Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic normal reference ranges for proximal aorta dimensions: results from the EACVI NORRE study

Aims To report normal reference ranges for echocardiographic dimensions of the proximal aorta obtained in a large group of healthy volunteers recruited using state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound equipment, considering different measurement conventions, and taking into account gender, age, and body size of individuals. Methods and Results A total of 704 (mean age: 46.0 ± 13.5 years) healthy volunteers (310 men and 394 women) were prospectively recruited from the collaborating institutions of the Normal Reference Ranges for Echocardiography (NORRE) study. A comprehensive echocardiographic examination was obtained in all subjects following pre-defined protocols. Aortic dimensions were obtained in systole and diastole, following both the leading-edge to leading-edge and the inner-edge to inner-edge conventions. Diameters were measured at four levels: ventricular-arterial junction, sinuses of Valsalva, sino-tubular junction, and proximal tubular ascending aorta. Measures of aortic root in the short-axis view following the orientation of each of the three sinuses were also performed. Men had significantly larger body sizes when compared with women, and showed larger aortic dimensions independently of the measurement method used. Dimensions indexed by height and body surface area are provided, and stratification by age ranges is also displayed. In multivariable analysis, the independent predictors of aortic dimensions were age, gender, and height or body surface area. Conclusion The NORRE study provides normal values of proximal aorta dimensions as assessed by echocardiography. Reference ranges for different anatomical levels using different (i) measurement conventions and (ii) at different times of the cardiac cycle (i.e. mid-systole and end-diastole) are provided. Age, gender, and body size were significant determinants of aortic dimensions.
Association between infection of virulence cagA gene Helicobacter pylori and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Background The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of cagA gene Helicobacter pylori in etiopathogenesis of initiation and development of larynx squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and its predictable role as a prognostic factor. Material/Methods The prospective, controlled study involved a series of 75 patients (65 male, 10 female, mean age 59.1 years, range 43 to 79 years) with larynx cancer. Samples of larynx cancerous tissue, each of 10–15 mg, were obtained from fresh tissues and were used for nucleic acid purification. DNA was extracted from 225 samples (larynx tumor – I (75), margin of tumor and normal tissue – II (75) and normal larynx tissue from opposite side to the tumor – III). All samples were subjected to H. pylori ureA detection by the PCR H. pylori diagnostic test. Samples that were positive for ureA H. pylori gene were evaluated for cagA H. pylori gene. Results Presence of H. pylori cagA gene was identified in 46,7% to 49,3% of 75 H. pylori ureA gene-positive larynx cancer depending of tissue location. There was a correlation of high incidence of positive cagA gene in larynx cancer tissue in supraglottic versus subglottic and glottic location. We observed a predominance of cagA gene in LSCC in patients with positive cervical lymph nodes and clinical stage T3 and T4. Conclusions H. pylori is present in larynx tissue and may be a possible carcinogen or co-carcinogen in LSCC development, but that must be addressed by future investigations. The presence of cagA gene in larynx cancer tissues significantly decreases survival rate and increases the disease recurrence possibilities.
Boosting very-high radix division with prescaling and selection by rounding

An extension of the very-high radix division with prescaling and selection by rounding is presented. This extension consists in increasing the effective radix of the implementation by obtaining a few additional bits of the quotient per iteration, without increasing the complexity of the unit to obtain the prescaling factor nor the delay of an iteration. As a consequence, for some values of the effective radix, it permits an implementation with a smaller area and the same execution time than the original scheme. Estimations are given for 54-bit and 114-bit quotients.
General Relativistic Radiative Transfer in Hot Astrophysical Plasmas: A Characteristic Approach

In this paper we present a characteristic method for solving the transfer equation in differentially moving media in a curved spacetime. The method is completely general, but its capabilities are exploited at best in presence of symmetries, when the existence of conserved quantities allows to derive analytical expressions for the photon trajectories in phase space. In spherically--symmetric, stationary configurations the solution of the transfer problem is reduced to the integration of a single ordinary differential equation along the bi--parametric family of characteristic rays. Accurate expressions for the radiative processes relevant to continuum transfer in a hot astrophysical plasma have been used in evaluating the source term, including relativistic e--p, e--e bremsstrahlung and Compton scattering. A numerical code for the solution of the transfer problem in moving media in a Schwarzschild spacetime has been developed and tested. Some applications, concerning ``hot'' and ``cold'' accretion onto non--rotating black holes as well as static atmospheres around neutron stars, are presented and discussed.
Adenovirus polymerase chain reaction assay for rapid diagnosis of conjunctivitis.

