Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Preliminary normative data for the second edition of the Boston Naming Test for young Spanish adults].

INTRODUCTION The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is one of the most widely used tests in neuropsychological evaluation of language disorders, specifically when testing for anomia. The aim of this study is to establish preliminary normative data for the second edition of the BNT for young spanish adults (age range between 20 and 49 years). METHODS A total of 160 subjects (60 % female and 40 % male) were administered the BNT. Mean age was 33.89 years (SD: 9.45) and average number of years of education was 13.98 (SD: 3.97). The version used in the present study is the second edition of the BNT (Kaplan et al., 2001) which includes two new components: multiple choice and error typology. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Descriptive statistics of the test's variables. Lineal regression to establish the possible degree of influence of the variables age and education on test performance. RESULTS The sample's mean score was 51.84. Education significantly influences the final score (B: 0.476; p= 0.001). Multiple choice was effective in 89 % of cases. DISCUSSION The present results will allow proper clinical interpretation of results in the BNT 2001 version in young Spanish adults.
The diagnostic significance of intrathecal occurence ofselected antiviral antibodies in multiple sclerosis

Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) represents an important role in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Oligoclonal IgG bands ,blood-CSF barrier and cell count are normally examined. Intrathecal synthesis of specific IgG antibodies against measles , rubella and varicella zoster virurses called MRZ reaction is a new diagnostic marker which is present in patients with chronic autoimmune diseases with the involvement of the nervous system , especially multiple sclerosis. The aims of our work were to investigate the frequency of intrathecal synthesis of specific antiviral antibodies and to determine a typical CSF profile in patients with multiple sclerosis.We examined a cohort of 50 patients. The intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies was evaluated in the form of antibody indices calculated according to Reiberś formula.The condition of blood - CSF barrier was expressed by the ration of albumin in CSF and serum. Oligoclonal IgG bands were detected by isoelectric focusing . Eighty -six percent of multiple sclerosis patients had positive intrathecal synthesis of specific antibodies against one, two or three of the examined neurotropic viruses. 84% of multiple sclerosis patients had positive oligoclonal IgG bands , intact blood-CSF barrier was detected in 70% and pleocytosis in 36% of patients with multiple sclerosis. Highly specific MRZ reaction improves the possibilities of CSF analysis in cases of chronic , inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The adaptation of MRZ reaction to CSF routine analysis increased considerably the significance of lumbar puncture for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, even at the time of first clinical symptoms.
Tracing the Evolution of Streptophyte Algae and Their Mitochondrial Genome

Six monophyletic groups of charophycean green algae are recognized within the Streptophyta. Although incongruent with earlier studies based on genes from three cellular compartments, chloroplast and nuclear phylogenomic analyses have resolved identical relationships among these groups, placing the Zygnematales or the Zygnematales + Coleochaetales as sister to land plants. The present investigation aimed at determining whether this consensus view is supported by the mitochondrial genome and at gaining insight into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) evolution within and across streptophyte algal lineages and during the transition toward the first land plants. We present here the newly sequenced mtDNAs of representatives of the Klebsormidiales (Entransia fimbriata and Klebsormidium spec.) and Zygnematales (Closterium baillyanum and Roya obtusa) and compare them with their homologs in other charophycean lineages as well as in selected embryophyte and chlorophyte lineages. Our results indicate that important changes occurred at the levels of genome size, gene order, and intron content within the Zygnematales. Although the representatives of the Klebsormidiales display more similarity in genome size and intron content, gene order seems more fluid and gene losses more frequent than in other charophycean lineages. In contrast, the two members of the Charales display an extremely conservative pattern of mtDNA evolution. Collectively, our analyses of gene order and gene content and the phylogenies we inferred from 40 mtDNA-encoded proteins failed to resolve the relationships among the Zygnematales, Coleochaetales, and Charales; however, they are consistent with previous phylogenomic studies in favoring that the morphologically complex Charales are not sister to land plants.
[Effects of a combined weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing ( warm water) exercise program on bone mass and quality in postmenopausal women with low bone-mineral density].

AIMS To evaluate the effects of a combined weight- and non weight-bearing (water) exercise program on bone mass and quality in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density. MATERIALS AND METHODS 125 post-menopausal women with osteopenia/osteoporosis underwent a bone mass (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorbimetry, DEXA) and bone tissue quality (phalangeal osteosonography) evaluation. 58 of the participants took part in an 11-month specific exercise program (E). The other represented a control group (C) that did not exercise. At the end of the exercise program all the participants were re-evaluated. RESULTS Concerning bone mass, within and between groups data analysis showed that t-score, measured at neck of femur, significantly increased in E (p < 0.05). No differences were instead detected for all the other parameters. With respect to osteosonography, group C showed a significant decrease of all bone quality parameters (p < 0.05), whereas E showed no differences after the exercise program. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that a specific exercise program targeting osteoporosis is useful to reduce the physiological bone loss and to maintain a good bone quality in a group of postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density.
PROTECTIVE ROLE OF CRATAEGUS OXYACANTHA ON CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM OF ALBINO RATS CONFLICTING TRAITOROUS EFFECT OF PALM KERNEL OIL

