Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiation-Force Assisted Targeting Facilitates Ultrasonic Molecular Imaging

Ultrasonic molecular imaging employs contrast agents, such as microbubbles, nanoparticles, or liposomes, coated with ligands specific for receptors expressed on cells at sites of angiogenesis, inflammation, or thrombus. Concentration of these highly echogenic contrast agents at a target site enhances the ultrasound signal received from that site, promoting ultrasonic detection and analysis of disease states. In this article, we show that acoustic radiation force can be used to displace targeted contrast agents to a vessel wall, greatly increasing the number of agents binding to available surface receptors. We provide a theoretical evaluation of the magnitude of acoustic radiation force and show that it is possible to displace micron-sized agents physiologically relevant distances. Following this, we show in a series of experiments that acoustic radiation force can enhance the binding of targeted agents: The number of biotinylated microbubbles adherent to a synthetic vessel coated with avidin increases as much as 20-fold when acoustic radiation force is applied; the adhesion of contrast agents targeted to αvβ3 expressed on human umbilical vein endothelial cells increases 27-fold within a mimetic vessel when radiation force is applied; and finally, the image signal-to-noise ratio in a phantom vessel increases up to 25 dB using a combination of radiation force and a targeted contrast agent, over use of a targeted contrast agent alone.
Corporate Governance, Voluntary Compliance, Corporate Performance and Executive Pay: Evidence from the UK

This thesis quantitatively examines the extent to which UK corporate governance (CG) reforms have been effective in constraining excessive executive pay (EP) and enhancing CG compliance and corporate performance/valuation for 100 UK non-financial listed companies over the period 2008-2013 (i.e., 600 observations). In particular, this study aims to: (i) examine compliance and disclosure levels of CG rules contained in the 2010 UK Combined Code; (ii) examine factors that determine compliance and disclosure levels of CG recommendations contained in the 2010 UK Combined Code; (iii) investigate CG’s influence, using both the composite-CG-index and the individual-CG-variable models, on corporate performance/valuation; (iv) analyse the interaction effect of ownership structure variables on the UK CG index (UKCGI)-Performance nexus; (v) examine the impact of firm-level CG quality on executive pay (EP), using both models; and (vi) investigate that the interaction effect of ownership structure variables on the UKCGI-EP relationship. Firstly, this study employs one the most extensive hand-collected datasets on CG compliance and disclosure practices comprising 120 CG provisions extracted mainly from 2010 Combined Code to examine the level and the antecedents of CG compliance and disclosure. The results suggest that there is still substantial variation in CG practices among the UK firms. The study also finds that firm-level voluntary CG disclosure is significantly influenced by ownership structure and board characteristics. Secondly, and with regard to the third and fourth objectives, the findings indicate that firm-level CG quality, proxied by the UKCGI, is positively linked with both Tobin’s Q (Q-ratio) and return on assets (ROA), but has no significant link with total shareholder return (SR). Additionally, the findings obtained from the individual-CG-variable model are mixed. For example, and briefly, board size and board independence are statistically significant and positively related to Q-ratio, whereas other variables are either insignificantly or natively related to Q-ratio. The findings also suggest that, ownership structure variables moderate the association among the UKCGI, Q-ratio and ROA, but have no moderating effect on the UKCGI-SR nexus. Finally, and in terms of the final two objectives, the findings indicate that UKCGI is negatively related to executive pay (EP). Similarly, and using the individual-CG-variable model, the results are mixed. For example, and briefly, board size, board independence and board diversity are negatively related to EP, whilst other mechanisms are either insignificantly or positively related to EP. The findings also suggesting that ownership structure variables moderate the UKCGI-EP nexus.
Development of a new aerosol delivery system for systemic pulmonary delivery in anaesthetized and orotracheal intubated rats

