Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Social and Historical Perspective of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

ABSTRACT This study sought to understand the various roles music played for gay men who were members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's first gay men's chorus. Specifically, it answers the following questions: What is the demographic profile of the chorus members? How has the chorus shaped or reflected social issues; how has the chorus shaped or reflected political issues; how has the music evolved over time? ; How was the chorus impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Historical information for this study was gathered through eight interviews of original and long-time choral members as well as the current artistic director. Interviews were conducted in San Francisco at the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus office, and additional data were derived from programs of previous choral concerts, two questionnaires (Internalized Homophobia Scale and Gay Chorus Questionnaire), and observations of choral rehearsals and concerts. As a follow-up to a previous study documenting the formation of the chorus in 1978–1982, this study historically documents the chorus's evolution from 1983 through 2003, emphasizing the chorus's impact on social and political issues, the musicality of the chorus, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on the chorus.
Predictors of Intention to Promote Family Planning: A Survey of Protestant Seminarians in the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine Protestant seminary students’ intention to promote family planning. Intention to promote family planning and its predictors were examined by testing a conceptual model based on the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory. A nonrepresentative sample of 635 seminarians (90.5% Anglo; 66.5% male) from 10 theological schools in the United States completed a mailed survey. Students were classified according to their religious beliefs as conservative (61.9%) and nonconservative (38.1%), and group differences in intention (and its correlates) were examined. Structural equation modeling was used to assess relationships among attitudes toward sexuality, attitudes toward family planning, subjective norms, knowledge, self-efficacy, and intention for both conservative and nonconservative students. Results indicated that the relationships among predictors of intention were essentially similar for both conservative and nonconservative seminarians, with attitudes and self-efficacy for promoting family planning exhibiting the strongest direct effects on intention.
CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA AND ATAXIA CAUSED BY BRAINSTEM LESION DUE TO CHRONIC NEUROLEPTOSPIROSIS

A 37-year-old man developed high fever with expectoration of blood and dyspnea. On examination, he had mild conjunctival injection. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and treated with empiric IV antibiotics. One week later, he developed dysarthria and ataxia; brain CT showed normal results and he was discharged. In the next month, he developed apneas and mild snoring, with frequent awakenings, nonrestorative sleep, choking, and shortness of breath. He was diagnosed with central sleep apnea. At this point brain MRI was performed (figure) to reveal a heterogeneous process that was hyperintense on T2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences with signs of perifocal edema located in medulla oblongata and caudal part of the pons, more pronounced on the left side and spreading to the middle cerebellar peduncle. After contrast application there was inhomogeneous postcontrast enhancement indicating disruption of the blood–brain barrier. Neurologic examination revealed dysarthria, dysphagia, absent palatal reflexes, left …
The Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration and Consumption Frequencies of Vitamin D Food Sources in Korean Adolescents

The objectives of this study were to investigate the status of vitamin D in Korean adolescents and to determine the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and consumption frequencies of vitamin D food sources by season (June to November and December to May). The subjects were 1,579 adolescents aged 12-18 years participating in the 2008-2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Consumption frequencies of vitamin D food sources were estimated by using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Thirteen food items were selected as vitamin D food sources including beef, egg, mackerel, tuna, yellow corvine, pollack, anchovy, mushroom, milk, yoghurt, ice cream, all fish and dairy products from the FFQ based on previous research. The data was analyzed using proc survey procedures. The deficiency (5.25-12 ng/mL), inadequacy (12-20 ng/mL) and sufficiency (> 20 ng/mL) proportions of serum 25(OH)D from June to November and December to May were 9.9%, 51.4%, 38.7%, and 39.4%, 51.4%, 9.2%, respectively. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was positively related to the consumption frequencies of mackerel, anchovy, all fish and milk. These results suggest high proportion (> 61%) of Korean adolescents were vitamin D deficiency or inadequacy, and serum 25(OH)D was associated with the consumption of vitamin D food sources including fish and milk.
A role for the hippocampus in encoding simulations of future events

The role of the hippocampus in imagining the future has been of considerable interest. Preferential right hippocampal engagement is observed for imagined future events relative to remembered past events, and patients with hippocampal damage are impaired when imagining detailed future events. However, some patients with hippocampal damage are not impaired at imagining, suggesting that there are conditions in which the hippocampus may not be necessary for episodic simulation. Given the known hippocampal role in memory encoding, the hippocampal activity associated with imagining may reflect the encoding of simulations rather than event construction per se. The present functional (f)MRI study investigated this possibility. Participants imagined future events in response to person, place, and object cues. A postscan cued-recall test probing memory for detail sets classified future events as either successfully encoded or not. A contrast of successfully versus unsuccessfully encoded events revealed anterior and posterior right hippocampal clusters. When imagined events were successfully encoded, both anterior and posterior hippocampus showed common functional connectivity to a network including parahippocampal gyrus, medial parietal and cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex. However, when encoding was unsuccessful, only the anterior hippocampus, and not the posterior, exhibited this pattern of connectivity. These findings demonstrate that right hippocampal activity observed during future simulation may reflect the encoding of the simulations into memory. This function is not essential for constructing coherent scenarios and may explain why some patients with hippocampal damage are still able to imagine the future.
Non-invasive endocrine monitoring indicates seasonal variations in gonadal hormone metabolites in dholes (Cuon alpinus)