The biochemical and histological changes induced by palm kernel oil and the protective effect of Crataegus Oxyacantha (a fruit–bearing shrub) is evaluated. Its therapeutic benefit has been recorded for treatment of cardiovascular disease (angina-hypertensionarrhythmias and congestive heart failure), in addition to its potential use as anti-ischemic and lipid lowering agent. Male albino rats were treated with oral dosage of 10ml//kg b.w. /day palm kernel oil for a total experimental duration of one month. Biochemical studies of total cholesterol,LDL –cholesterol and triglycerides perceived high values in their serum concentrations along with abnormal proteins profile. Induced histopathological lesions in the cardiovascular system were represented by disruption in intimal layer of both arteries and viens, subendothelial deposition of fats,foam cells and formation of fibrotic areas. The tunica media however showed mild fibrosis with chronic inflammatory cells. Simultaneously cardiac muscles were infiltrated with various sizes of fat droplets, loss of muscle striation and occupied by lymphocytes,macrophage and plasma cells On the other hand Crataegus oxyacantha at a dosage of 0.5ml /kg.b.w. /day were orally given to Palm Kernel Oil group. A similar dosage were given as crataegus treated group only for a duration of one month. Crataegus oxyacantha potentiated a counteractive effect on palm kernel oil treated group, presented in restitution of biochemical alteration and amended cardiovascular changes. These findings were attributed to the significant inhibitory effect of Crataegus remedy adjoining deleterious effects of palm kernel oil.
Crayfish escape behavior: production of tailflips without giant fiber activity.

The giant interneurons of the crayfish nerve cord are well-known mediators of fast tail flexions, "tailflips," that propel animals through the water away from danger. More recent studies have revealed an additional nongiant generator of tailflips. In contrast to giant tailflips, which are stereotyped, nongiant tailflips have variable form. The operating principles and portions of the neural circuitry governing nongiant tailflips were here investigated. Whereas fast flexor motor neurons (FFs) receive excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) with large unitary components just prior to giant tailflips, excitation of the FFs during nongiant tailflips is due to summation of many small EPSPs, and these build up for about 60 ms prior to the tailflip; we call the period of excitation prior to FF firing the preflexion phase and the period during which FFs fire, the flexion phase of the tailflip. Even FFs that will not fire during a given tailflip become depolarized during preflexion and flexion periods. Throughout the preflexion and flexion periods there is activity in dorsal nerve cord axons (DCAs) that lie below the giants. Many DCAs are interneurons that excite FFs at short latency. Some DCAs fire uniquely during the preflexion phase, while some fire only during the flexion phase. Which DCAs fire is highly variable, and in some cases firing of particular DCAs can be correlated with particular forms of tailflips. Two identified DCAs, 12 and 13, that fire during the flexion phase were studied. These interneurons originate and receive their synaptic input in the second and third abdominal ganglia, respectively, and project to the last ganglion exciting FFs caudal to their ganglion of origin en route. Their pattern of synaptic input prior to and during nongiant tailflips is indistinguishable from that of FFs. Their input to FFs is weak, but when they fire they tend to promote intersegmental synchrony of FFs in the segments they feed. It appears likely to us that nongiant tailflips are synthesized from a small library of component tailflip movements that can be combined to produce a variety of complete tailflips and that the component movements are produced by a limited group of premotor interneurons, of which 12 and 13 are members. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Conformationally appropriate expression of the Toxoplasma antigen SAG1 (p30) in CHO cells

The Toxoplasma gondii major surface antigen, called SAG1 or p30, is a highly immunogenic protein which has generated great interest as a diagnostic reagent, as a potential subunit vaccine, and for its role in invasion. Unfortunately, bacterial recombinant protein is grossly misfolded so that, for example, it is not effectively recognized by antibodies to native SAG1. To overcome this, we have turned to expression in CHO cells, using cotransfection of the SAG1 gene and the mouse dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene into CHO cells that are DHFR-. SAG1 expression was amplified by methotrexate coselection of CHO cells in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting for SAG1 expression. The resulting population expressed recombinant SAG1 that is recognized by antiserum specific for natural, nonreduced SAG1, indicating that, unlike in bacteria, expression in CHO cells results in proper folding. Processing was at least partially correct in that, like natural SAG1, recombinant SAG1 was attached to the plasma membrane via a glycolipid anchor, although tunicamycin treatment was necessary to prevent N-glycosylation (SAG1 is not glycosylated in the parasite but does have a consensus N-linked site). Finally, purified recombinant SAG1 was recognized by human sera known to be reactive to toxoplasma proteins, indicating that this material has potential as a diagnostic reagent and possibly as a component of a subunit vaccine.
Genetic Transformation of Wheat: Advances in the Transformation Method and Applications for Obtaining Lines with Improved Bread-Making Quality and Low Toxicity in Relation to Celiac Disease

