Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BYU ScholarsArchive All Theses and Dissertations 2012-06-06 The Correlation between Spectral Moment Measures and Electropalatographic Contact Patterns for / s / and / ʃ / Benjamin

The Correlation Between Spectral Moment Measures and Electropalatographic Contact Patterns for /s/ and /ʃ/ Benjamin J. Marshall Department of Communication Disorders, BYU Master of Science Spectral Moment Analysis has helped further our understanding of the spectral properties of obstruent speech production; however, the physiologic correlates of these spectral measures are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the possible correlations between the linguapalatal contact patterns used to produce the fricatives /s/ and /ʃ/ and the resulting spectral characteristics. Using spectral moment analysis and electropalatography (EPG), the real-word productions of eight speakers of American English were investigated. The spectral measures for the fricative tokens in the present study were found to be similar to data reported in previous research with adult speakers. Although the majority of the correlations examined in this study were found to be statistically significant, none of the correlations accounted for a large proportion of the variance in the data. Generally the strongest correlations were found between the spectral mean and the symmetry of the contact pattern in the anterior region of the hard palate and the width of the contact pattern in the medial region of the palate. These findings may indicate that although the width and symmetry of linguapalatal contact contributes to the spectral signature /s/ and /ʃ/ fricatives, they are likely only part of a much more complex process that may involve other mechanisms such as lip rounding, tongue groove depth and shape, aerodynamic factors, and the shape of the vocal tract in other regions.
Comparisons of Human-Landing Catches and Odor-Baited Entry Traps for Sampling Malaria Vectors in Senegal

Abstract A comparative study of human-landing catches (HLCs) and odor-baited entry traps (OBETs) for sampling malaria vectors was conducted in two different bioclimatic areas of Senegal, the Sahelian and Sudano-Guinean phytogeographic zones, from September to December 2002. Mosquitoes were collected by the two methods both indoors and outdoors. The reliability of OBET samples was tested by comparing the two methods. Overall, HLC was more effective indoors and for surveying the anopheline fauna. Both methods were effective in sampling the four known malaria vectors in Senegal [Anopheles gambiae s.s. , An. arabiensis Patton, An. funestus Giles, and An. nili (Theobald)], and mosquito age structures and infectivity rates did not differ between methods.
The role of the dentist in sleep disorders.

UNLABELLED Snoring and sleep apnoea are common. The demand for sleep medicine services has increased exponentially since the recognition of sleep apnoea as a disease in the 1960s. The involvement of dentists in the treatment of sleep apnoea has increased. This article provides an overview of the disorders and options for management. CLINICAL RELEVANCE It is important that dentists are aware of the problem of sleep disorders and the potential they have to help in their management.
Activation of cholecystokinin neurons in the dorsal pallium of the telencephalon is indispensable for the acquisition of chick imprinting behavior

Chick imprinting behavior is a good model for the study of learning and memory. Imprinting object is recognized and processed in the visual wulst, and the memory is stored in the intermediate medial mesopallium in the dorsal pallium of the telencephalon. We identified chicken cholecystokinin (CCK)‐expressing cells localized in these area. The number of CCK mRNA‐positive cells increased in chicks underwent imprinting training, and these cells expressed nuclear Fos immunoreactivity at high frequency in these regions. Most of these CCK‐positive cells were glutamatergic and negative for parvalbumin immunoreactivity. Semi‐quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the CCK mRNA levels were significantly increased in the trained chicks compared with untrained chicks. In contrast, the increase in CCK‐ and c‐Fos‐double‐positive cells associated with the training was not observed after closure of the critical period. These results indicate that CCK cells in the dorsal pallium are activated acutely by visual training that can elicit imprinting. In addition, the CCK receptor antagonist significantly suppressed the acquisition of memory. These results suggest that the activation of CCK cells in the visual wulst as well as in the intermediate medial mesopallium by visual stimuli is indispensable for the acquisition of visual imprinting.
Preterm Children Have Higher Risk Than Full-term Children of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease During the First 2 Years of Life

