Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is there any detrimental effect when a chestnut hydrolysable tannin extract is included in the diet of finishing lambs

This work was conducted to ensure that the consumption of a small amount of a chestnut hydrolysable tannin (HT) extract, included in the diet (20.8 g·kg -1 DM) of finishing lambs as a feed additive, does not cause toxic effects or does not negatively affect lamb performance. Thirteen Merino lambs were finished from 15 to 25 kg of live weight, which is the most typical slaughter weight for lambs in Spain. They were divided into two groups: one was used as the control (Control) and the other one received the treatment with tannins (TAN). The only difference between the groups was that the soya bean meal incorporated as the protein supplement in the TAN concentrate had been treated with the chestnut HT extract. No significant differences (P > 0.10) in voluntary intake, feed conversion, daily gain or length of fattening period were observed between the two groups. The histopathological examination showed no signs of toxicity due to the tannins. Likewise, the carcasses of the TAN group did not show residues of analysed HT metabolites (gallic acid, ellagic acid, resorcinol, pyrogallol and phloroglucinol). The raised activities of the enzymes GGT (gamma glutamyl-transferase) and AST (aspartate amino-transferase) in the TAN lambs suggest that experiments of longer duration need to be conducted, to further check for toxicity effects under these conditions.
Development of a multi-scale packing methodology for evaluating fate and transport processes of explosive-related chemicals in clayey soils

Detection of explosive-related chemicals (ERCs) derived from landmines sources is influenced by fate and transport processes. Characterization and quantification of the effects of environmental factors on the fate and transport behavior ERCs near soil surface environments requires the development of physical models that can mimic the conditions found in the field. The development of the scalable systems and methods involves proper reproduction of soil composition, lithology and structures, appropriate placement of boundary conditions, and suitable simulation of representative environmental conditions. This paper evaluates the ability of different packing methods for clayey soils to attain physical and transport properties representative of field conditions, and which can yield reproducible results across different scales and dimensions. Characteristics and reproducibility of packing properties is evaluated in terms of soil bulk density, porosity, flow capacity and particle size distribution. The packing methods were tested under different water content conditions and they are described as infiltration packing, saturation packing, plastic limit packing, inverse infiltration packing, induced settling packing, and vibration packing. The systems were evaluated for consistent bulk density, porosity, flow capacity and particle size distribution with depth. Preliminary results exhibit satisfactory bulk density and porosity values for the vibration packing method under field water content conditions, ranging from 1.15 to 1.31 g cm-3 and from 42 to 44%, respectively. This method also shows acceptable flow capacity and the particle size distribution that is found in the field.
Binocular phase interactions in area 21a of the cat

1 Binocular interactions related to retinal disparity were investigated in single neurons in area 21a of extrastriate cortex in the anaesthetized cat using sinusoidal luminance gratings. 2 The responses of approximately two‐thirds of neurons were profoundly modulated by a relative phase difference between identical drifting gratings presented to each eye. This modulation included both facilitatory and inhibitory interocular interactions. The selectivity for binocular disparity was about twice as sharp as the selectivity for monocular spatial position. 3 Significant phase modulation was retained in many neurons at interocular orientation differences exceeding 45 deg. The response suppression associated with stimulation at a phase shift 180 deg from the optimum was stronger than the response suppression to an interocular orientation difference of 90 deg. 4 The proportion of phase modulated neurons and the potency of modulation in area 21a neurons exceed that reported for phase‐selective complex cells in area 17. Neurons in area 21a show sharp disparity tuning that is relatively insensitive to changes in orientation and monocular position, which suggests that this extrastriate region has a role in stereoscopic depth perception.
The role of ePortfolios in supporting continuing professional development in practice

ePortfolios, based on models of reflective practice, are viewed as important tools in facilitating and supporting lifelong learning across the medical education continuum. MAINPORT, the ePortfolio designed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, supports the continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning of specialist physicians practicing in Canada by providing tools to develop CPD plans, set and track progress of established learning goals, document and reflect on learning activities, and create the foundation for physicians to manage their learning. In this article, the authors summarize the key design principles of the Royal College's ePortfolio: learner-centered; interoperable; ease of access. The current core functionality as well as future planned functionality for MAINPORT are described under three domains: recording and reflecting on completed CPD activities; managing learning in practice; accessing learning resources and programs. The future MAINPORT will evolve to become a foundational tool to support the shift towards competency-based medical education across the continuum of medical education; from residency to retirement. MAINPORT will facilitate the ability of physicians to demonstrate their expertise over time and how their learning has enabled improvements to their practice in contributing to improved health outcomes for patients.
Interaction of Gaussian beams with a conducting finite grating: transmission case

