Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A User-interface Environment as a Support in Maths Teaching for Deaf Children

The use of theories stemming from different areas of knowledge has contributed both to knowledge acquisition – since these theories help perceive individuals more effectively – and to the development of educational software. This is the case, for instance, of cognitive theories, which in turn assist in terms of both learning support and the clarification of possible needs in the acquisition of a given concept. In the present paper, we propose a discussion about the help function (Leite, Borba and Gomes, 2008) provided by educational software, focusing deaf students. This paper also presents an enhancement for the interface design of the help function, based on the Conceptual Fields Theory and the Theory of Multiple External Representations. This interface design enhancement is created by carrying out a new analysis regarding the display of a help function through diagrams. In short, in the present paper we derive important contributions from these two theoretical frameworks so as to provide deaf students with support in the acquisition of mathematical concepts, considering that these deaf students are put in an inclusive context.
GlcNAc 2-Epimerase Can Serve a Catabolic Role in Sialic Acid Metabolism*

Sialic acid is a major determinant of carbohydrate-receptor interactions in many systems pertinent to human health and disease. N-Acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) is the first committed intermediate in the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway; thus, the mechanisms that control intracellular ManNAc levels are important regulators of sialic acid production. UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase and GlcNAc 2-epimerase are two enzymes capable of generating ManNAc from UDP-GlcNAc and GlcNAc, respectively. Whereas the former enzyme has been shown to direct metabolic flux toward sialic acid in vivo, the function of the latter enzyme is unclear. Here we study the effects of GlcNAc 2-epimerase expression on sialic acid production in cells. A key tool we developed for this study is a cell-permeable, small molecule inhibitor of GlcNAc 2-epimerase designed based on mechanistic principles. Our results indicate that, unlike UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase, which promotes biosynthesis of sialic acid, GlcNAc 2-epimerase can serve a catabolic role, diverting metabolic flux away from the sialic acid pathway.
Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Context of West African History

This paper examines three views which have been widely held about slavery and the slave trade in West Africa, and which have tended to mould interpretations of its history, especially for the period from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. These are: (1) That the institution of slavery was endemic in, and a natural feature of, indigenous West African society, so that when foreigners arrived in West Africa with a demand for slaves, West Africans were able immediately to organize an export trade in slaves on an ever-increasing scale. (2) A contrary view, that it was the external demands for labour which led to a great growth of the institution of slavery in West Africa, and so corrupted its indigenous society. (3) A view which may or may not be combined with (2), namely that the external demand for slaves became so considerable that there was a disastrous effect on its population. Relevant evidence is touched upon from about the eleventh century onwards, and a fourth interpretation is developed which seems better to fit the economic and social realities which can be ascertained. In essence this is that economic and commercial slavery and slave-trading were not natural features of West African society, but that they developed, along with the growth of states, as a form of labour mobilization to meet the needs of a growing system of foreign trade in which, initially, the demand for slaves as trade goods was relatively insignificant. What might be termed a ‘slave economy’ was generally established in the Western and Central Sudan by about the fourteenth century at least, and had certainly spread to the coasts around the Senegal and in Lower Guinea by the fifteenth century. The European demand for slaves for the Americas, which reached its peak from about 1650 to about 1850, accentuated and expanded the internal growth of both slavery and the slave trade. But this was essentially only one aspect of a very wide process of economic and political development and social change, in West Africa. The data recently assembled and analysed by Curtin for the volume and distribution of the export slave trade do not suggest that the loss of population and other effects of the export of labour to the Americas need have had universally damaging effects on the development of West Africa. Rather, it is suggested, West African rulers and merchants reacted to the demand with economic reasoning, and used it to strengthen streams of economic and political development that were already current before the Atlantic slave trade began.
Kinematics of waterfall climbing in Hawaiian freshwater fishes (Gobiidae): vertical propulsion at the aquatic-terrestrial interface

