Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of methodology and the use of allometric scaling on the echocardiographic assessment of the aortic root and arch: a study by the Research and Audit Sub-Committee of the British Society of Echocardiography

The aim of the study is to establish the impact of 2D echocardiographic methods on absolute values for aortic root dimensions and to describe any allometric relationship to body size. We adopted a nationwide cross-sectional prospective multicentre design using images obtained from studies utilising control groups or where specific normality was being assessed. A total of 248 participants were enrolled with no history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension or abnormal findings on echocardiography. Aortic root dimensions were measured at the annulus, the sinus of Valsalva, the sinotubular junction, the proximal ascending aorta and the aortic arch using the inner edge and leading edge methods in both diastole and systole by 2D echocardiography. All dimensions were scaled allometrically to body surface area (BSA), height and pulmonary artery diameter. For all parameters with the exception of the aortic annulus, dimensions were significantly larger in systole (P<0.05). All aortic root and arch measurements were significantly larger when measured using the leading edge method compared with the inner edge method (P<0.05). Allometric scaling provided a b exponent of BSA0.6 in order to achieve size independence. Similarly, ratio scaling to height in subjects under the age of 40 years also produced size independence. In conclusion, the largest aortic dimensions occur in systole while using the leading edge method. Reproducibility of measurement, however, is better when assessing aortic dimensions in diastole. There is an allometric relationship to BSA and, therefore, allometric scaling in the order of BSA0.6 provides a size-independent index that is not influenced by the age or gender.
Task conflict in the Stroop task: When Stroop interference decreases as Stroop facilitation increases in a low task conflict context

In the present study participants completed two blocks of the Stroop task, one in which the response-stimulus interval (RSI) was 3500 ms and one in which RSI was 200 ms. It was expected that, in line with previous research, the shorter RSI would induce a low Task Conflict context by increasing focus on the color identification goal in the Stroop task and lead to a novel finding of an increase in facilitation and simultaneous decrease in interference. Such a finding would be problematic for models of Stroop effects that predict these indices of performance should be affected in tandem. A crossover interaction is reported supporting these predictions. As predicted, the shorter RSI resulted in incongruent and congruent trial reaction times (RTs) decreasing relative to a static neutral baseline condition; hence interference decreased as facilitation increased. An explanatory model (expanding on the work of Goldfarb and Henik, 2007) is presented that: (1) Shows how under certain conditions the predictions from single mechanism models hold true (i.e., when Task conflict is held constant); (2) Shows how it is possible that interference can be affected by an experimental manipulation that leaves facilitation apparently untouched; and (3) Predicts that facilitation cannot be independently affected by an experimental manipulation.
Protostellar mass accretion rates from gravoturbulent fragmentation

We analyse protostellar mass accretion rates u M from numerical models of star formation based on gravoturbulent fragmentation, considering a large number of different environments. To within one order of magnitude, u M ≈ MJ/τff with MJ being the mean thermal Jeans mass and τff the corresponding free-fall time. However, mass accretion rates are highly time- variant, with a sharp peak shortly after the formation of the protostellar core. We present an empirical exponential fit formula to describe the time evolution of the mass accretion and discuss the resulting fit parameters. There is a positive correlation between the peak accretion rate and the final mass of the protostar. We also investigate the relation of u M with the turbulent flow velocity as well as with the driving wavenumbers in different environments. We then compare our results with other theoretical models of star formation and with observational data.
Childhood in Europe : contexts for comparison

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Effect of Grape Pomace Powder, Mangosteen Peel Powder and Monensin on Nutrient Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, Nitrogen Balance and Microbial Protein Synthesis in Dairy Steers

