Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Development of Endogenous Orienting: Control Over the Scope of Attention and Lateral Asymmetries

This study examined the development of endogenous orienting in children ages 6, 10, and 14 years and in adults. Participants were asked to respond with a button press to targets appearing in the left or right visual field. Cues that correctly or incorrectly indicated the target's location preceded the appearance of targets at stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 100 and 800 msec. Cues that signaled a target's appearance, but not its location, were also included. In addition to raw reaction times, orienting effects, benefits, and costs were examined. Two main findings emerged: First, for all participants except the youngest children effect sizes increased with increasing SOA. The absence of an SOA effect in the youngest group is interpreted as evidence of their difficulty in voluntarily adjusting the scope of their attentional focus. In addition, field asymmetries changed with the age of the respondent: 6-year-olds showed a right-field advantage, 10-year-olds failed to show any laterality differences, and 14-year-olds and adults responded more quickly to targets in the left than in the right field. This finding is consistent with developmental data on a number of cognitive processes, and is interpreted within a developmental framework of right-hemisphere dominance for spatial orienting (cf. Mesulam, 1998).
Bimodal recovery pattern in human skeletal muscle induced by exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE Recovery of force and stretch reflex from exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) exercise is usually bimodal, characterized as immediate exercise-induced performance reduction, with its quick recovery followed by a longer-lasting reduction in performance. A clear parallel exists between the respective changes in performance, neural activation, and metabolic or structural exercise-induced changes. This implies the existence of potential coupling between muscle failure and the induced neural adjustments that take place along its recovery. The present study was designed to explore the evidence of this coupling more thoroughly. METHODS H- and stretch reflexes were measured before and periodically after exhaustive SSC exercise in human subjects. Several markers of muscle damage and inflammation were also measured during the 8-d postexercise follow-up period. RESULTS The results indicate that acute changes of H- and stretch reflex patterns and maximal isometric force are associated with significant increases in lactate, interleukin 6, and prostaglandin E2 concentrations. The delayed changes in reflexes and isometric force occurred concomitantly with increases in muscle thickness, C reactive protein, and substance P concentrations and also in serum creatine kinase activity. CONCLUSION The immediate postexercise decreases in H- and stretch reflexes are probably partially caused by activation of group III and IV afferent fibers by high lactate concentration in combination with possible increases in potassium outflow. Both of these parameters recovered quickly (i.e., 2 h after exercise). The events after the 2-h postexercise point are very likely to be related to muscle damage and associated inflammation. Group III and IV afferent fibers are probably reactivated during this period by mechanical factors.
Are laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma incidence and patient mortality a function of ABO blood grouping? A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE Few studies have examined the association between ABO blood grouping and head and neck cancer. This retrospective review examined the association between blood group and laryngeal cancer incidence and patient mortality. METHODS Of 271 patients treated for squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma (1997-2002), 143 patients with supraglottic, glottic and subglottic tumours were included; 128 patients were excluded. The blood group characteristics of patients and healthy blood donors were compared. RESULTS There was no significant correlation between blood type and laryngeal carcinoma incidence or mortality. Type A blood was commoner in African Americans with laryngeal cancer than Caucasian patients, but not significantly so. As expected, five-year survival rates were lower in patients with more advanced stage cancer (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Although our findings show no association between blood group and five-year survival, these results are inconclusive, and warrant further study of the association between blood type and laryngeal (and other) head and neck cancers.
The pn Junctions of Epitaxial Germanium on Silicon by Solid Phase Doping

Boron and phosphorous layers were deposited by ultrahigh-vacuum chemical vapor deposition at 450 °C using B<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub> and PH<sub>3</sub>, respectively, to form the abrupt doping profiles in epitaxial Ge on Si substrate. The diffusion process without ion implantation damage is demonstrated by the nearly ideal diode characteristics for the first time. The Ge diodes doped by the boron layer and the phosphorous layer have the ON/OFF ratio of ~1×10<sup>5</sup> and ~1.5×10<sup>5</sup> with the extremely low reverse current densities of ~1×10<sup>-4</sup> A/cm<sup>2</sup> and ~4 × 10<sup>-5</sup> A/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. The good crystalline quality at junction free from implantation damage by in situ solid phase doping reflects these figures of merit.
Genetic regulation of morphogenesis in Bacillus subtilis: roles of sigma E and sigma F in prespore engulfment

