Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling the influence of light, turbulence and ontogeny on ingestion rates in larval cod and herring

Based on existing models of fish vision and turbulencemediated ingestion rates, we develop a model of ingestion rates in larval fish that combines several physical properties of the environment (turbulence, irradiance, light attenuation) and visual characteristics of predators and prey. The model of visual range was calibrated with observed estimates in larval herring (Clupea harengus) and cod (Gadus morhua). The improved visual ability with length of larvae was predicted to be the most sensitive part of the model. Both turbulence and light had strong impacts on the ingestion rate of larval fish. The optimal level of turbulence increased with larval length. Also, due to the exponential decay of light with depth, it was predicted that larvae will have higher ingestion rates near the surface, even at high wind velocities. It is also proposed that larvae (particularly the smallest larvae) should concentrate on larger prey in turbulent environments. We suggest that biophysical models of larval growth and survival in field situations should include these factors to account for environmental effects on growth, survival and recruitment processes in the early life stages.
The interactional dynamics of the genetic counselling session in a multicultural, antenatal setting

The present study explored the interactional dynamics of genetic counselling sessions in intercultural clinics in Johannesburg. Genetic counselling is a relatively young profession and although research is available on its outcomes there is a paucity of literature on what actually occurs in the interactions between genetic counsellors and their patients and even less is available on intercultural encounters. This study‘s focus was on examining the genetic counselling interactions in a multicultural antenatal setting. The research was concerned with how communication occurred and the methodology selected for the study was based on discourse analysis. The analysis drew on the principles of conversation analysis, theme orientated discourse analysis, and considerations from intercultural communication studies. The data comprised of 17 videorecorded prenatal genetic counselling sessions conducted by six genetic counsellors. The sessions were in English. All the counsellors‘ first language was English while the women‘s first language were one of the 11 official languages (with one exception) spoken in South Africa. The women were referred to discuss their increased risk of having a baby with a chromosome abnormality due to advanced maternal age. The sessions were video recorded, transcribed and analysed. It was apparent during the initial phases of the analysis that there was an order to the interactions and six distinct phases could be identified. These were the opening, information-giving, information-gathering, closing, decision-making and counselling phases. The main components that appeared significant included the opening, decisionmaking and counselling phases and these were analysed further. Counsellor dominance in
Self-Stigma in Women With Borderline Personality Disorder and Women With Social Phobia

Little is known about how women with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and women with social phobia react to mental illness stigma. The goal of this study was to assess empirically self-stigma and its correlates in these groups. Self-stigma and related constructs were measured by self-report questionnaires among 60 women with BPD and 30 women with social phobia. Self-stigma was inversely related to self-esteem, self-efficacy, and quality of life and predicted low self-esteem after controlling for depression and shame-proneness. Stereotype awareness was not significantly correlated with self-esteem or quality of life. While there was no difference in stereotype awareness between women with BPD and women with social phobia, women with BPD showed higher self-stigma than women with social phobia. Self-stigma is associated with low self-esteem and other indices of poor psychological well-being. In comparison to women with social phobia, women with BPD suffer from more self-stigma. This may reflect intense labeling processes as being mentally ill due to repeated hospitalizations, frequent interpersonal difficulties, and visible scars.
Measuring quality of life in Dutch people with aphasia: development and psychometric evaluation of the SAQOL-39NL

ABSTRACT Background: Cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality of life (HRQL) scales is useful as it allows comparisons of therapy outcomes across different countries to be drawn. Aims: To adapt the English Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life—39 item generic stroke scale (SAQOL-39g) into Dutch. To investigate the psychometric properties (acceptability, internal consistency, test–retest reliability and construct validity) of the Dutch version (SAQOL-39NL). Methods & Procedures: Established guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures were followed. Individuals with chronic aphasia were recruited from six centres in The Netherlands. Participants completed the SAQOL-39NL and a visual analogue scale on HRQL in an interview format with an aphasia specialist speech and language therapist. Outcomes & Results: The cross cultural adaptation resulted in a consensus version of the SAQOL-39NL, which participants (n = 13) felt was informative and of value in assessing the impact of stroke on their lives. The SAQOL-39NL was acceptable (no missing data; no floor or ceiling effects) to people with chronic aphasia (n = 47). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89 for scale; 0.84–0.91 for domains) and test–retest reliability were excellent (ICC = 0.90 for scale, 0.70–0.93 for domains). Internal validity (moderate intercorrelations between domains) and convergent validity (r = 0.45) were good. Conclusions: The SAQOL-39NL is a psychometrically sound measure of HRQL for Dutch speaking people with aphasia. As is common with new measures, its psychometric properties need to be evaluated further; and its appropriateness as a clinical outcome measure needs to be determined. Yet, the SAQOL-39NL is a promising new measure for use in clinical practice, audit and research.
Reconstructing the Locomotor Repertoire of Protopithecus brasiliensis. I. Body Size

