Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ligasure versus Cold Knife Tonsillectomy

Reading the journal for more than 20 years now, I realize more and more that this journal is open to interesting articles from all over the world and provides a comprehensive overview about scientific activities in the whole “ENT world. ” I want to comment on the publication by Prof. Gantz, whom I had the honor and opportunity to visit some years ago in his busy department. Concerning the canal wall reconstruction (CWR) technique the ENT Department of the University of Muenster in Germany has performed since the 1970s. My teacher, Prof. Dr. Med Harald Feldmann, described the technique in the 1970s in the German and English language literature and we performed several hundred cases. Together with the Karl Storz Company, he designed a microsurgical saw in which one could adjust the depth of the oscillations of the blade to work in a more atraumatic way at the inferior cut (facial nerve) and the superior cut (dura). Our experience with this technique has not been systematically investigated, but in our series, we had several cases with retraction pockets as a result of poor function of the eustachian tube. Some cases developed a cholesteatoma with this mechanism. On the other hand, residual cholesteatomas were very rare, because the technique gives an excellent overview compared with a canal wall up technique. Perhaps the modification to perform an obliteration of the mastoid cavity as Prof. Gantz describes is a decisive detail. We did not obliterate but hoped to have reventilation of the cavity. I discussed this issue with Prof. Feldmann, who is going to celebrate his 80 birthday in February 2006 and is still active in scientific publications.
When Parties (Also) Position Themselves: An Introduction to the EU Profiler

This article frames and describes a novel method of political party positioning within the European Union and beyond. The EU Profiler project, a large-scale, interdisciplinary, and pan-European research endeavor, takes a step beyond the conventional approaches by including party self-positioning and by using internet-based information technology to offer full documentation of the positions that are identified. In addition to conventional expert coding, some 270 political parties in Europe have been invited to place themselves on 30 issue dimensions. Where it proved possible, each coded position for each party is then fully documented with extracts from party manifestos, party leaders' speeches, or relevant press or policy statements. The resulting data offer unique opportunities for comparing the accuracy and efficiency among party positioning techniques, and explore for the first time and in a systematic way the auto-positioning of political parties throughout Europe.
Homeostatic, circadian, and emotional regulation of sleep

A good night's sleep is one of life's most satisfying experiences, while sleeplessness is stressful and causes cognitive impairment. Yet the mechanisms that regulate the ability to sleep have only recently been subjected to detailed investigation. New studies show that the control of wake and sleep emerges from the interaction of cell groups that cause arousal with other nuclei that induce sleep such as the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO). The VLPO inhibits the ascending arousal regions and is in turn inhibited by them, thus forming a mutually inhibitory system resembling what electrical engineers call a “flip‐flop switch. ” This switch may help produce sharp transitions between discrete behavioral states, but it is not necessarily stable. The orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus may help stabilize this system by exciting arousal regions during wakefulness, preventing unwanted transitions between wakefulness and sleep. The importance of this stabilizing role is apparent in narcolepsy, in which an absence of the orexin neurons causes numerous, unintended transitions in and out of sleep and allows fragments of REM sleep to intrude into wakefulness. These influences on the sleep/wake system by homeostatic and circadian drives, as well as emotional inputs, are reviewed. Understanding the pathways that underlie the regulation of sleep and wakefulness may provide important insights into how the cognitive and emotional systems interact with basic homeostatic and circadian drives for sleep. J. Comp. Neurol. 493:92–98, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gamma knife radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia: results and expectations.

BACKGROUND Trigeminal neuralgia is a disabling pain syndrome responsive to both medical and surgical therapies. Stereotactic radiosurgery using the gamma knife can be used to inactivate a specified volume in the brain by cross firing 201 photon beams. We evaluated pain relief and treatment morbidity after trigeminal neuralgia radiosurgery. METHODS All evaluable patients (n = 106) had medically or surgically refractory trigeminal neuralgia. A single 4-mm isocenter of radiation was focused on the proximal trigeminal nerve just anterior to the pons. For follow-up an independent physician who was unaware of treatment parameters contacted all patients. RESULTS After radiosurgery, 64 patients (60%) became free of pain and required no medical therapy (excellent result), 18 (17%) had a 50% to 90% reduction (good result) in pain severity or frequency (some still used medications), and 9 (9%) had slight improvement. At last follow-up (median, 18 months; range, 6-48 months), 77% of patients maintained significant relief (good plus excellent results). Only 6 (10%) of 64 patients who initially attained complete relief had some recurrent pain. Radiosurgery dose (70-90 Gy), age, surgical history, or facial sensory loss did not correlate with pain relief. Poorer results were found in patients with multiple sclerosis. Twelve patients developed new or increased facial paresthesias after radiosurgery (10%). No patient developed anesthesia dolorosa. There was no other procedural morbidity. CONCLUSIONS Gamma knife radiosurgery is a minimally invasive technique to treat trigeminal neuralgia. It is associated with a low risk of facial paresthesias, an approximate 80% rate of significant pain relief, and a low recurrence rate in patients who initially attain complete relief. Longer-term evaluations are warranted.
Use of tunnelled catheters for malignant pleural effusions in patients fit for pleurodesis

The aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of tunnelled pleural catheters (TPC) in patients with malignant pleural effusions who would otherwise be candidates for pleurodesis. Patients were selected from a previously reported database of 250 TPC insertions. The study group was selected based on lung re-expansion and survival as a surrogate maker of eligibility for pleurodesis procedure, as defined by survival of ≥90 days and lung re-expansion ≥80% post-drainage on a standard chest radiograph 2 weeks post TPC placement. There were 109 procedures in 97 patients that met the entry criteria. Spontaneous pleurodesis (SP) was achieved following 70% of procedures and correlated with symptom control. The mean time to SP was 90 days. There was no need for a repeat procedure in 87% of cases overall and in 92% of patients experiencing SP. There were few complications and no procedure-related deaths. Tunnelled pleural catheters are an effective way of controlling malignant pleural effusions when used as first-line treatment in patients who appear to be candidates for pleurodesis procedures.
Bilingual first language acquisition : French and German grammatical development

1. Preface (by Meisel, Jurgen M.) 2. Acquiring German and French in a Billingual Setting (by Jordens, Peter) 3. The DUFDE Project (by Koppe, Regina) 4. The Acquisition of Gender and Number Morphology within NP (by Koehn, Caroline) 5. Gender and Number Agreement within DP (by Muller, Natascha) 6. Getting FAT: Finiteness, Agreement and Tense in Early Grammars (by Meisel, Jurgen M.) 7. More about INFL-ection and Agreement: The Acquisition of Clitic Pronouns in French (by Kaiser, Georg) 8. Case Assignment and Functional Categories in Bilingual Children: Routes of Development and Implications for Linguistic Theory (by Stenzel, Achim) 9. NP-Movement and Subject Raising (by Koppe, Regina) 10. Parameters Cannot be Reset: Evidence from the Development of COMP (by Muller, Natascha) 11. Index of Names 12. Index of Subjects
Three Isoforms of Isoamylase Contribute Different Catalytic Properties for the Debranching of Potato Glucans Online version contains Web-only data. Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.006635.

Isoamylases are debranching enzymes that hydrolyze α-1,6 linkages in α-1,4/α-1,6–linked glucan polymers. In plants, they have been shown to be required for the normal synthesis of amylopectin, although the precise manner in which they influence starch synthesis is still debated. cDNA clones encoding three distinct isoamylase isoforms (Stisa1, Stisa2, and Stisa3) have been identified from potato. The expression patterns of the genes are consistent with the possibility that they all play roles in starch synthesis. Analysis of the predicted sequences of the proteins suggested that only Stisa1 and Stisa3 are likely to have hydrolytic activity and that there probably are differences in substrate specificity between these two isoforms. This was confirmed by the expression of each isoamylase in Escherichia coli and characterization of its activity. Partial purification of isoamylase activity from potato tubers showed that Stisa1 and Stisa2 are associated as a multimeric enzyme but that Stisa3 is not associated with this enzyme complex. Our data suggest that Stisa1 and Stisa2 act together to debranch soluble glucan during starch synthesis. The catalytic specificity of Stisa3 is distinct from that of the multimeric enzyme, indicating that it may play a different role in starch metabolism.
Treatment of Sexually Abused Children: Interview Technique, Disclosure, and Progress in Therapy.

