Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphosyntactic structures in the spoken language of older children and adolescents

This study examined the effects of age and gender on 8-, 11-, 14-, and 17-year-old children and adolescents' uses of the eight morphosyntactic features included in the Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS) procedure, the total DSS score, and the DSS sentence point score. No gender-related differences or interactions between gender and age were identified. However, age had a significant effect for eight of the 10 DSS measures. These eight measures were: indefinite pronouns/noun modifiers, personal pronouns, main verbs, negatives, conjunctions, interrogative reversals, wh- questions, and the total DSS score. For these eight, at least one of the three older groups, most often the 11-year-old group, received higher scores than the 8-year-olds. The study also explored whether frequency of use of the eight morphosyntactic features and/or the developmental complexity of the features that were used contributed to the identified age-related differences in morphosyntactic use. For the most part, frequency of use was.
Design and analysis of Toeplitz preconditioners

A general approach is presented for constructing preconditioners P for a symmetric positive-definite Toeplitz matrix A so that the Toeplitz system Ax=b can be solved efficiently by the preconditioned conjugate-gradient (PCG) method. The work is a generalization of recent work by G. Strang (1986) and R. Chan (1988). It is shown that the new preconditioners can be inverted directly by means of various fast transform methods with O(N log N) operations and that the eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrices P/sup -1/ A are clustered around one so that the PCG method converges very quickly. <<ETX>>
Obstetric and Gynecological Problems in Women with Untreated Celiac Sprue

We investigated the obstetric and gynecological history of 54 consecutive women (aged 16–62 years, median of 35 years) with newly diagnosed celiac sprue and 54 healthy controls matched for age, origin, and sexual behavior. The mean age of menarche was significantly delayed in these untreated patients with respect to controls (13.5 vs. 12.1 years; p < 0.0001). Of the patients, 38.8% complained of amenorrhea, compared with 9.2% of the controls (p < 0.001). Thirty-eight patients and 38 controls were in reproductive age; they had a normal sexual life and did not use contraceptive measures. Five celiacs, but no controls, had repeated abortions (p < 0.03). Eight celiacs and six controls were in menopause, the mean age at onset being 45.5 and 49.5 years respectively (not significant).
Causal and Predictive Learning Based on Normative Contextualization: The Relevance Relativization Model

We present a model aimed at accounting for learning of predictive and causal relationships involving stimulus compounds, by means of a mechanism based on a normative-methodological analysis of causality that goes beyond the traditional associative/rule-based controversy. According to the model, causal learning is attained by computing the validity of each stimulus in a given learning situation. The situation is determined by the assumptions, objectives, and aims held by the learner or demanded by the learning context. Hence, validity computation depends on task demands: causal, predictive, or diagnostic according to a general principle of normative contextualization that allows learners to adapt a between-cues competition principle in a flexible way. Validity is computed using the Relevance Relativization mechanism, a linear model, based on the balance between the probability of stimulus combinations and the probability of each cue. Thus, cue interactions occur mainly when the combination of stimuli shows predictive changes in relation to the same cues considered individually. This model makes novel predictions concerning variations of the competition principle as a function of the type of procedure, including blocking, simultaneous blocking, and relative validity. In addition, our model also integrates top-down and bottom-up processing levels, including individuals' assumptions or previous beliefs.
Women's drinking across the adult life course as compared to men's.

Summary The study of drinking differences by age and sex is extended by describing the prevalence, incidence and duration of multiple drinking patterns and problems in each decade of adult life for women as compared to men. A U. S. longitudinal general population sample with two measurement points, 7 years apart, is used. The incidence for drinking patterns putting persons at risk for serious problems is highest among men throughout most of the adult life course but the sex ratio converges in the 30's. Women are found to display higher rates of remission across all decades of the life course; women are more likely to report duration of the drinking patterns in the 30s. These results suggest that the emergence and persistence of some ‘at risk’ drinking patterns occupy a smaller “temporal space’ for women than for men. Selected findings from the longitudinal analysis for women are compared to cohort analysis using U. S. cross-sectional data from the mid to late 20th century. The results suggest that the longitudinal findings can be generalized to these historical periods.
Coping and Resilience: Women Headed Households in Bangladesh Floods

