Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
VISUAL AND NEUROLOGICAL OUTCOME OF INFANTS WITH PERIVENTRICULAR LEUKOMALACIA

Visual acuity, visual fields and neurological status were assessed in 10 infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), tested at 16, 36, 48 and 72 weeks from the expected date of confinement. Monocular acuity development was normal in eight of the 10 infants, but was below normal in one infant at eight months and in another at 18 months. Over half the infants tested at 16, 36 and 48 weeks had smaller visual fields than those of 95 per cent of healthy preterm infants tested at the same ages, but by 72 weeks only two of six infants tested had restricted visual fields. Nine of the 10 infants were neurologically abnormal at ages under one year, but only four remained so beyond one year. These results indicate more favourable outcomes for visual acuity and neurological status in infants with non‐cavitary PVL than have been reported in infants with cavitary PVL. The most compromised infants were one with cavitary PVL and another with extensive non‐cavitary PVL who had the longest‐lasting EEG abnormalities of all 10 infants.
Coronal caries experience in dentate Jordanian adults.

OBJECTIVE To assess the coronal caries experience and associated risk indicators among a sample of Jordanian adults. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS A random sample of 1,096 dentate Jordanian adults in Irbid region were interviewed and clinically examined for coronal caries using the DMFS index. Descriptive summary statistics, bivariate, and regression analyses were employed. RESULTS Findings revealed that the mean numbers of coronal decayed surfaces (DS), missing surfaces because of caries (MS), filled surfaces (FS), decayed and filled surfaces (DFS) and DMFS were 6.3, 20.6, 8.0, 14.3 and 34.9 respectively. All subjects had coronal caries experience and 93% had untreated lesions. Subjects of older age, with less education, urban residence, lower incomes, no dental insurance, a smoking habit and irregular oral hygiene practices had a significantly higher coronal caries experience (p < 0.05). Age, income, education, residence, smoking, brushing and flossing collectively explained 45% of the variance for the mean number of coronal DMFS. CONCLUSIONS This study provided useful information on the coronal caries status of Jordanian adults. Modifications of several social factors could potentially reduce coronal DMFS, to improve oral health status and function in adults.
Study of acute hepatotoxicity of Equisetum arvense L. in rats.

PURPOSE To evaluate the acute hepatotoxicity of Equisentum arvense L. in rats. METHODS Fifty Wistar rats were used, these being divided in four groups, one being the control (receiving only water) and the other groups receiving graded doses of Equisentum arvense L. (30, 50, and 100mg/kg respectively) for 14 days. Blood samples were obtained to determine TGO, TGP, FA, DHL and GT-gamma activities. After that, hepatic tissue samples were collected for the anatomopathologic analysis. RESULTS The anatomopathologic exam of the hepatic tissue showed organ with preserved lobular structure. In the same way, there was no significant change in the seric activities of the hepatic enzymes when compared to control group. CONCLUSION The oral treatment with graded doses of Equisentum arvense L. was not able to produce hepatic changes. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the chronic hepatotoxicity of Equisentum arvense L. in rats.
Intelligence Integration Of Particle Swarm Optimization And Physical Vapour Deposition For Tin Grain Size Coating Process Parameters

Optimization of thin film coating parameters is important in identifying the required output.Two main issues of the process of physical vapor deposition (PVD) are manufacturing costs and customization of cutting tool properties.The aim of this study is to identify optimal PVD coating process parameters.Three process parameters were selected,namely nitrogen gas pressure (N2),argon gas pressure (Ar),and Turntable Speed (TT),while thin film grain size of titanium nitrite (TiN) was selected as an output response.Coating grain size was characterized using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) equipment.In this paper,to obtain a proper output result,an approach in modeling surface grain size of Titanium Nitrite (TiN)coating using Response Surface Method (RSM) has been implemented. Additionally,analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant factors influencing resultant TiN coating grain size.Based on that,a quadratic polynomial model equation was developed to represent the process variables and coating grain size.Then,in order to optimize the coating process parameters,genetic algorithms (GAs) were combined with the RSM quadratic model and used for optimization work.Finally,the models were validated using actual testing data to measure model performances in terms of residual error and prediction interval (PI). The result indicated that for RSM,the actual coating grain size of validation runs data fell within the 95% (PI) and the residual errors were less than 10 nm with very low values, the prediction accuracy of the model is 96.09%. In terms of optimization and reduction the experimental data,GAs could get the best lowest value for grain size then RSM with reduction ratio of ≈6%, ≈5%, respectively.
Auditory Brainstem Responses of Ephrin-A2-/-, Ephrin-A5-/- and Ephrin-A2A5-/- Mice