An accurate body size estimate is essential for reconstructing and interpreting many aspects of the paleobiology of an extinct taxon. With this in mind, the purpose of this study is two‐fold: first, to create statistically robust predictive regression equations for body mass, total body length, and head and body length from postcranial elements using a platyrrhine reference sample, data that do not exist elsewhere in the literature; and, second, to apply those regression equations to the “giant” subfossil platyrrhine Protopithecus brasiliensis, a little‐studied taxon represented by a nearly complete skeleton. Building on results of previous work with other primate groups, different skeletal elements, subgroups of the reference sample, and regression models lead to different body size estimates with different standard errors and prediction errors. However, relatively tight clusters of estimates around 20 kg, total length of 1,675 mm, and head and body length of 710 mm are obtained, placing the fossil in the size range of a large male baboon. While not quite as large as the original 25 kg body mass estimate for the fossil, this new estimate is still approximately 150% larger than the largest living New World monkey. Confirmation of its place in a large‐bodied size class of platyrrhines has a profound effect on reconstructing the locomotor repertoire of Protopithecus and the evolutionary trajectory of the alouattin lineage. Anat Rec, , 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Willow: a scalable shared memory multiprocessor

The authors are currently developing Willow, a shared memory multiprocessor whose design provides system capacity and performance capable of supporting over 1000 commercial microprocessors. Recently, they have focused their attention on the design of a 64-processor prototype that tests most of their ideas about scalability. In this paper, they describe the factors that traditionally limited the scalability of shared memory systems. These include enforcing sequential consistency, inefficient synchronization, memory latency and bandwidth limitations, bus and memory contention, the necessity to enforce inclusion on lower-level caches, and limited I/O (input/output) bandwidth. They then describe how the Willow architecture addresses each of these issues. Finally, they present data in order to evaluate the effect of the major architectural innovations in Willow on the performance of several parallel applications. <<ETX>>
No 978 , June 2010 Visual Predictions of Currency Crises : A Comparison of Self-Organizing Maps with Probit Models

Throughout the 1990s, four global waves of financial turmoil occurred. The beginning of the 21st century has also suffered from several crisis episodes, including the severe subprime crisis. However, to date, the forecasting results are still disappointing. This paper examines whether new insights can be gained from the application of the SelfOrganizing Map (SOM) – a non-parametric neural network-based visualization tool. In this paper, we present a SOM model for prediction of currency crises, and compare it with a probit model. The results indicate that the SOM is a feasible tool for predicting currency crises. Moreover, its visual capabilities facilitate the understanding of the factors and conditions that contribute to the emergence of currency crises in various parts of the world.
Idiotypic determinants on T-cell subpopulations

Killer T cells with specificity for major histocompatibility antigens have been shown in mice and rats to display idiotypic receptors allowing the lysis of such cells at the effector phase by anti- idiotypic antibodies and complement. A comparison was made between idiotypes displayed by Lyt-1-2+3+ and Lyt-1+2-3- T blasts, generated in the same mixed leucocyte culture (MLC), across an entire H-2 locus barrier. This was done by absorption of anti-idiotypic antibodies with respective T blasts, followed by estimation of the ability of the absorbed antiserum to inhibit MLC or killer T-cell function. Further, the capacity of Lyt-purified, MLC-generated T blasts to provoke specific unresponsiveness via anti-idiotypic immunity in syngeneic recipients was analyzed. Taken together, the results demonstrate that Lyt-1+2-3- T blasts responsible for the major part of MLC proliferation have distincly different idiotypes from those on the Lyt 1-2+3+ killer T cells. That the idiotypes on the killer T-cell presursors can serve as triggering sites for induction of effector T-cell function was then suggested by experiments with Lyt-1-2+3+-purified, normal T cells as precursor cells in vitro. The fact that autoanti-idiotypic antibodies may circumvent the need for helper Lyt-1+2-3- T cells in the generation of allospecific killer T cells indicates that the former cells may normally function partly via such anti-idiotypic reactions.
The Role of Umbilical Artery Doppler in Predicting the Fetal Out Come in Cases of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension

Purpose: To determine and compare the diagnostic performance of Doppler sonography of fetal umbilical artery (UA) for prediction of adverse perinatal outcome in suspected intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and pre eclampsia. Materials and Methods: 100 women with singleton pregnancy between 26 to 30 weeks of gestation were studied in this prospective study over a period of one and half years with color Doppler. UA flow velocity form was studied. In UA systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio, pulsatility index (PI) and Resistance index (RI) were studied. In UA absent diastolic flow or reversed diastolic flow is noted. Results: Out of 50 clinically suspected pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) cases, 31 (62%) cases show abnormal PI, 40 (80%) cases show abnormal RI values and 45 (90%) cases show abnormal S/D Ratio’s. Sensitivity and specificity of the S/D ratio in predicting PIH are 90% and 88% respectively followed by positive and Negative predictive value (PPV & NPV) of 88% and 89% whereas sensitivity, Specificity, PPV and NPV of RI & PI are lower than S/D ratio. This shows that S/D ratio has more Sensitivity, Specificity and Predictive values. Sensitivity of PI value in predicting fetal outcome is 75%. 22% (11 out of 50 cases) cases show absent/ reversal of end diastolic velocities, of these four are reversal of end diastolic velocity (RDEV). All four cases of REDV died before 32 weeks of gestation. Absent diastolic flow is seen in 7 cases, 4 cases died and three cases admitted in NICU with severe respiratory distress. Our study shows absent or reversal of end diastolic velocity is more sensitive in predicting adverse fetal outcome. There was no case of eclampsia or maternal death. Conclusion: UA flow velocity waveforms abnormality is more predictive for preeclampsia and IUGR. Hence Doppler is a promising tools in prediction of PIH and IUGR.
Pollen analysis in honey samples from the two main producing regions in the Brazilian northeast.

Knowledge about the botanical source of honey is very important for the beekeeper while it indicates adequate and abundant supply sources of nectar and pollen for the bees, thus contributing toward improved yield. The present study means to identify the pollen types occurring in 58 samples of honey produced in two states of the northeastern region of Brazil, Piauí (38 samples) and Ceará (20 samples), and to verify the potential of the honey plants during the months of February to August. The samples were obtained directly from beekeepers in each state and analyzed at the Apiculture Laboratory of the Entomology Section of Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", USP, Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The pollen analysis was performed using the acetolysis method. The samples were submitted to both a qualitative and a quantitative analysis. The dominant pollen in the State of Ceará is from Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia, M. verrucosa, Borreria verticillata, Serjania sp. , and a Fabaceae pollen type, while in the State of Piauí it is from Piptadenia sp. , M. caesalpiniaefolia, M. verrucosa, Croton urucurana and Tibouchina sp.
Learning style, personality traits and intelligence as predictors of college academic performance

Students completed various tests soon after arriving at university: the NEO-PI-R measure of the Big Five Personality Traits (Costa & McCrae, 1992); the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) (Biggs, 1978) and four measures of Cognitive Ability: the Wonderlic Personnel Test (Wonderlic, 1992), the Baddeley Reasoning Test (Baddeley, 1968), the Ravens Progressive Matrices (Raven, 1965) and the General Knowledge Test (Lynn & Irwing, 2002). One year later they completed comprehensive essay-based exams. The first study (N = 178) showed Conscientiousness and General intelligence to be the only significant predictor of overall first year grade accounting for 11% of the variance. The second study (N = 93) showed that ability and non-ability factors differed in terms of their predictive validity depending on the exams taken. Individual difference factors account for around ten per cent of the variance in college examination success. © 2012 Individual Differences Association, Inc.
Commensal Pseudomonas Species Isolated from Wastewater and Freshwater Milieus in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, as Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistant Determinants

Pseudomonas species are opportunistic pathogens with implications in a wide range of diseases including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anaemia. Because of their status as multidrug resistant (MDR) and extremely drug resistant (XDR) bacteria Pseudomonas species represent a threat to public health. Prevalence, antibiogram and associated antibiotic resistant genes of Pseudomonas species isolated from freshwater and mixed liquor environments in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were assessed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based technique was used to identify the isolates and screen for antibiotic resistant genes. The result shows occurrence of Pseudomonas spp. in freshwater and mixed liquor as follows: 71.42% and 37.5% (P. putida), 14.28% and 31.25% (P. flourescens), 7.14% and 6.25% (P. aeruginosa) and 7.14% and 25% for other Pseudomonas species respectively. Disk diffusion antibiogram of the Pseudomonas isolates from the two locations showed 100% resistance to penicillin, oxacillin, clindamycin, rifampicin and 100% susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin with varied percentage resistances to cephalothin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, and ampicillin. The blaTEM antibiotic resistant gene was detected in 12.5% of P. putida, 57.14% of P. fluorescens, 100% P. aeruginosa and 40% in other Pseudomonas species. Similarly, Integrons conserved segment were detected in 12.5% of P. putida, 57.14% of P. fluorescens, 100% of P. aeruginosa and 40% of other Pseudomonas species. The presence of blaTEM gene and integrons conserved segment in some of the isolates is worrisome and suggest Pseudomonas species as important reservoirs of multidrug resistance genes in the Eastern Cape Province environment.
Acquisition of classical CTX prophage from Vibrio cholerae O141 by El Tor strains aided by lytic phages and chitin-induced competence