Literature is bountiful in relation to different theories and approaches that advocate for resiliency in individuals, families and communities. One widely acknowledged fact is that people build up resilience on the basis of their experience that they gain through their day-to-day hardship and struggles. For those who often live in fragile environments and vulnerability, there is the capacity for resilience to become a part of the culture of a community; becoming absorbed, entrenched and then bequeathed to each subsequent generation. This paper spotlights a group of women who live in an area of Bangladesh that is known for both its poverty and its regular tendency to flood, hereby regularly putting them, their families and their communities at risk of losing lives and/or their livelihoods. Through their narrations, the authors will demonstrate the human capacity to endure adversity, loss, vulnerability and destruction and still maintain the indomitable spirit of acceptance, hope and flourishment. Coping strategy is a central theme throughout. The authors provide accounts which outline the means by which these women practically and psychologically, prepare for and endure the regular and destructive nature of flooding. A brief discussion occurs in relation to the implication of some aspects of social work assistance in the context of women and floods. 'This is every year affair. As the affected ' we don't have to lose our dreams and hopes, we need to face it and move on for survival' (research participant).
Proteomic Analysis of Lettuce Seed Germination and Thermoinhibition by Sampling of Individual Seeds at Germination and Removal of Storage Proteins by Polyethylene Glycol Fractionation1

Methionine metabolism, ethylene production, and isoprenoid biosynthesis are involved in seed germination and thermoinhibition. Germination and thermoinhibition in lettuce (Lactuca sativa ‘Jianyexianfeng No. 1’) seeds were investigated by a proteomic comparison among dry seeds, germinated seeds at 15°C, at 15°C after imbibition at 25°C for 48 h, or at 25°C in KNO3 (all sampled individually at germination), and ungerminated seeds at 25°C, a thermoinhibitory temperature. Before two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis, storage proteins (greater than 50% of total extractable protein) were removed by polyethylene glycol precipitation, which significantly improved the detection of less abundant proteins on two-dimensional gels. A total of 108 protein spots were identified to change more than 2-fold (P < 0.05) in abundance in at least one germination treatment. Nineteen proteins increasing and one protein decreasing in abundance during germination had higher abundance in germinated 15°C, 15°C after imbibition at 25°C for 48 h, and 25°C in KNO3 seeds than in ungerminated 25°C seeds. Gene expression of 12 of those proteins correlated well with the protein accumulation. Methionine metabolism, ethylene production, lipid mobilization, cell elongation, and detoxification of aldehydes were revealed to be potentially related to lettuce seed germination and thermoinhibition. Accumulation of three proteins and expression of five genes participating in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis correlated positively with seed germinability. Inhibition of this pathway by lovastatin delayed seed germination and increased the sensitivity of germination to abscisic acid. MVA pathway-derived products, cytokinins, partially reversed the lovastatin inhibition of germination and released seed thermoinhibition at 25°C. We conclude that the MVA pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis is involved in lettuce seed germination and thermoinhibition.
A Distinct and Divergent Lineage of Genomic Island-Associated Type IV Secretion Systems in Legionella

Legionella encodes multiple classes of Type IV Secretion Systems (T4SSs), including the Dot/Icm protein secretion system that is essential for intracellular multiplication in amoebal and human hosts. Other T4SSs not essential for virulence are thought to facilitate the acquisition of niche-specific adaptation genes including the numerous effector genes that are a hallmark of this genus. Previously, we identified two novel gene clusters in the draft genome of Legionella pneumophila strain 130b that encode homologues of a subtype of T4SS, the genomic island-associated T4SS (GI-T4SS), usually associated with integrative and conjugative elements (ICE). In this study, we performed genomic analyses of 14 homologous GI-T4SS clusters found in eight publicly available Legionella genomes and show that this cluster is unusually well conserved in a region of high plasticity. Phylogenetic analyses show that Legionella GI-T4SSs are substantially divergent from other members of this subtype of T4SS and represent a novel clade of GI-T4SSs only found in this genus. The GI-T4SS was found to be under purifying selection, suggesting it is functional and may play an important role in the evolution and adaptation of Legionella. Like other GI-T4SSs, the Legionella clusters are also associated with ICEs, but lack the typical integration and replication modules of related ICEs. The absence of complete replication and DNA pre-processing modules, together with the presence of Legionella-specific regulatory elements, suggest the Legionella GI-T4SS-associated ICE is unique and may employ novel mechanisms of regulation, maintenance and excision. The Legionella GI-T4SS cluster was found to be associated with several cargo genes, including numerous antibiotic resistance and virulence factors, which may confer a fitness benefit to the organism. The in-silico characterisation of this new T4SS furthers our understanding of the diversity of secretion systems involved in the frequent horizontal gene transfers that allow Legionella to adapt to and exploit diverse environmental niches.
Two-Year Outcome in First-Episode Schizophrenia: Predictive Value of Symptoms for Quality of Life

