Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cerebral Blood Flow Difference Between Acute and Chronic Tinnitus Perception: A Perfusion Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Purpose: The central nervous mechanism of acute tinnitus is different from that of chronic tinnitus, which may be related to the difference of cerebral blood flow (CBF) perfusion in certain regions. To verify this conjecture, we used arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in this study to compare the CBF alterations of patients with acute and chronic tinnitus. Methods: The current study included patients with chronic tinnitus (n = 35), acute tinnitus (n = 30), and healthy controls (n = 40) who were age-, sex-, and education-matched. All participants underwent MRI scanning and then ASL images were obtained to measure CBF of the entire brain and analyze the differences between groups as well as the correlations with tinnitus characteristics. Results: The chronic tinnitus group showed increased z-CBF in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) when compared with the acute tinnitus patients. Further connectivity analysis found enhanced CBF connectivity between the right STG and fusiform gyrus (FG), the right SFG and left middle occipital gyrus (MOG), as well as the right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG). Moreover, in the chronic tinnitus group, the tinnitus handicap questionnaire (THQ) score was positively correlated with the normalized z-CBF of right STG (r = 0.440, p = 0.013). Conclusion: Our results confirmed that the CBF changes in some brain regions were different between acute and chronic tinnitus patients, which was correlated with certain tinnitus characteristics. This is of great value to further research on chronicity of tinnitus, and ASL has a promising application in the measurement of CBF.
Differences in Disrupted Dynamic Functional Network Connectivity Among Children, Adolescents, and Adults With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most widespread mental disorders and often persists from childhood to adulthood, and its symptoms vary with age. In this study, we aim to determine the disrupted dynamic functional network connectivity differences in adult, adolescent, and child ADHD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data consisting of 35 children (8.64 ± 0.81 years), 40 adolescents (14.11 ± 1.83 years), and 39 adults (31.59 ± 10.13 years). We hypothesized that functional connectivity is time-varying and that there are within- and between-network connectivity differences among the three age groups. Nine functional networks were identified using group ICA, and three FC-states were recognized based on their dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) pattern. Fraction of time, mean dwell time, transition probability, degree-in, and degree-out were calculated to measure the state dynamics. Higher-order networks including the DMN, SN, and FPN, and lower-order networks comprising the SMN, VN, SC, and AUD were frequently distributed across all states and were found to show connectivity differences among the three age groups. Our findings imply abnormal dynamic interactions and dysconnectivity associated with different ADHD, and these abnormalities differ between the three ADHD age groups. Given the dFNC differences between the three groups in the current study, our work further provides new insights into the mechanism subserved by age difference in the pathophysiology of ADHD and may set the grounds for future case-control studies in the individual age groups, as well as serving as a guide in the development of treatment strategies to target these specific networks in each age group.
Cobalt Complexes Catalyze Reduction of Nitro Compounds: Mechanistic Studies

Mononuclear Co2+/3+ complexes of 13-membered amide-based macrocycles have been synthesized, characterized and utilized in the chemo-selective reduction of assorted nitro compounds including aromatic, heterocyclic and aliphatic ones. Catalytic results illustrate that Co3+ complexes are better catalysts than the analogous Co2+ complexes while mechanistic investigations display the generation of an [(L)Co2+(μ-NH2NH2)Co2+(L)] intermediate during the catalysis.
Semiconductor defect classification by using cascaded convolutional neural network

The semiconductor industry is one of the rapidly growing industries globally. To be on par in both quality and quantity, most of the semiconductor industry has an inspection procedure in line with every production process. The dataset defect classes’ main features can be group into two main groups base on their pattern similarity. Previously, most of the studies did not consider the pattern similarity and fed all the input into one classifier, increasing the risk of misclassification into more classes. One classifier does not feed all. Therefore, this study proposed a cascaded convolutional neural network classifier framework for semiconductor defects to enhance the defect pattern analysis. The cascaded convolutional neural network consists of multiple models trained based on various pre-process inputs. The data pre-processing includes a median filter method by using the OpenCV library. The input has to be pre-processed to distinguish the main feature, and the model can classify it based on those features. Comparing the proposed method with the single classifier show a slight increase in accuracy from 86.7% to 87.7%. In the future, further investigation will be carried out, especially on certain defect wafer compromise of multiple defect classes and how does it reduce the capability of the cascaded convolutional neural network model.
Predicting vehicle parking space availability using multilayer perceptron neural network