Background: A few previous studies have reported an increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children born preterm, but this has not been investigated in a cohort study. The impact of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) on IPD incidence rates in preterm children is unknown. Methods: Data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (2002–2010) were linked to other national registries. In total, 628,138 children were included in our study and followed until 2 years of age. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated with Poisson regression. Results: We identified 411 cases of IPD. We observed higher rates of IPD in preterm than in full-term children for the intervals 0–23, 0–5 and 6–23 months of age, IRRs = 1.83 (95 % CI: 1.36–2.47), 2.95 (95% CI: 1.44–6.06) and 1.69 (95% CI: 1.22–2.34), respectively. The risk for IPD was reduced in the PCV7-period (2007–2010) compared with that of the pre PCV7-period (2002–2005) for children 6–23 months of age, IRRs = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.08–0.53) for preterm children and 0.28 (95% CI: 0.21–0.38) for full-term children, but not for those 0–5 months of age, IRRs = 1.94 (95% CI: 0.48–7.80) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.38–1.33). Conclusions: Preterm children had an increased risk of IPD. After introduction of PCV7, the rate of IPD was reduced among preterm and full-term children from 6 months of age.
Assessing soil bacterial community and dynamics by integrated high-throughput absolute abundance quantification

Microbial ecological studies have been remarkably promoted by the high-throughput sequencing approach with explosive information of taxonomy and relative abundance. However, relative abundance does not reflect the quantity of the microbial community and the inter-sample differences among taxa. In this study, we refined and applied an integrated high-throughput absolute abundance quantification (iHAAQ) method to better characterize soil quantitative bacterial community through combining the relative abundance (by high-throughput sequencing) and total bacterial quantities (by quantitative PCR). The proposed iHAAQ method was validated by an internal reference strain EDL933 and a laboratory strain WG5. Application of the iHAAQ method to a soil phenanthrene biodegradation study showed that for some bacterial taxa, the changes of relative and absolute abundances were coincident, while for others the changes were opposite. With the addition of a microbial activity inhibitor (NaN3), the absolute abundances of soil bacterial taxa, including several dominant genera of Bacillus, Flavobacterium, and Paenibacillus, decreased significantly, but their relative abundances increased after 28 days of incubation. We conclude that the iHAAQ method can offer more comprehensive information to reflect the dynamics of soil bacterial community with both relative and absolute abundances than the relative abundance from high-throughput sequencing alone.
Anxiolytic effect of anacardic acids from cashew (Anacardium occidentale) nut shell in mice

Antianxiety drugs currently in use are associated with a number of serious side effects. Present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of anacardic acids (AAs) isolated from cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) shell liquid (CNSL) to treat anxiety as well as its role in oxidative stress in mice model. Anxiolytic effect of AA was evaluated using rota‐rod and a set of behavioral tests in male Swiss albino mice at the doses of 10, 25, and 50 mg/kg. Flumazenil was used to evaluate the possible involvement of GABAergic system in the mechanism of action of AA. The effect of AA on oxidative stress in mice was evaluated by determining the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione, and catalase (CAT) activity. The detection of DNA damage of the treated animals was performed using alkaline comet test in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of the animals. The results demonstrated that AA did not produce myorelaxant and sedative effects, nor did it cause a decrease in locomotor activity. The anxiolytic effect of AA was well‐evident in all tests, especially at higher dose levels (25 and 50 mg/mg). Flumazenil reversed the anxiolytic effect of AA at all doses. In addition, AA reduced oxidative stress by decreasing the concentration of MDA and increasing the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and CAT activity. Statistical analysis by Pearson's correlation indicated a positive correlation between anxiolytic effect of AA to its antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity. Furthermore, increased CAT activity and GSH concentrations in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of mice was also complementary to the reduced genotoxic damage observed in the study. In comet assay, AA did not increase in DNA damage. In conclusion, the results supported that AA possesses GABAA receptor mediated anxiolytic activity with the lack of myorelaxation and genotoxicity. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(5):420–431, 2018
Human herpesvirus portal proteins: Structure, function, and antiviral prospects

