Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Characterization of language disorders in children with lead poisoning].

BACKGROUND lead poisoning can have a negative impact on the neuropsychological functions, including language, due to the damage it causes to the development of the Central Nervous System. AIM to verify the occurrence of language disorders in children who suffered from led poisoning and to verify the correlation between the lead concentration level in the blood and the language disorders presented by the children. METHOD language evaluation of 20 preschoolers, with lead concentration level in the blood above 10 microg/dl. RESULTS 13 children presented language impairment involving only phonology or more than one language subsystem. The statistical analysis indicated that no correlation exists between the severity of the language impairment and the concentration levels of lead. CONCLUSION the number of children with language impairment indicates lead poisoning as a risk factor for the present alterations, even though other risk factors for language disorders were found and the absence of correlation between the investigated variables.
Oxidation and Decomposition of Ti2AlN MAX Phase Coating Deposited on Nickel-Based Super Alloy IN718

In this work, the oxidation behavior of Ti2AlN coating deposited on nickel super alloy IN718 was investigated. The coating was obtained by DC-magnetron sputtering at 540°C and subsequent vacuum annealing at 800°C for 1h. The coating morphology as well as the chemical composition were analyzed using SEM, EDS and XRD, respectively. The XRD results revealed that the coating mainly composed of Ti2AlN MAX phase. Cycling oxidation was performed at 700 °C and 800 °C in air. The XRD and SEM results proved the interaction between substrate and coating and the formation of the quaternary Ti3NiAl2N phase during oxidation at the interface. Due to the Ni diffusion towards the surface, the Ti3NiAl2N phase grew continuously and the Ti2AlN phase decomposed gradually resulting in a coating failure. The results indicate that the oxidation behavior of the coating is essentially controlled by the interdiffusion of Ni from substrate into the coating.
Metabolic syndrome in white European men presenting for primary couple's infertility: investigation of the clinical and reproductive burden

Despite complex interactions between obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinaemia, and the reproductive axis, the impact of metabolic syndrome on human male reproductive function has not been analysed comprehensively. Complete demographic, clinical, and laboratory data from 1337 consecutive primary infertile men were analysed. Health‐significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (categorised 0 vs. 1 vs. 2 or higher). NCEP‐ATPIII criteria were used to define metabolic syndrome. Semen analysis values were assessed based on the 2010 World Health Organisation (WHO) reference criteria. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models tested the association between semen parameters and clinical characteristics and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was found in 128 (9.6%) of 1337 men. Patients with metabolic syndrome were older (p < 0.001) and had a greater Charlson Comorbidity Index of 1 or higher (chi‐square: 15.6; p < 0.001) compared with those without metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome patients had lower levels of total testosterone (p < 0.001), sex hormone‐binding globulin (p = 0.004), inhibin B (p = 0.03), and anti‐Müllerian hormone (p = 0.009), and they were hypogonadal at a higher rate (chi‐square: 32.0; p < 0.001) than patients without metabolic syndrome. Conversely, the two groups did not differ significantly in further hormonal levels, semen parameters, and rate of either obstructive or non‐obstructive azoospermia. At multivariate logistic regression analysis, testicular volume (OR: 0.90; p = 0.002) achieved independent predictor status for WHO pathological semen concentration; conversely, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, metabolic syndrome, and inhibin B values did not. No parameters predicted normal sperm morphology and total progressive motility. Metabolic syndrome accounts for roughly 9% of men presenting for primary couple's infertility. Although metabolic syndrome patients have a lower general male health status, semen analysis values seem independent of the presence of metabolic syndrome.
The preclinical discovery of vosaroxin for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

