Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis on the effect of palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) in reducing cadmium and lead accumulation in liver of Wistar rats

Context: Palm oil from Elaeis guineensis is an edible nutrient substance with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We examined its protective effect against lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) accumulation in the liver. Materials and Methods: 12% w/w of palm oil (PO) in rat chow concentrate was fed to rats exposed to Cd (200ppm) and Pb (100ppm) in drinking water at different feeding regimens. PO was administered either at the same time with the metals (group 2), post-treatment after exposure (group 3) or pre-treatment before exposure (group 4) for six weeks. The heavy metal accumulations in the liver were determined using AAS. Results: Weight losses induced by these metals were significantly (P<0.05) reversed by PO administration. Analysis among the groups showed that post-treatment group had a significant (P<0.05) higher percentage protection to Cd, but same time treatment for Pb (P<0.05) when compared with other groups. The protective ability to PO was only significantly (P<0.05) increased for Pb at week 2, but showed a time-dependent significant (P<0.05) increase for Cd across all treatment regimens. Conclusion: PO is beneficial in reducing metal accumulation in the liver and has a higher hepatoprotective effect to Cd compared to Pb at the selected doses by possibly affecting the processes of uptake, assimilation and elimination of these metals.
Improving patient–physician dialog: commentary on the results of the MS Choices survey

Achieving good long- and short-term adherence to treatment for chronic diseases is important if patients are to gain the full benefits of treatment. Several barriers to adherence in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been identified and the healthcare team should work with patients to help them to overcome these obstacles. The MS Choices survey explored patient and physician perspectives on key aspects of MS diagnosis, treatment adherence, and disease management with the aim of improving understanding of the factors that influence patient behavior regarding treatment adherence. The survey found some important differences between patient and physician responses and here these findings are discussed in the context of personal clinical experience. Further, the possible implications of these findings for routine practice have been considered, and strategies that should be employed by MS physicians and nurses to help patients to adhere to their prescribed treatment are suggested.
Analysis of selected characteristics of dropout at the University of Ottawa

Previous research investigating university attrition has considered a wide variety of factors in relation to this phenomenon. The literature is criticized for the variability and inconsistencies which exist in the nature of the samples studied, the criteria for classification of dropouts, and the personality measures which have been used. In the present study a 2 X 2 X 2 multivariate analysis of variance, testing the significance of 11 quantitative variables did not reflect significant differences between Nondropouts (n=107) and Dropouts (n=109)? thus, these two groups did not differ in I.Q. score, admission averages, age, or personality characteristics. When dropout status was held constant, Females (n=78) were found to be lower than Males (n=138) in age and higher on admission average; Science students (n=6o) were found to score higher than Arts students (n=156) on I.Q. score and on Original Thinking. Chi-square analyses for those variables which could not be considered in the multivariate analysis found an association to exist between dropout status (Nondropout=63, Dropout=8l) and family income for students in the faculty of Science. In conclusion, it was suggested that more systematic attempts be made in the future to collect information as
Partition trees for triangle counting and other range searching problems

The range searching problems which allow partition trees where every query enters only a sublinear number of nodes are characterized as those with finite Vapnik - Chervonenk is dimension. The concrete combinatorial bounds obtained imply—among others — that every set of n points in the plane<list><item>can be stored in an &Ogr;(n) space data structure which allows triangle counting queries in &Ogr;(√n· <italic>log</italic><supscrpt>3</supscrpt>n) time, and </item><item>can be stored in an &Ogr;(n · <italic>log</italic> n) space data structure which allows disk counting queries in &Ogr;(√n· <italic>log</italic><supscrpt>3</supscrpt>n) time; </item></list> the preprocessing time for the data structures is polynomial. Recent results by Chazelle entail that these bounds for space and query time are optimal up to polylog — factors.
Dynamics of the chirped return-to-zero modulation format

