Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis as a cause of advanced liver disease

Although nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has generally been considered a benign condition, the increasing prevalence and severity of obesity has heightened concerns about the frequency with which NASH progresses to end‐stage liver disease. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency, clinical features, and posttransplantation history of decompensated liver disease secondary to NASH. The frequency of NASH as a cause of end‐stage liver disease was prospectively determined in patients evaluated for liver transplantation. NASH was considered to be the primary cause of liver disease in patients who had histological evidence of steatohepatitis and in whom chronic liver diseases other than NASH were excluded. Posttransplantation histological characteristics were also determined in patients with NASH and compared with those of patients with pretransplantation diagnoses of cholestatic liver diseases, alcoholic disease, and hepatitis C. Of 1,207 patients evaluated for liver transplantation during the study period, 31 patients (2.6%) had NASH as the primary cause of liver disease. In the same period, 546 liver transplantations were performed, 16 of which (2.9%) were for end‐stage disease secondary to NASH. Posttransplantation steatosis was seen in 60% of transplant recipients with NASH versus 5% of those with cholestatic disease, 15% of those with alcoholic disease, and 15% of those with hepatitis C. Steatohepatitis recurred in 33% of transplant recipients with NASH, with progression to cirrhosis in 12.5%. NASH can progress to end‐stage liver disease in a minority of affected patients and was the primary cause of liver disease in 2.9% of patients evaluated for liver transplantation at our center. Recurrence of steatosis and NASH is frequent and can be severe after liver transplantation.
Detecting camera based traitor and fraudulent apps on smartphone

In recent trends, android smartphones are rapidly in use by a number of users because of its user friendly and open source architecture. There are millions of android applications are available in the open market place. But we cannot trust most of the apps, which may steal the user privacy content or any confidential data. However, some works have studied mobile phones, multimedia securities and also android permissions. In this paper, to focus on the security issues related to camera based attacks on smartphones. The fraudulent application and its traitor can be detected by using the defense system that detects the attacks. By use of the defense system the users can be saved before getting into the vulnerability. To evaluate the defense system we have proposed a camera based fraudulent application for feasibility study and also we analyzed the performance of the system with the fraudulent applications from the open android market.
Detection of a bacteriophage gene encoding a Mu-like portal protein in Haemophilus parasuis reference strains and field isolates by nested polymerase chain reaction

A nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assay was developed to determine the presence of a gene encoding a bacteriophage Mu-like portal protein, gp29, in 15 reference strains and 31 field isolates of Haemophilus parasuis. Specific primers, based on the gene’s sequence, were utilized. A majority of the virulent reference strains and field isolates tested harbored the gene. The results suggest that the nPCR technique described in the current report could serve as a tool for epidemiological studies of H. parasuis.
A Memristor-Based Hyperchaotic System with Hidden Attractors: Dynamics, Synchronization and Circuital Emulating

Memristor-based systems and their potential applications, in which memristor is both a nonlinear element and a memory element, have been received significant attention recently. A memristor-based hyperchaotic system with hidden attractor is studied in this paper. The dynamics properties of this hyperchaotic system are discovered through equilibria, Lyapunov exponents, bifurcation diagram, Poincaré map and limit cycles. In addition, its anti-synchronization scheme via adaptive control method is also designed and MATLAB simulations are shown. Finally, an electronic circuit emulating the memristor-based hyperchaotic system has been designed using off-the-shelf components
Influence of N substrate on Fe requirements of marine centric diatoms

