Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A user-oriented evaluation of digital libraries: case study the "electronic journals" service of the library and information service of the University of Patras, Greece

Provides an evaluation of the use of the electronic journals service of the library and information service of the University of Patras, Greece. Asks who these electronic journals service users are, how often they use the service, what their reasons for use are, where their access points for use are, and which search methods and services they use. In addition, invites users to choose between an electronic and print journal title subscription and indicate some factors that would discourage them from accessing an electronic journals service.
Efficient exploration for real-time robot indoor 3D mapping

Environmental mapping is an important problem for autonomous robots. In this paper, we study the problem of how to efficiently explore an unknown environment to build a 3D map. A Robotic 3D Mapping (RoM) system is developed which enables efficient exploration for real-time robot mapping. The 3D information comes from a RGB-D camera on the pan-tilt unit mounted on a Pioneer mobile robot base. In the mapping process, the camera pose is estimated based on a Bayesian framework combining the robot motion and visual features. The map is updated in real time and converted into the 3D occupancy map with new observed data. An efficient exploration strategy is proposed using the resulted 3D occupancy map. A multi-layer structure is applied to filter the viewpoints to a small set and the next best viewpoint is determined by maximizing the expected information gain. Experiments are conducted in an indoor environment and the results show that the robot is able to perform efficient, autonomous exploration to cover the unknown areas and build the map.
Modélisation de l'activité électrique des oreillettes et des veines pulmonaires

Le travail presente dans ce manuscrit s'articule en trois axes distincts. 1) Derivation de modeles mathematiques de phenomenes electrophysiologiques en cardiologie. Nous utilisons des methodes d'analyse asymptotique pour deriver un modele simplifie a partir d'un modele de tissu auriculaire tridimensionnel, tout en controlant l'erreur d'approximation. Ces methodes ont permis de deriver un modele bisurfacique qui permet de simuler des comportements tridimensionnels dans les oreillettes pour un cout numerique bidimensionnel afin d'etudier des phenomenes entrant en jeu lors d'arythmies auriculaires, tels que la dissociation electrique ou des heterogeneites transmurales. La preuve de la convergence du modele bisurfacique est apportee, et une strategie d'optimisation du modele en dehors du regime symptotique est formalisee. Une methode d'homogeneisation est egalement utilisee pour construire un modele continu homogeneise de l'activite des myocytes incluant le comportement non lineaire des gap junctions. 2)Processus declencheurs d'arythmie. Des preuves de concepts de mecanismes arythmogenes sont apportees a l'aide de modeles numeriques des veines pulmonaires. Le premier mecanisme repose sur un bloc de conduction unidirectionnel engendre par une discontinuite dans la structure fibreuse. Le second est base sur une dynamique differente lors de la depolarisation et de la repolarisation lorsque deux couches de fibres de directions differentes sont superposees. 3)Perpetuation des arythmies auriculaires. A partir d'un modele bicouche des oreillettes, nous etudions l'influence d'heterogeneites transmurales de fibrose sur la perpetuation des arythmies. Plusieurs protocoles d'ablation sont ensuite testes. Enfin, une methode de personnalisation du modele auriculaire est formalisee.
Persistence of Pseudomonas pseudomallei in soil.

50 P. pseudomallei survived for up to 30 months in soil samples taken from a sheep paddock, stored in plastic collection bags on a shaded shelf in a laboratory and kept at ambient temperature (13-33 deg C). The average time for survival under these conditions would be about 6 months (7 of the 15 soil tests were positive after this time). Moister soils contained a greater number of organisms per gram of soil than drier ones. ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT: Larger numbers of P. pseudomallei were found in moist soils than in dry soils. The bacteria survived in soil in collection bags kept in the shade at ambient temperatures for up to 30 months although the average survival time was 6 months.
Dependence of pancreatic integrity on adrenal and ovarian secretions.

Removal of the adrenal glands from male rats causes a significant decrease in protein content of the pancreas. In addition, microscopic examination of pancreatic tissue from these adrenalectomized animals indicated considerable depletion of zymogen granules. Treatment of such animals with the synthetic glucocorticoid triamcinolone acetonide reverts the biochemical and histological parameters to those observed in the intact animal within 12 hr. The female rat does not demonstrate thesechanges following adrenalectomy. However, if the ovaries are removed in addition to the adrenal glands, alterations similar to those observed in the adrenalectonized male pancreas become apparent. Treatment of the adrenalectomized - ovarectomized rat with triamcinolone acetonide reverts the pancreas to normal. In contrast to the male, the female rat apparently has dual control of the pancreas through estrogenic as well as adrenal cortical hormones. (Endocrinology 85: 956, 1969)
Tumour‐associated macrophages and melanoma tumourigenesis: integrating the complexity