We numerically simulated long-distance, high-bit-rate, wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) transmission in dispersion-managed systems. We investigated return-to-zero (RZ) and nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) modulation formats with amplitude and phase modulation. Consistent with earlier experiments, we find that the chirped return-to-zero (CRZ) modulation format has significant advantages over the NRZ modulation format in WDM systems. We elucidate the physical reasons for these advantages. We then discuss, in detail, the dynamics of the CRZ systems, carefully distinguishing noise effects, single-channel nonlinear effects, and multichannel nonlinear effects. In this way, we provide a physical basis for understanding CRZ systems that should prove useful for future system design. In particular, we find that the pulse evolution is dominated by linear dispersion and that the spread in the eye diagrams is dominated by signal-spontaneous beat noise, just like in linear systems. However, we also find that symmetric dispersion compensation performs better than asymmetric dispersion compensation, due to the effects of nonlinearity. Additionally, we find that interchannel nonlinearities spread the eye diagrams without changing the dynamical behavior. Thus, the system is quasilinear in the sense that its properties resemble those of linear systems, but nonlinearity plays an important role.
The time course of semantic richness effects in visual word recognition

The richness of semantic representations associated with individual words has emerged as an important variable in reading. In the present study we contrasted different measures of semantic richness and explored the time course of their influences during visual word processing as reflected in event-related brain potentials (ERPs). ERPs were recorded while participants performed a lexical decision task on visually presented words and pseudowords. For word stimuli, we orthogonally manipulated two frequently employed measures of semantic richness: the number of semantic features generated in feature-listing tasks and the number of associates based on free association norms. We did not find any influence of the number of associates. In contrast, the number of semantic features modulated ERP amplitudes at central sites starting at about 190 ms, as well as during the later N400 component over centro-parietal regions (300–500 ms). Thus, initial access to semantic representations of single words is fast and word meaning continues to modulate processing later on during reading.
A competitive serological assay shows naturally acquired immunity to human papillomavirus infections in the Guanacaste Natural History Study.

BACKGROUND A competitive Luminex Immunoassay (cLIA) has been developed to measure neutralizing antibodies against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18. METHODS In a cohort of 974 women from the Guanacaste Natural History Study, we studied the relationship of baseline cLIA and virus-like particle (VLP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (HPV16 and HPV18 only) seropositivity to measures of HPV exposure, HPV DNA positivity, number of sexual partners, cytology findings, and age. We then studied immunity against subsequent infection with HPV6, 11, 16, 18 and related types over a 7-year period. RESULTS cLIA seroprevalence varied with previous exposure; the prevalence of cLIA results positive for HPV16 and HPV18 was lower than the prevalence of positive VLP ELISA responses. cLIA and VLP ELISA positivity predicted protection from subsequent infections with concordant types. The combined odds ratio for HPV16 and HPV18 cLIA positivity was 0.41 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.80), and the combined odds ratio for the HPV16 and HPV18 VLP ELISA positivity was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.46-0.93). Of individual types, statistical significance was only reached for HPV16 cLIA positivity (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.15-0.94). CONCLUSIONS Both assays showed an association between positive results and significant protection from subsequent infections for HPV16 and HPV18 combined. cLIA seroprevalence was lower than VLP ELISA, suggesting that the assay detects a subset of antibodies following natural infection that are specifically linked to immunity against subsequent HPV infection.
Efficiency of antibacterial suture material in cardiac surgery: a double-blind randomized prospective study.