Objective: Many studies have validated the grouping of schizophrenic symptoms into three independent dimensions: negative, psychotic, and disorganized. Negative symptoms are considered to be an important prognostic indicator, but this clinical observation requires further empirical study, especially with respect to psychosocial functioning. When present at the onset of the first episode, negative symptoms suggest that the patient will develop significant psychosocial impairment. The predictive values of the psychotic and disorganized symptom dimensions, on the other hand, have been less certain. Method: In this study of 50 first-episode schizophrenic patients, who were mostly neuroleptic-naive at intake, the authors examined the relationship between the severity of these three symptom dimensions (measured by using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms) at index hospitalization and quality of life at 2-year follow-up. Results: Negative sympt.
Development and validation of the UV-spectrophotometric method for determination of terbinafine hydrochloride in bulk and in formulation

Background: The main objective was to develop and validate the UV-spectrophotometric method for the estimation of terbinafine hydrochloride in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations as per ICH guidelines Materials and Methods: A simple, rapid, accurate, and economical UV-spectrophotometric method has been developed for the estimation of terbinafine hydrochloride from bulk and pharmaceutical formulation. Results: The λmax of terbinafine hydrochloride in water was found to be 283 nm. The drug follows linearity in the concentration range 5–30 μg/ml with a correlation coefficient value of 0.999. The proposed method was applied to pharmaceutical formulation and % amount of drug. estimated was 99.19% and was found to be in good agreement with the label claim. The accuracy of the method was checked by recovery experiment performed at three different levels, i.e., 80%, 100%, and 120%. The % recovery was found to be in the range of 98.54– 99.98%. The low values of % RSD are indicative of the accuracy and reproducibility of the method. The precision of the method was studied as an intraday; interday variations, and repeatability. The % RSD value < 2 indicates that the method is precise. Ruggedness of the proposed method was studied with the help of two analysts. Conclusion: The above method was a rapid tool for routine analysis of terbinafine hydrochloride in the bulk and in the pharmaceutical dosage form.
Developmental Specificity in Targeting and Teaching Play Activities to Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Developmentally specific play programs were designed for three children with pervasive developmental disorders being served in a home-based program. Using the Developmental Play Assessment, six activities for each of three adjacent developmentally sequenced play categories were targeted for direct instruction using different toy sets. A modified multiple-baseline across play targets design was employed. Teaching procedures capitalized on following the child's lead and employed least-to-most prompting procedures. Results showed children reached acquisition criteria for 85% (range: 75-100%) of 40 play activities that were generated from emerging play categories and 81% (range: 50-100%) of 16 play activities generated from successive, but non-emerging play categories. Findings are discussed related to the importance of increasing developmental specificity when targeting and teaching play activities.
A Review on the Effects of Saffron Extract and its Constituents on Factors Related to Neurologic, Cardiovascular and Gastrointestinal Diseases

Previous studies have detected preventive and therapeutic effects of saffron. However, no systematic reviews were written on these effects. This study reviews the impact of saffron extract and its' constituents on the factors associated with the nervous system, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal tract diseases. Articles in English have searched at Pub Med and Science direct databases using Mesh words and Persian articles have searched in SID database. Results indicated that saffron and its' constituents have beneficial effects on preventing and treating of memory-associated diseases and eye disorders. Although, limited investigations were performed on analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure effects of saffron, their results were promising. The effects of saffron and its’ constituents on anxiety and insomnia were only studied in animal models and the results were promising. Their antidepressant effects became evident in the studies. Moreover, effects of saffron and its active constituents on prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease have been observed in previous studies. However, few studies were performed on the effects of saffron on gastrointestinal diseases which are limited to animal studies, some potential benefits of saffron in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases have been found. Saffron is also non-toxic in doses of daily intake. Collectively, it seems that saffron and its active constituents play preventive and therapeutic roles in the nervous system, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. These functions emerge from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties of saffron.
The free rider problem and a social custom model of trade union membership