To reach adult habitats, juveniles of three species of Hawaiian gobies (fishes under 3 cm long) climb waterfalls up to 350 m high, over 10 000 times their body length. The demands of moving through such an extreme environment could constrain the range of viable locomotor mechanisms that these fishes use. Previous qualitative observations indicated that Lentipes concolor and Awaous guamensis use ‘powerbursts’ of axial undulation to climb, whereas Sicyopterus stimpsoni ‘inches up’ vertical surfaces by alternately attaching oral and pelvic suckers to the substrate. To compare these propulsive mechanisms and their physiological requirements, high-speed video footage of climbing by juveniles from these three species on an artificial waterfall were collected, and climbing kinematics and performance for the two climbing styles were quantified. Bouts of powerburst climbing by L. concolor and A. guamensis typically begin in or near direct water flow and are initiated by a single, rapid adduction of the pectoral fins. Powerburst climbing bouts are rapid (12.4 ± 1.0 body lengths (BL) s −1 ), but short in duration (0.07 ± 0.02 s) with few continuous locomotor cycles (3.8 ± 1.3 cycles bout −1 ). Powerburst climbers use high amplitude undulations along the entire body, but minimum resultant velocities of these undulations are high (> 6B L s −1 ). This suggests that these species may hybridize terrestrial propulsive mechanisms with aquatic mechanisms. In contrast, climbing by inching inS. stimpsoni involves little axial undulation or fin movement.Sicyopterus stimpsoni typically exit the water outside of direct flow and seem to use terrestrial propulsive mechanisms. As the oral disc attaches to the substrate, it expands to almost twice its resting area, after which the posterior body is pulled upwards; once the pelvic disc attaches, the oral disc releases and the anterior body advances. Climbing bouts include several continuous cycles of disc attachment (11.0 ± 1.4 cycles bout −1 )a nd last several seconds at velocities of 0.21 ± 0.01 BL s −1 . B efore climbing waterfalls during migration to adult habitats, S. stimpsoni undergo a nonfeeding metamorphosis that leads to the development of the mouth as a secondary locomotor organ. The unusual behaviour and ontogenetic strategy ofS.stimpsoni seem to be evolutionary novelties, rather than ancestral retentions, suggesting that the evolution of these features may have been closely correlated. The substantial performance and kinematic distinctions between powerburst and inching climbing indicate that considerable locomotor diversity can evolve even in th ec ontext of extreme environmental demands.
Molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of the novel BK channel opener GoSlo: Involvement of the S4/S5 linker and the S6 segment

