Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioural and electrophysiological chromatic and achromatic contrast sensitivity in an achromatopsic patient.

OBJECTIVES--In cases of incomplete achromatopsia it is unclear whether residual visual function is mediated by intact striate cortex or results from incomplete lesions to extrastriate cortical visual areas. A patient with complete cerebral achromatopsia was tested to establish the nature of his residual vision and to determine the integrity of striate cortex function. METHODS--Behavioural contrast sensitivity, using the method of adjustment, and averaged visually evoked cortical potentials were measured to sinusoidally modulated chromatic and achromatic gratings in an achromatopsic patient and a normal observer. Eye movements were measured in the patient using a Skalar infrared monitoring system. RESULTS--The patient's chromatic contrast sensitivity was normal, indicating that despite his dense colour blindness his occipital cortex still processed information about spatial variations in hue. His sensitivity to achromatic gratings was depressed particularly at high spatial frequencies, possibly because of his jerk nystagmus. These behavioural results were reinforced by the nature of visually evoked responses to chromatic and achromatic gratings, in which total colour blindness coexisted with an almost normal cortical potential to isoluminant chromatic gratings. CONCLUSIONS--The results show that information about chromatic contrast is present in some cortical areas, and coded in a colour-opponent fashion, in the absence of any perceptual experience of colour.
Parental experiences of caring for a child with intellectual disabilities

A structured literature search and thematic analysis of six research articles relating to stress and parenting of a child with an intellectual disability in the United Kingdom identified four key themes: impact upon families, service provision and support networks, coping and transition. The findings identified that parenting a child with an intellectual disability is not always a negative role; it is a role that parents find both rewarding and empowering. However, the findings of the literature review primarily related to mothers of children with an intellectual disability with very little focus on the experiences of fathers.
The influence of exteroceptive factors on the estrous cycle of the collared lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus).

The influence of exteroceptive factors on the estrous cycle of the collared lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) was studied. Vaginal smears were made daily for 16-60 days on 108 females ages 3-9 months. A repetitive estrous cycle was not revealed by the smears. Those with cornified smears were usually receptive whereas those with leucocyte smears were almost never receptive. Ovaries uteri and adrenals were heavier (p less than .001 p less than .001 p less than .05 respectively) and there were more (p less than .005) and larger (p less than .001) graafian follicles in estrous than in diestrous females. Females maintained on 6-hour photoperiods were less stimulated (p less than .025) than those on 18 hour and those on 24 hour were more stimulated (p less than .0005) than those on 18-hour photoperiods. Vaginal perforation and estrus were induced when anestrous females were caged with an intact male another female or adjacent to an intact male but not adjacent to another female or with a castrate male. Vaginal plugs were found in 17 of 28 females caged with males and litter were born to 13 3 of which a plug has not been detected during the 10 days of pairing with males.
Five‐year follow‐up study of hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease

Using transcranial sonography, an area of hyperechogenicity at the substantia nigra (SN) may be detected as a typical marker in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as in approximately 9% of healthy subjects vulnerable to nigrostriatal impairment. In this longitudinal study, we provide evidence that the area of SN hyperechogenicity does not change in the course of PD. In conjunction with earlier findings in children and adolescents, this evidence indicates that, from late adolescence onward, this ultrasound finding is a trait marker for nigrostriatal vulnerability. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Electromagnetic Simulations of a Fully Superconducting 10-MW-Class Wind Turbine Generator

An electromagnetic design study of a 10-MW-class synchronous generator that has both the field and armature windings superconducting is presented. The field winding is assumed to be made of YBCO tapes, whereas multifilament MgB2 wires are considered for the armature winding. The proposed design is analyzed using a finite-element-based simulation tool. The results obtained show that a higher output voltage, and hence higher power levels, can be achieved compared with the more common arrangement where the field winding is superconducting whereas the armature winding is made of copper. Moreover, the proposed structure weighs less and has better flux density distribution within the armature.
Morphology of symmetric block copolymer in a cylindrical pore

The influence of confinement on morphology formation in copolymer systems is an important area of interest in theoretical research. We apply dynamic density functional theory to investigate the effect of pores on the morphology formation in a symmetric diblock copolymer system. The pore is represented by a perfect cylindrical tube. Porous systems are important in biology and are gaining interest for applications in nanotechnology. We show that for the pore sizes under investigation two equilibrium morphologies are possible depending on the surface interaction: a perpendicular or slab morphology and a parallel or multiwall tube morphology. The latter is referred to in the article as dartboard morphology. In the dynamic pathway towards this morphology an intermediate metastable helical phase is found. An important observation is that, for a wide range of pore radii and variations of polymer chain length, no mixed parallel/perpendicular morphologies were found: All observed morphologies are insensitive to the pore diameter.
Phosphorylation state of tau in the hippocampus of apolipoprotein E4 and E3 knock-in mice