Diffraction of an obliquely incident -polarized Gaussian beams by equally spaced slits (finite lamellar grating) with conducting substrate is treated. The substrate can be either vacuum or conductor. The diffracted (transmitted) patterns, the transmission coefficient, and the normally diffracted energy are analyzed as a function of several optogeometrical parameters. Particularly, the coupling between slits and the influence of the substrate is considered. We have found that, when the substrate is a conductor the grating equation in transmission predicts with good precision the positions of the orders of diffraction of a finite grating; the angular positions of these orders are independents of the beam width, the spot position on the finite grating, and the conductivity of the substrate.
Towards ontology personalization to enrich social conversations on AAC systems

Communication is one of the essential needs of human beings. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (AAC) seek to help in the generation of oral and written language to people with physical disorders that limit their natural communication. These systems present significant challenges such as: the composition of consistent messages according to syntactic and semantic rules, the improvement of message production times, the application to social contexts and, consequently, the incorporation of user-specific information. This work presents an original ontology personalization approach for an AAC instant messaging system incorporating personalized information to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the message production. This proposal is based on a projection of a general ontology into a more specific one, avoiding storage redundancy and data coupling, representing a big opportunity to enrich communication capabilities of current AAC systems. The evaluation was performed for a study case based on an AAC system for assistance in composing messages. The results show that adding user-specific information allows generation of enriched phrases, so improving the accuracy of the message, facilitating the communication process.
Utilization of metal–polymer interactions for self-aligned directed self-assembly of device relevant features

Abstract. Self-aligned strategies are required because today’s feature sizes are beyond the resolution limit of the exposure tools. One self-aligned strategy is directed self-assembly (DSA), where block copolymers (BCP) are thermodynamically driven to self-align with a lithographically defined template with chemical contrast and/or topography. It would be particularly advantageous to also encode existing structures into thermodynamic information, then thermodynamics would cause BCP to self-align to these existing structures rectifying placement error. These existing features could be cut masks, which are required to fabricate devices from line and space arrays, or they could be interconnects. Here, we show a technique, by which metal–polymer interactions can be used in place of polymer–polymer interactions. These metal–polymer interactions, which cannot be adequately described by conventional surface energy comparisons, allow for a true self-aligned process. We begin by classifying process relevant metals including gold, aluminum, copper, tungsten, and cobalt, based upon their thermodynamic interactions with poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate). We then created guide patterns using metal and dielectric line space arrays. These patterns, when combined with DSA, allow for lines and space patterns to be self-aligned to any exposed metal features and reduce process constraints on exposure tools. Our process can also be used to align line and space patterns to metal layers during the back end of the line processing. A similar process could also be used to guide contact hole shrink to correct for placement error in the initial lithographic template.
Business goals, user needs, and requirements: A problem frame‐based view

It is well known that the analysis of requirements involves several stakeholders and perspectives. Very often several points of view at different abstraction levels have to be taken into account: all these features make requirements analysis a complex task. Such intrinsic complexity makes it difficult to understand several of the basic concepts that underlie requirements engineering. Actually, there is some confusion – especially in industry – about what really a user requirement is, what are the differences between user requirements and user needs, and what are their relationships with business processes. The paper aims at clarifying the aforementioned issues, by providing a systematic and clear method for establishing requirements hierarchies. The problem of describing requirements hierarchies is tackled using the problem frames concepts and notation. A case study is used throughout the paper to illustrate the proposed approach. The description of requirements at different levels of abstractions and requirements hierarchies are illustrated. The resulting models are coherent with the reference model for requirements specifications and the problem frames. An analysis process that is aware of the differences between user needs and requirements is also provided, to illustrate the process of refining high‐level goals into requirements that can be satisfied by a hardware/software machine. The proposed method appears promising to model, study, and evaluate the relationships between business processes and the strategies for achieving business goals based on the usage of information technology.
Detecting curvatures in digital images using filters derived from differential geometry