ABSTRACT The closed records of 50 children referred for treatment following sexual abuse were analyzed to determine the relationships between therapist structure for disclosure of the abuse, whether the child disclosed, clinical improvement, and several other variables. Ten children revealed details of their abuse in response to introductory structure by the therapist, while 19 children required ongoing structure to disclose such details. Five children did not respond to therapist structure with a disclosure. In contrast, only 1 out of 11 cases disclosed when the therapist did not structure for disclosure. Six of the children who disclosed took five or more treatment sessions to do so. Those who disclosed showed rates of clinical improvement similar to those who did not disclose. Neither maternal support nor foster home placement was related to disclosure or to clinical improvement.
Beyond attachment theory and therapy: Towards sensitive and evidence-based interventions with foster and adoptive families in distress

Elements of attachment theory have been embraced by practitioners endeavouring to assist foster and adopted children and their parents. Attachment theory articulates the potential risks of experiencing multiple caregivers; emphasizes the importance of close social rela- tionships to development; and recognizes that substitute parents may not always have close relationships with children who have experi- enced adversities before joining them. Attachment theory offers con- cerned parents what they believe to be a scientific explanation about their lack of the close, satisfying parent-child relationship they desire. Yet the scientific base of attachment theory is limited both in terms of its ability to predict future behaviours, and especially with regard to its use as the underpinning theory for therapeutic intervention with children experiencing conduct problems. There is a critical need to review the role of attachment theory in child and family services and to consider its place among other explanations for children's disturb- ing behaviour. An important step towards pursuing alternative approaches is for researchers and practitioners to understand the reasons the attachment paradigm appeals to so many adoptive and foster parents, given the apparent widespread prevalence of attach- ment-based interventions. Such understanding might assist in the development of adoption-sensitive uses of appropriate evidence- based treatment approaches.
Lipid Receptor S1P1 Activation Scheme Concluded from Microsecond All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a lysophospholipid mediator which activates G protein–coupled sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors and thus evokes a variety of cell and tissue responses including lymphocyte trafficking, endothelial development, integrity, and maturation. We performed five all-atom 700 ns molecular dynamics simulations of the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) based on recently released crystal structure of that receptor with an antagonist. We found that the initial movements of amino acid residues occurred in the area of highly conserved W2696.48 in TM6 which is close to the ligand binding location. Those residues located in the central part of the receptor and adjacent to kinks of TM helices comprise of a transmission switch. Side chains movements of those residues were coupled to the movements of water molecules inside the receptor which helped in the gradual opening of intracellular part of the receptor. The most stable parts of the protein were helices TM1 and TM2, while the largest movement was observed for TM7, possibly due to the short intracellular part starting with a helix kink at P7.50, which might be the first helix to move at the intracellular side. We show for the first time the detailed view of the concerted action of the transmission switch and Trp (W6.48) rotamer toggle switch leading to redirection of water molecules flow in the central part of the receptor. That event is a prerequisite for subsequent changes in intracellular part of the receptor involving water influx and opening of the receptor structure.
Fetal weight estimation: comparison of two-dimensional US and MR imaging assessments.

PURPOSE To prospectively define fetal density in the second half of pregnancy by using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to compare estimates of fetal weight based on ultrasonography (US) and MR imaging with actual birth weight. MATERIALS AND METHODS Written informed consent was obtained for this ethics committee-approved study. In this cross-sectional study between March 2011 and May 2012, fetal density was calculated as actual birth weight at delivery divided by fetal body volume at MR imaging in 188 fetuses between 20 weeks and 2 days and 42 weeks and 1 day of gestational age. Regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of variables, including sex, on fetal density. The US estimate of fetal weight was performed according to Hadlock et al, and the MR estimate of fetal weight was calculated based on the equation developed by Baker et al. US and MR estimates of fetal weight were compared with actual birth weights by using regression analysis. RESULTS Median fetal density was equal to 1.04 (range, 0.95-1.18). Fetal density was significantly associated with gestational age at delivery but not with fetal sex. In 26.6% of fetuses, the US estimate of fetal weight had a relative error of more than 10%, while a similar relative error for the MR estimate of fetal weight occurred in only 1.1% of fetuses. The limits of agreement were narrower with the MR estimate of fetal weight compared with the US estimate of fetal weight. CONCLUSION In the second half of pregnancy, fetal density varies with gestational age. Fetal weight estimates by using fetal MR imaging are better than those by using prenatal US.
Comparison Between Co-training and Self-training for Single-target Regression in Data Streams using AMRules

