Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Obstructive sleep apnea related to rapid-eye-movement or non-rapid-eye-movement sleep: comparison of demographic, anthropometric, and polysomnographic features

Objective : To determine whether there are significant differences between rapid-eye-movement (REM)-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and non-REM (NREM)-related OSA, in terms of the demographic, anthropometric, and polysomnographic characteristics of the subjects. Methods : This was a retrospective study of 110 patients (75 males) with either REM-related OSA (n = 58) or NREM-related OSA (n = 52). To define REM-related and NREM-related OSA, we used a previously established criterion, based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): AHI-REM/AHI-NREM ratio > 2 and ≤ 2, respectively. Results : The mean age of the patients with REM-related OSA was 49.5 ± 11.9 years, whereas that of the patients with NREM-related OSA was 49.2 ± 12.6 years. The overall mean AHI (all sleep stages combined) was significantly higher in the NREM-related OSA group than in the REM-related OSA group (38.6 ± 28.2 vs. 14.8 ± 9.2; p < 0.05). The mean AHI in the supine position (s-AHI) was also significantly higher in the NREM-related OSA group than in the REM-related OSA group (49.0 ± 34.3 vs. 18.8 ± 14.9; p < 0.0001). In the NREM-related OSA group, the s-AHI was higher among the men. In both groups, oxygen desaturation was more severe among the women. We found that REM-related OSA was more common among the patients with mild-to-moderate OSA, whereas NREM-related OSA was more common among those with severe OSA. Conclusions : We found that the severity of NREM-related OSA was associated mainly with s-AHI. Our findings suggest that the s-AHI has a more significant effect on the severity of OSA than does the AHI-REM. When interpreting OSA severity and choosing among treatment modalities, physicians should take into consideration the sleep stage and the sleep posture.
A Course Recommender System based on Graduating Attributes

Assessing learning outcomes for students in higher education institutes is an interesting task with many potential applications for all involved stakeholders (students, administrators, potential employers, etc.). In this paper, we propose a course recommendation system for students based on the assessment of their "graduate attributes" (i.e. attributes that describe the developing values of students). Students rate the improvement in their graduating attributes after a course is finished and a collaborative filtering algorithm is utilized in order to suggest courses that were taken by fellow students and rated in a similar way. An extension to weigh the most recent ratings as more important is included in the algorithm which is shown to have better accuracy than the baseline approach. Experimental results using correlation thresholding and the nearest neighbors approach show that such a recommendation system can be effective when an active neighborhood of 10-15 students is used and show that the numbers of users used can be decreased effectively to one fourth of the whole population for improving the performance of the algorithm.
Variation in Numbers and Mass of Ciliate Protozoa in the Rumens of Sheep Fed Chaffed Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

Masses and numbers of rumen ciliate protozoa were markedly different in individual sheep fed chaffed alfalfa hay under different feeding regimens. Studies on the ciliate contribution to specific aspects of rumen fermentation should take into account the size of members of each genus in individual animals as well as the numbers present.
Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a heterogeneous neurocutaneous syndrome with facial and leptomeningeal angiomas, glaucoma, seizures, stroke-like episodes, and mental retardation. The authors critically evaluated the clinical manifestations, outcome, and natural history in 30 patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome followed up from January 1985 to May 2010. Of the patients, 15 were males, age at diagnosis ranged from 1 month to 43 years. Typical port-wine stain nevus occurred in 26 (86%), it was bilateral in 2 (8%), and it was absent in 4 (4%). Nine patients had glaucoma (30%), 3 required surgery. Four had transient hemiparesis. All patients had seizures; they were well controlled in 22 (73.3%); in 8 they remained drug resistant. Three patients underwent surgery and became seizure-free. Of the 17 who had mental subnormality, 14 (82.4%) had seizure onset before 2 years. An early age at seizure onset and those with drug-resistant seizures had more severe degree of mental subnormality. Uncontrolled seizures, mental subnormality, visual handicap, and cosmetic disfiguration were the major impediments in life.
The Parkinson Care Advocate: Integrating Care Delivery

1 University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States, 2 Department of Neurology, James J and Joan A. Gardner Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States, 3 Tikvah for Parkinson, Jerusalem, Israel, 4 Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States, 5 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, 6 Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States, 7 Department of Neurosurgery, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel, 8 Department of Neuropsychogeriatrics, Herzog Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel, 9 Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Confident body, confident child: A randomized controlled trial evaluation of a parenting resource for promoting healthy body image and eating patterns in 2- to 6-year old children.