OBJECTIVE Postoperative surgical site infections (SSI) still greatly affect mortality and morbidity in cardiovascular surgery. SSI may be related to the suture material. In this prospective, randomized, controlled, and double-blinded study, the effect of antibacterial suture material on SSI in cardiac surgical patients was investigated. METHODS We randomly allocated 510 patients into 2 groups. Antibacterial suture materials were used for wound closure in 170 patients (triclosan-coated suture group), and routine suture materials were used in 340 patients (noncoated suture group). All patients were evaluated for SSI on days 10, 20, and 30 following cardiac surgery. RESULTS Preoperative risk factors and laboratory findings were comparable for the 2 groups. Sternal infection occurred in 4 (2.4%) of the patients in the triclosan-coated suture group and in 3.5% of the noncoated suture group (P > .05). Leg wound infection occurred in 5 (3.5%) of the patients in the triclosan-coated suture group and in 3.8% of the noncoated suture group (P > .05). Only diabetes mellitus was an independent predictor of SSI. CONCLUSION Both noncoated and triclosan-coated suture materials are safe. Larger studies may be needed to show the benefit and cost-effectiveness, if any, of triclosan-coated materials over noncoated materials.
Flow and sediment transport in an Indonesian tidal network

The Berau river, situated in east Kalimantan (Indonesia), drains a relatively small catchment area and splits into several interconnected tidal channels. This tidal network connects to the sea. The sea is host to extremely diverse coral reef communities. Also the land side of the region is relatively pristine and biologically rich. The Berau river basin still has a relatively high rainforest cover, which was 50 - 60 % in 2007. Currently, large-scale deforestation is taking place in the catchment, especially since 2005. As the Berau region develops further and deforestation takes place, the sediment load in the Berau river is likely to increase. Increasing sediment loads may be an increasing threat for the coral reefs. The impact of an increasing sediment load on the coral reef ecosystem depends on the pathway of the sediment in the river and tidal network. Since the largest areal of the coral reefs is situated close to the northern branch, the threat is largest when sediment is expelled at this channel mouth. To investigate the impact of increasing sediment load on the coral reefs, the sediment distribution over the Berau river and the tidal network needs to be predicted. The flow and sediment dynamics in the Berau river are affected by the tides. Discharge observations in the river show that water flows both landward and seaward within a tidal cycle. The river discharge was obtained by averaging the discharge over a tidal cycle. The river discharge was 605 m3/s averaged over several months in 2007 and was maximally about 1400 m3/s. At the tidal junction where the Berau river first splits, observations of flow suggests that the tidally averaged water division depends on the tidal range. This is further investigated using an idealized numerical tidal junction model. For differences between the two channels at the sea side in depth, length and width decay, tides generally amplify unequal tidally averaged flow division that occurs in the case of river flow only. Tidally averaged flow into the deeper, shorter or on average wider channel increases with increasing tidal range. For roughness differences, however, the effect of tides is to enhance tidally averaged flow into the channel with higher roughness. The tidal effect partly cancels the preference for the channel with lower roughness in the case of only river flow. This tidal effect can be explained by evaluating the balance of Stokes transport and return discharge in each channel. At a more seaward located tidal junction, phase differences in flow between the channels were up to 2 hours, which is about one sixth of the dominant tidal period. Since the water level variation is similar at a tidal junction, these phase differences imply differences in Stokes transports per unit width. These differences play a substantial role in the tidally averaged flow division at the tidal junction. Also density differences have an effect on the flow division and sediment division. Especially the sediment division is also affected by flow circulation across the channels.
OPTIMAL FLOW TREES FOR NETWORKS WITH GENERAL NONLINEAR ARC COSTS

This paper describes the application of a dynamic programming approach to find minimum flow cost spanning trees on a network with general nonlinear arc costs. Thus, this problem is an extension of the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) problem since we also consider flows that must be routed in order to satisfy user needs. In fact, the MST, usually, considers fixed arc costs and in our case the arc cost functions are nonlinear, having in addition to the fixed cost a flow dependent component. The arc cost functions involved may be of any type of form as long as they are separable and additive. This is a new problem, which is NP-Hard and a dynamic programming approach was developed to solve it exactly for small and medium size problems. We also report computational experiments on over 1200 problem instances taken from the OR-Library. AMS Subject Classification: 90C27, 90C35, 90C39
Effect of external cueing on gait in Huntington's disease