Wheat is one of the most important crops and is counted among the “big three” cereal crops (rice, wheat and maize), with an annual world production of around 680 million tonnes in 2009. Wheat is also one of the main sources of calories and proteins in the human diet. However, in spite of its global importance, wheat has been one of the last crops being transformed and it was not until 1992 when Vasil et al. (1992) obtained the first fertile transgenic plant of wheat. Nowadays, wheat transformation still presents more difficulties than transformation of other cereals, such as rice and maize, with lower transformation efficiencies and greater genotype dependence (Shewry & Jones, 2005). Particle bombardment is the most widely used method for genetic transformation of wheat, presenting higher transformation efficiencies than Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (Lazzeri & Jones, 2009). However, particle bombardment causes physical damage to the scutellar tissues used for transformation, negatively affecting the embryogenesis, in vitro regeneration of the explants and therefore the transformation efficiency. Osmotic treatment is thought to offer protection to bombarded material by minimising cytoplasm leakage from target cells (Vain et al., 1993), so it is of great importance to optimise the duration and moment of application of the osmotic treatment to the explants. Among the applications of genetic transformation, gene over-expression and posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) are two strategies successfully used to enhance the wheat quality. In particular, the baking quality of wheat, largely determined by the high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS), is one of the most important targets for genetic transformation. Transgenic wheat lines expressing additional copies of the 1Ax1, 1Dx5, 1Dy10 HMW-GS genes were obtained by particle bombardment by Leon et al. (2009) (Fig. 1 A). In addition, new lines combining the three transgenic events were obtained by conventional crossing (Leon et al., 2010) (Fig. 1 B). Therefore, a set of
Tepper School of Business 1-2009 Allocation and Taxation in Uncommitted Societies

We analyze the properties of credible equilibria in dynamic settings with privately informed agents, capital accumulation and a lack of societal commitment. We show that a lack of commitment tilts the social tradeoff between equality and incentives towards the former and has ambiguous implications for capital accumulation. We isolate forces that promote and retard capital accumulation in these settings, derive the pattern of intertemporal wedges that characterize optimal credible allocations and show that these allocations solve the problem of a committed pseudo-planner with perturbed preferences and production possibilities. We obtain implementations of credible societal optima that feature progressive taxes on capital. Finally, we derive asset pricing implications of no commitment-private information models.
Safety and Single-Dose Pharmacokinetics of Abacavir (1592U89) in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Children

ABSTRACT Abacavir (formerly 1592U89) is a potent 2′-deoxyguanosine analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor that has been demonstrated to have a favorable safety profile in initial clinical trials with adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection. A phase I study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of abacavir following the administration of two single oral doses (4 and 8 mg/kg of body weight) to 22 HIV-infected children ages 3 months to 13 years. Plasma was collected for analysis at predose and at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 5, and 8 h after the administration of each dose. Plasma abacavir concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and data were analyzed by noncompartmental methods. Abacavir was well tolerated by all subjects. The single abacavir-related adverse event was rash, which occurred in 2 of 22 subjects. After administration of the oral solution, abacavir was rapidly absorbed, with the time to the peak concentration in plasma occurring within 1.5 h postdosing. Pharmacokinetic parameter estimates were comparable among the different age groups for each dose level. The mean maximum concentration in plasma (Cmax) and the mean area under the curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0–∞) increased by 16 and 45% more than predicted, respectively, as the abacavir dose was doubled from 4 to 8 mg/kg (Cmax increased from 1.69 to 3.94 μg/ml, and AUC0–∞ increased from 2.82 to 8.09 μg · h/ml). Abacavir was rapidly eliminated, with a mean elimination half-life of 0.98 to 1.13 h. The mean apparent clearance from plasma decreased from 27.35 to 18.88 ml/min/kg as the dose increased. Neither body surface area nor creatinine clearance were correlated with pharmacokinetic estimates at either dose. The extent of exposure to abacavir appears to be slightly lower in children than in adults, with the comparable unit doses being based on body weight. In conclusion, this study showed that abacavir is safe and well tolerated in children when it is administered as a single oral dose of 4 or 8 mg/kg.
Business–IT fit in e‐procurement systems: evidence from high‐technology firms in China