Eph receptors and ephrin ligands are large families of cell surface proteins which have established roles in axonal growth and guidance. These are well characterized in the visual and somatosensory systems but are less well documented in the auditory pathway. We examined the possible functional role of two ephrin genes (ephrin-A2 and ephrin-A5) in the auditory system by measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABR) to tone bursts from 6 to 30 kHz in ephrin-A2-/-, ephrin-A5-/- and ephrin-A2A5-/- (knockout) mice. At high frequencies, the ephrin-A2A5-/- mice exhibited thresholds that were significantly lower than in wild-type mice by approximately 20 dB, suggesting ephrin-A2 and ephrin-A5 may have frequency-specific effects on the auditory system. There were also alterations in ABR wave peak amplitudes that were specific to each mouse strain which suggested both peripheral and central involvement of EphA-ephrin-A signalling in auditory function.
Workplace Stress, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV): Innovative Practical Measurements in Organization Development (OD) and Employee Wellness

Employee stress is a current costly business challenge affecting profits, productivity, attrition, engagement, and overall wellbeing of employees. Furthermore, the effects of stress at work are a pressing concern among business leaders and scholar practitioners. Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) meditation is an intervention that has been proven to reduce stress. However, assessments used to measure employee stress and intervention effectiveness remain unchanged and are not representative of the modern workforce population. This study used a mixed methods convergent design to test an innovative stress measurement, gas discharge visualization (GDV), in conjunction with free writing related to qualitative self-reported perceived stress, as well as the effectiveness of the guided breathing meditation from an MBSR intervention in a field study for 3 consecutive months for 2 different company work teams; 1 workgroup within a F500 company and a second workgroup within a start-up company. The quantitative findings indicated mixed results. For some months the paired t test did not show the data were statistically significant. However, for some months the paired t test did indicate a reduction in employee stress. Therefore, the data are inconclusive as to a definitive answer if the MBSR was truly effective or not. The qualitative analysis suggests that perceived stress is individualized and that coping skills used to address stressors are either favorable or adverse. The converged quantitative and qualitative analysis indicated mixed results. The first analysis was inconclusive. However, the second and more in-depth analysis showed a strong, statistically significant correlation.
An efficient multicast routing algorithm for delay-sensitive applications with dynamic membership

We propose an algorithm for finding a multicast tree in packet-switched networks. The objective is to minimize total cost incurred at the multicast path. The routing model is based on the minimum cost Steiner tree problem. The Steiner problem is extended to incorporate two additional requirements. First, the delay experienced along the path from the source to each destination is bounded. Second, the destinations are allowed to join and leave multicasting anytime during a session. To minimize the disruption to on-going multicasting the algorithm adopts the idea of connecting a new destination to the current multicasting by a minimum cost path satisfying the delay bound. To find such a path is an NP-hard problem and an enumerative method relying on generation of delay bounded paths between node pairs is not likely to find a good routing path in acceptable computation time when network size is large. To cope with such difficulty, the proposed algorithm utilizes an optimization technique called Lagrangian relaxation method. A computational experiment is done on relatively dense and large Waxman's networks. The results seem to be promising. For sparse networks, the algorithm can find near-optimal multicast trees. Also the quality of multicast trees does not seem to deteriorate even when the network size grows. Furthermore, the experimental results shows that the computational efforts for each addition of node to the call are fairly moderate, namely the same as to solve a few shortest path problems.
Kinetics of the Thermal and Thermo‐Oxidative Degradation of Polystyrene, Polyethylene and Poly(propylene)