ABSTRACT Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a disease with a very poor outcome and remains an area of significant unmet need necessitating novel therapeutic strategies. Among novel therapeutic agents, vosaroxin is a first-in-class anticancer quinolone derivative that targets topoisomerase II and induces site-selective double-strand breaks in DNA, leading to tumor cell apoptosis. Areas covered: Herein, the authors provide a comprehensive review of the preclinical development of vosaroxin. This includes coverage of vosaroxin’s mechanism of action in addition to its pharmacology and of the main studies reported over the past few years with vosaroxin when used to treat adult AML. Expert opinion: Given that vosaroxin is associated with fewer potential side effects, it may be of benefit to elderly patients with relapsed/refractory AML and to those with additional comorbidities who have previously received an anthracycline and cytarabine combination. Furthermore, vosaroxin also was seen to be active in multidrug-resistant preclinical models. However, further studies have to be performed to better evaluate its place in the armamentarium against AML.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Hemp Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is a powerful technique for the characterization of the Viscoelastic properties of polymers. DMA measures the modulus (stiffness) and damping (energy dissipation) properties of materials as they are deformed under dynamic stress. These measurements provide quantitative information about the performance of materials. This technique can be used to evaluate a wide variety of materials such as thermoplastics, composites, thermosets, elastomers, films, fibers, coatings and adhesives. DMA is a valuable technique because of its high inherent sensitivity and is the most sensitive thermal analysis technique for the measurement of the glass transition regions, Tg. Secondary relaxation events readily observed by DMA, simply cannot be detected by any other thermal technique. In the present work, hemp and glass fiber were used as the reinforcement fiber and General Purpose Resin was used as the matrix for fabrication of Natural and Hybrid fiber reinforced composites (FRP’s). It is essential to evaluate the Viscoelastic properties of fabricated composites for improved mechanical and thermal properties. The dynamic moduli, mechanical loss and damping behavior as a function of temperature of the systems were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). In the present work DMA was carried out on a fabricated Natural and Hybrid FRP’s. The fibers considered are Hemp & Glass, where GP resin is considered as matrix. For DMA analysis loads of 0.5, 0.7 & 1.0 gram with a temperature gradient are considered on both Natural & Hybrid FRP’s. The Storage Modulus (E’) values are found to be maximum for composites with 1.0 gram fiber loading, indicating that the incorporation of hemp & glass fiber in General Purpose Resin matrix induces reinforcing effects appreciably at higher temperatures. The loss modulus and damping peaks were found to be lowered by the incorporation of fiber. The height of the damping peaks depended on the fiber content. Keywords— Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA); Glass transition temperature (Tg )
Structure–property performance of natural palm olein polyol in the viscoelastic polyurethane foam

Structure–property behavior of the palm olein-based natural oil polyol (E-135 NOP) was investigated in viscoelastic “memory” foams. In a model viscoelastic foam formulation, the E-135 NOP with pendant hydroxyls was used as a drop-in replacement for the well-defined model polyether polyol with terminal hydroxyls, Poly-G® 76-120. Both polyols have comparable equivalent weight and concentrations of primary and secondary hydroxyls. The data showed that replacing Poly-G® 76-120 polyether polyol with the E-135 NOP did not significantly impact the foaming reactivity. Increasing the E-135 NOP concentration in the VE foams increased the average foam cell size while maintaining the open cell structure. Aging properties of the VE foams were mostly unaffected by the replacement of the Poly-G® 76-120 with the E-135 NOP. Furthermore, addition of E-135 had no impact on foam density; however, it increased the support factor of the viscoelastic foams. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analyzer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses indicate less defined morphological separation of hard and soft segments in the viscoelastic foams with higher concentration of E-135 NOP. Overall, the results demonstrated the feasibility that natural oil polyols can be used in viscoelastic polyurethane foams to replace a significant portion of the polyether polyols with comparable equivalent weights and concentrations of primary and secondary hydroxyls. In future, the feasibility study of E-135 NOP as a drop-in replacement of combination polyether polyols in viscoelastic foams formulation will be conducted. Furthermore, the effect of palm olein-based natural oil polyol in high resilience foam will be evaluated.
Do Men Produce Higher Quality Ejaculates When Primed With Thoughts of Partner Infidelity?