In this study, we have investigated potential use of Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) to predict parking space availability for use within Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) accelerated embedded devices. While previous studies have explored the use of MLP for classification problem in FPGA, very little studies concentrated on the potential use of MLP in regression problem, especially in parking space forecasting. Therefore we formulated five Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) models with varying hidden units to perform single-step prediction to forecast parking space availability within the next 15 minutes based on the previous one-hour parking occupancy. The proposed models were trained on the historical data of Kuala Lumpur Convention Center dataset and evaluated against baseline ARIMA models. The results have shown that our proposed MLP model performed relatively well against baseline model with the root mean square error between (RMSE) 78.25 to 78.41 and mean absolute error (MAE) between 37.02 to 39.17.
Desenho, construção e caracterização de um espectrómetro de fluorescência de raios-X para detecção in vivo de Gadolínio no osso

Since the approval and the start of commercialization of the first Gadolinium-based Contrast Agent for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the use of such agents has become a valuable and established diagnostic imaging tool with more than 300 million procedures performed to date. These agents, initially considered safe, have been called into question because of studies that prove the accumulation of gadolinium (Gd) in tissues such as the kidneys, skin, brain or bones in patients previously exposed to them. The exposure and accumulation of this metal in the body can lead to diseases such as Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, a dermatological disease that, in cases of renal insufficiency, can be fatal. In this dissertation, with the main purpose of detect and quantify Gd accumulated in bones in vivo, an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was constructed, using orthogonal tri-axial geometry between the X-ray tube, the secondary target, and the sample and the detector. In addition, the developed spectrometer allows the switch of secondary targets and filters automatically, allowing a more detailed analysis in various ranges of energy. The tri-axial geometry was chosen to improve the peak-to-background ratio since it eliminates the presence of Bremsstrahlung radiation from the tube, due to polarization and monochromatization of the radiation. This spectrometer was then tested with metal samples, standard reference samples of bone and samples of hydroxyapatite spiked with Gd, in order to measure the minimum detectable concentration and to infer the viability of the method for in vivo studies. Additionally, a dosimetry study was carried out to assess patient safety when using this equipment.
The Identification of Krakatoa Tsunami Deposits Based on Comparison of Geological and Electrical Resistivity Tomography Method, in Kunjir, South Lampung

The research location is located in Kunjir Village, Rajabasa District, South Lampung. This village is an area that was affected by the tsunami waves due to the eruption of Mount Krakatau in 1883 and the village worst affected by the Krakatoa tsunami on 22 December 2018 in Lampung. This research was conducted to determine tsunami deposits using geoelectrical methods which are correlated with stratigraphic observations and thin section petrographic analysis on river walls in the study area. The geoelectrical method used is Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). The ERT survey was carried out on 1 line located near the river. The purpose of the ERT survey is to determine tsunami deposits. Based on geological observations, it is suspected that there is a tsunami deposit in the form of a layer of sand mixed with pyroclastic and pumice rocks. Based on thin section petrographic analysis, it tends to show a pattern of changes in composition upward following changes in grain size. Based on the pseudo-section of the result of Electrical Resistivity Tomography processing, it is suspected that tsunami deposits were found in sandstone with a resistivity value of 17 - 100 Ωm.
Using Magnetic Flux Conservation to Determine Heliosheath Speeds

The heliosheath (HSH) radial speeds at Voyager 2 (V2) derived from the plasma instrument (PLS) and from particle instruments using the Compton–Getting (CG) effect are different. At V2 the CG speeds are more variable than the plasma speeds and decrease about 2 yr before the heliopause. We use magnetic flux conservation to differentiate between these two speed profiles at V2, comparing the magnetic flux observed at 1 au and in the HSH. For V2 the PLS speed profile is significantly more consistent with magnetic flux conservation than the CG speeds. For Voyager 1 (V1), we present new V R derivations from the Cosmic Ray Subsystem (CRS) using the CG method that agree reasonably well with those previously obtained from the low energy charged particle (LECP) instrument. If we use the V2 PLS speed profile to calculate the magnetic flux at V1, we again find much better agreement than if we use the V1 CG speeds. These results suggest that the radial speeds derived from particle anisotropy observations in the HSH are not reliable.
Toxicity Study of Ananas Comosus and Centella Asiatica as Active Ingredients in Anti-inflammatory Lotion