The apolipoprotein E (apoE) ϵ4 allele is associated with an increased risk of sporadic as well as late-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). To accurately determine the isoform-specific effects of human apoE on AD-like phosphorylation of tau, hippocampi from human apoE knock-in (KI) mice were studied by quantitative immunoblotting. There was no significant difference in phosphorylation levels of tau at nine of the 13 epitopes, for six of eight tau kinases, or in protein levels of three tau phosphatases, between apoE3-KI and apoE4-KI mouse hippocampi. However, in apoE4-KI mice, phosphorylation of tau at Ser235 was increased to ∼150%, that at Ser413 to ∼140%, while that at Ser202/Thr205 and Thr205 were decreased to ∼70%, and the protein level of tau protein kinase I/glycogen synthase kinase 3&bgr; (TPKI/GSK3&bgr;) was increased to ∼120%, that of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) was increased to ∼130%, compared with apoE3-KI mice.
Dornase alpha use in patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis (FC) is an autosomal recessive disorder with an estimated incidence of one in 7,500 live births in Brazil, varying in different states( 1 ). The gene in question encodes a protein called cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), involved in the transepithelial transport of ions and water. It affects, thus, the epithelial organs whose secretions are thick, with consequent obstruction and development of classical clinical changes. In the bronchial tubes, thickened secretions predispose to the onset of infection, which leads to a vicious cycle of increased clogging and tendency of recurrent infections. About 10% of sputum in these patients is made up of DNA, primarily from leukocytes that migrate into the bronchial lumen to fight infection( 2 ). Within this perspective, the use of effective mucolytics was always sought for a better management of CF, aiming at improving the quality of life and reducing the associated morbidity. From about two decades ago, dornase alfa has been recommended for use in patients with CF. Its action, cleaving DNA, dilutes secretions, being effective in reducing the decline in lung function and decreasing the number of pulmonary exacerbations, according to a randomized clinical trial published in 1994( 3 ). Later, other studies showed that the drug was effective in reducing pulmonary exacerbations and improving other functional outcomes, even in patients with incipient pulmonary disease, still with normal functional parameters( 4 - 9 ). The proven effectiveness of dornase alfa in such conditions led to its inclusion in consensus guidelines on the management of CF lung disease for children over 6 years of age( 10 , 11 ). In this issue of Revista Paulista de Pediatria, Rozov et al present an elegant study, in which they aggregate evidence for the use of dornase alfa in children and adolescents with CF( 12 ). The Brazilian multicenter study evaluated patients over 5 years of age who had not received the drug. CF is a genetic disorder whose development is influenced by environmental factors. Therefore, the merit of this study lies in the fact that it demonstrates the benefits of dornase alfa in Brazilian patients, regarding the reduction of visits to the emergency room, an outcome associated with quality of life. Previously, the authors had already published results of quality of life for these patients, showing improvements in many areas after the introduction of this medication( 13 ). A limitation of the study that should be mentioned is its uncontrolled design. There are inherent limitations to studies with a design of "before and after". Patients monitored in surveys tend to be more compliant and subject to the placebo effect. However, ethical constraints absolve the authors as to the choice of the design, since there was already evidence of the benefit of the drug in children older than 6 years, a fact that advised against a control group with placebo.
Principles in the Evaluation of Systematic Reviews

Literature reviews summarize information from individual studies and are an important tool in the practice of evidence‐based medicine. Various types of reviews, including narrative and systematic reviews, may be found within the biomedical literature. Systematic reviews are the strongest type and are often rated as the highest level of evidence. Thus it is important that clinicians understand how to evaluate them critically. This article is intended to enhance clinicians' understanding of the unique methods commonly used in systematic reviews by using the reporting standards to formulate evaluation principles. Explanations of the statistical tests and types of biases that are frequently encountered in systematic reviews are discussed. Lastly, an evaluation of a meta‐analysis using these principles is provided.
Informação de Crédito: Um Meio Para Ampliar o Acesso dos Mais Pobres ao Sistema Financeiro

Ha apenas tres anos, um trabalho do Banco Mundial (Kumar, 2004) estabelecia diagnostico severo sobre a capacidade do sistema financeiro em atender as demandasde populacoes vivendo proximo a linha de pobreza no Brasil: somente 40% da clientela potencial possuiam uma conta bancaria e o acesso ao credito, bem como outros servicos financeiros, era severamente restrito para populacoes desprovidas de garantias e contrapartidas a oferecer aos bancos.
Microstructural investigation on the interfacial evolution of SnBi/Cu interconnect during reflow and solid-state aging

