulation task. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic automaton to plan the best action sequence on average. The sequence brings the workpieces on top of a soft table into a desired condition. It is a machine learning solution that is based on observations of the input signals and their effect, rather than a detailed analytical or numerical modeling of the robot. We show that it is feasible to model an existing soft robotic table. We demonstrate that the planning is successful by solving complex maze tasks. Our results are based on experiments and simulations.
Evidence of Deviant Emotional Processing in Psychopathy: A fMRI Case Study

In this case–report we describe a prototypical criminal psychopath by clinical characteristics and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To study emotional disability in psychopathy we compared fMRI-BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) responses to healthy controls. In a block-design subjects were exposed to drawings of facial expressions alternated with scrambled drawings. Exposure to facial expressions activated brain regions of older origin in the psychopath, whereas all activated regions in controls were neocortical. Our findings support the notion that the processing of emotional stimuli in psychopathy is atypical.
A High-Speed Low-Noise 16-Channel CSA With Automatic Leakage Compensation In 0.35-$\mu$m CMOS Process for APD-Based PET Detectors

Design, implementation, analysis and measured performance results of a new high-speed low-noise 16-channel charge-sensitive preamplifier (CSA) prototype with automatic detector leakage compensation are presented. The prototype has been fabricated in TSMC 0.35-mum CMOS process and is designed for use with avalanche photodiode (APD) based PET detectors. The CSA is used to read out charge signals from a 4times4 APD array having 3 pF of capacitance and 75 nA of leakage current per pixel. A single channel CSA has 16 gain settings measured to range from 31.7 mV/fC to 4.5 mV/fC. The gain settings for all channels are set by a 64-bit on-chip shift register. The signal rise time at the CSA output was measured to be as fast as 2.9 ns (5%-55% rise time) and 4.8 ns (20%-80% rise time). A feedback MOS transistor biased in the triode region is used to reset the CSA output and a very slow Gm-feedback loop performs automatic leakage compensation up to 10 muA of leakage current per channel. Minimum input referred rms noise of 350 e- was measured with a pure capacitive input load and 1200 e- with an actual APD load biased at -1.7 kV connected to the CSA input, both at 0.1-mus peaking time. The prototype chip draws less than 50 mA of total current from a +3.3 V supply.
Graduates of Teaching Health Centers Are More Likely to Enter Practice in the Primary Care Safety Net.

The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program funds new primary care residencies at community health centers caring for the nation's underserved population. In a national census of third-year family medicine residents, those who trained in teaching health centers were more likely to plan to work in safety net clinics than residents who did not train in these centers.
Pyrithiones as antifoulants: Environmental chemistry and preliminary risk assessment

Pyrithiones are widely used as bactericides, fungicides, or algicides in a variety of products such as shampoos, metal working fluids, adhesives, sealants, and coatings. This broad antimicrobial activity, along with low water solubility and favorable environmental chemistry, makes zinc pyrithione and copper pyrithione potentially ideal replacements for TBT in marine antifouling paints. Several studies on the toxicity and environ‐ • mental fate of these pyrithiones have been conducted in freshwater and saltwater systems. Environmental fate studies show that pyrithiones rapidly degrade in the water column to less toxic compounds. Sediment accumulation is also prevented by the facile reduction of a critical functional group under anaerobic conditions. Modeling programs were used to calculate the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) for pyrithione. Comparison of PECs calculated for more persistent antifoulants with actual measured concentrations provided a measure of the bias inherent to the models. The results indicate a pyrithione risk quotient (PEC/PNEC) < 1. The findings are consistent with the absence of ecological effects during the long history of the use of zinc pyrithione as an antidandruff agent.
Benign Mixed Epithelial and Stromal Tumor of the Kidney

A 51-year-old, perimenopausal, female patient with 1-month history of right flank pain who was diagnosed with a renal mass and underwent nephron-sparing partial nephrectomy is presented. The renal mass was found to be a benign, biphasic tumor composed of an epithelial component, consisting of ducts of variable size scattered within a mesenchymal component, composed of spindle cells arranged in sheets and fascicles. No atypia, mitosis, or necrosis was found. The spindle component shows desmin, smooth muscle actin, and estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity immunohistochemically. The diagnosis of benign mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the kidney is rendered. No recurrent disease has been detected during 2 years of follow up.
Hidden node collision mitigated CSMA/CA-based multihop wireless sensor networks