This study was designed to investigate the effect of grape pomace powder (GPP), mangosteen peel powder (MPP) and monensin on feed intake, nutrients digestibility, microorganisms, rumen fermentation characteristic, microbial protein synthesis and nitrogen balance in dairy steers. Four, rumen fistulated dairy steers with initial body weight (BW) of 220±15 kg were randomly assigned according to a 4×4 Latin square design to receive four treatments. The treatments were as follows: T1 = control, T2 = supplementation with monensin at 33 mg/kg diet, T3 = supplementation with GPP at 2% of dry matter intake, and T4 = supplementation with MPP at 30 g/kg diet. The steers were offered the concentrate diet at 0.2% BW and 3% urea treated rice straw (UTRS) was fed ad libitum. It was found that GPP supplemented group had higher UTRS intake and nutrient digestibility in terms of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber than those in control group (p<0.05). Ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and blood urea-nitrogen concentration were higher in monensin, GPP and MPP supplemented groups (p<0.05). Total volatile fatty acids and propionate in the GPP group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05) while acetate concentration, and acetate to propionate ratio were decreased (p<0.01) when steers were supplemented with GPP, monensin, and MPP, respectively. Moreover, protozoal populations in GPP, MPP, and monensin supplementation were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05), while cellulolytic bacterial population was significantly higher in the control group (p<0.05). Nitrogen retention, microbial crude protein and efficiency of microbial nitrogen synthesis were found significantly higher in steers that received GPP (p<0.05). Based on this study it could be concluded that the GPP has potential as an alternative feed supplement in concentrate diets which can result in improved rumen fermentation efficiency, digestibility and microbial protein synthesis in steers fed on treated rice straw.
A cascaded convolutional neural network for age estimation of unconstrained faces

We propose a coarse-to-fine approach for estimating the apparent age from unconstrained face images using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs). The proposed method consists of three modules. The first one is a DCNN-based age group classifier which classifies a given face image into age groups. The second module is a collection of DCNN-based regressors which compute the fine-grained age estimate corresponding in each age class. Finally, any erroneous age prediction is corrected using an error-correcting mechanism. Experimental evaluations on three publicly available datasets for age estimation show that the proposed approach is able to reliably estimate the age; in addition, the coarse-to-fine strategy and the error correction module significantly improve the performance.
A Resource-Allocating Network for Function Interpolation

We have created a network that allocates a new computational unit whenever an unusual pattern is presented to the network. This network forms compact representations, yet learns easily and rapidly. The network can be used at any time in the learning process and the learning patterns do not have to be repeated. The units in this network respond to only a local region of the space of input values. The network learns by allocating new units and adjusting the parameters of existing units. If the network performs poorly on a presented pattern, then a new unit is allocated that corrects the response to the presented pattern. If the network performs well on a presented pattern, then the network parameters are updated using standard LMS gradient descent. We have obtained good results with our resource-allocating network (RAN). For predicting the Mackey-Glass chaotic time series, RAN learns much faster than do those using backpropagation networks and uses a comparable number of synapses.
Becoming a teacher: students’ experiences and perceptions

This research is focused on teacher education students in initial, concurrent teacher education programmes at the University of Limerick (UL). This longitudinal study tracks two cohorts of student teachers from Year Two to Year Four of their undergraduate programme and analyses their experiences during their initial teacher education (ITE). ; This thesis begins by examining the need for research on second-level teacher education, outlining evidenced gaps in the existing body of research in the Irish context and highlighting areas that merit further consideration with reference to current policy. The study then presents key data on teaching as a career in Ireland and considers recent; developments, which recognise the needs of student and beginning teachers. This is followed by an analysis of the growth of concurrent programmes both nationally and internationally and a synopsis of traditional models of ITE in Ireland. This section of the thesis concludes with a summation of how the concurrent teacher education programmes at UL have evolved since their inception and how changes that have ensued have manifested in terms of programme content and format. ; The subsequent literature review begins by appraising the traditional approach to teacher education and trends pertaining to the theoretical underpinning of programmes. It considers how educational theory has been incorporated into teacher education and perceived by student teachers. This is followed by a discussion of the place of educational theory in teacher education and the relationship between both educational theory and the theory of teaching and how these relate to real-life teaching. This study examines findings from both cross-sectional and longitudinal data and investigates student teachers’ perceptions of their needs and requirements during preservice teacher education and their perceptions of their experiences during teaching practice (TP). The research findings create a profile of the student teachers studying at UL and consider how student teachers’ own educational histories, learning styles and academic abilities impact on their experiences. It considers how student teachers see the university and faculty vis-a-vis the reality of classroom life and reveals the gap between the “type” of educational practice advocated by the university and that experienced by students in schools. It investigates the nature and quality of support students receive and whether this support is sufficient to successfully navigate their experiences on TP. ; Specifically this study maps student teachers’ developmental journey through teacher education, encompassing their perceptions of planning and reflection, their experiences within the school environment, their feelings about TP and teaching and overall, their feelings of preparedness to begin full-time teaching.
Differences in Medical Care and Disease Outcomes Among Black and White Women With Heart Disease