Sperm competition theory can be used to generate the hypothesis that men alter the quality of their ejaculates as a function of sperm competition risk. Using a repeated measures experimental design, we investigated whether men produce a higher quality ejaculate when primed with cues to sperm competition (i.e., imagined partner infidelity) relative to a control prime. Men (n = 45) submitted two masturbatory ejaculates—one ejaculate sample for each condition (i.e., sperm competition and control conditions). Ejaculates were assessed on 17 clinical parameters. The results did not support the hypothesis: Men did not produce higher quality ejaculates in the sperm competition condition relative to the control condition. Despite the null results of the current research, there is evidence for psychological and physiological adaptations to sperm competition in humans. We discuss methodological limitations that may have produced the null results and present methodological suggestions for research on human sperm competition.
Inter-individual Differences in Heart Rate Variability Are Associated with Inter-individual Differences in Empathy and Alexithymia

In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) would be associated with inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. To this end, we determined resting state HF-HRV in 90 individuals that also completed questionnaires assessing inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. Our categorical and dimensional analyses revealed that inter-individual differences in HF-HRV were differently associated with inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. We found that individuals with high HF-HRV reported more empathy and less alexithymia than individuals with low HF-HRV. Moreover, we even found that an increase in HF-HRV was associated with an increase in empathy and a decrease in alexithymia across all participants. Taken together, these findings indicate that individuals with high HF-HRV are more empathetic and less alexithymic than individuals with low HF-HRV. These differences in empathy and alexithymia may explain why individuals with high HF-HRV are more successful in sharing and understanding the mental and emotional states of others than individuals with low HF-HRV.
Long-Distance Transport of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Is Concomitant with That of Polyamines1[OPEN]

Long distance transport of thiamine is required for growth and development and is facilitated by PUT3, the polyamine transporter. Thiamine (vitamin B1) is ubiquitous and essential for cell energy supply in all organisms as a vital metabolic cofactor, known for over a century. In plants, it is established that biosynthesis de novo is taking place predominantly in green tissues and is furthermore limited to plastids. Therefore, transport mechanisms are required to mediate the movement of this polar metabolite from source to sink tissue to activate key enzymes in cellular energy generating pathways but are currently unknown. Similar to thiamine, polyamines are an essential set of charged molecules required for diverse aspects of growth and development, the homeostasis of which necessitates long-distance transport processes that have remained elusive. Here, a yeast-based screen allowed us to identify Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PUT3 as a thiamine transporter. A combination of biochemical, physiological, and genetic approaches permitted us to show that PUT3 mediates phloem transport of both thiamine and polyamines. Loss of function of PUT3 demonstrated that the tissue distribution of these metabolites is altered with growth and developmental consequences. The pivotal role of PUT3 mediated thiamine and polyamine homeostasis in plants, and its importance for plant fitness is revealed through these findings.
Pathological and functional significance of Semaphorin-5A in pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis

Semaphorin-5A (SEMA5A) has differential cell surface expression between normal and cancer cells and represents an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in pancreatic cancer (PC). In this study, we delineated the pathological expression and significance of SEMA5A during PC progression and metastasis. We utilized human tissue microarrays and different PC mouse models (Pdx1-cre; LSL- Kras(G12D), Pdx1-Cre; LSL-Kras(G12D); LSL-p53(R172H) and RIP1-Tag2) to analyze SEMA5A expression during PC progression. Using human patients and different mouse models, we demonstrated that SEMA5A expression was highest in liver metastases, followed by primary pancreatic tumors, and the lowest expression was found in the normal pancreas. SEMA5A expression was localized on tumor cells with no staining in the surrounding stroma. To understand the functional significance of SEMA5A, we treated PC cell lines with recombinant SEMA5A. We observed an increase in migration, chemotaxis, and scattering of PC cells. To delineate the signaling axis of SEMA5A, we generated SEMA5A receptor-Plexin-B3 knockdown in T3M-4 and CD18/HPAF PC cell lines and observed that the effect of SEMA5A treatment was absent in the Plexin-B3 knockdown counterparts of T3M-4 and CD18/HPAF cells. SEMA5A treatment leads to phosphorylation of cMET in Plexin-B3 dependent manner. Our data demonstrate that there is an increase in SEMA5A expression during PC progression and the elevation of this expression takes place at metastatic sites especially the liver in both exocrine and endocrine tumors. SEMA5A can elicit a migratory response in cells by activating cMET through the Plexin-B3 receptor. In conclusion, SEMA5A signaling represents a potential molecule for targeting metastasis in pancreatic cancer.
Small-Scale Non-industrial Private Forest Ownership in the United States: Rationale and Implications for Forest Management