Electron microscopic examination of sporulating cultures of wild-type Bacillus subtilis revealed that the morphological events previously characterized as stages II and III can be divided into four substages, namely, stages IIi, IIii, IIiii, and III. The ultrastructural phenotypes of several stage II mutant strains indicate that each of the four substages has a biochemical and genetic basis. Two of the genes needed for the transition from stage II to stage III encode transcription factors sigma E and sigma F. Their roles during spore morphogenesis have been the subject of much speculation. We now show that sigma E controls genes involved in the morphological transition from stage IIi to stage IIii and then stage IIiii, while the transition to stage III may be determined by genes controlled by sigma F. The results also indicate the existence of at least two undiscovered sporulation genes involved in B. subtilis spore morphogenesis.
Reorganization of the ependyma during axolotl spinal cord regeneration: Changes in intermediate filament and fibronectin expression

Changes in intermediate filament content and extracellular matrix material showed that the injury response of ependymal cells in lesioned axolotl spinal cord involves an epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transformation, and that fibrous astrocytes are excluded from the remodeling lesion site. Antibody localization was used to visualize cytokeratin‐, vimentin‐, and glial fibrillary acidic protein‐ (GFAP‐) containing intermediate filaments, as well as the adhesive glyco‐protein fibronectin. In normal axolotl spinal cord cytokeratins were found near the apical surface of the ependymal cells. Transmission electron microscopic examination suggested that these cytokeratins were in tonofilaments. Cytokeratin expression was lost and vimentin production was initiated in ependymal cells 2–3 weeks following spinal cord injury. There was a period of approximately 1–2 weeks when cytokeratins and vimentin were co‐expressed in vivo. This co‐expression was maintained in vitro by culture on a fibronectin‐coated substratum. As the central canal reformed, vimentin expression was lost. Ependymal cells lacked GFAP intermediate filaments, but GFAP was present in fibrous astrocytes of the neuropil and white matter. Following injury, GFAP localization showed that fibrous astrocytes disappeared from the remodeling lesion site and reappeared only after the ependymal epithelium reformed and newly myelinated axons were found. Fibronectin expression closely followed the expression of vimentin during mesenchymal ependymal cell outgrowth. These results suggest that the ependymal cell outgrowth requires changes in cell shape followed by changes in production of extracellular matrix.
Author ' s response to reviews Title : Efficacy of customised functional foot orthoses in the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy : study protocol for a randomised trial

Dear Sir/Madam, I have resubmiited the manuscript in response to your suggestions that you emailed to me on 7th October 2009. The requests were: Reference 14, In press Has this article now been published? If so, please provide the citation details. Response: We have amended this reference. Additional files All additional files should be referred to in the following way: '[see Additional file 1]' rather than as 'supplemental' material, 'data files' etc. Additional files Please add a section titled "Additional files" at the end of the manuscript (after the tables) listing the following for each file: the file format, the title of the data, and a short description of the data. An example from another paper is given below. Response: We have amended the manuscript in accordance with this sugegstion.
Time Series Classification

Time series is an important class of temporal data objects and it can be easily obtained from scientific and financial applications. The nature time series data includes: large in data size, high dimensionality and necessary to update continuously. The increasing use of time series data has initiated a great deal of research and developing attempts in the field of data mining. Classification of time series data has a wide range of applications and has attracted researches from a wide range of discipline. In this paper the classical discriminant analysis is modified using the principal component analysis (PCA) to overcome the large dimensionality. The PCA modification can reduce the size of the data and improve the efficiency and accuracy. The new method is investigated using a simulation study to classify the linear AR(2) model and the bilinear BL(1,0,1,1) model. The results of our investigation show that the designed algorithm has a significant rate of correct classification especially if it is compared with the other methods. The PCA modification method is also applied to a real set of time series data and gave a superior rate of correct classification.
Networked-Based Hybrid Distributed Power Sharing and Control for Islanded Microgrid Systems

Distributed generation (DG) microgrid systems are forming the building blocks for smart distribution grids. Enhanced networked-based control structure is needed not only to eliminate the frequency deviations, power-sharing errors, and stability concerns associated with conventional droop control in microgrids but also to yield: 1) improved microgrid dynamic performance, 2) minimized active/reactive power-sharing errors under unknown line impedances, and 3) high reliability and robustness against network failures or communication delays. This paper proposes a new hybrid distributed networked-based power control scheme that addresses the aforementioned problems in a distributed manner. The new method consists of a set of distributed power regulators that are located at each DG unit to ensure perfect tracking of the optimized set points assigned by the centralized energy management unit (EMU). The average power measurements are transmitted to the EMU to calculate the share of each unit of the total power demand based on real-time optimization criteria; therefore, a low-bandwidth communication system can be used. In the proposed method, the distributed nature of the power regulators allows them to adopt the delay-free local power measurements as the required feedback signals. Therefore, the proposed structure provides great robustness against communication delays. Further, this paper presents a generalized and computationally efficient modeling approach that captures the dominant dynamics of a microgrid system. The model can be used to study the impact of power-sharing controllers and delays in microgrid stability. Comparative simulation and experimental results are presented to show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Optimal signal reconstruction based on the Fourier decomposition method