Detection of curvature in digital images is an important theoretical and practical problem in image processing. Many important features in an image are associated with curvature and the detection of such features is reduced to detection and characterization of curvatures. Differential geometry studies many kinds of curvature operators and from these curvature operators is possible to derive powerful filters for image processing which are able to detect curvature in digital images and videos. The curvature operators are formulated in terms of partial differential operators which can be applied to images via convolution with generalized kernels derived from the the Korteweg– de Vries soliton . We present an algorithm for detection of curvature in digital images which is implemented using the Maple package ImageTools. Some experiments were performed and the results were very good. In a future research will be interesting to compare the results using the Korteweg–de Vries soliton with the results obtained using Airy derivatives. It is claimed that the resulting curvature detectors could be incorporated in standard programs for image processing.
Comparative distributions of dopamine D‐1 and D‐2 receptors in the cerebral cortex of rats, cats, and monkeys

The distributions and laminar densities of cerebral cortical dopamine D‐1 and D‐2 receptors were studied in rats, cats, and monkeys. Distributions were determined by using alternate, adjacent tissue sections processed for D‐1 and D‐2 receptor subtypes and compared to an adjacent, nearly adjacent, or similar sections stained for Nissl substance. [3H]‐SCH 23390 and [3H]‐spiroperidol (in the presence of 100 nM mianserin) were used to label the D‐1 and D‐2 receptors, respectively. The regional distribution and laminar density of dopamine receptors were determined by in vitro quantitative autoradiography and video densitometry of selected isocortical and peri‐allocortical regions. Granular (prefrontal, primary somatosensory, and primary visual), agranular (primary motor and anterior cingulate), and limbic (entorhinal and perirhinal) cortices were examined. Where possible, homologous areas among the species were compared.
A Poor Social Network is not Associated with Frailty in Mexican Community‐Dwelling Elderly Adults

SLAS was supported by research grants 03/1/21/17/214 and 08/1/21/19/567 from the Biomedical Research Council, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore. Conflicts of Interest: We have no financial support or relationships that may pose a conflict of interest. Author Contributions: Lei Feng formulated the hypothesis, reviewed the literature, performed the statistical analysis, and wrote the letter. Tze-Pin Ng designed the research as the principal investigator of the SLAS project. Tze-Pin Ng, Jialiang Li, Ee-Heok Kua, Tih-Shih Lee, Keng-Bee Yap, and A. John Rush reviewed the statistical analysis and revised the article. All authors read and commented on the final manuscript. Sponsor’s Role: No commercial company sponsored or played any role in the design and methods of the study, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, or preparation of this article.
Spectral imaging for brightfield microscopy

Molecular medicine now requires molecular pathology. While fluorescence has traditionally been used for high-resolution multiplexed molecular imaging, clinical practitioners prefer non-fluorescent multicolor methods. However, in brightfield, typically, only one color is used at a time, which precludes assessment of co-expression on a cell-by-cell basis. Similar constraints apply to brightfield in-situ hybridization techniques. Double- and triple-staining procedures are rarely performed in non-research settings not only because the wet chemistry can be difficult, but also because it can be challenging or impossible to determine visually where and to what extent different chromogens may physically overlap. Spectral imaging can be useful in this context. Two methods of acquiring spectral images are described, along with their application to multicolor immunohistochemistry and transmission in-situ hybridization (TRISH): 1) liquid crystal tunable filters; and 2) a novel, spectrally agile light source. This source emits white light of any desired color temperature, or single 10-nm wavelength bands in the range 420 to 700 nm, or any combination of wavelengths with individual intensity control. Both methods are allied with a grayscale camera and appropriate algorithms to analyze multicolor samples of clinical significance. Spectrally unmixed images clearly separate signals linked to different chromogens, even with spectral and spatial overlap. Intriguing challenges in matching mathematical algorithms to these specific problems remain: how many bands are enough? What are the optimal unmixing procedures? What automated tools can be applied to speed and simplify the procedures?
Subarachnoid anaesthesia for elective Caesarean section

Forty patients who underwent elective lower segment Caesarean section under subarachnoid anaesthesia received either 2.0 ml 0.5% cinchocaine in 6% dextrose or 2.5 ml 0.5% bupivacaine in 8% dextrose via a 26‐gauge needle with the patient in the left lateral position. Onset time was rapid in both groups and the distribution of maximum ascent of sensory analgesia was T1 T6. Efficacy of analgesia was greater in the bupivacaine group, although the duration of both sensory and motor blockade was shorter than following cinchocaine. There were no significant differences between the two groups either in the incidence and severity of complications or in the condition of the neonates. The high incidence (50 65%) and often profound extent of hypotension seen throughout the trial, confirm the ineffectiveness of crystalloid preload of 1500 ml as a single prophylaxis against hypotension.
Hepatic selective adjustments in short‐term cold exposed rats