Abstract. Because of the influence of globalization and updated information technologies (IT), firms in China face an urgent need to adopt e‐procurement systems (EP) to deal with their daily procurement activities. However, implementing EP in China encounters various uncertainties from internal and external business environments. To address this issue, this research aims to examine the fit between business and the IT environment and to study its impact on system performance. The literature review allows the proposal of two internal business environmental uncertainties and two external business environmental uncertainties covering the perspectives of process, knowledge, partnership and environment. Based on a multiple‐case study performed in four Chinese firms that supply various personal computer components to a Taiwanese original equipment manufacturer via an EP, it was found that the firms’ external and internal uncertainty factors affected the performance of EP. In addition, an EP with a low level of integration – the EP type used most frequently in China – can only achieve great performance when the adopting firms faced a low uncertainty of environment, partnership and process, and had low levels of IT knowledge. It was also observed that lack of fit between the business environment and EP produced extra burdens and costs in the buyer–supplier relationship. This significantly reduced the system performance of the Chinese firms. Hence, the contribution of this research can be twofold. First, practitioners in China can use this framework to diagnose their environmental conditions and then choose the appropriate type of EP to implement. Second, researchers can build upon this model to further examine the impact of fit on EP performance and generalize the results.
Gender Difference in the Long-Term Impact of Famine

"An increasing literature examines the association between restricted fetal or early childhood growth and the incidence of diseases in adulthood. Little is known, however, about gender difference in this association. We assess the impact of nutritional deficiency in the early lives of survivors of the Chinese Great Famine in terms of health and economic welfare, paying special attention to gender differences. We found evidence of several significant negative impacts for female¾but not male¾survivors, and the gender differences are statistically significant. Furthermore, we show that the selection bias caused by differences in mortality plausibly explains more than two-thirds of the documented gender difference in the long-term health of famine survivors. " from Author's Abstract
Relative Effects of Cyclooxygenase and Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition on Vascular Resistances in Neonatal Lamb Lungs

Effective attenuation of pulmonary vasoconstriction is essential during early postnatal development when increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) may lead to a resumption of right-to-left shunting across fetal channels. In addition, modulation of venous resistance contributes to normal lung fluid balance. This study was designed to identify the relative modulating effects of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) and dilator prostaglandins (PG) on normoxic and hypoxic pulmonary vasomotor tone in young newborns. Total and segmental PVR were measured using inflow-outflow and double occlusion techniques in isolated lungs of 6-h-old lambs studied under control conditions or after blocking PG and/or EDNO synthesis with indomethacin and/orNω-nitro-L-arginine, respectively. During normoxia, both indomethacin and Nω-nitro-L-arginine were required to increase total PVR, but EDNO appeared to have the greater modulating effect. Indomethacin markedly enhanced hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction of large and small arteries and small veins, whereasNω-nitro-L-arginine caused a lesser, but significant, increase in hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction of small arteries and veins, suggesting that dilator PG played the dominant modulating role during hypoxia. In addition, PG synthesis appeared to be enhanced after inhibition of EDNO synthesis. In contrast, indomethacin caused a decrease in venous resistance, suggesting that constrictor prostanoids had a greater effect than dilator PG on this segment. EDNO had a modest modulating effect on venous resistance in these lungs. These data suggest that dilator PG and EDNO exert complementary effects in attenuating total and segmental PVR during normoxia and hypoxia in 6-h-old lamb lungs.
Reactive oxygen species and human spermatozoa. II. Depletion of adenosine triphosphate plays an important role in the inhibition of sperm motility.

Under moderate conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to inhibit sperm motility after several hours of incubation. The rapid decrease in flagellar beat frequency observed within the first hour of contact between ROS and spermatozoa was associated with a rapid loss of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Motility of intact spermatozoa ceased when their ATP concentration was reduced by 85 +/- 5%. Axonemal damage was confirmed when ROS-treated spermatozoa could not reactivate motility after demembranation in a medium containing magnesium adenosine triphosphate (Mg.ATP). However, in conditions allowing rephosphorylation of the axonemes (addition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, or cAMP, and protein kinase or sperm extracts to the demembranation medium), the motility could reactivate. Three lines of evidence suggested that ATP depletion induced by ROS treatment was responsible for the effects observed in spermatozoa. First, the rapid decrease in intracellular ATP observed after ROS treatment was closely followed by a decrease in beat frequency, loss of intact sperm motility, and axonemal damage due to insufficient phosphorylation. Second, incubation of spermatozoa with the combination pyruvate-lactate allowed maintenance of sperm ATP at a normal level and prevented the effects of ROS; furthermore, spermatozoa immobilized after ROS treatment, then supplemented with pyruvate-lactate, were able to reinitiate motility in parallel with an increase in their ATP level. Third, treatment of spermatozoa with rotenone, an ATP depleting agent, produced effects similar to ROS treatment and could also be reversed by the addition of pyruvate-lactate. These data are consistent with the conclusion that ROS treatment produced axonemal damage mostly as a result of ATP depletion. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)