The interaction between Fe requirements and N metabolism in centric diatoms was investigated to determine whether use of nitrate (NO3-) imparts a higher cellular Fe demand for growth than use of ammonlunl (NHdC), and thus reduces fitness under Fe deficiency. SIX species of the genus Thalassiosira from a variety of habitats were examined. Coastal and central gyre representat~ves grew faster in Fe-sufficient media containing NH,', but isolates from the equatorial Pacific, an oceanic highnutrient, low-biomass region, achieved maximum rates with NO3Iron quotas ranged from 26 to 102 pm01 Fe mol-' C and were not affected in a predictable manner by N source or habitat. Relative growth rates were diminished in Fe-deficient media, particularly in coastal species which grew at less than 25% of thelr maximum rates (pmdr). All oceanic species maintained fast rates of growth (0.8 p,,,) under the same Fe-limiting conditions, despite having 4 times less intracellular Fe than the coastal species. Fe:C ra t~os of Fe -de f~c~en t Thalassios~ra spp. ranged from 0.7 to 14 pm01 mol'] and were significantly greater (by 1.8 times) in all species when N O 3 was the N source (p < 0.05). Steady-state Fe uptake rates were also faster in NO3dependent cells a t low Fe. Nitrogen source had different effects on Fe-limited growth rates. Surprisingly, T oceanica (clone 1003) and T weissflogii grew faster with NO3even though higher Fe requirements for use of oxid~zed N were expected to reduce d~vision rates relative to NH,+-grown cells. When total Fe concentrations In the medlum were decreased to 1 nM, growth rates of T oceanjca (clone 1003) decreased to 0.2 p,,, and were s~gn~ficant ly faster (25%) in NHdt than in NO3--amended media. Under these more stressful Fe-limiting conditions, Fe quotas were the same in cells cultured in both N-based media. Our results thus demonstrate that phototrophic phytoplankton require significantly more cellular Fe to grow on NO3than NH,' Nitrate-grown cells are able to obtain this extra Fe, even when Fe is limiting, suggesting that Fe acquisition 1s somehow linked to NO,metabolism. Under severe Fe deficiency, however, NO,utilization reduces division rates compared to NHdt, because cells are unable to fulfil1 their extra Fe requ~rements .
Intrinsic GABAergic neurons in the rat central extended amygdala

The present study examined the distribution, morphology, and connections of gamma‐aminobutyric acid‐immunoreactive (GABA‐IR) neuros in the three principal components of the central extended amygdala: the central amygdaloid nucleus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the sublenticular substantia innominata. In the central nucleus, large numbers of GABA‐IR neurons were identified in the lateral, lateral capsular, and ventral subdivisions, though in the medial subdivision, GABA‐IR neurons were only present at very caudal levels. Combined immunocytochemistry‐Golgi impregnation revealed that GABA‐IR neurons in the lateral central nucleus were medium‐sized spiny neurons that were morphologically similar to GABAergic neurons in the striatum. Injections of horseradish peroxidase into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis labeled a major proportion of the GABA‐IR neurons in the central nucleus. In the bed nucleus, the majority of GABA‐IR neurons were located in the anterolateral subdivision, ventral part of the posterolateral subdivision and the parastrial subdivision. GABA‐IR neurons in the anterolateral bed nucleus were of the typical mediumsized spiny type. Injections of horseradish peroxidase into the central nucleus labeled a few GABA‐IR neurons in the posterior part of the anterolateral bed nucleus. GABA‐IR neurons were identified in the sublenticular substantia innominata and medial shell of the nucleus accumbens and contributed to the continuum of GABA‐IR extending from the central nucleus to the bed nucleus. Injections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the central nucleus, but not the BNST, labeled a few GABA‐IR neurons in the substantia innominata. The data point to GABA‐IR neurons being a characteristic feature of the central extended amygdala and that GABA‐IR neurons participate in the long intrinsic connections linking the major components of this structure. Since lesions of the stria terminalis and basolateral amygdaloid nucleus failed to deplete GABA‐IR terminals in the central nucleus, the role of GABA in local and short intrinsic connections in the central extended amygdala is discussed. Further, physiological findings implicating the intrinsic GABAergic system of the central extended amygdala in the tonic inhibition of brainstem efferents are reviewed.
Investor Sentiment and Stock Market Response to Earnings Announcement