Over the last decade, the systemic absorption of a broad range of therapeutics after pulmonary application has been demonstrated in animals as well as in humans. The most common method used in the laboratory is the intratracheal instillation of drugs in solution. This method is, however, unsatisfactory, because of discrepancies in particle distribution, clearance, kind of injury and bioavailability between instillation and inhalative application. On the other hand, a precise determination of the amount of drug applied by aerosol, and of the aerosol volume retained within the lungs is rather difficult, and is not possible for use with small animals such as mice or rats. We describe a system which allows the delivery of aerosols directly into the animal's lungs, and calculation of the amount of drug retained in the lungs. Our system was tested in vitro and in vivo and was shown to allow precise and efficient pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies to be carried out.
CORRELATIVE ASSAY OF COMPUTERIZED CRANIAL TOMOGRAPHY (CCT), WATER CONTENT AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL POSTMORTEM BRAIN

An assay of water content and specific gravity in normal and pathological autopsy brain has been correlated with CCT attenuation values obtained just prior to brain cutting. Formalin fixation does not alter normal values so that fixed brain appears to be suitable for this type of study. Low attenuation values in CCT correlate better with changes in specific gravity, rather than water in infarcts, but they have a close relationship to water content in edema. The high water content in infarcts of the white matter reveals a striking disparity in fluid control between cortex and white matter, which has not been emphasized in experimental studies. Water movement within and around blood clots has been discussed.
Evidence of a novel staphylococcal mec-encoded element (mecR) controlling expression of penicillin-binding protein 2'

A region was identified on the methicillin resistance determinant (mec) isolated from Staphylococcus epidermidis and cloned into Staphylococcus carnosus which was responsible for a novel downregulation of the expression of methicillin resistance. The presence of this region reduced the overall expression of methicillin resistance and the synthesis of the mec-encoded penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP 2') in S. carnosus. This region was located by Bal31 deletion mutagenesis upstream of the structural gene for PBP 2'. Deletions within this region resulted in higher levels of expression of methicillin resistance and increased levels of PBP 2' synthesis. We tentatively called this region mecR. Analysis of selected Mcr strains of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis by Southern hybridization suggested that the natural occurrence of two types of mec resistance determinants differ by the presence or absence of mecR-specific sequences.
A Meta-model for Data Quality Management Simulation

Data quality management initiatives could both help to prevent the occurrence of data defects and repair their effect. While such initiatives can reduce overall costs, they also cause costs for their development and implementation. Therefore, the overall aim is not to improve data quality by any means, but to ensure cost-efficiency. The paper proposes a meta-model for simulating data quality management, which can be used for planning of cost-efficient initiatives.
Association of Metal Tolerance with Multidrug Resistance among Environmental Bacteria from wetlands of Lake Victoria Basin

Water samples for heavy metal analysis and microbiological assays were collected from hot spots of agricultural, industrial and municipal pollution in the Lake Victoria basin. The samples were assayed for native bacteria, coliforms and enteric pathogens. The isolates were subjected to heavy metal compounds of mercury, nickel, chromium and copper in the laboratory to assess their levels of tolerance. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out to check for antibiotic resistance. The samples recorded mean range of metal ions (mg/l) as follows; - lead; 0.77-0.94, manganese; 0.10-3.10, zinc; 0.23-1.16, cadmium 0.02-0.04, and copper 0.51-0.57 mg/l. The study showed a significant difference in percentage tolerance to the four heavy metals tested. (F = 4.25, P = 0.011, P Cr>Ni>Cu. 53.8% of the total isolates showed multidrug resistance, Cefuroxime (67.7%), cotrimoxazole (65%), tetracycline (62.4%) and ampicillin (53%). There was a significant relationship between chromium tolerance with resistance to cefuroxime (p < 0.000), Nickel with resistance to cefuroxime (p < 0.05) and mercury with resistance to ampicillin (p < 0.05). Plasmid DNA finger print of the metal tolerant and antibiotic resistant isolates showed a positive relationship in isolates carrying plasmids and the multidrug resistant isolates (r = 0.372, P = 0.261) suggesting that heavy metal pollution in wetlands induces multidrug resistance. This poses a potential public health hazard as bacterial strains usually considered harmless could receive R factors that confer multiple drug resistance.
Contributions of different fatty acid sources to very low-density lipoprotein-triacylglycerol in the fasted and fed states.