Inflammation, a common disease faced by people, could lead to chronic inflammatory diseases, and worst, cancer. As a result, many inflammatory patients use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as to relieve their inflammation, which are available in the market. However, these medicines do not cure the disease but relieve it temporarily, and the patients are exposed to their dangerous long-term effects. Since Malaysia is rich with fruits and herbs that are rich in therapeutic properties, more natural remedies from the local fruits and herbs should be discovered. Based on the previous research done, the combination of Ananas comosus and Centella asiatica could have the potential in relieving inflammation. Therefore, this preliminary research was aimed in determining the toxicity in combining the two main active ingredients using in vitro MTT assay against HaCat Cell lines. The findings proved that at the highest concentration (10000 μg/ml), no cytotoxic effect has been recorded. The findings from this research would encourage more natural remedies to be offered to the inflammation patients, who eventually could avoid themselves from depending solely on the harmful medicines.
An Exploration of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists’ Knowledge and Use of Aromatherapy for Treatment of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting

Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common side effect of anesthesia. Despite the current treatment regimen of medications, many patients still suffer from PONV. Therefore, new techniques and treatments for PONV are needed. Aromatherapy offers a potential treatment with a low cost and minimal side effects. To determine the level of knowledge about aromatherapy, and if it is being used in practice, a survey of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) was conducted. This study found that only three percent (3%) of the CRNA respondents had received formal education on aromatherapy for PONV. Further, it was determined that although ninety-two percent (92%) of respondents had used inhalation of isopropyl alcohol as a treatment for PONV, only eight percent (8%) of respondents stated that they had used essential oils for relief from PONV. Aromatherapy is an option for treating PONV and CRNAs should have more educational opportunities on aromatherapy for PONV to allow them to feel comfortable providing this safe and minimally invasive treatment option to patients.
Nanofibers with diameter below one nanometer from electrospinning

Sub-nanometer materials have received wide attention due to their unique properties in recent years. Most studies focus on the preparation and properties investigation of the inorganic sub-nanometer materials, while there are few reports on organic especially polymeric sub-nanometer materials such as sub-nanometer fiber due to the obstacles with respect to fabricating such small nanofibers. In this work we prepare PAA nanofibers with diameters ranging from hundreds of nanometers down to sub-nanometer via electrospinning from a polyamic acid (PAA) with ultrahigh molecular weight. The morphologies and size of the electrospun ultrathin nanofibers are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images combined with theoretic calculations show that sub-nanometer fiber of approximate 0.17–0.63 nm only containing one molecular chain was generated via electrospinning from ultra-dilute PAA solutions for the first time. These quite small sub-nanometer fibers would open a new area of electrospinning and provide further explorations on the production and application of electrospun sub-nanometer fibers with single molecular chains.
Evaluating the Quick Fix: Weight Loss Drugs and Cellular Respiration

One key to student success in introductory and cell biology courses is a foundational knowledge of cellular respiration. This is a content area in which students often harbor misconceptions that make cellular respiration particularly challenging to teach. Conventional approaches presenting cellular respiration as a complex series of isolated steps creates a situation where students tend to memorize the steps but fail to appreciate the bigger picture of how cells transform and utilize energy. Instructors frequently struggle to find ways to motivate students and encourage deeper learning. The learning goals of this cellular respiration lesson are to understand energy transfer in a biological system, develop data analysis skills, practice hypothesis generation, and appreciate the importance of cellular respiration in everyday life. These goals are achieved by using a case study as the focal point. The case-based lesson is supported with student-centered instructional strategies, such as individual and group activity sheets, in-class group discussions and debate, and in-class clicker questions. This lesson has been implemented at two institutions in large enrollment introductory biology courses and in a smaller upper-division biochemistry course. Citation: Freeman, P.L. , Maki, J.A. , Thoemke, K.R. , Lamm, M.H. , and Coffman, C.R. 2017. Evaluating the Quick Fix: Weight loss drugs and cellular respiration. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2017. 17 Editor: Kristin Fox, Union College, Schenectady, NY Received: 06/09/2016; Accepted: 09/13/2016; Published: 09/01/2017 Copyright: © 2017 Freeman, Maki, Thoemke, Lamm, and Coffman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers for noncommercial use of the published materials. Conflict of Interest and Funding Statement: None of the authors are aware of any conflict. Supporting Materials: S1. Weight Loss Drugs-Pre-class homework, S2. Weight Loss Drugs-Pre-class homework instructor’s key, S3. Weight Loss Drugs-In-class worksheet/Case study, S4. Weight Loss Drugs-In-class worksheet/Case study instructor’s key, S5. Weight Loss Drugs-PowerPoint slides, S6. Weight Loss DrugsAdditional teacher notes-The Bhopal Disaster *Correspondence to: Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, 3258 Molecular Biology Building, 2437 Pammel Drive, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. Email: ccoffman@iastate.edu CourseSource | www.coursesource. org 2017 | Volume 04 1 Lesson
Floating Exchange Rate Regime and Changing Dynamics of the Foreign Exchange Market in Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the changes caused by the implementations of currency basket peg and floating exchange regime on domestic foreign exchange market dynamics through the estimation of weights for the reserve currencies in the currency basket. Elasticity coefficients of Turkish Lira against seven currencies were estimated for two sampling periods (1995:01-1999:07 and 2002:01-2008:01) using generalized vector autoregression method. The study focuses on Turkish economy. The scope of the study represents a quite new field of investigation which is analyzed only to a limited extent in the literature. The main contribution of the study was that the study extended the empirical model which was taken as a basis in the majority of the studies on currency basket and the analyses which estimated using vector autoregression method whose sampling was limited to Asia countries, using generalized impulse response normalization approach. The findings obtained from the first period support the weights of currencies in announced basket of currencies. It was observed that Pound Sterling had a significant weight in domestic foreign exchange market dynamics in the second period.
Latest Research Progress of Honeypot Technology