OBJECTIVE Body image and eating patterns develop in early childhood and are influenced by the family environment. This research evaluated Confident Body, Confident Child (CBCC), an intervention for parents of 2- to 6-year-old children, designed to promote body satisfaction, healthy eating, and weight management in early childhood. METHOD A randomized controlled trial compared four groups: (A) received the CBCC resource pack and a workshop, (B) received the CBCC resource pack only, (C) received a nutrition-only resource and (D) received no interventions until all questionnaires were completed (i.e., functioned as waitlist control). Measures of parenting variables relevant to child body image and eating patterns, parent-report of child weight, and evaluation questions about the resource, were implemented pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS At 6-weeks post-intervention, the CBCC resource was associated with significant reductions in parents' intentions to use behaviors that increase the risk of negative body attitudes or unhealthy eating in their children, in parents' use of feeding practices associated with childhood overweight, and in television watching during family meals. Significant increases in parents' intentions to use positive behaviors and knowledge of child body image and healthy eating patterns were also found. Superior results were found for the CBCC resource + workshop condition, suggesting it is the preferred delivery method. DISCUSSION CBCC positively impacts parenting variables associated with childhood risk for body dissatisfaction, unhealthy eating and weight. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:458-472).
The Feingold Diet

The Feingold diet, eliminating artificial colorings, artificial flavorings, and salicylates, has been claimed, based on anecdotal evidence, to improve the learning and behavior of hyperactive children. A review of all published, completed controlled studies, however, indicates that the Feingold diet is probably not effective, except perhaps in a very small percentage of children. The positive results in a few studies have been inconsistent between studies and greatly outnumbered by negative results. Even among children whose parents feel the diet has helped them greatly, the improvement seems more often a placebo effect, e.g., due to the increased attention the child is receiving, than a true effect of artificial colorings or flavorings.
Uveitis in human immunodeficiency virus‐infected persons with CD4+ T‐lymphocyte count over 200 cells/mL

Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has altered the course of disease for persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus by elevating CD4+ T‐lymphocyte levels. Changes in the spectrum of systemic diseases encountered in human immunodeficiency virus‐positive individuals are reported in the general medical literature.
Impairment of HERG K+ Channel Function by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with susceptibility to lethal arrhythmias and typically increases levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and its receptor, TNFR1. CHF down-regulates rapid delayed-rectifier K+ current (IKr) and delays cardiac repolarization. We studied the effects of TNF-α on cloned HERG K+ channel (human ether-a-go-go-related gene) in HEK293 cells and native IKr in canine cardiomyocytes with whole-cell patch clamp techniques. TNF-α consistently and reversibly decreased HERG current (IHERG). Effects of TNF-α were concentration-dependent, increased with longer incubation period, and occurred at clinically relevant concentrations. TNF-α had similar inhibitory effects on IKr and markedly prolonged action potential duration (APD) in canine cardiomyocytes. Immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that HERG protein level was slightly higher in canine hearts with tachypacing-induced CHF than in healthy hearts, and TNF-α slightly increased HERG protein level in CHF but not in healthy hearts. In cells pretreated with the inhibitory anti-TNFR1 antibody, TNF-α lost its ability to suppress IHERG, indicating a requirement of TNFR1 activation for HERG suppression. Vitamin E or MnTBAP (Mn(III) tetrakis(4-benzoic acid) porphyrin chloride), a superoxide dismutase mimic) prevented, whereas the superoxide anion generating system xanthine/xanthine oxidase mimicked, TNF-α-induced IHERG depression. TNF-α caused robust increases in intracellular reactive oxygen species, and vitamin E and MnTBAP abolished the increases, in both HEK293 cells and canine ventricular myocytes. We conclude that the TNF-α/TNFR1 system impairs HERG/IKr function mainly by stimulating reactive oxygen species, particularly superoxide anion, but not by altering HERG expression; the effect may contribute to APD prolongation by TNF-α and may be a novel mechanism for electrophysiological abnormalities and sudden death in CHF.
Association of the polioviral RNA polymerase complex with phospholipid membranes