CONTEXT The liver's regulation of fatty acids (FAs) postprandially may contribute to risk of metabolic diseases. OBJECTIVE Measurements of steady-state metabolism were used to investigate sources of FAs used for very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis during fasting and feeding in vivo. DESIGN/INTERVENTION Subjects were duodenally fed a formula labeled with the stable isotope glyceryl tri-palmitate-d(31) and iv infused with [1,2,3,4-(13)C(4)]-palmitatic acid and [1-(13)C(1)]-acetate to quantitate the liver's use of FAs originating from adipose tissue and de novo lipogenesis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS This study of healthy men (n = 12; body mass index, 24.4 +/- 2.7 kg/m(2)) was conducted at a General Clinical Research Center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Concentrations of metabolites during fasting and feeding, sources of FAs used for lipoprotein synthesis, rate of appearance of serum nonesterified FA (NEFA), and VLDL-TG were measured. RESULTS During fasting, 77.2 +/- 14.0% of VLDL-TG was derived from adipose FA recycling and 4.0 +/- 3.6% from lipogenesis; with feeding, 43.6 +/- 18.6% came from adipose FAs (P < 0.001), 8.2 +/- 5.1% from lipogenesis (P < 0.001), 15.2 +/- 13.7% from uptake of chylomicron-remnant TG, and 10.3 +/- 6.9% from dietary FA spillover into the serum NEFA pool. Fed-state VLDL-TG from NEFA reesterification decreased in proportion to the reduction in adipose NEFA appearance. CONCLUSION These data: 1) quantify the extent to which the healthy liver manages its use of different sources of FAs that flow to it, 2) demonstrate how the postprandial reduction in adipose-NEFA flux may be partially replaced by other sources, and 3) highlight the potential for dietary FA spillover to support the continued dominance of NEFA as a substrate for VLDL-TG synthesis.
High red blood cell distribution width is closely associated with risk of carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND A high red blood cell distribution width (RDW) may be associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure and risk of death, and cardiovascular events in people with previous myocardial infarction. Ultrasound detection of carotid plaque helps to identify asymptomatic patients with advanced subclinical atherosclerosis, which can predict risk of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction. However, the relationship of RDW and carotid artery atherosclerosis in hypertensive people is less certain. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between RDW and carotid artery atherosclerosis in people with hypertension. METHODS RDW was determined using a Coulter counter together with white blood cell count in 156 hypertensive inpatients 60 to 85 years of age. Carotid intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and carotid atherosclerotic plaques were identified by ultrasound imaging. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined using a multichannel analyzer. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured manually. RESULTS The number of patients with carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque, as well as the carotid IMT to inner diameter ratio, were significantly different among the different RDW groups of hypertensive inpatients (P<0.01). With linear regression analysis, increased carotid IMT and higher white blood cell count were identified to be significant and independent contributors to the RDW of hypertensive inpatients (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS A close relationship between high RDW and IMT, and the incidence of carotid plaque, was identified in 156 hypertensive inpatients.
Binocular Rivalry and Surface-Boundary Processing