In Huntington's disease (HD) patients, gait is characterized by a timing disorder with marked intraindividual variability in temporal gait parameters (caused by the presence of both hyperkinetic and hypokinetic features). We sought to determine the influence of use of a metronome on gait parameters in patients simultaneously performing motor or cognitive tasks that required attentional resources. The objective is to evaluate the influence of rhythmic cues on gait interference during self‐regulated walking and a dual task paradigm in HD. Fifteen HD patients and 15 paired controls were asked to walk and simultaneously perform another motor task (carrying a tray with four full glasses) or a cognitive task (counting backwards). We evaluated the effect of a metronome (set at 100% and 120% of the subject's self‐determined cadence) in three different task conditions (gait alone, gait + motor task, gait + cognitive task). The use of auditory cues during free gait and dual tasks did not improve kinematic parameters in HD patients, in contrast to the situation for control subjects (improvement in gait speed and cadence but not stride length when the metronome was set at 120% in all conditions). HD patients have difficulty in synchronizing their footsteps with a metronome, mainly due to attentional deficits. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Late Language Transfer in Patients with Rasmussen Encephalitis

Language can transfer to the right hemisphere in patients with early left-sided brain injury (1,2). Rare cases with acquired left hemisphere lesions and language transfer after age 9 years have been reported (1,3,4). The possibility of language transfer in adolescent patients may influence decision making in epilepsy surgery and may alter concepts of language development and plasticity. We report two adolescents with initially lefthemispheric language dominance proven by intracarotid amobarbital testing (IAT) who developed right-sided language between 9 and 15 years and between 12 and 14 years, respectively. Language was impaired in both patients because of Rasmussen chronic encephalitis beginning at 8 and 11 years, with improvement after left hemispherectomy at ages 14 and 15 years. Case one, a right-handed 8-year-old boy, had pharmacologically intractable right clonic seizures associated with left frontocentral EEG seizures. Bilateral IAT at age 9 revealed left hemisphere language dominance. Repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed progressive left hemispheric atrophy and increased left temporooccipital signal on T2 sequences. At age 15 years, right-sided epilepsia partialis continua and hemiparesis developed. Handedness shifted from right to left. A repeated IAT at that time showed right-sided language representation. Left functional hemispherectomy was performed. Histopathology was consistent with Rasmussen encephalitis. Postoperatively, no impaired language function was noted. Rare right facial clonic seizures were well controlled. Neuropsychological testing showed language improvement as compared with presurgical assessment (Table 1). Case two, a right-handed 11-year-old girl, had right clonic seizures and left frontocentral EEG seizures. Re-
Comparison of propofol-ketamine combination versus sevoflu-rane sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopies in children

Introduction Ideal sedation technique for endoscopic procedures which is safe and effective is yet to be determined. This study is aimed at comparing propofol and ketamine combination with sevoflurane for procedural sedation for GI endoscopy in children with respect to effectiveness, safety, recovery charecteristics and cost. Materials and methods We performed this observational study in 60 children aged 6 months 18 years scheduled for GI endoscopy. Group PK (n=30) received a combination of ketamine 0.5 mg/kg and propofol 1mg/kg i.v as initial bolus followed by 0.25-0.5 mg/kg propofol incremental doses for maintenance. Group S (n=30) received 4% sevoflurane + 50% N2O in oxygen for initiation and 2% sevoflurane in oxygen for maintenance. Time required to achieve modified Ramsay sedation score of 4-5 for ease of scope insertion, need of restrain or other agents was noted. Results Time required to achieve MRS 4-5 was similar in both groups. Successful maintenance of sedation could be achieved in 86.7% of patients in sevoflurane group versus 56.7% in PK group (p=0.001). Overall time of recoVery was also significantly shorter with sevoflurane (p<0.001). PK group had higher incidence of complications such as cough (p=0.022) and desaturation (p=0.010). Average cost of sedation in group S was Rs. 340/compared to Rs. 110/in PK group Conclusion Sevoflurane sedation is more effective, safe and offers quicker recovery as compared to propofol ketamine combination For GI endoscopies in children at a higher cost.
Simple Composition: A Magnetoencephalography Investigation into the Comprehension of Minimal Linguistic Phrases