When the body discovers a tumour cell (foreign antigen), several kinds of mechanisms and cells operate in what is called an immune response. The latter has evolved into two mechanisms: non‐specific immunity and specific immunity, which are closely linked to and influence each other. The former represents the first line of defence against neoplastic cells. The adaptive (specific) immunity is orchestrated by antigen‐specific T and B lymphocytes. The effector cells of innate immunity include granulocytes, macrophages and natural killer cells. Among these cells, macrophages represent the most important part of innate immunity against tumours. Tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are important antigen‐presenting cells and as such an understanding of their interactions with tumour cells gives insights into novel therapeutic strategies. In tumours, the effect of TAMs is the outcome of their two concomitantly competing interactions: tumour growth reduction and tumour growth promotion. The macrophage (TAMs) content of melanoma ranges from 0 to 30% and their density increases with increasing tumour thickness. The melanoma cells and TAMs seem to interact with each other through the release of soluble factors that either prevent or enhance tumour growth. For instance, syngeneic macrophages from tumour‐bearing mice can inhibit melanoma growth in the nude mice more than the control macrophages. Alternatively, metastatic B16 melanoma cells can produce some macrophage cytotoxic substances that help tumour cells not only escape the host immunosurveillance system but also prevent distant metastasis. Together, these observations suggest opposing effects for these soluble factors in melanoma. To date, little is available in the literature about the interactions between TAMs and melanoma cells. This viewpoint not only tries to examine these interactions but also provides relevant speculations.
Benefit of Cone‐Beam CT Angiography in Visualizing Aneurysm Shape and Identification of Exact Rupture Site

While high‐resolution cone‐beam computational tomographic (CBCT) angiography has gained use in intracranial vascular imaging, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and 3‐dimensional‐rotational angiography (3D‐RA) remain the preferred acquisition modalities for intracranial aneurysm imaging. This case report highlights the utility of the greater spatial resolution afforded by CBCT for cerebral aneurysm imaging. A 54‐year‐old man presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage was confirmed to harbor a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm by conventional angiography. Due to varying contrast opacification captured by different acquisition methods, dramatic aneurysm shape difference was observed between 2‐ and 3‐dimensional‐angiographic and CBCT models. The greater resolution of CBCT revealed in an unequivocal fashion the exact site of rupture on the aneurysm dome, visualized as a discrete irregular and elongated bleb that was not seen on either 3D‐RA or DSA. High‐resolution CBCT visualized the shape of the target aneurysm in greater detail than the more conventional 2D‐DSA and 3D‐RA, enabling more precise computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Given that aneurysms most likely change shape either prior to rupture or upon rupture, future studies evaluating fluid dynamics using computer reconstructions should be cognizant of the differences in resolution provided by various imaging modalities.
Is soft-tissue inflammation in pedal infection contained by fascial planes? MR analysis of compartmental involvement in 115 feet.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to analyze compartmental involvement and patterns of spread of soft-tissue inflammation in pedal infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed 115 contrast-enhanced 1.5-T MR examinations of the foot in 41 women and 74 men with a mean age of 58.4 years who had undergone bone biopsy or surgery for suspected osteomyelitis. Presence of inflammation (contrast enhancement, fat signal intensity loss on T1-weighted images, and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images) was noted by two musculoskeletal radiologists in the following foot compartments: toes, medial, central, lateral, interosseous, dorsal, hindfoot, malleoli, and lower leg. Proximal and distal extension of soft-tissue inflammation was analyzed. The compartment closest to the ulcer that showed MR signs of direct contiguous infection was designated the primarily infected compartment. RESULTS Spread of inflammation across fascial planes into neighboring compartments originated from the following primary compartments: medial (3/10, 30%), central (7/16, 44%), and lateral (16/20, 80%). Spread from the hindfoot and malleoli into adjacent compartments was seen in only 7% of such cases (2/24). Inflammation from toe infections spread in 34% of cases to forefoot compartments (15/44). Inflammation from forefoot or toe infections spread in 4.5% of cases to the midfoot and in 2% of cases to the hindfoot; ascension into the calf was rare (1% of cases). Spread of inflammation into neighboring compartments was not correlated with the presence of diabetes (p = 0.81) or with osteomyelitis (p = 0.34). CONCLUSION Soft-tissue inflammation of the forefoot tends to spread into neighboring compartments, with little respect for fascial planes. Hindfoot inflammation tends to stay confined. Spread from the foot to the lower leg is rare.
Microscopic image enhancement of Chinese Herbal Medicine based on fuzzy set