Hidden node collision is a significant problem in CSMA/CA (Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance)-based multihop networks such as wireless sensor networks. The RTS/CTS (Request to Send/Clear to Send)-based handshaking mechanism is not effective to solve this problem in multihop networks. Also, to reduce power-consumption, such a handshaking mechanism is not used in CSMA/CA networks such as the IEEE 802.15. 4-based networks. Spatial scheduling of nodes is a classical approach to solve the hidden node problem. We apply this scheduling concept and present a network planning model to mitigate this problem without any control overhead by structuring a CSMA/CA-based wireless network in a cellular layout. For this network model, we derive the required distance between a sender and a receiver so that the minimum required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) at the receiver can be guaranteed in the worst-case scenario. We also present an analysis to estimate network size for given traffic load under distance-dependent signal attenuation.
Do neutrophils produce ozone? An appraisal of current evidence

Recently, it was proposed that neutrophils generate ozone. Evidence for the proposal is based largely on three experimental systems using probes that are known to react with ozone. However, further assessment of the findings shows that in each case, there is a plausible alternative explanation. Oxidation of indigo carmine to isatin sulfonic can be accounted for by superoxide. Conversion of vinylbenzoic acid to p‐carboxybenzaldehyde is analogous to the reactions of other styrene derivatives shown to be catalyzed by myeloperoxidase, and more rigorous assessment of alternative explanations is needed before the formation of secosterol oxidation products of cholesterol can be taken as proof of ozone production. We conclude that the evidence for ozone production by neutrophils is not convincing and studies using the same probes to implicate ozone in other biological processes should also be interpreted with caution.
Enhanced Expression of Interleukin-8 and Activation of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B in Endoscopy-negative Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

OBJECTIVE:Interleukin-8 (IL-8) mediates neutrophil trafficking via its receptors. Recent studies have shown that IL-8 is likely involved in the development and progression of erosive reflux esophagitis (RE), yet little is known about its implication in endoscopy-negative gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The purpose of this study was to determine IL-8 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels in endoscopy-negative GERD, along with assessment of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) activation, which upregulates IL-8 expression.METHODS:We studied 31 patients with endoscopy-negative GERD, 15 patients with erosive RE, and 15 asymptomatic controls. Paired biopsy samples were taken from the esophagus 3 cm above the gastroesophageal junction; one biopsy was snap-frozen for measurement of IL-8 mRNA levels by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and another was formalin-fixed for histopathological evaluation. In nine endoscopy-negative GERD patients, the IL-8 mRNA expression levels were measured before and 8 wk after treatment with lansoprazole. We also sampled additional specimens for NF-κB-DNA binding assay and immunohistochemical analyses of NF-κB p65 and p50 subunits, IL-8 and specific IL-8 receptor, CXCR-1.RESULTS:The relative IL-8 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in esophageal mucosa of patients with endoscopy-negative GERD than those of the controls. The presence of basal zone hyperplasia and intraepithelial neutrophils, histopathological hallmarks of GERD, were associated with higher levels of IL-8 mRNA. Lansoprazole treatment significantly reduced the IL-8 mRNA expression levels. The esophageal epithelium of patients with GERD showed intense immunoreactivity for IL-8, and expressed CXCR-1 antigen. We found NF-κB activation in esophageal mucosa in GERD patients and the NF-κB subunits were localized predominantly in the nuclei of IL-8-expressing cells.CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrate enhanced mucosal expression of IL-8 in incipient GERD even without mucosal breaks. NF-κB activation may be implicated in the pathogenesis in GERD.
Simvastatin protects diabetic rats against kidney injury through the suppression of renal matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of simvastatin on urinary excretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP- 9), renal expression of MMP-9, and investigate its possible renoprotective mechanisms in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. METHOD Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: control healthy rats (group C, no.=8), untreated diabetic rats (group D, no.=8), and diabetic rats treated with simvastatin (20 mg/kg/d) (group S, no.=8). Peripheral blood glucose was tested weekly, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and urinary albumin (ALB) excretion rate as well as the urinary excretion rates of retinol-binding protein (RBP) and MMP-9 were tested at 8th week. The renal tissues of diabetic rats were obtained for evaluating kidney/ body weight ratio, observing renal pathological changes by electron microscope and examining the expression of renal MMP-9 mRNA by RT-PCR. RESULTS There was no statistical difference on the change of peripheral blood TC and LDL-C between group C and group D. Peripheral blood glucose, HbA1c levels kidney/body weight ratio urinary excretion rates of ALB, RBP, and MMP-9 concurrently with the expression of renal MMP-9 mRNA were significantly higher in groups D and S compared with group C (p<0.01). Treatment with simvastatin significantly lowered peripheral blood TC, LDL-C, kidney/body weight ratio, urinary excretion rates of ALB, RBP, and MMP-9 as well as the expression of renal MMP-9 mRNA (p<0.01); however, there was no evident effect on the change of blood glucose and HbA1c levels between group D and group S. In addition, urinary excretion rate of MMP-9 showed positive correlations with the urinary ALB excretion and urinary RBP excretion. Pathological lesions of the glomeruli and epithelial cells foot processes (FP) was lightened by simvastatin. CONCLUSION Simvastatin may has a potential therapeutic target in diabetic nephropathy, which may be partly attributed to down-regulating over-expression of MMP-9 in renal tissue.
Gaya Kepemimpinan dan Kinerja Pegawai (Studi pada Dinas Sosial Kabupaten Malang)