The transaction cost approach is used to explain why small non-industrial private forest (NIPF) ownerships are increasing in the U.S. We argue that the number of small NIPF owners have increased because: 1) a significant amount of forestland is no longer used economically if primarily for timber production, but rather for non-timber forest products and environmental services (particularly where population density is high), 2) when a person makes frequent use of non-timber products and services, owning forestland is more efficient for them because it saves the transaction costs involved in getting them from the market, 3) forestland parcelization takes place when non-timber value increases faster than timber value, and 4) marginal value for non-timber product is diminishing much faster than that for timber production. The paper also discusses implications of the parcelization of NIPF ownerships on forest management.
Phenotypic factors and genetic group on the selling price formation of beef calves sold in auctions at the Northern region of Paraná State, Brazil

The aim of this study is to estimate the effects of phenotypic traits on the final price of calves sold at auctions in the region of northern Parana. Data were collected between April 2011 and April 2012 at 12 auctions, in which 197 lots were offered, totaling 4,289 animals. In this study, only the final prices charged when the deals were closed have been considered. Calves belonging to the British genetic group reached higher marketing value than zebu calves; the largest animals presented higher liquidity; buyers preferred more uniform lots, regardless of the sex of the animals.
Are Sex Differences in Outcomes of Patients with ACS from Observational Registries Similar to the Findings from Randomized Clinical Trials?

BACKGROUND The incidence of acute coronary syndrome is reported to be higher for males than females, yet clinical outcomes following acute myocardial infarction are worse among females. Information about acute coronary syndrome outcomes is obtained from randomised and cohort data. However, randomised controlled trials which are designed to evaluate the efficacy of clinical interventions often have limited external validity, and observational studies which draw inferences from the effect of an exposure whilst being more generalizable are limited by confounding. METHODS We undertook a structured literature review of research manuscripts published between 2000 and 2015 to examine whether reported sex-dependent outcomes following acute coronary syndrome differed between randomised control trials and observational registries. RESULTS Of 56 manuscripts, we found consistency between the two types of study designs - each type of study describing worse clinical outcomes for females with acute coronary syndrome. We also found a reduction in the use of guideline recommended therapy in females. CONCLUSION Further research is needed to understand at a mechanistic and health services level why such a discrepancy in clinical outcomes exists.
PDGFR-alpha inhibits melanoma growth via CXCL10/IP-10: a multi-omics approach