In order to simply and effectively extract important feature information and improve the accuracy of microscopic image recognition of Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM), a kind of microscopic image enhancement technique of CHM based on fuzzy sets is put forward. Fuzzy set describes the vague degree of information, which study the different objects belong to the same class of membership relations. Implementation of fuzzy image enhancement of CHM has three steps that is image fuzzy feature extraction, the correction of a subordinate function values and fuzzy domain inverse transform. Firstly, from the spatial domain to the blurred domain, the blur feature of the microscopic image of CHM is extracted through a certain transformation. Secondly, the membership degree of function of the fuzzy enhancement operator is modified by varying the regression. Finally, a new gray level image is formed by the inverse transform, so that the data is transformed from the image blur domain to the spatial domain and the original image is enhanced. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the proposed method provides a good visual effect for image recognition and make it easier to the detection and identify for the target area.
Recombination of nicked DNA knots by γδ resolvase suggests a variant model for the mechanism of strand exchange

Abstract Fast and efficient recombination catalyzed by gamma delta resolvase in vitro requires negative DNA supercoiling of plasmid substrates. The current model for recombination suggests that supercoiling is required to drive DNA strand exchange within a synaptic complex by 'simple rotation' of DNA-linked resolvase promoters. Surprisingly, DNA knots are recombined efficiently in the absence of supercoiling, whereby the rate of recombination increases with the number of irreducible DNA segment crossings, or nodes, within each substrate knot. Recombination products contain three knot nodes less than substrates, suggesting that a reduction in writhe drives the reaction. However, the proposed protomer rotation model predicts that writhe is not altered during the process of strand transfer but, instead, is reduced only when a synaptic complex disassembles after strand exchange. I present evidence that recombination of knotted and of linear substrates coincides with a disassembly of synaptic complexes. The results lead to a variant model for strand exchange on non-supercoiled substrates in which a specific disassembly of the synaptic complex, triggered by a reduction in writhe, guides the cleaved DNA into the recombinant configuration.
Design and initial characterization of a circular permuted variant of the potent HIV‐inactivating protein cyanovirin‐N

A circular permuted variant of the potent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐inactivating protein cyanovirin‐N (CV‐N) was constructed. New N‐ and C‐termini were introduced into an exposed helical loop, and the original termini were linked using residues of the original loop. Since the three‐dimensional structure of wild‐type cyanovirin‐N is a pseudodimer, the mutant essentially exhibits a swap between the two pseudo‐symmetrically related halves. The expressed protein, which accumulates in the insoluble fraction, was purified, and conditions for in vitro refolding were established. During refolding, a transient dimeric species is also formed that converts to a monomer. Similar to the wild‐type CV‐N, the monomeric circular permuted protein exhibits reversible thermal unfolding and urea denaturation. The mutant is moderately less stable than the wild‐type protein, but it displays significantly reduced anti‐HIV activity. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we demonstrate that this circular permuted monomeric molecule adopts the same fold as the wild‐type protein. Characterization of these two architecturally very similar molecules allows us to embark, for the first time, on a structure guided focused mutational study, aimed at delineating crucial features for the extraordinary difference in the activity of these molecules. Proteins 2002;46:153–160. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
10 Post Operative Arrhythmias

Heart rhythm disturbances are being increasingly recognized during the postoperative period. While many are transient and short lived without altering the recovery phase after cardiac or non-cardiac surgery, they do have the potential to pose a threat to patient’s health, prolong hospital stay, and in a minority of patients may even cause death. Continuous monitoring is becoming the standard of care after surgery and therefore rhythm disturbances are being more frequently diagnosed during the postoperative recovery period. While cardiology consultation may be required, surgeons and anesthesiologists are often the first responders and are expected to be able to recognize the rhythm disturbance and treat them appropriately.
Object Salience is Transiently Represented Whereas Object Presence is Not: Evidence from Temporal Order Judgment

We investigated the temporal dynamics in the processing of object salience and object presence by using a temporal-order-judgment task. In two experiments, observers were presented with displays containing one or two orientation singletons embedded in a background of homogeneously oriented lines. Observers had the task to indicate the temporal order of two colour changes which occurred either at two singleton locations differing in salience (experiment 1) or at two locations differing in singleton presence (experiment 2). Singleton displays were presented for a short or a long duration prior to the colour changes. The results demonstrated that salience affects the perceived temporal order of two colour changes more strongly after a short than after a long presentation duration (experiment 1). Singleton presence affects the perceived temporal order of two colour changes equally after a short and a long presentation duration (experiment 2). The results suggest that object salience and object presence are differently represented in the visual system.
Can neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio predict recurrence of non-valvular atrial fibrillation after cardioversion?