Herpesviruses (Herpesvirales) and tailed bacteriophages (Caudovirales) package their dsDNA genomes through an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. Much is known about the biochemistry and structural biology of phage portal proteins and the DNA encapsidation (viral genome cleavage and packaging) process. Although not at the same level of detail, studies on HSV‐1, CMV, VZV, and HHV‐8 have revealed important information on the function and structure of herpesvirus portal proteins. During dsDNA phage and herpesviral genome replication, concatamers of viral dsDNA are cleaved into single length units by a virus‐encoded terminase and packaged into preformed procapsids through a channel located at a single capsid vertex (portal). Oligomeric portals are formed by the interaction of identical portal protein monomers. Comparing portal protein primary aa sequences between phage and herpesviruses reveals little to no sequence similarity. In contrast, the secondary and tertiary structures of known portals are remarkable. In all cases, function is highly conserved in that portals are essential for DNA packaging and also play a role in releasing viral genomic DNA during infection. Preclinical studies have described small molecules that target the HSV‐1 and VZV portals and prevent viral replication by inhibiting encapsidation. This review summarizes what is known concerning the structure and function of herpesvirus portal proteins primarily based on their conserved bacteriophage counterparts and the potential to develop novel portal‐specific DNA encapsidation inhibitors.
The effect of seed cotton moisture during harvesting on: Part 2 yarn and fabric quality

This study examined the fiber quality of saw ginned Upland cotton, harvested from one field using a John Deere (JD) 7760 at three moisture levels, <12%, >12% and 14%, and storing the harvested modules for 12 weeks prior to ginning. There was a significant difference between the three moisture levels for fiber color, with seed cotton harvested at >12% and 14% resulting in fiber that was yellower, with lower reflectance and a color grade of 52, as compared to a 51 grade for seed cotton harvested at <12% moisture. The seed cotton harvested at >12% and 14% contained more trash with a leaf grade of 3, compared to a leaf grade of 2 for the seed cotton harvested at <12%. There was no significant difference between the three moisture levels in terms of fiber length and strength, but fiber micronaire was higher for the seed cotton harvested at >12% and 14% moisture content. There was no significant difference between the moisture levels for total nep count, but the seed cotton harvested at >12% had larger neps and more seed coat neps than the seed cotton harvested at <12% and 14%. In the second part of this study the fiber was spun into fine count yarns on a miniature spinning system to assess the impact on textile processing in terms of yarn and fabric quality and processing performance. The study found that the card waste for the lower moisture content harvested fiber was less than the card waste for higher moisture content harvested fiber. In terms of yarn and fabric quality, the statistically significant differences observed in fiber quality did not translate into statistically significant differences in yarn or fabric quality at any moisture content level. Surprisingly, the statistically significant differences in fiber color did not affect the color and appearance of the knitted dyed fabrics.
Hormones and diet: low insulin-like growth factor-I but normal bioavailable androgens in vegan men

Mean serum insulin-like growth factor-I was 9% lower in 233 vegan men than in 226 meat-eaters and 237 vegetarians (P = 0.002). Vegans had higher testosterone levels than vegetarians and meat-eaters, but this was offset by higher sex hormone binding globulin, and there were no differences between diet groups in free testosterone, androstanediol glucuronide or luteinizing hormone. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign
The curcumin analog HO-3867 selectively kills cancer cells by converting mutant p53 protein to transcriptionally active wildtype p53