Abstract Non-invasive hormone monitoring was used to monitor reproductive hormone metabolites in dhole (Cuon alpunus) faecal samples. The findings indicate that dholes are seasonal breeders. However, the geographical origin of the animals may influence the onset of the breeding season. Finally, the study demonstrated evidence of polyoestrus in the female.
Supporting software maintenance with non-functional information

The paper highlights the role of non functional information (about efficiency, reliability and other software attributes) of software components in software maintenance, focusing in the component programming framework. Non functional information is encapsulated in modules bound to both definitions and implementations of software components and it is written as expressions in a classical programming language. It is shown with an example how this notation supports software maintenance, with the help of an algorithm which is able to select the best implementation of a software component in its context of use, meaning by "best" the one that better fits to its non functional requirements. As a conclusion, we may say that our proposal will probably reduce maintenance costs in case of software modifications due to changes in the non functional environment of the system and also to changes in the NF behaviour of software components, including migration to other platforms.
Inflation and Growth: The Statistical Evidence

La mayoria de los analisis estadisticos sobre la relacion entre la inflacion y el crecimiento han tenido a ser poco concluyentes, en parte debido a que el ritmo de la inflacion es solo uno de los factores que influyen en la tasa del crecimiento de cualquier pais. Este estudio examina los datos disponibles, estratificandolos de modo de acusar los efectos que la riqueza surte sobre el ritmo de progreso. Encuentra que la experiencia reciente no es incompatible con una hipotesis que ha sido planteada como postulado. Esta hipotesis es que la declinacion de los precios inhibe el crecimiento, en tanto que el aumento de los mismos a un ritmo relativamente lento – especialmente en los paises mas prosperos – puede producir un efecto estimulante; sin embargo, si el ritmo de la inflacion pasa de determinada tasa (no especificada), el alza de los precios obstaculiza el desarrollo economico y la inflacion acelerada inhibe seriamente el crecimiento.
Effects of aerodynamic interactions on the motion of heavy particles in a bidisperse suspension

The effect of local aerodynamic interactions on the motion of heavy particles in a bidisperse suspension in both quiescent and turbulent air is studied by a hybrid simulation and a theoretical treatment. The particles are assumed to be small in size compared to the Kolmogorov length of the carrier air turbulence, and Stokes disturbance flows are used to represent the effect of particles. We first consider the case of no background air turbulence to validate the numerical and theoretical approaches by comparing with previous results in suspension mechanics. In a bidisperse suspension with background air turbulence, in addition to the previously known increase due to preferential sweeping, aerodynamic interactions contribute to a second augmentation in mean settling rate which depends on the flow dissipation rate. This additional increase in settling rate due to local aerodynamic interactions is also coupled with preferential concentration, in agreement with the experimental observations of Aliseda et al. (.
Biochemical profiling of antifungal activity of betel leaf (Piper betle L.) extract and its significance in traditional medicine

Sarika Pawar1#, Vidya Kalyankar2, Bela Dhamangaonkar1, Sharada Dagade3, Shobha Waghmode2* and Abhishek Cukkemane1 1Bijasu Agri Research Laboratory LLP, Sr. No. 37, Kondhwa Industrial Estate, Khadi Machine Chowk, Kondhwa, Pune-411048, India 2Department of Chemistry, M. E. S Abasaheb Garware College, Pune 411 007, Maharashtra, India 3Department of Chemistry, Y. M. College, Bharathi Vidyapeeth, Pune-411038, Maharashtra, India #Present Address: Microbial Diversity Research Centre, Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Tathawade, Pune411033, India Journal of Advanced Research in Biotechnology Open Access Research Article
Dilemma in managing human clinical rabies encephalitis in a developing country : a case report of a twelve year old girl from Paediatric department of a health facility in Yola , Adamawa state , North-Eastern Nigeria