Polioviral RNA polymerase complex, which consists of enzyme, template, and nascent RNA, is membrane bound in vivo. The solubilized RNA polymerase complex associated spontaneously in vitro with phospholipid bilayer membranes (liposomes) of defined composition. The degree of association at 37 degrees C was greater for those membranes that were more fluid, suggesting that the binding involves the interaction of the RNA polymerase complex with the hydrocarbon chains in the interior of the lipid bilayer. The polymerase activity was not enhanced by addition of the lipid; in fact, the addition of some of the longer-chain lipids resulted in up to a 40% inhibition of the polymerase activity. Spin-label electron paramagnetic resonance experiments, which measured the membrane fluidity, and kinetic experiments on the rate of incorporation of tritiated UTP into RNA by the polymerase were performed as a function of temperature. The results indicated that the activity of the polymerase was not affected by the physical state of the phospholipid membrane and that its active site was not intimately associated with the membrane. Analysis of both the viral and host polypeptides associated with the smooth membrane-bound polymerase indicated that X was the primary viral polypeptide present. In addition, host polypeptides of molecular weight 86,000, 62,000, 54,000, and 46,000 were also present. If the membrane was disrupted with detergent, polypeptide X was released from the polymerase activity, suggesting that X may play a role in binding the polymerase to the membrane. In an analogous manner, polypeptide X associated spontaneously with phospholipid membranes to a greater extent than the capsid polypeptides. Analysis of both the host and viral polypeptides associated with the viral RNA polymerase purified by precipitation in 2 M LiCl indicated that host polypeptides of molecular weight 106,000, 38,000, 33,000, and 14,000 were the major constituents, whereas relatively small amounts of the viral polypeptides were present. It was confirmed that of the viral polypeptides found, polypeptide 4 was present in the largest amount.
Rate-distortion-optimal parameter choice in a wavelet image communications system

We describe the methodology and results of parameter optimizations performed with the aid of analytical expressions for the channel-induced distortion in a wavelet-based image communication system. R(D) curves are calculated independently for each subband, with each point on each curve representing (in addition to rate and distortion) an optimal choice of quantizer step size and channel code rate. A global optimization procedure is then performed to identify the best operating point on the R(D) curve for each subband.
Chronic effects of an invasive species on an animal community.

Invasive species can trigger trophic cascades in animal communities, but published cases involving their removal of top predators are extremely rare. An exception is the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina) in Australia, which has caused severe population declines in monitor lizards, triggering trophic cascades that facilitated dramatic and sometimes unexpected increases in several prey of the predators, including smaller lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles, and birds. Persistence of isolated populations of these predators with a decades-long sympatry with toads suggests the possibility of recovery, but alternative explanations are possible. Confirming predator recovery requires longer-term study of populations with both baseline and immediate post-invasion densities. Previously, we quantified short-term impacts of invasive cane toads on animal communities over seven years at two sites in tropical Australia. Herein, we test the hypothesis that predators have begun to recover by repeating the study 12 yr after the initial toad invasion. The three predatory lizards that experienced 71-97% declines in the short-term study showed no sign of recovery, and indeed a worse fate: two of the three species were no longer detectable in 630 km of river surveys, suggesting local extirpation. Two mesopredators that had increased markedly in the short term due to these predator losses showed diverse responses in the medium term; a small lizard species increased by ~500%, while populations of a snake species showed little change. Our results indicate a system still in ecological turmoil, having not yet reached a "new equilibrium" more than a decade after the initial invasion; predator losses due to this toxic invasive species, and thus downstream effects, were not transient. Given that cane toads have proven too prolific to eradicate or control, we suggest that recovery of impacted predators must occur unassisted by evolutionary means: dispersal into extinction sites from surviving populations with alleles for toxin resistance or toad avoidance. Evolution and subsequent dispersal may be the only solution for a number of species or communities affected by invasive species for which control is either prohibitively expensive, or not possible.
Audio Trainer Play: design of a gamified app for the development of audio skills in a secondary school context

La investigacion de este trabajo va dirigida al campo de la Ensenanza Asistida por Dispositivos Moviles, en particular, en el enfoque dirigido a sus aplicaciones. Gracias al trabajo colaborativo junto a un estudiante de informatica, se ha creado una aplicacion denominada Audio Trainer Play (ATP) con el objetivo de mejorar las destrezas orales y, en concreto, auditivas de nuestro alumnado, ya que es donde mas dificultades muestran. Aun hoy dia, la mayoria de las apps se disenan dirigidas al aprendizaje de vocabulario y, en general, no tienen en cuenta el contexto del discente. Gracias al apoyo del British Council y de Burlington Books, la aplicacion tiene 70 audios cuidadosamente seleccionados que tienen una tematica relacionada con la realidad de nuestros alumnos/as. Todas las audiciones constan de una serie de preguntas asi como sus correspondientes transcripciones para que puedan ir comprobando su grado de comprension en todos los niveles (lexico, fonetico, idea general, etc.). Ademas, se han introducido una serie de elementos de gamificacion para que la app resulte mas motivante en su uso. Posteriormente, se ha realizado un estudio utilizando una metodologia mixta cuantitativa-cualitativa basada fundamentalmente en cuestionarios y en la observacion de clase con un grupo de voluntarios no seleccionados aleatoriamente. Por ello, con el objeto de alcanzar una mayor validez interna, se utilizado la tecnica de triangulacion para contrastar los distintos datos cuantitativos y cualitativos, la informacion procedente de los cuestionarios inicial y final asi como el grupo experimental (aquellos expuestos a integracion curricular) con el de control. Los resultados demuestran una gran motivacion del alumnado en este recurso y una mayor exposicion al ingles durante el periodo de prueba. Consideran las transcripciones como un elemento fundamental de ayuda para su aprendizaje, asi como la posibilidad de ver las respuestas correctas. Por otra parte, el grupo experimental ha mostrado mayor motivacion hacia los temas y ha podido servirse en mayor medida de tecnicas ‘top-down’ al estar familiarizado con la tematica y el lexico que aparecen en las audiciones. Consideramos que uno de los grandes retos que tiene la Ensenanza Asistida por Dispositivos Moviles es la de poder adaptarse mejor al contexto de nuestro alumnado.
Forestry parameter retrieval from texture in CARABAS VHF-band SAR images