PURPOSE To evaluate newly designed primers in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of adenovirus DNA in conjunctival swabs. METHODS Oligonucleotides were derived from the adenovirus hexon gene and modified such that a maximum of only two mismatches occurred with adenovirus types 2 through 5, 7, and 16. Specificity was determined against adenovirus types 2 through 4, 7, 8 through 11, 14, 19, 37, 40, and 41 and from non-adenoviral DNA and the sensitivity by PCR amplification of purified adenovirus type 2 DNA. The assay was compared retrospectively with cell culture and a PCR with different primers on 59 stored conjunctival swab samples. The new PCR also was used prospectively in comparison with cell culture on 2743 conjunctival swabs. RESULTS The 140-bp product was amplified from all the adenovirus serotypes tested except types 40 and 41, which have not been isolated from the eye. There were no amplified products from the non-adenoviral DNA tested. With adenovirus type 2 DNA, despite two deliberate mismatches, 40 copies of the target were detectable after PCR and ethidium bromide-staining. In the retrospective study, 51 of 55 (92.7%) were positive by this new PCR compared with 42 of 55 (76.4%) by the older PCR and 40 of 55 (72.7%) by cell culture. In the prospective study, the new PCR detected 386 of 415 (93%) adenovirus-positive specimens compared with 248 of 415 (59.8%) by cell culture. Of 167 specimens positive for herpes simplex virus by cell culture, none were positive by the adenovirus PCR. CONCLUSIONS PCR with the newly designed primers shows a much increased sensitivity over cell culture and previous PCRs for the detection of adenoviruses in conjunctival swabs.
First Baby, First Year: Gratitude and Emotional Approach Coping as Predictors of Adjustment and Life Satisfaction during the Transition to Motherhood

Title of Document: FIRST BABY, FIRST YEAR: GRATITUDE AND EMOTIONAL APPROACH COPING AS PREDICTORS OF ADJUSTMENT AND LIFE SATISFACTION DURING THE TRANSITION TO MOTHERHOOD Sarah Piontkowski, Master of Arts, 2011 Directed By: Mary Ann Hoffman, Ph.D. Professor Department of Counseling and Personnel Services Becoming a mother is one of the most common major life transitions, with approximately 82% of the population of women in the United States having given birth by the age of 45. Although becoming a mother is generally thought of as a positive experience, the transition to parenthood can also present many challenges. T his study examined the postpartum transition of 152 first-time mothers. Utilizing the str ess and coping model, this study explored the role of gratitude and emotional approach coping on postpartum distress, postpartum adjustment, and life satisfaction. Data were c ollected using an online survey, and correlations, regression analyses, and mediation analys es were run. The findings revealed that women who reported higher levels of both grati tude and emotional approach coping also reported better postpartum adjustment, greater l ife satisfaction, and less postpartum distress. The health of both the mother and the baby also predicted better postpartum outcomes for mothers. FIRST BABY, FIRST YEAR: GRATITUDE AND EMOTIONAL APPROACH COPING AS PREDICTORS OF ADJUSTMENT AND LIFE SATISFACTION DURING THE TRANSITION TO MOTHERHOOD
Hardware complexity reduction of LDPC-CC decoders based on message-passing approaches

LDPC convolutional codes (LDPC-CC) are a family of error-correcting codes (ECC) used in digital communication systems like the IEEE 1901 standard. High throughput and low complexity hardware architectures were designed for real time systems. In this article we demonstrate that an efficient selection of the message passing (MP) algorithm for LDPC-CC decoding improves the architecture features of related works. In fact, considering the LDPC-CC decoders proposed for the IEEE 1901 standard, we show that an appropriate Min-Sum approximation selection can significantly improve the error correction performance by 0.1 to 0.2 dB in terms of Bit Error Ratio. It can also reduce the hardware complexity by 10% to 20% with no impact on the Bit Error Ratio performance.
Unifying PAC and Regret: Uniform PAC Bounds for Episodic Reinforcement Learning

Statistical performance bounds for reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms can be critical for high-stakes applications like healthcare. This paper introduces a new framework for theoretically measuring the performance of such algorithms called Uniform-PAC, which is a strengthening of the classical Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) framework. In contrast to the PAC framework, the uniform version may be used to derive high probability regret guarantees and so forms a bridge between the two setups that has been missing in the literature. We demonstrate the benefits of the new framework for finite-state episodic MDPs with a new algorithm that is Uniform-PAC and simultaneously achieves optimal regret and PAC guarantees except for a factor of the horizon.
Methodological Issues When Using the Draw and Write Technique With Children Aged 6 to 12 Years