The metabolic adjustments which occur in rat liver cells during the first days of cold exposure have been investigated. We have measured both mitochondrial mass and oxidative capacities as well as ATP production after five and 10 days of cold exposure. In addition, we have measured plasma membrane Na+/K+‐ATPase activity. Cold exposure elicited a significant increase in mitochondrial mass as well as in state 3 oxidative rates and ATP production in isolated mitochondria using various substrates. Moreover, our results show that Na+‐pumping activity significantly increased after both five and 10 days of cold exposure.
Remote sensing image ship target detection method based on visual attention model

The traditional methods of detecting ship targets in remote sensing images mostly use sliding window to search the whole image comprehensively. However, the target usually occupies only a small fraction of the image. This method has high computational complexity for large format visible image data. The bottom-up selective attention mechanism can selectively allocate computing resources according to visual stimuli, thus improving the computational efficiency and reducing the difficulty of analysis. Considering of that, a method of ship target detection in remote sensing images based on visual attention model was proposed in this paper. The experimental results show that the proposed method can reduce the computational complexity while improving the detection accuracy, and improve the detection efficiency of ship targets in remote sensing images.
Combining abilities in maize for the length of the internode basal ring, the entry point of the Mediterranean corn borer larvae

With 2 tables Abstract Length of the internode basal ring (LIBR) in maize is a morphological character that has been associated with resistance to Mediterranean corn borer (MCB), Sesamia nonagrioides Lef. The present study is the first research to evaluate the usefulness of this trait in breeding programmes. Six maize hybrids, from a complete diallel set of four inbred lines (two resistant and two susceptible to MCB), were evaluated under early and late sowing conditions at three locations in northwestern Spain. General and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA, respectively) for LIBR were estimated, and LIBR correlations with grain yield and other important agronomic traits were evaluated. Hybrid by environment interactions were not significant for LIBR and the sums of squares partitioning indicated a greater GCA effect (95%), suggesting that this trait is stable and shows important additive effects for this set of hybrids. Correlation coefficients not only indicate that selection for increasing LIBR could enhance grain yield and other related plant traits (height and silking) but also an increase in the MCB susceptibility. Based on the limited number genotypes evaluated, LIBR could be modified by selection; however, if LIBR is used as an indirect selection criterion to improve MCB resistance, then some negative effects on yield may be expected.
Monitoring breast masses with ultrasound tomography in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

As part of an ongoing assessment of the in-vivo performance of a operator independent breast imaging device, based on acoustic tomography, we report on new results obtained with patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Five patients were examined with the prototype on multiple occasions corresponding in time to their chemotherapy sessions. Images of reflection, sound speed and attenuation, representing the entire volume of the breast, were reconstructed from the exam data and analyzed for time-dependent changes during the treatment period. It was found that changes in acoustic properties of the tumors could be measured directly from the images. The measured properties include reflectivity, sound speed and attenuation, leading to measurable changes in the volume, shape and internal attributes of the tumors. These measurements were used to monitor the response of the tumors to the therapy with the long term goal of correlating results with pathological and clinical outcomes. Comparisons with tumor size changes based on traditional US and MRI indicates potential for accurate, quantifiable tracking of tumor volume. Furthermore, our tentative results also show declines in internal properties of the tumors, possibly relating to a reduction in tissue stiffness and/or density. Future work will include an expansion of the study to a larger cohort of patients for determining the statistical significance of our findings.
Laser-based remote measurement of vital parameters of the heart

The classical method to investigate the activity of the heart is based on the electrocardiogram or ECG which requires to fix pick-ups on the body of the client. If this is not possible an alternative method is the so-called vibrocardiogram or VCG which is the laser signal emitted by a vibrometer and reflected by the body of the client. Since the VCG is not only influenced by the activity of the heart but also by the movements of the client and his respiration, preprocessing by filtering is required. Furthermore an appropriate location for the measurement of the VCG has to be found. A measure of reliability based on the correlation function of the VCG leads to a useful point of measurement which can be found not only on the thorax close to the heart. The analysis of the characteristica of the ECG like the heart beat is the basis for a medical diagnosis. The same has to be done with the VCG. One of the goals of the analysis is to detect atrial fibrillation. Whereas the heart beat covers normally the range of 50 to 100 beats per minute in the case of atrial fibrillation the beat might be 300 beats per minute or more. It is shown in this paper that the measure of reliability might not only be used to find the optimal location to measure the VCG but also for the detection of atrial fibrillation. This method has been derived on the basis of data from clients in a hospital with different heart deseases. The investigations are going on because the new method has not yet reached the level required for clinical application.