Honeypot technology is a network trap in cyber defense. It can attract and deceive attackers and record their attack behavior, so as to study the target and attack means of the adversary and protect real service resources. However, because of the static configuration and the fixed deployment in traditional honeypots, it is as easy as a pie for intruders to identify and escape those traps, which makes them meaningless. Therefore, how to improve the dynamic characteristic and the camouflage performance of honeypot becomes a key problem in the field of honeypot. In this paper, the recent research achievements in honeypot are summarized. Firstly, the development history of honeypot in four stages is summed up. Subsequently, by focusing on the key honeypot mechanism, the analysis on process, deployment, counter-recognition and game theory are carried out. Finally, the achievements of honeypot in different aspects are characterized and the development trends of honeypot technology is depicted.
Synergetic effects of bimetals in modified beta zeolite for lactic acid synthesis from biomass-derived carbohydrates

An experimental study was carried out to convert carbohydrates using bimetal modified beta zeolite to obtain a maximum yield of lactic acid. The relationship between the properties and the catalytic performance of various bimetal modified beta zeolites was evaluated. The results showed that the maximum yield of lactic acid reached 52% with more than 99% glucose conversion over Pb–Sn-beta (0.3 mmol g−1, Pb/Sn = 4 : 7) at 190 °C for 2 h under ambient air pressure. To evaluate the synergetic mechanism of lead and tin, key intermediates such as fructose, dihydroxyacetone, glyceraldehyde and pyruvaldehyde were used as probe reactants that were catalyzed by Pb-beta, Sn-beta and Pb–Sn-beta. The revealed key role of lead was to promote the isomerization of glucose to fructose and the retro-aldol condensation reaction from fructose to dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde; meanwhile, tin had a superior catalytic performance in the dehydration of dihydroxyacetone, the hydration of pyruvaldehyde and the isomerization of pyruvic aldehyde hydrate.
Skin Regenerative and Anti-Cancer Actions of Copper Peptides

Topical remedies capable of protecting skin from damage and supporting its regeneration can improve skin’s health as well as its appearance. Small copper peptides have an excellent safety record and are widely used in cosmetic products. The most studied copper peptide is GHK-Cu (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine), a small copper-binding peptide, naturally present in human plasma. Since its discovery in 1973, in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that GHK-Cu possesses a wealth of health-positive actions including improving wound contraction and epithelization, and increasing the production of growth factors and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Recently, gene expression profiling shed new light on diverse biological actions of GHK-Cu. The present paper discusses evidence of GHK-Cu and other small copper peptides possessing potent anti-cancer properties.
Phytochemical screening and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant activity of various extracts of scurrula parasitica L.

Scurrula parasitica is a parasitic shrub belonging to the family Loranthaceae growing on Holoptelia integrifolia was collected from Western Ghats of Karnataka. The present study was designed to investigate the phytochemicals and antioxidant activities of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phytoconstituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, phenolic compounds, sterols, terpenoids, glycosides and carbohydrates. The total phenolic content of 30, 21, 38 and 42 μg of GAE in 100 μg of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts respectively. Analysis of the antioxidant activities of all the extracts revealed a concentration dependent activity, which increased gradually with increasing concentration of the extracts.