Full Paper: The thermal degradations of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and poly(propylene) (PP) have been studied in both inert nitrogen and air atmospheres by using thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The model-free isoconversional method has been employed to calculate activation energies as a function of the extent of degradation. The obtained dependencies are interpreted in terms of degradation mechanisms. Under nitrogen, the thermal degradation of polymers follows a random scission pathway that has an activation energy L200 kJ N mol ‐1 for PS and 240 and 250 kJ N mol ‐1 for PE and PP, respectively. Lower values (L150 kJ N mol ‐1 ) are observed for the initial stages of the thermal degradation of PE and PS; this suggests that degradation is initiated at weak links. In air, the thermoxidative degradation occurs via a pathway that involves decomposition of polymer peroxide and exhibits an activation energy of 125 kJ N mol ‐1 for PS and 80 and 90 kJ N mol ‐1 , for PE and PP respectively.
The Winner-Take-All High School: Organizational Adaptations to Educational Stratification

Across the United States, families seek schools with reputations for academic excellence for their children, assuming that such schools improve a talented child’s prospects for college admission. This article shows that students from “star” public high schools experience a disadvantage in entering elite colleges that stems from the attention played to class rank. In response, some high schools have developed “winner-take-all” characteristics, enhancing the success of their top students at the expense of other students. Students below the top of their class do less well than would be expected in terms of grades and advanced placement courses. They also take fewer advanced math and science subjects, given their high academic skills, compared to equivalent students in less prestigious schools. These patterns are linked to a system of educational stratification that links colleges and high schools through several types of assessment games.
A morphological study of uterine alterations in mice due to exposure to cadmium

Abstract We investigated the morphologic and molecular effects of exposure to cadmium (Cd) for 30 and 60 days on the uteri of mice. We assessed uterine morphometric measurements, eosinophilia, mast cell numbers, endometrial apoptosis, proliferation and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) immunoreactivity. We examined vaginal smears that reflected the hormonal alterations in the female reproductive tract. Because the female reproductive tract exhibits different morphology at each stage of the estrous cycle, we sacrificed all animals at estrus to make appropriate comparisons. Female BALB/c mice were exposed to 200 ppm Cd in their drinking water for either 30 or 60 days. Cd exposure caused significant decreases in endometrial thickness and number of glands in estrus phase uteri. The endometrial eosinophilia in the groups exposed to Cd also decreased compared to controls. Cd exposure increased the number of mast cells. Luminal and glandular epithelia were examined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and by immunostaining proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and estrogen receptor α (ERα). Compared to controls, the apoptotic index increased with time in both Cd exposed groups, while the proliferation index decreased. ERα immunoreactivity was decreased in both Cd exposed groups compared to controls; the decrease was most apparent in the 30 day Cd group. We found that 60 day Cd exposure increased apoptosis in the endometrium, which may affect the receptivity of the uterus for implantation.
Typical CT and MRI signs of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