p53 is an important tumor-suppressor protein that is mutated in more than 50% of cancers. Strategies for restoring normal p53 function are complicated by the oncogenic properties of mutant p53 and have not met with clinical success. To counteract mutant p53 activity, a variety of drugs with the potential to reconvert mutant p53 to an active wildtype form have been developed. However, these drugs are associated with various negative effects such as cellular toxicity, nonspecific binding to other proteins, and inability to induce a wildtype p53 response in cancer tissue. Here, we report on the effects of a curcumin analog, HO-3867, on p53 activity in cancer cells from different origins. We found that HO-3867 covalently binds to mutant p53, initiates a wildtype p53-like anticancer genetic response, is exclusively cytotoxic toward cancer cells, and exhibits high anticancer efficacy in tumor models. In conclusion, HO-3867 is a p53 mutant–reactivating drug with high clinical anticancer potential.
Reassembling fractured objects by geometric matching

We present a system for automatic reassembly of broken 3D solids. Given as input 3D digital models of the broken fragments, we analyze the geometry of the fracture surfaces to find a globally consistent reconstruction of the original object. Our reconstruction pipeline consists of a graph-cuts based segmentation algorithm for identifying potential fracture surfaces, feature-based robust global registration for pairwise matching of fragments, and simultaneous constrained local registration of multiple fragments. We develop several new techniques in the area of geometry processing, including the novel integral invariants for computing multi-scale surface characteristics, registration based on forward search techniques and surface consistency, and a non-penetrating iterated closest point algorithm. We illustrate the performance of our algorithms on a number of real-world examples.
The Role of Nonverbal Communication Behaviors in Clinical Trial and Research Study Recruitment

ABSTRACT Few studies have examined the communication behaviors of those who recruit for clinical trials and research studies, particularly of nonmedical professionals who often do the bulk of recruiting. This focus-group study of 63 recruiters analyzes the ways in which nonverbal communication behaviors support the process of recruitment, using the lens of communication accommodation theory. Results indicate that recruiters first “read” potential study participants’ nonverbal communication for clues about their state of mind, then use nonverbal communication to achieve a sense of convergence. Specific nonverbal communication behaviors were discussed by recruiters, including smiling, variations in the use of voice, adjusting body position, the appropriate use of physical touch, the management of eye contact, and the effect of clothing and physical appearance. Implications for recruitment practice are discussed.
Passive warming effect on soil microbial community and humic substance degradation in maritime Antarctic region

Although the maritime Antarctic has undergone rapid warming, the effects on indigenous soil‐inhabiting microorganisms are not well known. Passive warming experiments using open‐top chamber (OTC) have been performed on the Fildes Peninsula in the maritime Antarctic since 2008. When the soil temperature was measured at a depth of 2–5 cm during the 2013–2015 summer seasons, the mean temperature inside OTC (OTC‐In) increased by approximately 0.8 °C compared with outside OTC (OTC‐Out), while soil chemical and physical characteristics did not change. Soils (2015 summer) from OTC‐In and OTC‐Out were subjected to analysis for change in microbial community and degradation rate of humic substances (HS, the largest pool of recalcitrant organic carbon in soil). Archaeal and bacterial communities in OTC‐In were minimally affected by warming compared with those in OTC‐Out, with archaeal methanogenic Thermoplasmata slightly increased in abundance. The abundance of heterotrophic fungi Ascomycota was significantly altered in OTC‐In. Total bacterial and fungal biomass in OTC‐In increased by 20% compared to OTC‐Out, indicating that this may be due to increased microbial degradation activity for soil organic matter (SOM) including HS, which would result in the release of more low‐molecular‐weight growth substrates from SOM. Despite the effects of warming on the microbial community over the 8‐years‐experiments warming did not induce any detectable change in content or structure of polymeric HS. These results suggest that increased temperature may have significant and direct effects on soil microbial communities inhabiting maritime Antarctic and that soil microbes would subsequently provide more available carbon sources for other indigenous microbes.
Influence of ethnic origin (Asian v. Caucasian) and background diet on the bioavailability of dietary isoflavones