This paper explores the relation between investor sentiment and stock price response to earnings news in China mainland stock market employing the method of event study. The evidence demonstrates that stock price response to earnings news with the prevailing sentiment, that is, investor sentiment is systematically related to the market response to corporate earnings announcement news. The empirical result also shows stock market respond to corporate earnings announcement news asymmetrically when sentiment is pessimistic. The findings not only help us understand the rationality of stock market response to news, but also show that stock market misreaction to news could be an important channel for the sentiment-drive mispricing of stocks.
Can myocardial performance index predict the presence of silent ischemia in asymptomatic type 2 diabetic patients?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) is common in patients with diabetes and is associated with poorer prognosis. Myocardial performance index “Tei index” that reflects both left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function. The aim of our study was to test the value of Tei index in prediction of SMI in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes.
Performance measurement in humanitarian relief chains

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare performance measurement in the humanitarian relief chain with performance measurement in the commercial supply chain, develop performance metrics for the humanitarian relief chain, and present a framework that can be used as a basis for a performance measurement system in the relief sector.Design/methodology/approach – The performance measurement analysis is developed through extensions on an existing performance measurement framework. Details regarding relief chain system were obtained through off‐site and on‐site interviews with relief professionals from World Vision International.Findings – The paper finds that this work yielded: a comparison of performance measurement in the humanitarian relief chain with performance measurement in the commercial supply chain, new performance metrics for the humanitarian relief chain, and a performance measurement framework for the relief chain.Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that future work includ.
An Angle Bending Constraint Model for Position-Based Dynamics

We present a method to construct a bending model for position-based dynamics. Our bending model improves the animation quality and computation efficiency of simulation. We create bending constraints on virtual triangles which makes the model been less affected by the grid subdivision. In particular, we introduce signed area of the triangle defined by the bending constraint to avoid deficiency of the symmetrical reflections.
Stable droplets and dark-ring cavity solitons in nonlinear optical devices

Two kinds of cavity solitons, stable circular domain walls (droplets) and dark-ring cavity solitons, are presented in models of vectorial Kerr resonators and degenerate optical parametric oscillators. These structures are universal in systems with two equivalent homogeneous states and are found for parameter values close to those of a modulational instability of a flat front. Stable droplets owe their existence to curvature effects and, therefore, they are not present in one-dimensional systems. We show that stable droplets nucleate out of dark-ring cavity solitons and that in some systems there are regimes in which they coexist.
Efficacy of COLD-fX in the prevention of respiratory symptoms in community-dwelling adults: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial.

BACKGROUND COLD-fX (CVT-E002), a proprietary extract of the roots of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium), rich in poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides, has been found efficacious in the prevention of respiratory infections in institutionalized seniors and healthy adults. OBJECTIVE We examined the efficacy of COLD-fX in the prevention of acute respiratory illness (ARI) in community dwelling seniors. DESIGN This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. INTERVENTION The participants were asked to take 2 capsules/day of either COLD-fX or placebo (200 mg/ capsule) for a period of 4 months. SUBJECTS A total of 43 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older were recruited. Following one month of intervention, subjects were immunized with influenza vaccine. OUTCOME MEASURES Subjects recorded the incidence and duration of respiratory symptoms during the study. They also recorded the incidence of adverse events during the study. RESULTS The frequency and duration of ARI during the first two months of the study was found to be similar in the two groups. However, during the last 2 months (November and December) significantly fewer subjects in the COLD-fX group 32% reported ARI compared to the placebo group 62%. The duration of symptoms during the last 2 months was significantly shorter in the COLD-fX group than the placebo group (5.6 days in the COLD-fX group vs 12.6 days in the placebo group). There was no influenza illness circulating in the community during the period of the study. CONCLUSIONS Ingestion of COLD-fX by immunocompetent seniors during an early "cold and flu" season reduced the relative risk and duration of respiratory symptoms by 48% and 55%, respectively. Daily COLD-fX administration can thus be a safe, natural therapeutic means for the prevention of ARI in healthy seniors.
Are exercise social-cognitive factors and behaviours different for adults with diabetes? A randomized community sample