The El Tor biotype of Vibrio cholerae O1, causing the current seventh pandemic of cholera, has replaced the classical biotype, which caused the sixth pandemic. The CTX prophages encoding cholera toxin in the two biotypes have distinct repressor (rstR) genes. Recently, new variants of El Tor strains that carry the classical type (CTXclass) prophage have emerged. These “hybrid” strains apparently originate through lateral gene transfer and recombination events. To explore possible donors of the CTXclass prophage and its mode of transfer, we tested environmental V. cholerae isolates for the presence of CTXclass prophage and mobility of the phage genome. Of the 272 environmental V. cholerae isolates tested, 6 were found to carry the CTXclass prophage; all of these belonged to the O141 serogroup. These O141 strains were unable to produce infectious CTXclass phage or to transmit the prophage to recipient strains in the mouse model of infection; however, the CTXclass prophage was acquired by El Tor strains when cultured with the O141 strains in microcosms composed of filtered environmental water, a chitin substrate, and a V. cholerae O141-specific bacteriophage. The CTXclass prophage either coexisted with or replaced the resident CTXET prophage, resulting in El Tor strains with CTX genotypes similar to those of the naturally occurring hybrid strains. Our results support a model involving phages and natural chitin substrate in the emergence of new variants of pathogenic V. cholerae. Furthermore, the O141 strains apparently represent an alternative reservoir of the CTXclass phage genome, because the classical V. cholerae O1 strains are possibly extinct.
Inhomogeneous Cortical Synchronization and Partial Epileptic Seizures

Objective: Interictal synchronization clusters have recently been described in several publications using diverse techniques, including neurophysiological recordings and fMRI, in patients suffering from epilepsy. However, little is known about the role of these hyper-synchronous areas during seizures. In this work, we report an analysis of synchronization clusters jointly with several network measures during seizure activity; we then discuss our findings in the context of prior literature. Methods: Subdural activity was recorded by electrocorticography (with 60 electrodes placed at temporal and parietal lobe locations) in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy with partial seizures with and without secondary generalization (SG). Both interictal and ictal activities (during four seizures) were investigated and characterized using local synchronization and complex network methodology. The modularity, density of links, average clustering coefficient, and average path lengths were calculated to obtain information about the dynamics of the global network. Functional connectivity changes during the seizures were compared with the time evolution of highly synchronized areas. Results: Our findings reveal temporal changes in local synchronization areas during seizures and a tight relationship between the cortical locations of these areas and the patterns of their evolution over time. Seizure evolution and SG appear to be driven by two different underlying mechanisms.
Parent versus teacher ratings of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in the Preschoolers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment Study (PATS).

OBJECTIVE To assess parent-teacher concordance on ratings of DSM-IV symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a sample of preschool children referred for an ADHD treatment study. METHODS Parent and teacher symptom ratings were compared for 452 children aged 3-5 years. Agreement was calculated using Pearson correlations, Cohen's kappa, and conditional probabilities. RESULTS The correlations between parent and teacher ratings were low for both Inattentive (r = .24) and Hyperactive-Impulsive (r = .26) symptom domains, with individual symptoms ranging from . 01-. 28. Kappa values for specific symptoms were even lower. Conditional probabilities suggest that teachers are only moderately likely to agree with parents on the presence or absence of symptoms. Parents were quite likely to agree with teachers' endorsement of symptoms, but much less likely to agree when teachers indicated that a symptom was not present. CONCLUSIONS Results provide important data regarding base rates and concordance rates in this age group and support the hypothesis that preschool-aged children at risk for ADHD exhibit significant differences in behavior patterns across settings. Obtaining ratings from multiple informants is therefore considered critical for obtaining a full picture of young children's functioning.