The Fourier decomposition method (FDM) is the newest time-frequency-energy analysis tool for signals. Using the FDM, any signal can be represented by the sum of a small number of band-limited orthogonal functions termed Fourier intrinsic band functions (FIBFs). In its present form, however, the FDM is not based on an optimality criterion. The lack of optimality limits the signal recovery capability of the FDM in the presence of disturbances. To find a solution to this limitation and therefore to enhance the capability of the FDM, this paper proposes to adapt two thoughts that are previously applied for the empirical mode decomposition, to the FDM. The other contribution of this paper is that we propose faster procedures than the conventional FDM in finding the FIBFs of a given signal. Simulations show that the proposed approaches result in satisfactory performance in reconstructing the original signal under undesired disturbances.
Jumping Finite Automata

The present paper proposes a new investigation area in automata theory — jumping finite automata. These automata work like classical finite automata except that they read input words discontinuously — that is, after reading a symbol, they can jump over some symbols within the words and continue their computation from there. The paper establishes several results concerning jumping finite automata in terms of commonly investigated areas of automata theory, such as decidability and closure properties. Most importantly, it achieves several results that demonstrate differences between jumping finite automata and classical finite automata. In its conclusion, the paper formulates several open problems and suggests future investigation areas.
Stationarity of Real Exchange Rates in the “Fragile Five”: Analysis with Structural Breaks

In this study the stationarity of monthly real exchange rate data for the i°fragile fivei± countries which are among the emerging market economies, is analyzed for the period of 2003:01-2015:10, using traditional unit root tests and unit root tests with structural breaks. According to the results of traditional Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) unit root test results, it has been determined that the real exchange rate series of the fragile five countries had a unit root and therefore the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) hypothesis does not hold true in these countries. The results of a Zivot-Andrews unit root test, which allows for a single structural break, show that real exchange rate series were stationary for Brazil and India, and hence the PPP hypothesis is valid in these countries. According to the results of a Lee-Strazicich unit root test, which allows for two structural breaks, it has been concluded that the hypothesis is valid only for India. Likewise, using the Carrion-i-Silvestre (CS) unit root test, which allows for five structural breaks in the time series, it has been determined that only South Africai¯s and Indiai¯s real exchange rate series are not stationary, and therefore the PPP hypothesis is not valid for these countries. In line with the results of the CS unit root test it can be claimed that, due to the fact that South African and Indian central banks are not under the pressure of establishing exchange rate stability, they have the possibility of implementing an independent monetary policy.
The efficacy of foam cleaners in removing debris from two endodontic instruments.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of ProFile File cleaner and a nanostructured foam in removing debris from two rotary nickel-titanium instruments during and after instrumentation. METHOD AND MATERIALS Twenty mandibular premolars were decoronated and instrumented up to either no. 40.04 RaCe (no. 40.04) or K3 (no. 40.04) instruments (n = 10). Each group of files was randomly divided into two groups: ProFile File cleaner and Nano Foam cleaner. The instruments were examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) before and after placement into the canals. Subsequently, instruments were introduced into each cleaner and examined again under SEM. The amount of debris removal from the instruments was determined by ImageJ software. Data were subjected to Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests at a . 05 level of significance. RESULTS The amount of debris removal was significantly different between the groups (P = .002). The amount of debris removed was significantly higher in K3 with Nano Foam cleaner than ProFile File cleaner (P = .009). CONCLUSION Nanostructured foam can remove debris from endodontic files, especially from those with complex cross-section. This method is recommended to help optimize debris removal with the further possibility of instrument sterilization and reduced risk of cross-contamination.
The impact of oxygen incorporation during the MBE growth of AlGaAs

This paper presents the results of a study of the effects of oxygen and nitrogen incorporation in AlxGa1-xAs epitaxial layers during MBE growth. Low level controlled air leaks were introduced during growth and the structural properties of the layers measured by HRXRD, while SIMS was used to measure the oxygen and nitrogen content in the layers. The AlxGa1-xAs lattice parameter exhibits contraction for Al fractions x up to 0.6 while layers with x fractions greater than 0.6 show an expansion in the AlxGa1-xAs lattice parameter. The observations are interpreted by comparing these lattice parameter measurements with AlxGa1-xAs layers grown without admitting air to the growth chamber. The x-fraction incorporation dependence, as well as the lattice parameter behavior, is accounted for by a model which discriminates between the propensities for O2 to incorporate at As sites by bonding to pairs of Ga atoms in the layer beneath, to one Al and one Ga in the layer beneath or to two Al atoms in the layer beneath. There is also evidence that the O2 and N2 molecules compete for these bonding sites.
Empirical analysis and performance evaluation of a generic re-linking technique for robust route maintenance