The purpose of this research to identify and analyze leadership style is adopted by Social Agency Malang Regency and to know and analyze employee’s performance Social Agency Malang Regency in carrying out their duties. This research used descriptive with qualitative approach. Data collection was done by interview, observation and documentation. Meanwhile, analysis technique used interactive model that consists of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The results showed that the leadership style is adopted by the Head of Social Agency Malang Regency were a democratic leadership style. It can be seen from some aspects of communication, work supervision, direction and decision-making methods that involve the aspirations and participation of employees. The employee performance Social Agency Malang Regency has done well. It is identified by the number of jobs has done well, the quality of the work produced, and the utilization rate of employee time that has been done well fairly in accordance with the specified target.
Leptospiral Uveitis in the Developing World

Leptospirosis is widely regarded as the most widespread zoonosis in the world. Occurring most commonly in the developing countries and tropical climates, leptospirosis may occur in the developed world and temperate climates as well, due to increasing globalization. Leptospirosis is absent in Canada and rare in the United States, but Hawaii has an exceptionally high annual incidence of 12.9 per million population, probably related to the high prevalence of aquatic recreational activities. In Europe the disease is rare, but partial reemergence has been observed in Germany due to expansion of rat population and canine infections. Underreporting is a major problem in evaluating the incidence of leptospirosis in many developing countries of Asia and Africa, where the disease is believed to be highly endemic. According to the first report of the International Leptospirosis Society published in 1999, there were more than 500,000 leptospirosis cases reported in China with case fatality rates ranging from 1% to 7.9%. During this same period, only 2000 and 60 cases were reported in India and Thailand, respectively. Ironically, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India top the list of the most endemic areas of the world, with an annual incidence of 500 per million population. Seychelles, at 432 cases per million people, rank first among countries with the highest annual
Value of Hardware-In-Loop for experimenting microgrid performance system studies

This paper presents a research and education based platform of simple Microgrid (MG) and Hardware-In-Loop (HIL) modern PC based Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) to simulate the MG platform set up. The value of simulator is evaluated using different functions for performance analysis of MG test bed under different simulation environment. The Simulink software is use to build the detailed model of MG and controller which can be used to solve the voltage/VAr and frequency control problems offline. The issues of MG control as a single agent or value of multi-agent decision support are discussed. The performance of controls is simulated online using the OPAL RT and eMAGAsim for economic selection and effectiveness of the controls, which will be sufficient for enhancing the design and capacity of MG for meeting its reliable and efficient power supply objectives under different contingencies. The developed test bed capability has been demonstrated by using it for validating different controls system for securing the MG network under different contingencies.