Significance Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) calcium-activated potassium channels alter the excitability of a wide variety of cells including nerves and muscle. These channels are potential targets to treat diseases such as overactive bladder, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction. We have shown that a novel compound called GoSlo opens these channels and this effect is blocked when three mutations are introduced. The identification of this potential interaction site may permit the development of more potent, efficacious BK channel modulators to help treat the above diseases. GoSlo-SR-5-6 is a novel large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel agonist that shifts the activation V1/2 of these channels in excess of −100 mV when applied at a concentration of 10 μM. Although the structure–activity relationship of this family of molecules has been established, little is known about how they open BK channels. To help address this, we used a combination of electrophysiology, mutagenesis, and mathematical modeling to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of GoSlo-SR-5-6. Our data demonstrate that the effects of this agonist are practically abolished when three point mutations are made: L227A in the S4/S5 linker in combination with S317R and I326A in the S6C region. Our data suggest that GoSlo-SR-5-6 interacts with the transmembrane domain of the channel to enhance pore opening. The Horrigan–Aldrich model suggests that GoSlo-SR-5-6 works by stabilizing the open conformation of the channel and the activated state of the voltage sensors, yet decouples the voltage sensors from the pore gate.
Intuitive control of a powered prosthetic leg during ambulation: a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE Some patients with lower leg amputations may be candidates for motorized prosthetic limbs. Optimal control of such devices requires accurate classification of the patient's ambulation mode (eg, on level ground or ascending stairs) and natural transitions between different ambulation modes. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of including electromyographic (EMG) data and historical information from prior gait strides in a real-time control system for a powered prosthetic leg capable of level-ground walking, stair ascent and descent, ramp ascent and descent, and natural transitions between these ambulation modes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Blinded, randomized crossover clinical trial conducted between August 2012 and November 2013 in a research laboratory at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Participants were 7 patients with unilateral above-knee (n = 6) or knee-disarticulation (n = 1) amputations. All patients were capable of ambulation within their home and community using a passive prosthesis (ie, one that does not provide external power). INTERVENTIONS Electrodes were placed over 9 residual limb muscles and EMG signals were recorded as patients ambulated and completed 20 circuit trials involving level-ground walking, ramp ascent and descent, and stair ascent and descent. Data were acquired simultaneously from 13 mechanical sensors embedded on the prosthesis. Two real-time pattern recognition algorithms, using either (1) mechanical sensor data alone or (2) mechanical sensor data in combination with EMG data and historical information from earlier in the gait cycle, were evaluated. The order in which patients used each configuration was randomized (1:1 blocked randomization) and double-blinded so patients and experimenters did not know which control configuration was being used. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcome of the study was classification error for each real-time control system. Classification error is defined as the percentage of steps incorrectly predicted by the control system. RESULTS Including EMG signals and historical information in the real-time control system resulted in significantly lower classification error (mean, 7.9% [95% CI, 6.1%-9.7%]) across a mean of 683 steps (range, 640-756 steps) compared with using mechanical sensor data only (mean, 14.1% [95% CI, 9.3%-18.9%]) across a mean of 692 steps (range, 631-775 steps), with a mean difference between groups of 6.2% (95% CI, 2.7%-9.7%] (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study of 7 patients with lower limb amputations, inclusion of EMG signals and temporal gait information reduced classification error across ambulation modes and during transitions between ambulation modes. These preliminary findings, if confirmed, have the potential to improve the control of powered leg prostheses.
Toxic algae

* Pets and farm animals have died from drinking water containing toxic algae. * Toxic algae poisons have been known to last in water for as long as two weeks after the bloom has disappeared. * While the risk to humans is mostly skin rashes and blisters, there have been instances of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, as well as liver disease. * Other external symptoms include: mouth ulcers, ulcers inside of the nose, eye and/or ear irritations, blistering of the lips, sore throat (symptoms increase significantly with the duration of water contact and the density of the lake). * Other symptoms from ingestion include: headaches, muscle pains, central abdominal pain, seizures, liver failure, respiratory arrest and death (severity of the illness is related to the amount of water and toxins ingested). * The poison can be fatal
Diagnostic value of medical thoracoscopy in pleural disease: a 6-year retrospective study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Unlike thoracocentesis and closed pleural biopsy (CPB), medical thoracoscopy permits biopsy with direct visualization. In a 6-year retrospective study of patients having undergone at least one medical thoracoscopy, we analyzed the diagnostic yield of thoracoscopy and its value in the management of pleural disease. SETTING/PATIENTS From January 1, 1989, to December 31, 1994, 168 medical thoracoscopies were performed on 154 patients (123 men; mean age +/- SE, 61 +/- 1 years), of which 149 were diagnostic and 19 were indicated for therapeutic assessment in malignant mesothelioma (MM). Prior to thoracoscopy, at least one CPB had been performed in 120 of 149 cases, yielding a diagnosis in 96 cases. RESULTS Thoracoscopy challenged the CPB-based diagnosis in 43 of 96 cases. In 66 cases of nonspecific inflammation diagnosed by CPB, thoracoscopy revealed MM in 16 cases, adenocarcinoma in 10 cases, undetermined carcinoma in 3 cases, and pleural tuberculosis in 3 cases. In 18 cases in which the CPB diagnosis was MM, thoracoscopy, performed for precise staging, challenged the diagnosis in 4 cases. In 12 cases of carcinoma diagnosed by CPB, thoracoscopy specified the histologic type in 7 cases. Thoracoscopic diagnoses were found to be erroneous in 10 of 149 cases, mainly owing to pleural adhesions that limited access to the pleural cavity. There was one thoracoscopy-related death, one case of sepsis, and six cases of empyema. CONCLUSIONS Medical thoracoscopy appears to be efficient and relatively safe in the management of pleural disease. Pleural adhesions can lower its diagnostic value.
Descriptions of health by EU citizens begging abroad