Theoretical and empirical studies show that the visual system relies on boundary contours and surface features (eg textures) to represent 3-D surfaces. When the surface to be represented has little texture information, or has a periodic texture pattern (grating), the boundary contour information assumes a larger weight in representing the surface. Adopting the premise that the mechanisms of 3-D surface representation also determine binocular rivalry perception, the current paper focuses on whether boundary contours have a similar role in binocular rivalry. In experiment 1, we tested the prediction that the visual system prefers selecting an image/figure defined by boundary contours for rivalry dominance. We designed a binocular rivalry stimulus wherein one half-image has a boundary contour defined by a grating disk on a background with an orthogonal grating orientation. The other half-image consists solely of the (same orientation) grating background without the grating disk, ie no boundary contour. Confirming our prediction, the predominance for the half-image with the grating disk is ∼90%, despite the fact that the grating disk corresponds to an area with orthogonal grating in the fellow eye. The advantage of the grating disk is dramatically reduced to about 50% predominance when a boundary contour is added to the background-only half-image at the location corresponding to the grating disk. We attribute this reduced advantage to the formation of a corresponding binocular boundary contour. In experiment 2 the grating background was substituted by a random-dot background in a similar stimulus design. We found that the perceptual salience of the corresponding binocular boundary contours extracted by the interocular matching process is an important factor in determining the dynamics of binocular rivalry. Experiment 3 showed that vertical lines with uneven thickness and spacing as the background reduce the contribution of the monocular boundary contour of the grating disk in binocular rivalry, possibly through the formation of binocular boundary contours between the local edges (vertical components) of the vertical lines and the corresponding grating disk.
Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibit IL-1β induction of Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and Epithelial neutrophil activating protein (ENA-78) in alveolar type II cells. 1958

Alveolar type II cells participate in inflammatory processes of the lung by elaborating chemotactic cytokines in response to IL-1β. Since IL-4, IL-13 and IL-10 have been shown to influence macrophage production of inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-8, we assessed the ability of these cytokines to modify IL-1β induced chemokine release in type II cells. A549 cells were incubated with 100 ng/ml of IL-4,10 and 13 for 24 hours prior to the addition of 50 pg /ml IL-1β. Culture supernatants were examined for IL-8, MCP-1 and ENA-78 after 24 hours incubation. Interleukin-4 and IL-13 significantly inhibited IL-1β induced IL-8 and ENA-78 production. Interleukins 4, 10 and 13 (100 ng/ml) alone had no effect on IL-8 or ENA-78 production. Our results suggest that IL-4 and IL-13 may regulate chemokine production in alveolar type II cells. In contrast to its effects in macrophages, IL-10 has little effect on IL-8, MCP-1 or ENA-78 production in type II cells. Data represent Mean±SE of 7 experiments. (*p<0.05;#p=0.06) Table
Geographic heterogeneity in the prevalence of human papillomavirus in head and neck cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), although strongly divergent results have been reported regarding the prevalence of HPV16 in different countries, whether this represents important differences in etiology remains unclear. Applying rigorous protocols for sample processing, we centrally evaluated 1,420 head and neck tumors (533 oropharynx, 395 oral cavity and 482 larynx) from studies conducted in the US, Europe and Brazil for mucosal HPV DNA and p16INK4a expression to evaluate regional heterogeneity in the proportion of HPV16‐associated OPSCC and other head and neck cancer, and to assess covariates associated with the risk of HPV16‐positive OPSCC. While majority of OPSCC in the US (60%) were HPV16‐positive, this proportion was 31% in Europe and only 4% in Brazil (p < 0.01). Similar differences were observed for other head and neck tumors, ranging from 7% in the US and 5% in Europe, to 0% in South America. The odds of HPV16‐positive OPSCC declined with increasing pack years of smoking (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.64–0.87) and drink years of alcohol use (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.54–0.76). These results suggest that while the contribution of HPV16 is substantial for the oropharynx, it remains limited for oral cavity and laryngeal cancers.
K-Means Clustering based Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for Automatic Control in Robots

Reinforcement learning is key research in automatic control, and hierarchical reinforcement learning is a good solution to the problem of the curse of dimensionality. Hierarchical reinforcement learning can only deal with discrete space, but the state and action spaces in robotic automatic control are continuous. In order to deal with continuous spaces in hierarchical reinforcement learning, we partition the goal into sub-goals according to a modified K-means clustering algorithm. We designed a modified K-means algorithm to discrete continuous state and action spaces, and also proposed corresponding reinforcement learning algorithms on the discrete spaces. Simulation experiments show that, the proposed approach has lower control error and higher reward of Q-function than traditional hierarchical reinforcement learning algorithm.
Validity of DSM‐III‐R diagnosis by psychological autopsy: a comparison with clinician ante‐mortem diagnosis