The literature on public good provision by groups has traditionally emphasized the free rider problem. If it is assumed that a group forms to provide, or to lobby for the provision of, a good that is collective to potential members, then the major conceptual problem to the formation of such a group is that individuals can enjoy the benefits of group action without incurring the costs. By doing this, they free ride. In small groups the free rider problem is not generally considered insurmountable. However, the larger the number of potential beneficiaries, the more difficult it is to overcome the free rider problem, due to exclusion and surveillance difficulties, and the less likely is optimal collective good provision, or any collective good provision in the extreme. The free rider hypothesis has a long history in economic thought. As early as 1848, the free rider potential of any group of workers was perceived by J. S. Mill. However, it appears that it was not until 1965 that an attempt was made to explain why large groups providing collective goods manage to exist despite the free rider problem. Olson [1965] proposed the following explanation. If a large group exists, it must have formed either because membership is compulsory or because the group provides private goods and services accessible only to its members, with ancillary provision of the collective good as a "byproduct. " The literature that developed from Olson's work has focused primarily on the suboptimal provision of the collective good, the difficulties of getting members to contribute in proportion to the benefits received, and preference revelation incentives. (See for example Groves and Ledyard [1977].) However, there are problems with both of the solutions proposed by Olson to overcome the free rider problem facing large groups. First, if coercion is looked at as a solution to the free rider problem, the question arises as to how the coercion itself is financed [Guttman, 1978]. This is unlikely to be costless. The second problem concerns the "byproduct" solution. Private good pro-
Effect of Oxcarbazepine in the Treatment of Agitation and Aggression in Severe Dementia

Background/Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of oxcarbazepine (OXC) in the treatment of agitation and aggression in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia or both. Methods: This is an 8-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial carried out independently of the pharmaceutical industry. Changes in the agitation and aggression subscore of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) were the primary outcomes. The secondary out- comes were the changes in the caregivers’ total burden scores (measured by the NPI) and changes in the Brief Agitation Rating Scale (BARS). Results: In total, 103 institutionalized patients at 35 sites were randomized to the trial. After 8 weeks, no statistically significant differences were found between the 2 groups for all outcomes. A trend was observed in favor of the OXC group in the reduction in the scores on the BARS (p = 0.07). Conclusion: This study found no significant effect of OXC in treatment of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia.
A meta-analytic test of the imagined contact hypothesis

Imagined intergroup contact (Crisp & Turner, 2009) is a new indirect contact strategy for promoting tolerance and more positive intergroup relations. Despite its relatively recent inception, there have now been over 70 studies showing that imagining a positive interaction with an outgroup member can reduce prejudice and encourage positive intergroup behavior. With this meta-analysis, we provide the first quantitative review of imagined contact effects on four key measures of intergroup bias: attitudes, emotions, intentions, and behavior. We also test for moderators arising from both group and study design characteristics. The analysis found that imagined contact resulted in significantly reduced intergroup bias across all four dependent variables (overall d+ = 0.35). The effect was significant for both published and unpublished studies, and emerged across a broad range of target outgroups and contexts. The effect was equally strong for explicit and implicit attitude measures, but was stronger on behavioral intentions than on attitudes, supporting the direct link between imagery and action proposedly underlying mental simulation effects. Most design characteristics had no significant impact, including valence of the imagined interaction, type of control condition, and time spent imagining contact. However, the more participants were instructed to elaborate on the context within which the imagined interaction took place, the stronger the effect. The imagined contact effect was also stronger for children than for adults, supporting the proposition that imagined contact is a potentially key component of educational strategies aiming to promote positive social change.
A Spatial Analysis of Rift Valley Fever Virus Seropositivity in Domestic Ruminants in Tanzania

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute arthropod-borne viral zoonotic disease primarily occurring in Africa. Since RVF-like disease was reported in Tanzania in 1930, outbreaks of the disease have been reported mainly from the eastern ecosystem of the Great Rift Valley. This cross-sectional study was carried out to describe the variation in RVF virus (RVFV) seropositivity in domestic ruminants between selected villages in the eastern and western Rift Valley ecosystems in Tanzania, and identify potential risk factors. Three study villages were purposively selected from each of the two Rift Valley ecosystems. Serum samples from randomly selected domestic ruminants (n = 1,435) were tested for the presence of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM), using RVF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. Mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to investigate the association between potential risk factors and RVFV seropositivity. The overall RVFV seroprevalence (n = 1,435) in domestic ruminants was 25.8% and speciesspecific seroprevalence was 29.7%, 27.7% and 22.0% in sheep (n = 148), cattle (n = 756) and goats (n = 531), respectively. The odds of seropositivity were significantly higher in animals sampled from the villages in the eastern than those in the western Rift Valley ecosystem (OR = 1.88, CI: 1.41, 2.51; p<0.001), in animals sampled from villages with soils of good than those with soils of poor water holding capacity (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.58, 3.02; p< 0.001), and in animals which had been introduced than in animals born within the herd (OR = 5.08, CI: 2.74, 9.44; p< 0.001). Compared with animals aged 1–2 years, those aged 3 and 4–5 years had 3.40 (CI: 2.49, 4.64; p< 0.001) and 3.31 (CI: 2.27, 4.82, p< 0.001) times the odds of seropositivity. The findings confirm exposure to RVFV in all the study villages, but with a higher prevalence in the study villages from the eastern Rift Valley ecosystem.