Background—The risk of cardiovascular mortality is higher among black women than white women, and the reasons for this disparity are largely unexplored. We sought to evaluate differences in medical care and clinical outcomes among black and white women with established coronary artery disease. Methods and Results—Among the 2699 women enrolled in the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), we used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the association of race with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events independent of major cardiovascular risk factors or medical therapies. During an average of 4.1 years of follow-up, CHD events were twice as likely in black compared with white women (6.4 versus 3.1 per 100 person-years, hazard ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 2.8; P <0.001). Black women had higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, yet were less likely to receive aspirin or statins. Black women less often had optimal blood pressure (56% versus 63%; P =0.01) and LDL cholesterol (30% versus 38%; P =0.04) control at baseline and during follow-up. After adjusting for these and other differences, black women still had >50% higher CHD event risk (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.1; P =0.03). Conclusions—In a large cohort of women with heart disease, black women less often received appropriate preventive therapy and adequate risk factor control despite a greater CHD event risk. Interventions to improve appropriate therapy and risk factor control in all women, and especially black women, are needed.
Composing distributions : mathematical structures and their linguistic interpretation

The goal of this paper is to consider the mathematical operations proposed in the literature for composing distributional vectors using mixture models, and assess their linguistic plausibility by looking at various aspects of their behaviour. We explore representational issues related to the space in which distributional vectors live, and to the ways composition operations affect that space. Having generally argued in favour of pointwise operations, we investigate which of those allow for full recursivity and conclude with an extensive discussion of additive and multiplicative models. Our claims are supported both by experimental results from the literature on distributional compositionality and linguistic considerations on the representation of lexical meaning.
Addressing 'race' ethnicity in Brazilian schools : a study of EFL teachers

ABSTRACT Cultural plurality as a cross-curricular theme (CPCCT) is an issue that has been intensely discussed in recent times in Brazil, largely due to the implementation of new National Curriculum Parameters (PCN) in 1998. This study examines the ways in which English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers understand and address CPCCT, and more specifically 'race'/ethnicity in education. The background argument of my thesis is that unless teachers understand issues surrounding 'race'/ethnicity, CPCCT in schools will not be adequately addressed. As the 'myth of racial democracy' still holds much power in Brazil it is important to understand the context in which teachers work. This research is largely qualitative. Methods used to gather data included (i) a questionnaire, (ii) interviews, (iii) a workshop in which teachers developed materials on the theme of 'race'/ethnicity and (iv) classroom observation of these materials in use. This thesis uses the framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine teachers' accounts and practices. The use of CRT as an analytical tool was important because it clearly demonstrated the way that injustice and inequality related to 'race' occur in Brazil. My findings indicate that teachers' interpretations of CPCCT are very broad, and issues relating to 'race'/ethnicity are not often considered. The barriers that teachers face in their work environment contribute to them not addressing issues of 'race'/ethnicity in the classroom. Although, the experience of the workshop allowed teachers to reflect on the role of collaborative work, and most of them gained more confidence about teaching the issue of' race'/ethnicity, it was clear from the observations that most teachers reproduced rather than challenged existing social relations when they used the materials. Dealing with issues of 'race'/ethnicity in schools requires more than legislation, the provision of curriculum materials and teachers' commitment. Issues of pedagogy are crucial. The research demonstrates that unless teachers' professional development in the area of CPCCT is put in place, issues around 'race'/ethnicity will continue to be inadequately addressed.
Bayesian Nonparametric Variable Selection as an Exploratory Tool for Finding Genes that Matter

Author(s): Shahbaba, Babak | Abstract: High-throughput scientific studies involving no clear a'priori hypothesis are common. For example, a large-scale genomic study of a disease may examine thousands of genes without hypothesizing that any specific gene is responsible for the disease. In these studies, the objective is to explore a large number of possible factors (e.g. genes) in order to identify a small number that will be considered in follow-up studies that tend to be more thorough and on smaller scales. For large-scale studies, we propose a nonparametric Bayesian approach based on random partition models. Our model thus divides the set of candidate factors into several subgroups according to their degrees of relevance, or potential effect, in relation to the outcome of interest. The model allows for a latent rank to be assigned to each factor according to the overall potential importance of its corresponding group. The posterior expectation or mode of these ranks is used to set up a threshold for selecting potentially relevant factors. Using simulated data, we demonstrate that our approach could be quite effective in finding relevant genes compared to several alternative methods. We apply our model to two large-scale studies. The first study involves transcriptome analysis of infection by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). The objective of the second study is to identify differentially expressed genes between two types of leukemia.
Bence Jones Proteins Identified by Immunofixatlon Electrophoresis of Concentrated Urine