Rabies is a viral infection of the central nervous system, contracted from the bite of an infected animal, and is nearly always fatal without proper post exposure prophylaxis. Our patient, a 12 year old girl who was bitten by a stray wild dog two month before the onset of a progressive encephalopathy, which began with fever temperature (38.3◦C), vomiting, irrational talks, diaphoresis, restlessness, gradual inability to talk, obtunded and altered sensorium. Dirty wound was observed on the site of dog bite; cerobrospinal fluid chemistry showed raised protien (113mg/dl) and glucose (6.6mmol/l). Rabies virologic and serologic testing was not performed due to lack of facilities. She was suctioned regularly, placed on antibiotic, nasogastric tube feeding, anti tetanus serum and anti rabies vaccine. Human rabies immune globulin, (HRIG) was not available for use and she was subsequently discharged against medical advice.
Depression in acute stroke: prevalence, dominant symptoms and associated factors. A systematic literature review

Purpose. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the state of knowledge about post-stroke depression (PSD) in the acute phase, focusing on: (a) the prevalence of depressive disorder and depressive symptoms, (b) the dominant depressive symptoms, (c) the factors associated with PSD and (d) the follow-up consequences. Method. A computer-aided search in MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, EMBASE, British Nursing index, Pub Med and Ovid Nursing Database was performed. We systematically searched for studies including depression within the first month after stroke. Results. Forty articles including more than 5400 informants from 37 cohorts met the inclusion criteria. Only a few studies aimed to describe the nature of PSD. The prevalence of depressive disorder and depressive symptoms in the acute phase ranged widely from 5% to 54%. Multiple tools were used for measuring depressive symptoms in the acute phase. An association was found between early depressive symptoms and the continuation of PSD 12 months after stroke. There is a correlation between depressive symptoms and mortality at 12 and 24 months. Conclusion. Depressive symptoms are common in the acute phase after stroke and associated with persistency of depression and mortality after 12 months. A gold standard for the measurement of depressive symptoms in relation to stroke is missing. The knowledge of PSD in the acute phase is still limited, and there is a need for continued empirical research on its profile and patterns.
Gibberellin: Effect on Diffusible Auxin in Fruit Development

Diffusible auxin is not present in tomato flowers at anthesis, but significant amounts can be obtained after the plants are treated with gibberellin. The early growth of the ovary in plants treated with gibberellin corresponds closely with growth after pollination and fertilization; the amounts of diffusible auxin are not significantly different over a period of 22 days.
Hepatitis C Virus, B-cell Proliferation and Lymphomas

Accumulating evidence support a role for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the pathogenesis of human lymphoproliferative disorders. Clonal expansions of B lymphocytes have been prevalently detected in the bone marrow, in the liver and in the peripheral blood of HCV-infected patients. Epidemiologic studies have associated HCV infection with an increased risk of B-cell lymphoma development, particularly of those with primary localization to organs target of HCV infection. The analysis of the B-cell receptor variable region sequences in sequential phases of HCV-associated lymphomas provided evidence of an ongoing somatic mutation process still present in the neoplastic cells. A restricted repertoire of V, D, J genes was used to assemble the B-cell receptor, and a frequent occurrence of certain gene combinations (V1-69/D3-22/J4 heavy chain with a V3-20 encoded light chain; V3-7/D3/J3 heavy chain with V3-15/J1 light chain; V3-23/D3-22/J4 or V4-59/D2-15/J2 with a V3-20 light chain) was observed, thus suggesting a common antigen-binding specificity for these B-cell clones. The high similarity to antibodies with rheumatoid factor (RF) activity as well as to anti-HCV E2 antibodies suggested that HCV, alone or in complex with IgG, could play a pathogenetic role as an exogenous trigger in certain stages of B-cell lymphoproliferation and in certain subsets of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs). The restricted gene repertoire used to assemble the B-cell receptor observed in HCV-associated B-cell NHLs could have important implications as an antigenic target in anti-tumor immunologic therapies.
Solar photo‐oxidative disinfection of drinking water: preliminary field observations

The feasibility of using solar photo‐oxidation to inactivate faecal bacterial contaminants in drinking water has been evaluated under field conditions in India and South Africa. Freshly drawn samples from all six test water sources were low in dissolved oxygen, at 13–40% of the air saturation value. However, vigorous mixing followed by exposure to full‐strength sunlight in transparent plastic containers (1–25 l capacity) caused a rapid decrease in the counts of faecal indicator bacteria, giving complete inactivation within 3–6 h, with no evidence of reactivation. These results demonstrate that solar photo‐oxidation may provide a practical, low‐cost approach to the improvement of drinking water quality in developing countries with consistently sunny climates.
Phenotypic and functional T-cell aging in rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta ) : differential behavior of CD 4 and CD 8 subsets