Exercise plays a key role in the prevention and delay of the onset of Type 2 diabetes and in the management of this disorder. To determine if there are differences in key social-cognitive determinants of exercise and self-reported physical activity levels between adults with diabetes and those without the condition, a random selected sample of adults was surveyed. A telephone interview assessed physical activity behaviour and key social-cognitive constructs from major health behaviour change theories/models. The mean energy expenditure was not significantly different between the diabetes (n = 46) and the non-diabetes (n = 1556) groups. The diabetes group reported significantly lower scores for self-efficacy and perceived behavioural control, but higher for fear of, and vulnerability to, general health and cardiovascular disease threat. The data suggest that it may not be necessary to promote health threat messages, as threat is already high for this diabetes population and studies have shown that excess threat does not promote recommended exercise and health behaviours. Instead, the low levels of self-efficacy and perceived behavioural control among those with diabetes emphasize the importance of designing specific strategies (e.g., skills, incremental success) to increase their self-confidence in undertaking physical activity.
Diagnostic Practices for Suspected Community-Acquired Central Nervous System Infection in the Post-Conjugate Vaccine Era.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic practices for suspected community-acquired central nervous system (CNS) infection in an urban pediatric population. METHODS This is an observational, retrospective single-center review of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies in children, 1 month to 21 years old, evaluated for suspected CNS infection from 2004 to 2014. Cases of suspected nosocomial meningitis were excluded. The frequency of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody (NMDAR ab) encephalitis was analyzed from 2010 to 2014. RESULTS A total of 940 unique patient visits with CSF studies were included in the final analysis. There were 940 bacterial cultures sent; 4 (0.42%) grew suspected CSF bacterial pathogens, and 18 (1.9%) grew organisms that were suspected contaminants. Bacterial pathogens included late-onset group B Streptococcus in 3 infants younger than 3 months and Streptococcus pneumoniae in an unvaccinated 9-year-old child. Viral CNS infection was 7.5 times more frequent than bacterial infection. Enterovirus was the only virus isolated. Five cases positive for NMDAR ab were identified since 2010. CONCLUSIONS Bacterial studies were performed more frequently than viral and other studies. Cerebrospinal fluid bacterial culture was nearly 5 times more likely to yield a contaminant than a pathogen. The frequency of viral infection was likely underestimated as only 20% were tested, mainly by culture, which is suboptimal. These data suggest diagnostic practices for the evaluation of suspected community-acquired CNS infections in children need to be modified to reflect current epidemiology and highlight the need for greater accessibility to polymerase chain reaction for viral diagnostics. Furthermore, NMDAR ab-mediated encephalitis should be considered early in children presenting with suggestive symptoms.
Neural substrates of the tilt illusion.

PURPOSE It has been suggested that direct and indirect tilt illusions and after-effects have different mechanisms, namely that the direct effects arise in VI and are sensitive to differences in spatial and temporal parameters between test and inducing stimuli, whereas indirect effects arise in extrastriate cortex and are insensitive to such parameters. When Wolfe (Vision Research 1984; 24: 1959-64) reported that large direct tilt after-effects occurred with short test flashes, he postulated that either there are distinct mechanisms which process brief and longer duration stimuli or that there are distinct mechanisms that are not primarily concerned with duration but are differentially responsive to temporal parameters amongst several others. RESULTS In three experiments we demonstrate that large direct tilt illusions can be induced when parameters other than duration are manipulated, including contrast and spatial frequency, and that such large effects can occur when stimulus parameters are chosen to favour preferentially either the transient (magnocellular-like) system or the sustained (parvocellular-like) system. CONCLUSIONS These results are thus consistent with Wolfe's second hypothesis. None of these stimulus manipulations had any effect on indirect tilt illusions, consistent with previous findings and hypotheses about the different mechanisms of the direct and indirect effects.
Intra-portal transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells ameliorates liver fibrosis in mice.