addressed some recently recognized problems in testing concentrated urine for monoclonal free light chains of immunoglobulins, i.e., Bence Jones protein (BJP), by high-resolution elec-trophoresis (lIRE) and immunofix-ation electrophoresis (IFE). When BJP is present in low concentrations, poly-clonal free light chains can interfere with identification of the protein either by causing a dense background pattern, which may obscure weak bands, or by exhibiting the so-called " ladder light chain " or " pseudo-oligo-clonal " pattern (2-4), which reflects differences in the charge and size of molecules and results in multiple banding on IFE when good-quality electrophoresis is used. By performing IFE on serial dilutions of their patient's concentrated urine, Hess et al. obviated the interference of the dense background staining of polyclonal K free light chains and demonstrated the presence of a A-BJP. Their suggestion of diluting the samples to improve the sensitivity of WE is in agreement with our own laboratory's practice since 1980, when we introduced WE in combination with agarose lIRE (5-7) for the investigation of monoclonal proteins in serum and concentrated urine. As Hess et al. correctly stressed, dilution of the samples provides a means for titrating antigen and antibody concentrations that is otherwise lacking in WE; we previously (6) recommended the routine use of at least two different dilutions of the same sample for each an-tiserum used. To minimize the expense and time that would be required to repeat IFE trials for each case being studied, we usually perform preliminary agarose HRE of concentrated urine at the time we test the patient's serum. Then, after examining the electrophoretogram, and depending both on the amount of protein in the particular specimen and the characteristics of the antisera we use routinely, we determine the proper serial dilutions for WE. Some of the modifications we have made to the original IFE technique (5, 6) may make it possible to produce a much clearer background staining without overdiluting the samples, which could result in failure to detect faint bands of BJP. The addition of polyethylene glycol to high-quality commercial an-tisera improves the definition of the precipitin bands while allowing use of smaller amounts of antiserum and a shorter time for fixation. Compared with thick gels, thin gels prepared from good-quality agarose, besides improving electrophoresis resolution, require shorter washing periods to re
Speaking truth to power? Anti-bureaucratic romanticism from critical organizational theorizing to the White House

In spite of their distinctive normative and political differences, critical organizational scholars use a vocabulary which in several respects resembles that adopted by right-wing populists. This vocabulary, we argue, consists of components that can be deployed in the pursuit of radically conflicting goals. At its heart lies a profoundly antithetical stance toward bureaucracy and the state. In this article, we explore the components of this vocabulary as well as the role they play in both populist- and critical organizational theory-variants. In doing so, we further discuss the lack of critical potential this vocabulary has in the present. For critical organization scholars, we argue, this should perhaps lead to a renewed consideration and reflexivity concerning not only the merits of bureaucracy and the state, but also of how to conduct critique in populist times.
Validation of the AlamarBlue® Assay as a Fast Screening Method to Determine the Antimicrobial Activity of Botanical Extracts

Plant compounds are a potential source of new antimicrobial molecules against a variety of infections. Plant extracts suppose complex phytochemical libraries that may be used for the first stages of the screening process for antimicrobials. However, their large variability and complexity require fast and inexpensive methods that allow a rapid and adequate screening for antimicrobial activity against a variety of bacteria and fungi. In this study, a multi-well plate assay using the AlamarBlue® fluorescent dye was applied to screen for antimicrobial activity of several botanical extracts and the data were correlated with microbial colony forming units (CFU). This correlation was performed for three pathogenic model microorganisms: Escherichia coli (Gram negative bacteria), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive bacteria) and for the yeast-like fungi Candida albicans. A total of ten plant extracts from different Mediterranean plants, including several Cistus and Hibiscus species, were successfully tested. HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analysis was utilized for the characterization of the extracts in order to establish structure-activity correlations. The results show that extracts enriched in ellagitannins and flavonols are promising antibacterial agents against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. In contrast, phenolic acids, anthocyanidins and flavonols may be related to the observed antifungal activity.