The expressive power of language lies in its ability to construct an infinite array of ideas out of a finite set of pieces. Surprisingly, few neurolinguistic investigations probe the basic processes that constitute the foundation of this ability, choosing instead to focus on relatively complex combinatorial operations. Contrastingly, in the present work, we investigate the neural circuits underlying simple linguistic composition, such as required by the minimal phrase “red boat. ” Using magnetoencephalography, we examined activity in humans generated at the visual presentation of target nouns, such as “boat,” and varied the combinatorial operations induced by its surrounding context. Nouns in minimal compositional contexts (“red boat”) were compared with those appearing in matched non-compositional contexts, such as after an unpronounceable consonant string (“xkq boat”) or within a list (“cup, boat”). Source analysis did not implicate traditional language areas (inferior frontal gyrus, posterior temporal regions) in such basic composition. Instead, we found increased combinatorial-related activity in the left anterior temporal lobe (LATL) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). These regions have been linked previously to syntactic (LATL) and semantic (vmPFC) combinatorial processing in more complex linguistic contexts. Thus, we suggest that these regions play a role in basic syntactic and semantic composition, respectively. Importantly, the temporal ordering of the effects, in which LATL activity (∼225 ms) precedes vmPFC activity (∼400 ms), is consistent with many processing models that posit syntactic composition before semantic composition during the construction of linguistic representations.
Are the lower planes of double seismic zones caused by serpentine dehydration in subducting oceanic mantle

In a number of subduction zones, earthquakes at 50–200 km depth define two dipping planes, separated by 20–40 km, that appear to merge downdip. Upper plane earthquakes are inferred to occur within the subducting oceanic crust, whereas lower plane earthquakes occur in the subducting oceanic mantle. Beneath northeast Japan, the results of a new finite-element heat-transfer model suggest that the lower seismic plane cuts across isotherms at a shallow angle. Lower plane earthquakes occur at ∼550–800 °C at 100 km depth and at ∼350–600 °C at 160 km depth. These conditions coincide with the dehydration reaction antigorite (serpentine) → forsterite + enstatite + H 2 O, which suggests that lower plane earthquakes may be triggered by dehydration embrittlement, which in turn suggests that the subducting oceanic mantle is partially hydrated. Serpentinization may occur in the trench–outer rise region, where faulting may promote infiltration of seawater several tens of kilometers into the oceanic lithosphere. If this hypothesis is correct, current subduction-zone H 2 O budgets may significantly underestimate the amount of bound H 2 O entering the “subduction factory. ”
Contribution of a Response Regulator to the Virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Strain Dependent

ABSTRACT Bacterial two-component signal transduction systems (TCS) enable bacteria to respond to environmental changes and regulate a range of genes accordingly. They have a crucial role in regulating many cellular responses and have excellent potential as antibacterial-drug targets. We have constructed mutations in a TCS response regulator gene for two different strains of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. These mutants have been analyzed in our murine model of infection. Data suggest that in a D39 background the response regulator gene is essential for virulence; an isogenic mutant is avirulent via intraperitoneal, intranasal, and intravenous routes of infection. This mutant, which does not show impaired growth in vitro, is unable to grow in the lung tissue or in blood. Mutation of the response regulator in a 0100993 background results in a strain that is fully virulent intraperitoneally and intravenously but shows decreased levels of bacteremia and increased murine survival following intranasal infection. The ability to grow in the lung tissue is not impaired in this mutant, suggesting that it has an impaired ability to disseminate from the lungs to the systemic circulation. Our data highlight the importance of assessing the contribution of putative virulence factors to the infection process at different sites of infection and provide evidence that virulence determinants can behave very differently based on the genetic background of the bacterial strain. These important findings may be relevant to other bacterial pathogens.