A comparison between co-training and self-training method for single-target regression based on multiples learners is performed. Data streaming systems can create a signiﬁcant amount of unlabeled data which is caused by label assignment impossibility, high cost of labeling or labeling long duration tasks. In supervised learning, this data is wasted. In order to take advantaged from unlabeled data, semi-supervised approaches such as Co-training and Self-training have been created to ben-eﬁt from input information that is contained in unlabeled data. However, these approaches have been applied to classiﬁcation and batch training scenarios. Duetothese facts, this paper presents a comparison between Co-training and Self-learning methods for single-target regression in data streams. Rules learning is used in this context since this methodology enables to explore the input information. The experimental evaluation consisted of a comparison between the real standard scenario where all unlabeled data is rejected and scenarios where unlabeled data is used to improve the regression model. Results show evidences of better performance in terms of error reduction and in high level of unlabeled examples in the stream. Despite this fact, the improvements are not expressive.
“It Was the Cadillac of Adoption Agencies”: Intersections of Social Class, Race, and Sexuality in Gay Men's Adoption Narratives

Understanding how gay men construct and negotiate family bonds through adoptive fatherhood draws attention to how those marginalized from traditional family pathways navigate an institution embedded with heteronormative, racialized, and biolegal prescriptions. The current study predominantly draws on in-depth interviews with 12 adoptive gay fathers to detail how these men traverse the potential challenges in the transition to adoption. This article explores how a select group of privileged gay men navigate a system structured by race and class hierarchies, unpacking the social and symbolic meanings participants attribute to themselves and their prospective children during this transition. Although gay men's pathway to parenthood is impeded by their sexual identities, their social location as white economically privileged men has as much to do with their adoption experience as their gay identity. Using an integrated theoretical lens, I argue that the ways by which these men are able to imagine and navigate their reproductive choices cannot be understood in isolation from any of their intersecting identities. Future research must begin to explore how persons of more marginalized class and racial identities manage and interpret this transition.
A novel architecture for six-port direct conversion receiver

We describe a novel architecture for direct conversion receivers based on sixport configuration. The analytical and simulation results show that the introduced multi-port direct receiver is capable to perform MQAM and MPSK demodulations. Moreover, this demodulator can be easily designed for broadband applications. A main advantage of this design is to reduce six ports to five ports. The proposed receiver is very suitable for software radio applications.
The effect of temporal adverbials on past tense production by children with specific language impairment.

PURPOSE Children with specific language impairment (SLI) often fail to produce past tense forms in obligatory contexts, although the factors affecting such inconsistency are not well understood. This study examined the influence of accompanying temporal adverbials (e.g., just, already) on the past tense production of these children. METHOD Fifteen preschool-aged children with SLI, 15 typically developing children matched for age (TD-A) and 15 younger typically developing children matched for mean length of utterance (TD-MLU) participated in the study. The children responded to probes that obligated the use of past tense forms. The verbal context provided by the experimenter for half of the items included a temporal adverbial. RESULTS Overall, the SLI and TD-MLU groups produced past tense less frequently than the children in the TD-A group, and there were no significant differences between the SLI and the TD-MLU groups. However, both the SLI and the TD-MLU participants produced past tense forms less frequently when temporal adverbials were included than when they were absent. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the tendency to use past tense by the children with SLI and their younger MLU-matched peers may not have been independent of other types of temporal information.
Phonological Awareness, Peer Nominations, and Social Competence Among Preschool Children At Risk for Developing Learning Disabilities

This study examined the relations between phonological awareness skills and social-emotional competence among preschool children who were considered at risk for developing learning disabilities. Phonological awareness skills, loneliness, sense of coherence, and peer acceptance of 98 children with an age range from 5.0 to 6.4 years (39 with a high risk for developing learning disabilities and 59 nondisabled peers) were assessed. The children at risk differed significantly from the nondisabled children on all measures. Their scores on the phonological awareness measures were lower, they viewed themselves as more lonely, felt less confident about their world, and they were less accepted by their peers. Subgrouping, using the sense of coherence and the combined phonological measure as criteria, revealed that the largest number of children at risk were in the group with lowest levels of coherence and phonological awareness skills. The smallest proportion of high risk children was found in the group characterised by its high sense of coherence and high level of phonological awareness. Thus, children at risk for developing learning disabilities revealed two groups of deficits: phonological awareness difficulties and social-emotional difficulties. The results emphasised the need to examine interrelations between peer acceptance and both cognitive-phonological awareness and emotional domains.