BACKGROUND Bone marrow cells can differentiate into hepatocytes in a suitable microenvironment. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of transplanted bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on liver fibrosis in mice. METHODS BMSCs were harvested and cultured from male BALB/c mice, then transplanted into female syngenic BALB/c mice via the portal vein. After partial hepatectomy, diethylnitrosamine (DEN) was administered to induce liver fibrosis. Controls received BMSCs and non-supplemented drinking water, the model group received DEN with their water, and the experimental group received BMSCs and DEN. Mice were killed after 3 months, and ALT, AST, hyaluronic acid (HA), and laminin (LN) in serum and hydroxyproline (Hyp) in the liver were assessed. Alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in the liver was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Bone marrow-derived hepatocytes were identified by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in liver sections. RESULTS BMSCs were shown to differentiate into hepatocyte-like phenotypes after hepatocyte growth factor treatment in vitro. Serum ALT, AST, HA, and LN were markedly reduced by transplanted BMSCs. Liver Hyp content and alpha-SMA staining in mice receiving BMSCs were lower than in the model group, consistent with altered liver pathology. FISH analysis revealed the presence of donor-derived hepatocytes in the injured liver after cross-gender mouse BMSC transplantation. After three months, about 10% of cells in the injured liver were bone marrow-derived. CONCLUSION BMSCs transplanted via the portal vein can convert into hepatocytes to repair liver injury induced by DEN, restore liver function, and reduce liver fibrosis.
Video-based realtime IMU-camera calibration for robot navigation

This paper introduces a new method for fast calibration of inertial measurement units (IMU) with cameras being rigidly coupled. That is, the relative rotation and translation between the IMU and the camera is estimated, allowing for the transfer of IMU data to the cameras coordinate frame. Moreover, the IMUs nuisance parameters (biases and scales) and the horizontal alignment of the initial camera frame are determined. Since an iterated Kalman Filter is used for estimation, information on the estimations precision is also available. Such calibrations are crucial for IMU-aided visual robot navigation, i.e. SLAM, since wrong calibrations cause biases and drifts in the estimated position and orientation. As the estimation is performed in realtime, the calibration can be done using a freehand movement and the estimated parameters can be validated just in time. This provides the opportunity of optimizing the used trajectory online, increasing the quality and minimizing the time effort for calibration. Except for a marker pattern, used for visual tracking, no additional hardware is required. As will be shown, the system is capable of estimating the calibration within a short period of time. Depending on the requested precision trajectories of 30 seconds to a few minutes are sufficient. This allows for calibrating the system at startup. By this, deviations in the calibration due to transport and storage can be compensated. The estimation quality and consistency are evaluated in dependency of the traveled trajectories and the amount of IMU-camera displacement and rotation misalignment. It is analyzed, how different types of visual markers, i.e. 2- and 3-dimensional patterns, effect the estimation. Moreover, the method is applied to mono and stereo vision systems, providing information on the applicability to robot systems. The algorithm is implemented using a modular software framework, such that it can be adopted to altered conditions easily.
Understanding Corn Yield Potential in Different Environments

Achim R. Dobermann, University of Nebraska Lincoln Timothy J. Arkebauer, University of Nebraska Lincoln Kenneth G. Cassman, University of Nebraska at Lincoln Rhae A. Drijber, University of Nebraska Lincoln J. Lindquist James E. Specht, University of Nebraska Lincoln Daniel T. Walters Haishun Yang, University of Nebraska Lincoln D. Miller, University of Nebraska Lincoln Darren L. Binder, University of Nebraska Lincoln Gregory Teichmeier, University of Nebraska Lincoln Richard B. Ferguson, University of Nebraska Lincoln Charles S. Wortmann, University of Nebraska Lincoln