Researchers are responsible for using techniques that allow children to contribute their perspectives in a way that is most suited to their strengths and preferences. The draw and write technique is a method that needs to be used carefully and sensitively if children are to become active participants in revealing their world as they see it. In this article, we explore the issues for the child and researcher of using the draw and write technique as a participatory research methodology. Reflections on the technique are drawn from our experience of using it with children aged 6 to 12 years. This was part of a larger study undertaken to enable children aged 4 to 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer to give their views about hospital care. The participating children's verbal and artistic contributions illustrate how children are able to convey their opinions when there is an enabling climate created.
Concentrations of Tropospheric Ozone from 1979 to 1992 over Tropical Pacific South America from TOMS Data

An estimate of tropospheric ozone concentrations was obtained from the difference in the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data between the high Andes and the Pacific Ocean. From 1979 to 1992 the tropospheric ozone concentration apparently increased by 1.48 ± 0.40 percent per year or 0.21 ± 0.06 Dobson unit per year over South America and the surrounding oceans. An increase in biomass burning in the Southern Hemisphere can account for this trend in tropospheric ozone concentrations.
α-stable interference modeling and cauchy receiver for an IR-UWB Ad Hoc network

In this paper we investigate ad hoc networks based on impulse radio ultra wideband. Due to multiple access, the interference distribution is not Gaussian. One important reason for errors is the presence of close interferers generating pulse collision. However such events are rare and we propose an α-stable model compatible with this fact due to its heavy tailed distribution. We derive the analytical expression of the two significant parameters. They depend on the attenuation coefficient, the users' density, the pulse collision probability and the pulse shape. We finally propose receiver strategies (Cauchy receiver and p-norm) that outperforms the classical Gaussian receiver.
Mate choice opportunity leads to shorter offspring development time in a desert insect

We describe indirect genetic benefits of mate choice in two allopatric populations of cactophilic Drosophila mojavensis. By manipulating mate choice opportunity, we show that greater mate choice among sexually mature adults leads to shorter offspring egg‐to‐adult development times; the extent of this reduction was influenced by population origin and by host plant environment. We performed multiple‐choice mating trials with individually marked flies to investigate whether differential male mating success was a consequence of female choice, male interaction, or both. We demonstrate that male copulation frequency was not random and instead, was determined by female choice. Virgin females in these trials were no less discriminating than females that had been previously exposed to males. These results suggest that there are indirect benefits of female mate choice that are population and environment specific, consistent with the hypothesis of ecologically influenced ‘good genes’ sexual selection.
The development of TESOL teacher beliefs and knowledge in an ICT-enriched CPD environment

This thesis investigates the professional development of TESOL teachers during a postgraduate peer-taught course in English Philology at the Pedagogical University in Krakow, Poland. The analysis, conducted on the basis of a Grounded Theory approach, examines how an ICT CPD course influenced the professional development of forty newly-qualified Polish teachers of English as a Foreign Language, who engaged in peer teaching as a central component of the course. The research uncovers and examines teacher beliefs and knowledge in a setting characterised by a high degree of autonomy. The study proposes that the participants, in order to present themselves as competent and self-assured ELT professionals, acted upon the notion of the ‘good teacher’ through both the tacit and the explicit CMC-based negotiation of a collaboratively structured teaching model consistent with their beliefs. In the process of designing ICT-rich English lessons, the participants, guided by their beliefs, ascribed value to subject-specific pedagogical knowledge and skills, foregrounding pedagogy and normalising the technology. The role of autonomy is confirmed as a prerequisite for the kind of practice which supports and enables the pedagogical development of teachers in such an ICT CPD. The thesis offers an original contribution in its presentation of a new construct for understanding teacher belief in the context of technology-related settings. The Technological Pedagogical and Content Beliefs construct (TPACB) attempts to capture the relationship between different types of teacher beliefs, and complements a parallel knowledge construction model - Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge – by offering a proposition which illuminates the nature of the interplay of the beliefs relevant to the field of TESOL and other areas of education. In addition, the study proposes a model for an ELT CPD practicum which encourages development in pedagogical knowledge and beliefs while promoting the integration of ICT into practice.
Misconceptions and Game Form Recognition of the BDM Method: Challenges to Theories of Revealed Preference and Framing

This study explores the tension between the standard economic theory of preference and non-standard theories of preference that are motivated by an underlying theory of framing. A simple experiment was performed to measure a known preference, the value of a card that can be exchanged for $2 cash. The measurement does not produce the known preference and instead reports a preference that has properties often cited in support of non-standard preference theories and framing. Close examination reveals that the divergence of the measured preference from the known preference reflects a mistake, arising from some subjects’ misconception of the game form. We conclude that choice data should not be granted an unqualified interpretation of preference revelation. Mistakes in choices obscured by a possible error at the foundations of the theory of framing, can masquerade as having been produced by non-standard preferences.
Characterization of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Thymidine Kinase Mutants Selected under a Single Round of High-Dose Brivudin