Psychological autopsies are an important research tool in establishing risk factors associated with suicide. We report the results of a validity study comparing psychological autopsy‐generated DSM‐III‐R diagnoses in suicides and non‐suicides with chart diagnoses generated by clinicians who had treated the subjects prior to death. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐III‐R Disorders (SCID‐P) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐III‐R Personality Disorders (SCID‐II) were used to make independent post‐mortem diagnoses. Comparison of research diagnoses with clinician ante‐mortem diagnoses generated kappa coefficients of 0.85 for Axis I diagnoses and 0.65 for Axis II conditions. These kappa coefficients compare favourably with direct patient interview reliability studies. This provides evidence for the validity of the psychological autopsy as a method of determining psychiatric diagnosis.
Planning Interventions for Gene Regulatory Networks as Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes

Gene regulatory network (GRN) models, in their many forms (de Jong, 2002), provide a mathematical basis for representing and reasoning about biological processes. Of prime importance, is the use of GRNs to generate predictions of how a biological process changes over time through various forms of inference. One of the primary forms of inference is projection through simulation, especially in probabilistic GRN models. This chapter explores how to move beyond simulating biological processes, modeled as abStract
Spectrum analysis of physiological signals of human activities

This paper investigates the impact of physiological maneuvers on the frequency component of photoplethysmograpy signal. Here, we have taken four different physiological states of sitting, standing, jogging and laying. Two groups of 5 to 10 healthy volunteers males and females are formed. The PPG signal acquisition is performed by Easy Pulse analyzer sensor module. Each sample for each state was taken for one-minute duration at stopwatch keeping the consolidated state of volunteer prior to fetching of PPG signal. The Easy pulse analyzer module implicates the pulse oximetry working principle and get the signal from the finger tip of subjects, which determines the oxygen saturation in blood and passes the signal by the optical sensor via a sequential high and low pass op-amp filters and ultimately produces the conditioned PPG signal. The interfacing between the easy pulse analyzer and computing machine was done with the help of Arduino processing board. The Kubios HRV software was utilized in order to execute and manipulate PPG data (numerical values) samples in required format. The report sheet was generated which pertains the frequency and time domain paradigms and was analyzed for respective PPG signal according to the physiological conditions. The results for each data set among four physical states define the co-relation between the physical state and corresponding PPG signal. Moreover, the variation in frequency components is observed during the change in physiological condition.
Does the Audit Market Price Partner Big 4 Experience in Non-Big 4 Firms?

By ALEKSANDRA B. ZIMMERMAN This study examines the impact of audit partner Big 4 experience on audit pricing in the U.S. Prior research has only examined the nature of a Big 4 auditor reputation at the firm-level. This study extends our understanding of the impact of auditor experience at the partner level by investigating whether non-Big 4 firms, both at the partner and at the office level, charge higher audit fees for the prior Big 4 experience of their audit partners. Signaling theory suggests that an individual auditor’s Big 4 experience, by virtue of signaling higher quality, allows the auditor to command higher audit fees even in a non-Big 4 firm. Moreover, the more partners with Big 4 experience in a non-Big 4 firm office, the higher the office’s human capital and the more visible the Big 4 reputational signal, and the higher the audit fees. Results are consistent with expectations and indicate that there is an average audit fee premium of approximately 27 percent for partners with any Big 4 experience. Moreover, there is an average increase in audit fees of approximately 0.14 percent for each 1 percent increase in the proportion of an office’s partners with Big 4 experience. This suggests that non-Big 4 firm offices benefit from the collective Big 4 reputation of their audit partners.