OBJECTIVE High neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with post-operative AF development in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. In this study, effectiveness of NLR for prediction of recurrence after electrical cardioversion (CV) in non-valvular AF was investigated. METHODS A total of 149 patients who underwent a successful CV were included in this prospective cohort study. Baseline complete blood cell count, routine biochemical tests, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and echocardiographic measurements were examined. After CV, patients were monitored over six months for recurrence. Baseline characteristics of recurrence group were compared with sinus rhythm group by using Student`s t -test. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors of recurrence. RESULTS Recurrence occurred in a total of 46 patients (30.9%). Median AF duration [16 (IQR:14.25) vs. 12 (IQR:11) months, p=0.01], baseline hs-CRP [9.80 (IQR: 8.50) mg/dL vs. 4.28 (IQR: 5.65) mg/dL, p=0.002] and left atrium (LA) diameter (4.5±0.4 cm, 4.3±0.5 cm, p=0.023) were significantly higher in the recurrence group than sinus rhythm group. Median NLR was comparable in recurrence and sinus groups [2.38 (IQR: 2.09) vs. 2.23, (IQR: 1.23) p=0.96, respectively]. There was a weak correlation between NLR and hs-CRP (r=0.22, p=0.05) and age (r=0.24, p=0.02). In multiple logistic regression analysis, hs-CRP [OR: 1.34 (1.09-1.65 95% CI) p=0.006], LA diameter [OR: 11.92 (1.84-77.07 95% CI) p=0.01], spontaneous echo contrast positivity, [OR: 5.40 (1.04-12.02 95% CI) p=0.045] and systolic blood pressure [OR: 1.05 (1.01-1.10 95% CI) p=0.03] were independent predictors of AF recurrence. CONCLUSION NLR failed to predict AF recurrence after a successful electrical CV, but hs-CRP remained an inflammatory marker of AF recurrence.
Productivity, the Terms of Trade, and the Real Exchange Rate: Balassa–Samuelson Hypothesis Revisited

The paper examines how the Balassa–Samuelson hypothesis is affected by a modern variation of the standard model that allows product differentiation (within the traded and nontraded goods sectors) with the number of firms determined exogenously or endogenously. The hypothesis is found to be fragile in the modified framework. Small variations in the elasticity of substitution between home and foreign traded goods (within the range of estimates suggested in the literature), for example, can make the effect of a traded-goods productivity improvement on the real exchange rate negative or positive, as well as small or large. This result provides a potential explanation of the mixed empirical results that have been obtained on the relationship between productivity and the real exchange rate.
Late promoter of human papillomavirus type 8 and its regulation

Human papillomavirus type 8 (HPV8) belongs to the HPV types associated with skin carcinomas of patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV). Its noncoding regulatory sequences (NCR) were shown to drive the expression of the reporter gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) in transient assays with human epithelial cells (HT3 cells). This constitutive activity could be enhanced by coexpression of the HPV8 transactivator protein E2. The analysis of 5' deletions of the NCR showed that the EV-specific sequence motif M33 and the neighboring AP1 site are essential for the promoter activity, whereas 44 nucleotides located immediately upstream of M33 are strongly inhibitory. The same effects were observed in simian virus 40-immortalized fetal keratinocytes (SV61 cells) and spontaneously immortalized skin keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). By using primer extension and RNase protection analyses two promoters could be identified within the HPV8 NCR. A nested set of weak signals, corresponding to start sites between positions 175 to 179, represented the previously described E6 promoter. The vast majority of transcripts was initiated at position 7535 and shown to undergo processing at an NCR-internal splice donor (positions 1 to 8). The promoter P7535 is similar to late promoters of other skin-associated papillomaviruses as far as localization, transcript structure, and sequence characteristics are concerned. To confirm that P7535-initiated transcripts proceed indeed to the L1 gene for the major capsid protein, viral mRNAs from an HPV8-induced lesion of a patient with EV were characterized by RNase protection and sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified cDNAs. The NCR leader (positions 7535 to 4) appeared in two messages with three exons each. The third exon started with the second ATG codon of L1 in both cases; the short central exons from the 3' part of the early coding region were defined by a common splice acceptor site (position 3303) and different splice donor sites (positions 3443 and 3704).
Biological Characterization of Panels Manufactured from Recycled Particleboards using Different Adhesives

Transforming waste or recycled materials into value-added products is of high priority today. Wood plastic composites (WPCs) show high potential for the use of recycled materials in making durable composites. The applicability of WPC panels produced from recycled materials (ultralight foam core particleboards) for exterior building application was tested using wood-destroying basidiomycetes. The results showed that the panels were fully resistant against Coniophora puteana (Cp) and Gloeophyllum trabeum (Gt), but not very resistant against Pleurotus ostreatus (Po). The decay susceptibility index of Po-exposed specimens showed that the polystyrene-bonded (PS) samples were more resistant than solid beech wood samples that were used as references, followed by melamine-urea formaldehyde-bonded samples. A comparison with the reference samples also showed that the panel density had a significant influence on the panel’s resistance against basidiomycetes. The higher the panel density, the more resistance will be achieved in the panel.