Melanoma is the most aggressive skin-cancer, showing high mortality at advanced stages. Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor-alpha (PDGFR-alpha) potently inhibits melanoma- and endothelium-proliferation and its expression is significantly reduced in melanoma-biopsies, suggesting that melanoma progression eliminates cells expressing PDGFR-alpha. In the present study transient overexpression of PDGFR-alpha in endothelial (HUVEC) and melanoma (SKMel-28, A375, Preyer) human-cells shows strong anti-proliferative effects, with profound transcriptome and miRNome deregulation. PDGFR-alpha overexpression strongly affects expression of 82 genes in HUVEC (41 up-, 41 down-regulated), and 52 genes in SKMel-28 (43 up-, 9 down-regulated). CXCL10/IP-10 transcript showed up to 20 fold-increase, with similar changes detectable at the protein level. miRNA expression profiling in cells overexpressing PDGFR-alpha identified 14 miRNAs up- and 40 down-regulated, with miR-503 being the most down-regulated (6.4 fold-reduction). miR-503, miR-630 and miR-424 deregulation was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, the most upregulated transcript (i.e., CXCL10/IP-10) was a validated miR-503 target and CXCL10/IP-10 neutralization significantly reverted the anti-proliferative action of PDGFR-alpha, and PDGFR-alpha inhibition by Dasatinb totally reverted the CXCL10/IP10 induction, further supporting a functional interplay of these factors. Finally, integration of transcriptomics and miRNomics data highlighted several pathways affected by PDGFR-alpha. This study demonstrates for the first time that PDGFR-alpha strongly inhibits endothelial and melanoma cells proliferation in a CXCL10/IP-10 dependent way, via miR-503 down-regulation.
The young open cluster NGC 7067 using Strömgren photometry

© The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. M. Monguio et al, ' The young open cluster NGC 7067 using Stromgren photometry ', MNRAS Vol 466(3): 3636-3647 (2017), first published online 17 December 2016, the version of record is available online via doi: 10.1093/mnras/stw3302
Rules-based and principles-based accounting standards and earnings management

We examine the effects that discretionary room in accounting standards has on both the level and nature of earnings management decisions. To this end we design an experiment to test the hypotheses that a rules-based setting induces managers to engage in earnings management through transaction decisions, whilst a principles-based setting induces earnings management through accounting decisions. Manipulations of IAS 32 and 36 are used to represent the rulesbased and the principles-based setting, and different analysts’ expectations act as incentives, creating a 2x2 between-subjects design. In the rules-based setting managers more often sell short-term financial assets, whereas in the principles-based setting managers are more prone to taking impairment loss decisions. Combined results show that the rules-based and principles-based treatments lead to comparable levels of earnings management. These results suggest that changing the discretion in accounting standards may affect the nature of earnings management, but is unlikely to prevent earnings management applications. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We gratefully acknowledge helpful comments from Ed Vosselman, Martin Hoogendoom, Ken Trotman, Paula van Veen-Dirks and André van Hoorn. * The author is Ph.D. student in Accounting at the Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Address: Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen School of Management, P.O. Box 9108, 6500 HK Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail: f.vanbeest@fm.ru. nl. Phone # +31(0)24-3611859.
Complement C3F allotype synthesized by liver recipient modifies transplantation outcome independently from donor hepatic C3

Complement component 3 (C3) presents both slow (C3S) and fast (C3F) variants, which can be locally produced and activated by immune system cells. We studied C3 recipient variants in 483 liver transplant patients by RT‐PCR‐HRM to determine their effect on graft outcome during the first year post‐transplantation. Allograft survival was significantly decreased in C3FF recipients (C3SS 95% vs C3FS 91% vs C3FF 83%; P=.01) or C3F allele carriers (C3F absence 95% vs C3F presence 90%, P=.02). C3FF genotype or presence of C3F allele independently increased risk for allograft loss (OR: 2.38, P=.005 and OR: 2.66, P=.02, respectively). C3FF genotype was more frequent among patients whose first infection was of viral etiology (C3SS 13% vs C3FS 18% vs C3FF 32%; P=.04) and independently increased risk for post‐transplant viral infections (OR: 3.60, P=.008). On the other hand, C3FF and C3F protected from rejection events (OR: 0.54, P=.03 and OR: 0.63, P=.047, respectively). Differences were not observed in hepatitis C virus recurrence or patient survival. In conclusion, we show that, independently from C3 variants produced by donor liver, C3F variant from recipient diminishes allograft survival, increases susceptibility to viral infections, and protects from rejection after transplantation. C3 genotyping of liver recipients may be useful to stratify risk.