The microstructures of SnBi/Cu interconnect after reflow and its evolution during solid-state aging at 393 K were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that after reflow there were two kinds of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) - Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn in solder joint. Above these IMC layers there was a Bi-rich layer which consisted of discontinuous Bi particles. During solid state aging, the Cu3Sn phase grew faster into Cu substrate than into Cu6Sn5, and the Bi-rich layer did not change much. However, new Bi particles were observed at the Cu3Sn/Cu interface, which introduced interfacial voids around Bi particles. First principles calculation revealed that Bi segregation reduced the adhesion energy of Cu/Cu3Sn interface and caused serious reliability problem.
Mining Users Similarity of Interests in Web Community

In Web Community marketing, it is an essential research to discover potential consumer groups based on their interests. In real society, the sociologists deem that the intimate friends show more similarities in their interests. Based on a large number of experimental analysis and data statistics of Web Community users, this paper proves that the view is also suitable for Web Community, and it is used to excogitate to discover the users with similar interests by induction and estimation. This paper compares conversation degree and interest similarity in sample user data, conducts the conjecture experiments and then obtains the relationship between conversation degree and interest similarity by statistics and analysis on the basic conversations. Afterward, we measure the relationship quantitatively and conclude a distribution function. Based on these, an algorithm with regard to mining user groups with similar interest quickly in the web community has been proposed. Finally, we prove the efficiency and accuracy of this algorithm by confidence measurement and algorithm testing. Experimental results show that it is more effective and feasible than other old methods, especially in speed.
Helicobacter pylori-Mediated Protection against Extra-Gastric Immune and Inflammatory Disorders: The Evidence and Controversies

A large number of studies link H. pylori infection with a reduced risk of developing extra-gastric conditions such as allergy, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease and multiple sclerosis. The strength of the evidence for these protective associations is quite variable, and published studies often do not agree. This review article discusses some of the reasons for these discrepancies, and the difficulties faced when designing studies. Examples of some protective disease associations are described in detail, where the evidence is most abundant and thought to be more reliable. The most convincing of these are supported by published mechanistic data, for example with animal models, or incidence of disease exacerbation in humans following H. pylori eradication. Although controversial, this field is very important as the prevalence of H. pylori is decreasing throughout the world whilst many chronic diseases are becoming more common. These trends are likely to continue in the future, therefore it is important that we fully understand if and how H. pylori confers protection.
Knowledge Transfer Challenges in ERP Development Networks: The Quest for a Shared Development Model

Contemporary Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system development is conducted in a multi-stakeholder network. It requires the collaboration of different organizations and stakeholders. Knowledge transfer (KT) is difficult and often causes failure in projects, yet it has not been thoroughly investigated from the network’s perspective. Thus, this interpretive case study investigates what makes KT difficult in ERP development networks. As a result, seven categories of KT challenges were found: articulating domain knowledge, unwillingness to communicate, excessive trust, using informal communication channels and methods, different ways of working, missing or unidirectional connections between parties, and unsuitable or missing tools. The main contribution is gaining a deeper understanding of ERP development networks and especially about what makes KT difficult when developing ERP systems in a multistakeholder context. These findings imply that a shared development model for the EDN needs to be created in order to avoid KT challenges.
Proteome analysis of human liver carcinoma Huh7 cells harboring hepatitis C virus subgenomic replicon

Chronic infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) is closely correlated with serious liver diseases. Although considerable progress has been made during recent years, the mechanism of replication and pathogenesis of HCV infection are still elusive. We have applied proteomic techniques in this work to globally analyze the protein expression profiles of a human liver cell lines Huh7 in absence and presence of HCV replication, aiming at elucidating the components of HCV replication and the cellular responses to HCV replication. The protein mixtures of three subcellular fractions from Huh7 and Huh7‐HCV were separated by 2‐DE under various pH gradients. Differentially expressed spots were identified by MALDI‐TOF MS, followed by database searching. A total of 179 comparative proteins were identified unambiguously, including proteins associated with host cytoskeleton, intracellular traffic, oxidative and ER stress, proteasome degradation, translation, apoptosis, proliferation, etc. Host proteins known to interact with HCV proteins, such as HSP27, α‐actinin, nucleolin and eukaryotic initiation factor 4A‐I, were elevated in Huh7‐HCV cells. Our study provides the global information of proteomic alteration of Huh7 cells in the presence of HCV replication and the clues for further understanding of the mechanism of HCV replication and pathogenesis.
Neurological and MRI Findings as Predictors of Progressive-Type Lacunar Infarction