ABSTRACT A broad variety of herpes simplex virus type 1 clones was selected under a single round of high-dose selection with brivudin. Mutations in the thymidine kinase (TK) genes consisted of 42% frameshift mutations within homopolymer repeats of G's and C's and single nucleotide substitutions (58%) that produced stop codons (Q261 and R281) or a new codon at the site of the substitution (A168T, R51W, G59W, G206R, R220H, Y239S, and T287 M). The A168T change, associated with an altered TK phenotype, proved to be the most commonly selected substitution. For the different mutants, a correlation between phenotype, genotype, and in vivo neurovirulence was observed.
The intraflagellar transport protein, IFT88, is essential for vertebrate photoreceptor assembly and maintenance

Approximately 10% of the photoreceptor outer segment (OS) is turned over each day, requiring large amounts of lipid and protein to be moved from the inner segment to the OS. Defects in intraphotoreceptor transport can lead to retinal degeneration and blindness. The transport mechanisms are unknown, but because the OS is a modified cilium, intraflagellar transport (IFT) is a candidate mechanism. IFT involves movement of large protein complexes along ciliary microtubules and is required for assembly and maintenance of cilia. We show that IFT particle proteins are localized to photoreceptor connecting cilia. We further find that mice with a mutation in the IFT particle protein gene, Tg737/IFT88, have abnormal OS development and retinal degeneration. Thus, IFT is important for assembly and maintenance of the vertebrate OS.
Semantic Grammars: How They Can Help Us Teach Writing.

or we could try to find grammatical "cues" to give our students about the way to write sentences that reflect their ideas more effectively. Semantic theorists, coming primarily from Czechoslovakia, Great Britain, and America, may be providing those cues for us. Because they view the language as a set of semantic structures, these linguists are not often faced with a form-content dichotomy. They see the structure of our language rising out of the ideas we express; they therefore analyze sentences not as syntactic units "generated" out of an innate deep structure, but as syntactic units produced by the ideas that motivate discourse. And just as other linguistic theories like transformational grammar have been "tested" for validity by experimental psychologists and psycholinguists, there is now a rich and growing literature that reports the results of psychological testing based on these theories of language as a set of semantic structures. This testing, which involves observing subjects encode and decode language in a variety of experimental settings, seems to validate certain semantic interpretations of language processing, and it can offer the teacher fascinating insights into the nature of reading and writing. In presenting briefly three of the semantic theories that I have found most helpful for teaching, I will do the following: describe each theory briefly, suggest ways to use it in the teaching of writing, and, where data are available, discuss how current psychological testing can validate its application to
Lesbian and gay couples: Where they turn when help is needed

This article presents findings of a 1988 study of the help-seeking behaviors of a sample of 128 gay and lesbian individuals currently in coupled relationships. Gender of professional service providers, not sexual orientation, was foundto differentiate between gay and lesbian respondents in their selection of service providers. Differences between help-using behaviors of gay and lesbian respondents (past and anticipated) were also discovered. These differences are analyzed, and implications for mental health practitioners who provide services to gay and lesbian couples are discussed.
meXicana Encounters: The Making of Social Identities on the Borderlands

List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Toward a Planetary Civil Society 2. Cross-Border Feminist Solidarities 3. Gender, Multiculturalism, and the Missionary Position on the Borderlands 4. The Chicano Familia Romance 5. Familia Matters 6. "Fantasy Heritage": Tracking Latina Bloodlines 7. Haunted by Miscegenation 8. Ghosts of a Mexican Past Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index
One teacher’s development as a reflective practitioner

Using qualitative case study methodology, this article explores a language teacher’s development as a reflective practitioner, while she was engaged on a three-year in-service BA (TESOL) programme in the Middle East. Data gained from observations and interviews reveal evidence of growth in her reflective qualities, skills and capacity to reflect critically, as she learned to solve teaching problems, drawing on public as well as personal theories. The constructivist nature of the BA (TESOL) programme concerned was integral to her development, as was a warm, supportive environment in the school she taught in. Interview data that uncovered early career experiences emphasises the need for pre-service courses to prepare teachers thoroughly for the challenges they face.
Groups, Teams, and the Division of Labor: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Organization of Work

The purpose of this chapter is to survey and critique this varied landscape of research on groups at work, drawing out common themes and selective weaknesses with the goal of suggesting a more synthetic and informed future agenda. Our discussion is not encyclopedic, but rather focused on three quite different research traditions: those based in psychology, in industrial relations, and in critical sociology. We outline the intellectual landscape of each case and highlight areas of agreement and disagreement. We argue that this project of cross-disciplinary theory building encounters substantial challenges, but is rich in potential. These traditions differ in their theoretical assumptions, research questions and methods, and outcomes of interest. Nonetheless, we suggest that building a more multi-disciplinary research agenda is worthwhile and conclude with suggestions for further work in this direction.