To investigate the typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) features of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH), the CT and MRI findings of 14 histopathologically confirmed cases of HEH were retrospectively analyzed. Non-contrast and dynamic contrast-enhanced scans were conducted in all cases. A total of 229 lesions were detected in the 14 cases. All cases were classified as one of three types: (i) Solitary nodular type (1 case, 7%); (ii) multifocal nodular type (11 cases, 79%); or (iii) diffuse type (2 cases, 14%). The diameter of the lesions ranged from 5 to 105 mm. For the first two types (solitary and multifocal nodular types), the CT findings included low density lesions with clear margins on non-contrast scans, centripetal enhancement in arterial phase, and homogeneous enhancement in the portal venous and delay phases. The findings of non-contrast MRI scans for these two types included low signal intensity on T1-weighted images, heterogeneous high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and heterogeneous high signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images. The lesions were predominantly located in submarginal areas. On contrast-enhanced MRI, the findings for the first two types included peripheral ring-like enhancement with a central low signal intensity (‘black target-like’ sign) and a central enhanced core surrounded by a low signal intensity halo (‘white target-like’ sign). The findings for the third HEH type (diffuse type) on CT and MRI scans included low density or heterogeneous signal intensity lesions involving regions of part or the whole liver, coalescent lesions (‘strip-like’ sign), and gradual enhancement along central vessels (‘lollipop’ sign). Collectively, these findings indicate that the ‘white target-like’ sign, ‘black target-like’ sign, ‘lollipop’ sign and ‘strip-like’ sign, in addition to capsular contraction and submarginal location, on CT and MRI imaging may have implications for the diagnosis of HEH. Furthermore, a variety of MRI sequences may provide additional information for the differential diagnosis of HEH.
Evaluation of Shear Wave Velocity and Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 for the Diagnosis of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic values of kidney shear wave velocity (SWV) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), and their correlation in the diagnosis of early diabetic kidney disease. Methods A total of 150 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into three equal groups based on the urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR): normal albuminuria (normo- group, ACR < 30 mg/g creatinine, n = 50), microalbuminuria (micro- group, 30 ≤ ACR < 300 mg/g creatinine, n = 50), and macroalbuminuria (macro- group, ACR ≥ 300 mg/g creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 ml/min/1.73 m2, n = 50). Fifty healthy volunteers were recruited to serve as controls (control group). The levels of serum BMP-7 were detected, and virtual touch tissue quantification was used to detect the renal SWV value in all study subjects. Correlations between groups as well as SWV and BMP-7 were analyzed. Results Serum BMP-7 and SWV were significantly and progressively decreased and increased, respectively, during the development of renal disease, from the normo- to the micro- and to the macro- groups (all P < 0.01 between each other for BMP-7 and SWV). Moreover, no significant differences between the normo- and control groups were observed for either BMP-7 or SWV (both P > 0.05). In addition, a significant correlation was found between SWV and BMP-7, with a coefficient of -0.569 (P < 0.05). Conclusion The determination of SWV together with serum BMP-7 may play an important role in the diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease.
Detection of Physiological and Affective Desensitization to Violent Video Games Using Facial Electromyography

Some evidence, using the framework of the General Aggression Model (GAM), suggests that exposure to violent video games decreases physiological arousal and blunts affective responses (i.e., produces desensitization) to subsequent exposure to violent or negative stimuli (Bartholow, Bushman, & Sestir, 2006; Carnagey, Anderson, & Bushman, 2007b). The current experimental study examined physiological and affective desensitization to violent video game play through the GAM. Participants played a violent or non-violent game. Afterwards, they were exposed to pleasant, neutral, and aggressive images. Facial EMG was used to assess participants’ reactions by measuring intensity of negative affect indicated by movements of the brow muscle region (i.e., corrugator supercilii; CS). Heart rate (HR) and self-reported affective valence were also gathered. It was hypothesized that participants who played the violent game would demonstrate less negative affect as measured by reactivity in the CS region and less HR reactivity to violent images than participants who played the nonviolent game. It was also expected that participants who played the violent game would differ from those who played the nonviolent game in their ratings of aggressive images. None of the hypotheses were supported. Results indicated the violent video game did not produce physiological and affective desensitization.
Physical responses to different modes of interval exercise in patients with chronic heart failure--application to exercise training.