Aims: To find neurological or neuroimaging signs to predict neurological deterioration in acute lacunar infarctions. Methods: Sixty-one consecutive patients with a supratentorial lacunar infarct, who were admitted within 48 h, were studied retrospectively. Progressive-type stroke (PS) was defined as progressive motor deficits that arose within 7 days after onset, by using the motor ratings of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Results: Sixteen patients (26%) were classified into the PS group. In the PS group, fluctuating or progressing onset (81 vs. 42%, p = 0.009), leg-predominant motor deficits on admission (63 vs. 16%, p = 0.001) and corona radiata lesion on diffusion-weighted MRI (100 vs. 69%, p = 0.013) were all more frequent than in the non-PS group. Conclusion: Bedside neurological assessment and MRI findings may allow us to predict PS and start early intensive treatment for preventing further neurological deterioration.
Image reconstruction using high-level constraints

In this paper, we propose a strategy to improve the performance of image reconstruction using a selective attention mechanism in a multi-layered neural network. The selective attention mechanism enables us to use top-down information as high-level and global constraints. The traditional algorithms using regularization techniques are quite sensitive to values of parameters, and it is quite difficult to select their appropriate values, because the algorithms use low-level and local constraints. Our strategy uses high-level and global constraints, and modifies the values of parameters locally and automatically.
Networks Establishing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Multipotency and Self-Renewal

Hematopoiesis is a tightly regulated process maintained by a small pool of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) capable of undergoing self-renewal and generating mature progeny of all of the hematopoietic cell lineages. To sustain the proper levels of blood cells, HSCs must continuously monitor and regulate the balance between self-renewal and lineage differentiation. To produce all hematopoietic cells, hematopoiesis proceeds in a step-wise manner from the primordial long-term (LT)-HSCs. LT-HSCs possess the ability to self-renew and the capacity for long-term reconstitution of lethally irradiated hosts. After a first step of differentiation, LT-HSCs lose their capacity for self-renewal and give rise to a population of short-term (ST)-HSCs. The ST-HSCs has a limited ability to self-renew and reconstitute lethally irradiated hosts, but differentiate into a multipotent progenitor (MPP) population. The MPPs lack the capacity to undergo self-renewal, but retain multipotency. From these multipotent progenitors develops a series of intermediate progenitors that give rise to the assorted hematopoietic lineages. In the classical pathway of hematopoiesis, these intermediates include the common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) that differentiate into lymphoid, but not myeloid progeny, and the common myeloid progenitors (CMPs), which retain full erythromyeloid potential. The CMPs further differentiate to form the granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (GMPs) that differentiate to the myelomonocytic lineage and the megakaryocytic/erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) that eventually differentiate to form red blood cells and platelets. All these blood cells produced daily in high numbers (1 × 1012 cells/day) are derived from a relatively small but rare fraction of multipotent cells, the HSCs (Weissman, 2000).
Privacy Preserving Distance Learning with Smart Phones

Distance learning is essential for students in remote areas. According to some investigations, there are more and more students taking online courses using smart phones. Nevertheless, there is a risk of privacy violation, if the distance learning system is not properly designed. In this paper, we design a privacy preserving scheme for distant learning, in which students use smart phones to access online courses and materials. We use ARM TrustZone technology to store the sensitive data and we adopt strong cryptographic tools in designing our scheme. Our analysis and evaluation demonstrate that our scheme is indeed privacy preserving with high efficiency.
Abwertung von Krebskranken: Der Einfluß von Gerechte-Welt- und Kontrollüberzeugungen.

In der sozialwissenschaftlichen Literatur gibt es zahlreiche Studien, die die Abwertung sozialer Opfer belegen (vgl. etwa HALLIE 1971, RYAN 1971, GORGEN 1983). Der Glaube an eine gerechte Welt wird von Melvin Lerner und seinen Mitarbeitern als ein Motiv von Opferabwertung und Zuschreibung von Eigenverantwortung an die Opfer gesehen. Jede von einer Person wahrgenommene Ungerechtigkeit stellt eine Bedrohung fur ihren Gerechtigkeitsglauben dar, der eine wesentliche Voraussetzung fur ihr ein sicheres und zielbewustes Agieren in ihrer Umwelt ist. Um diesen Glauben aufrecht zu erhalten, werden Opfer mit einem ubergrosen Ausmas von Eigenverantwortung belastet, oder sie werden abgewertet.
Comparative Evaluation of Term-Weighting Methods for Automatic Summarization*

Abstract Term-based summarization assumes that it is possible to determine the importance of a sentence on the basis of the words it contains. To achieve this, words are weighted using term-weighting measures which in turn are used to weight the sentences. This article presents a comparative evaluation of summaries produced using different term-weighting measures and different combinations of parameters which are used to calculate these measures. Comparative evaluation of summaries produced reveals that in many cases simple methods such as term frequency can produce informative summaries.