A prominent theory of immune senescence holds that repeated antigenic stimulation and decreased production of naive cells combine to progressively exhaust the reserve of lymphocytes available to fight new pathogens, culminating in an accumulation of lymphocytes that achieved replicative senescence. A well-defined primate model of immune senescence in vivo would greatly facilitate testing of this theory. Here, we investigated phenotypic and functional T-cell aging in the rhesus macaques (RMs), currently the dominant primate model of AIDS. Our results show that sharp differences exist between the CD8 and CD4 T-cell subsets in (1) cellcycle programs (as assessed by both in vitro proliferation and in vivo turnover measurement); (2) CD28 regulation on cell-cycle entry; and (3) accumulation of immediate effector cells among the CD28 cells, believed to be close to or at replicative senescence. These results further suggest poor reliability of CD28 as a marker for senescence. We suggest that some of the T-cell aging phenomenology in RMs can be ascribed to accentuation over time of the inherent differences in activation programs in CD8 and CD4 T cells. (Blood. 2003;102:3244-3251)
Visual representation of natural language scene descriptions

We are mainly interested in the development of CAD systems for interior design. An effective use of such systems relies to a large extent on the characteristics of their user interface. This paper describes NALIG, a system able to "understand" and "reason about" high level descriptions of spatial scenes. The user interacts with the system by using a natural language interface which, though very simple, is expressive enough to allow the description of complex configurations of objects. NALIG replies by drawing on the screen an image mirroring its own "understanding" of the scene described. The comprehension process has required the integration of different AI-techniques (e.g., natural language understanding, spatial reasoning, default and common sense reasoning).
Effect of Varying the Intra-Frame Packet Burstiness on the Performance of Wireless Video Streaming

We develop a simple, yet robust, application-layer adaptation technique based on scalable video codecs. The proposed technique can adapt to the varying capacity available to a connection in order to deliver video with a superior quality. We take advantage of both scalable video properties and the characteristics of the packet dropping random process at the last link's wireless router's queue. By fine-tuning the inter-packet transmission time at the server side, we show that the resulting packet loss pattern yields a superior quality of experience (QoE) without any changes in the wireless router's packet scheduling or drop policies. In other words, by varying the per frame packet inter-spacing time while maintaining a given frame rate (i.e., by varying the transmission burstiness) one can control the QoE. Our proposal is founded on an analytical model to study the loss pattern of individual packets in a n-packet burst.
Weighing up the burden of care on caregivers of orphan children: The Amajuba District Child Health and Wellbeing Project, South Africa

This paper assesses the burden on orphan caregivers relative to non-orphan caregivers in the context of high HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa. It presents findings from the third round of a study conducted in the Amajuba District of KwaZulu-Natal between 2003 and 2007. Significant differences were found between orphan and non-orphan caregivers; the former being more likely to care for more children, have poorer health, higher levels of chronic illness, less adult help and they appeared to have more daily responsibilities. Orphan caregivers were also more likely to indicate that children in their care needed help for mental or behavioural problems but overall results showed that only 3.4% of all households had contact with child welfare agencies. The findings question assumptions about the capacity and capability of the extended family to absorb shocks to individuals and families.
The role of micronutrients in the risk of urinary tract cancer

Prostate, bladder and kidney cancers remain the most common urological malignancies worldwide, and the prevention and treatment of these diseases pose a challenge to clinicians. In recent decades, many studies have been conducted to assess the association between supplementation with selected vitamins and elements and urinary tract tumour initiation and development. Here, we review the relationship between vitamins A, B, D, and E, in addition to calcium, selenium, and zinc, and the risk of developing prostate, kidney and bladder cancer. A relatively consistent body of evidence suggests that large daily doses of calcium (> 2,000 mg/day) increase the risk of prostate cancer. Similarly, supplementation with 400 IU/day of vitamin E carries a significant risk of prostate cancer. However, there have been many conflicting results regarding the effect of these nutrients on kidney and bladder neoplasms. Moreover, the role of other compounds in urinary tract carcinogenesis needs further clarification.
Improving Acyclic Selection Order-Based Bayesian Network Structure Learning

An effective approach for learning Bayesian network structures in large domains is to perform a local search on the space of topological orderings. As with most local search approaches, the quality of the procedure depends on the initialization strategy. Usually, a simple random initialization is adopted. Perez and Mauá developed initialization heuristics that were empirically shown to improve the overall performance of order-based structure learning. Recently, Scanagatta et al. proposed replacing the search for a directed acyclic graph in order-based learning with a procedure that considers also order-incompatible structures. Their procedure covers a larger space of structures without small computational overhead, which often leads to improved performance. As with standard order-based learning, Scanagatta et al. recommended initializing their algorithm with a randomly generated ordering. A natural improvement for this approach would be then to consider better initialization heuristics. In this work we propose a new initialization heuristic that takes into account the idiosyncrasies of Scanagatta et al.’s approach. Experiments with real-world data sets indicate that the combination of this new heuristic and Scanagatta et al.’s orderbased search outperforms other order-based methods.