ABSTRACT Poor citizens from European Union (EU) member countries begging to support themselves are now common in affluent EU countries. Their lack of basic amenities, such as access to a shelter and sanitation is not in line with human rights and also implies a risk for health issues. Despite this, we know little about how these vulnerable EU citizens, themselves, perceive their health situation. The aim of this study was to explore vulnerable EU citizens’ descriptions of their health. Eight females and 12 males from Romania, 19–64 years of age, participated in individual interviews that included health issues. Qualitative content analysis was used, identifying the main category “Begging abroad and health - for better and for worse” together with two categories and five subcategories. It is concluded that EU citizens begging abroad risk poorer health as a consequence of their attempts to improve their situation, both their own health and that of their relatives. Therefore, they need access to affordable health care as this may decrease the need for unwanted travelling abroad to beg.
Different Types of Childhood Adverse Experiences and Mood Disorders

Recent studies have shown that multiple categories of retrospectively reported childhood adverse events often co-occur (Finkelhor et al., 2007) and, in many cases, they are nonspecific in their associations with different mental disorders (Green et al., 2010). On this basis, the latest studies (Green et al., 2010) are aimed to assess various forms of abuse simultaneously and to examine multiple psychiatric outcomes in order to avoid overly narrow interpretations.
Glucocorticoid Inhibition of Glucose Uptake by Peripheral Tissues: Old and New Evidence, Molecular Mechanisms, and Physiological Significance

Over the past forty years or so endocrinologists have been actively studying the actions of glucocorticoids on glucose metabolism. Most of their efforts have been directed at the stimulatory action on hepatic gluconeogenesis. Largely neglected have been what I shall endeavor to show are the equally important, and now equally well documented, inhibitory actions on glucose utilization by extrahepatic tissues. The widely accepted view that stimulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis from amino acids accounts satisfactorily for most of the observed effects of glucocorticoids on carbohydrate metabolism emerged during the 1930s from the work ofBritton and Silvette [1], of Evans [2], and ofLong and his collaborators. It received definitive formulation in 1940 in the paper by Long, Katzin and Fry [3 ] that has since served as a springboard for almost all work in this area.
Calcaneal Tendon Regions Exhibit Different MMP‐2 Activation After Vertical Jumping and Treadmill Running

Increased activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) ‐2 and ‐9 was found in calcaneal tendon after physical training. However, little attention has been given to the distinct biomechanical and tissue structure of the calcaneal tendon's proximal and distal regions. Herein, we evaluated the effect of two types of physical activities on tendon morphology and matrix metalloproteinase activities in the proximal and distal regions of rat calcaneal tendon, separately. Adult male Wistar rats from control, water‐adapted, vertical‐jumping, and treadmill‐running groups were sacrificed after 1 or 4 days of physical exercise, 6 hr after the end of that day's exercise session. Tendons were processed for histology, morphometry, and gelatin zymography. Tendons from adapted and trained animals showed active secretory cells and increased thickness, cellularity, and blood vessel volume fraction of peritendinous sheath, but without inflammatory process. In the proximal region, both pro‐ and active MMP‐2 were increased after vertical jumping, but only pro‐MMP‐2 was increased after treadmill running. In contrast, in the distal region, both exercise types increased the activity of pro‐ and active MMP‐2, especially treadmill running, which increased the active MMP‐2 by about 11‐ and eightfold, respectively, after 1 and 4 days of training. No activity of MMP‐9 was observed in either tendon region in this study. In conclusion, distal and proximal regions of calcaneal tendon exhibit differential intensities of tissue remodeling after treadmill running or vertical jumping and MMP‐2, in the absence of inflammation, plays a major role in this adaptive response. Anat Rec, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of salt stress on photosystem II efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activities of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars

This study was conducted to determine the tolerance of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars (Dincer, Remzibey-05, and Yenice) against salt stress based on some physiological and biochemical parameters at the vegetative stage. Eighteen-day-old plants were subjected to salt stress [0 (control), 75, 150, 225, and 300 mM NaCl concentrations] for 12 days, which led to a significant decrease in growth parameters (stem growth, fresh weight, and relative water content) and the photosynthetic pigment contents of the safflower cultivars. The photochemical activities of photosystem II of the cultivars were negatively affected by salinity, especially at the highest concentration (300 mM). Salt stress decreased K+ content and K+/Na+ ratio while it increased Na+ content. Malondialdehyde and free proline contents in the leaves of cultivars increased gradually in proportion to the increase of NaCl concentration. Analysis of antioxidant enzyme activities showed that these enzymes responded differently to the NaCl concentrations. Dincer, with higher antioxidant enzyme activities, had a more effective response than the other cultivars. Considering growth and biochemical and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters with the endogenous defense system, Dincer had a higher withstanding capacity against salinity than the other cultivars.
Increased antioxidant activity after exposure of ozone in murine asthma model

Background Ozone is well known as an important component of ambient air pollutants. Ozone can aggravate respiratory symptoms in patients with bronchial asthma, but, not in healthy person. We hypothesized asthma itself may show different response to ozone compared to nonasthma. Objective This study was performed to evaluate the differences of response to ozone between normal and asthmatic mice model in terms of status of oxidant injury and antioxidant activity. Methods Three parts per million of ozone was exposed to ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine asthma model for 3 hours at 3, 7, 14, 21 days after completion of asthma model. Airway responsiveness to methacholine was measured after completion of asthma model. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), protein extraction from lung for Western blot and immunohistochemistry of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2), and activity of glutathione were performed at before and each ozone exposure day. Results Airway hyper-responsiveness and increased eosinophils in BAL fluid were observed in asthma model. In asthma model, the expression of 4-HNE already more increased at baseline (without ozone) compared to those in sham model. This increased expression is more enhanced at 3 days after ozone exposure. The expression of PCNA was significantly increased in OVA-model compared to those in sham model. The expression of Nrf-2 was observed at baseline, and 3 and 7 days after exposure ozone in asthma model, but not in sham model. The activity of glutathione increased significantly after exposure of ozone, but not in sham model. Conclusion Murine asthma model has enhanced oxygen toxicity and antioxidant activity response to ozone.
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (MOLOTHRUS ATER) PARASITISM ON WARBLING VIREOS (VIREO GILVUS) IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO

Abstract From May through July, 1993–1998 and 2001, effects of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism on 36 Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) nests were documented in southwest Colorado. Overall parasitism was 75.0% and was the major source of nest failure. Among vireo nests that were not depredated, a significantly lower proportion of parasitized nests (10.2%) than nonparasitized nests (85.7%) fledged host young. Significantly fewer vireos hatched and fledged per nest and per egg in parasitized nests compared with nonparasitized nests. We observed no significant differences in mortality rates during the incubation stage between parasitized and nonparasitized nests. However, during the nestling stage, mortality rate was significantly higher in parasitized nests (0.17 nests lost per observation day) than nonparasitized nests (0.01 nests lost per observation day). Cowbirds almost always hatched 3 to 5 days before vireo nestlings. In two cases, vireo nestlings fledged from parasitized nests; in one nest the cowbird egg failed to hatch, and in the other nest the vireo hatched simultaneously with the cowbird. The low vireo production at that study site suggests that that area may be a sink population for Warbling Vireos.