Soya isoflavones: genistein and daidzein are increasingly consumed in Western countries. Their beneficial effects are discussed considering nutrition and health in Asia. The present study aimed to check whether chronic ingestions, ethnic origin and dietary context can influence soya phyto-oestrogen bioavailability. Two prospective trials were carried out to blindly assess the pharmacokinetics after acute and chronic intake of soya-based cheese (45·97 (sd1·57) mg isoflavones) taken once a day for 10 d. Twelve healthy young Asians immersed for 2 months in France were randomised in a cross-over design to compare the influence of a Western v. Asian dietary context. The second trial partly nested in the first one, compared Asians under the Western diet to twelve healthy young male Caucasians under the same diet. All volunteers were non-equol producers. After an acute intake of soya in Western diet, Asians exhibited higher maximum concentration measured in plasma (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) for genistein and daidzein than Caucasians (P = 0·005, 0·006, 0·032 and 0·008, respectively). In Caucasians under Western diet, AUC and Cmax values significantly increased after chronic intake. This was not the case for daidzein in Asians whatever the dietary context. For the first time, it is evidenced that on acute intake of soya cheese, Asians absorb soya phyto-oestrogens better than Caucasians, regardless of whether the background diet is Western or Asian. On chronic ingestions, AUC and Cmax values were increased for daidzein and genistein in Caucasians but not in Asians. There are ethnical differences in isoflavone pharmacokinetic and bioavailability. This may influence health outcomes.
High-speed spatial frequency domain imaging of rat cortex detects dynamic optical and physiological properties following cardiac arrest and resuscitation

Abstract. Quantifying rapidly varying perturbations in cerebral tissue absorption and scattering can potentially help to characterize changes in brain function caused by ischemic trauma. We have developed a platform for rapid intrinsic signal brain optical imaging using macroscopically structured light. The device performs fast, multispectral, spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI), detecting backscattered light from three-phase binary square-wave projected patterns, which have a much higher refresh rate than sinusoidal patterns used in conventional SFDI. Although not as fast as “single-snapshot” spatial frequency methods that do not require three-phase projection, square-wave patterns allow accurate image demodulation in applications such as small animal imaging where the limited field of view does not allow single-phase demodulation. By using 655, 730, and 850 nm light-emitting diodes, two spatial frequencies (fx=0 and 0.3 mm−1), three spatial phases (120 deg, 240 deg, and 360 deg), and an overall camera acquisition rate of 167 Hz, we map changes in tissue absorption and reduced scattering parameters (μa and μs′) and oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentration at ∼14 Hz. We apply this method to a rat model of cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to quantify hemodynamics and scattering on temporal scales (Δt) ranging from tens of milliseconds to minutes. We observe rapid concurrent spatiotemporal changes in tissue oxygenation and scattering during CA and following CPR, even when the cerebral electrical signal is absent. We conclude that square-wave SFDI provides an effective technical strategy for assessing cortical optical and physiological properties by balancing competing performance demands for fast signal acquisition, small fields of view, and quantitative information content.
Physico-chemical Properties of Mutton Patties Prepared from Munjal and Harnali Breeds of Sheep

Meat obtained from Munjal and Harnali breeds of sheep were used for preparation of patties and were analyzed for quality attribues. The breed effect on the product quality was analyzed to produce a detail picture in reference to the parameters like physicochemical, textural, sensory characteristics. It was found that Munjal and Harnali breeds have no significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on physico-chemical and functional properties of patties. The color parameter indicated that L* and a* values have no significant (p ≤ 0.05) difference but b* values have significant (p ≤ 0.05) difference. However the Texture Profile Analysis and sensory panel scores indicated a lower quality attributes for the products prepared from the Harnali breed in comparison to Munjal. Hardness, gumminess, chewiness, firmness and toughness of patties have significant (p ≤ 0.05) difference. The microbial count indicated more than 6 log cfu/gm after 20 days of storage indicating a shelf life of less than 20 day in refrigerated storage.