Methods for retrieval of the stem volume, dominant tree height, and dominant tree diameter values using CARABAS images are presented. Both intensity and its texture can be used, but texture detects sparse, low stem volume forests overlooked by the intensity. The texture parameters used are the zero and first-order constants of the log-log regression of the standard deviation of the intensity and the distance over which it is determined. The accuracy of the stem volume estimates is of the order of the ground truth. The dominant diameter and height values are less accurate.
Mass-identified particle production in proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt s =300, 540, 1000, and 1800 GeV.

The yields and average transverse momenta of pions, kaons, and antiprotons produced at the Fermilab [ital [bar p]p] collider at [radical][ital s] =300, 540, 1000, and 1800 GeV are presented and compared with data from the energies reached at the CERN collider. We also present data on the dependence of average transverse momentum [l angle][ital p][sub [ital t]][r angle] and particle ratios as a function of charged particle density [ital dN][sub [ital c]]/[ital d][eta]; data for particle densities as high as six times the average value, corresponding to a Bjorken energy density 6 GeV/fm[sup 3], are reported. These data are relevant to the search for quark-gluon phase of QCD.
4,4′-diaponeurosporene, a C30 carotenoid, effectively activates dendritic cells via CD36 and NF-κB signaling in a ROS independent manner

Carotenoids could be divided into C30 carotenoids and C40 carotenoids. The immune functions of C40 carotenoids had been extensively researched, while those of C30 carotenoids still remain unclear. In this study, the immune functions of a biosynthetic C30 carotenoid, 4,4′-diaponeurosporene (Dia), were identified on dendritic cells (DCs). DCs treated with 1 μM Dia for 24 h showed morphologic and phenotypic characteristics of mature state and had an increased production of IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70 and TNFα, while β-carotene had a suppressive effect on DCs maturation. Moreover, Dia promoted antigen uptake of DCs in vitro and increased the quantity of antigen loaded DCs in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Dia-treated DCs also had an enhanced ability to stimulate T cell proliferation and Th1 polarization. Further researches showed that Dia activated DCs via CD36 as well as ERK, JNK, and NF-κB signals in a reactive oxygen species (ROS) independent manner.
Pressure effects on the equilibrium configurations of bilayer lipid membranes

Planar bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) are currently employed to construct many bio-inspired material systems and structures. In order to characterize the pressure effects on the equilibrium configurations of these biological membranes, a novel continuum model is proposed. The BLM is assumed to be a two-layer smectic A liquid crystal. The mean orientation of the amphiphilic molecules comprising the membrane is postulated to be perpendicular to the layers and each layer is idealized as a two-dimensional liquid. Moreover, the BLM is modeled as a simply supported plate undergoing small deformations. It is subjected to a pressure load that acts perpendicularly to the layers. The equilibrium equations and boundary conditions are derived from the bulk elastic energy for smectic A liquid crystals as described by de Gennes and Prost (1993 The Physics of Liquid Crystals 2nd edn (Oxford Science Publications)) by using variational methods. The resulting fourth-order linear partial differential equation is solved by employing cylindrical functions and the series solution is proved to be convergent. The solution is numerically computed for values of the model parameters that are reported in the literature.
Compromising Safety: Design Choices and Severe Accident Possibilities in India's Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

This article explores the safety capabilities of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor that is under construction in India, and which is to be the first of several similar reactors that are proposed to be built over the next few decades, to withstand severe accidents. Such accidents could potentially breach the reactor containment and disperse radioactivity to the environment. The potential for such accidents results from the reactor core not being in its most reactive configuration; further, when there is a loss of the coolant, the reactivity increases rather then decreasing as in the case of water-cooled reactors. The analysis demonstrates that the official safety assessments are based on assumptions about the course of accidents that are not justifiable empirically and the safety features incorporated in the current design are not adequate to deal with the range of accidents that are possible.