METHOD In exercise training with chronic heart failure patients, working muscles should be stressed with high intensity stimuli without causing cardiac overstraining. This is possible using interval method exercise. In this study, three interval exercise modes with different ratios of work/ recovery phases (30/60 s, 15/60 s and 10/60 s) and different work rates were compared during cycle ergometer exercise in heart failure patients. Work rate for the three interval modes was 50% (30/60 s), 70% (15/60 s) and 80% (10/60 s) of the maximum achieved during a steep ramp test (increments of 25 w/10 s) corresponding to 71, 98 and 111 watts on average. Metabolic and cardiac responses to the three interval exercises were then examined including catecholamine levels and perceived exertion. Parameters measured during interval exercise were compared with an intensity level of 75% peak VO2, determined during an ordinary ramp exercise test (increments of 12.5 W.min-1). RESULTS (mean +/- SEM) (1) In all three interval modes, VO2, ventilation and lactate did not increase significantly during the course of exercise. Mean values during the last work phase were between 754 +/- 30 and 803 +/- 46 ml.min-1 for VO2, between 26 +/- 3 and 28 +/- 1 l.min-1 for ventilation and between 1.24 +/- 0.14 and 1.29 +/- 0.10 mmol.l-1 for lactate. (2) In mode 10/60 s, heart rate and systolic blood pressure increased significantly (82 +/- 4 --> 85 +/- 4 beats.min-1; 124 +/- 5 --> 134 +/- 5 mmHg; P < 0.05 each), while in mode 15/60 s catecholamines increased significantly (norepinephrine 0.804 +/- 0.089 --> 1.135 +/- 0.094 nmol.l-1; P < 0.008; epinephrine 0.136 +/- 0.012 --> 0.193 +/- 0.019 nmol.l-1; P < 0.005). (3) In all three modes, rating of leg fatigue and dyspnoea increased significantly during exercise but remained within the range of values considered 'very light to fairly light' on the Borg scale. (4) Compared to an intensity level of 75% peak VO2, work rate during interval work phases was between 143 and 221%, while cardiac stress (rate-pressure product) was significantly lower (83-88%). CONCLUSION All three interval modes resulted in physical response in an acceptable range of values, and thus can be recommended.
Intervocalic voiced stops in Yucatan Spanish: A case of contact-induced language change?

This study examines the possible role of language contact on the realization of /b d g/ in Yucatan Spanish (YS). Whereas standard Spanish displays an alternation between stops [b d g] and fricatives [β δ γ], YS shows a preference for stops in contexts that would require a fricative in other varieties. The extended use of [b d g] in YS has been attributed to influence from the contact language, Mayan, by some researchers (Nykl 1938, Mediz Bolio 1951, Lope Blanch 1987), while others prefer a language-internal explanation (Cassano 1977, Yager 1982). Therefore, the present study addresses the following research questions: Could the observed pattern for voiced stops be the result of language contact with Mayan? Is Mayan in a position to have influenced YS, thereby making a contact-based explanation plausible? Is there quantitative evidence of a link between speaking Mayan and higher rates of stop variants? Using the criteria established by Thomason (2001) for determining the possibility of contact-induced change, the study finds that there has been sufficient contact on both an individual and a societal level to warrant a contact-based explanation for [b d g]. Especially important was the previous trend to hire Mayan-speaking nannies in middle and upper class homes. Based on data from 40 sociolinguistic interviews, this study finds a significant effect for Mayan-Spanish bilingualism on the production of stops. Speakers over the age of 30, exposed to more Mayan and Mayaninfluenced Spanish, also produce significantly more stops. Based on data from this study and the presence of similar patterns in other bilingual regions, this study concludes that the higher rates of [b d g] in YS are due to language contact via shifting second language (L2) speakers of Spanish, but not due to specifically Mayan influence on the dialect.
Matching Local Invariant Features: How Can Contextual Information Help?

Local invariant features are a powerful tool for finding correspondences between images since they are robust to cluttered background, occlusion and viewpoint changes. However, they suffer the lack of global information and fail to resolve ambiguities that can occur when an image has multiple similar regions. Considering some global information will clearly help to achieve better performances. The question is which information to use and how to use it. While previous approaches use context for description, this paper shows that better results are obtained if contextual information is included in the matching process. We compare two different methods which use context for matching and experiments show that a relaxation based approach gives better results.