Establishing and maintaining a route is a challenge in the design of resource constrained Wireless Sensor Networks. The paper investigates and evaluates a robust generic re-linking technique that aims to enhance route maintenance. Although the use of node residual energy has been exploited in routing protocols, the re-linking techniques for route maintenance need to be researched further. We opine that if data can be re-linked prior to the termination of an existing route on the onset of death of a node, data and energy loss can be reduced. The re-linking technique is fast in response and ensures minimal route disturbance. This eliminates the need to establish a new route from the source to the destination. Incorporation of the re-linking technique in existing routing protocol AODV demonstrates an improvement of 10.18% in packet delivery ratio. Experimental analysis indicates a 15% reduction in data loss and 83.23% decrease in latency.
Exercise Intervention for Osteoporosis Prevention in PostmenopausalWomen: A Systematic Review

A varied exercise regimen is widely used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, yet little is known about the most effective types of exercise, their frequency of use and the results of combining exercise with calcium and vitamin D. The aim of this review dissertation was to systematically review the evidence of the effectiveness of different types of exercise on bone mineral density in order to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. A wide search was conducted to identify all the potential relevant randomised controlled trials using both electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro, AMED, SPORTDiscus and ScienceDirect) and a manual search. The included trials were rated for risk of bias using the Jadad scale. From an initial list of 524 potentially relevant studies, 27 randomised controlled trials of preventive exercise of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with Bone Mineral Density (BMD) as an outcome measure were discussed in this review. A considerable number of the available trials had small sample size, high risk of bias, lack of long term follow-up. The results suggest weight-bearing exercises are effective regardless of their duration, with or without calcium and vitamin D; non-weight bearing exercises might be effective but over a prolonged period of time and with calcium and vitamin D added. A combination of these exercises had positive effects on BMD when combined with HRT. Further, RCTs with a long-term follow up, a low risk of bias and larger sample sizes are needed in the future.
Radiosensitizing Effect of Electrochemotherapy: A Systematic Review of Protocols and Efficiency.

BACKGROUND Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a combination of electroporation (EP) and chemotherapy and has been reported as a potential radiosensitizing agent for radiation therapy. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to systematically review of the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of ECT in sensitization of tumors to ionization radiation. In addition, the clinical considerations and mechanisms of action of radiosensitizing effect are discussed. RESULTS Nine studies were included in this review. Bleomycin and cisplatin showed radiosensitizing effects in combined protocols with EP. EP enhances the cytotoxicity of bleomycin and cisplatin by factor of 1000 and 100, respectively. The mechanism of action of these drugs is induction of single and double strand breaks in DNA molecule. Moreover, the two main mechanisms of EP are increasing drug uptake in the tumor cells and generating reactive oxygen species. A single session ECT before radiotherapy can significantly enhance the tumor response. CONCLUSION ECT is effective for different cell lines and tumors with different levels of radiosensitivity. Our findings show that ECT can be further translated into the clinic and can be matched by singledose irradiation as well as in the fractionated regime.
Differentiation of Blossom Honey and Honeydew Honey from Northwest Spain

The knowledge of important parameters for honey characterization is an increasing requirement of consumers and the honey industry. In this respect, differentiation between blossom honeys and some honeydew honeys is still an unresolved task. This study includes the results of physicochemical and melissopalynological analysis of 86 honey samples from north-western Spain. The relationship between the microscopic elements in honey, such as Metschnikowia cells and fungal spores from plant pathogens, together with their physicochemical parameters were analysed. A cluster analysis was performed to differentiate blossom honey samples from honeydew samples. Metschnikowia cells and certain fungal spores were found to be good variables to enable differentiation between blossom honeys and honeydew honeys.
Prevalence of Hematozoa in Overwintering American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla): No Evidence for Local Transmission

We examined American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) for protozoan blood parasites on their wintering grounds to determine whether transmission of these parasites occurs prior to spring migration. A total of 73 blood smears from 37 birds were examined for presence and intensity of infection. Thirty-six birds were sampled in the fall, soon after arriving from northern breeding grounds, and the spring prior to departure. Two (5%) of the samples collected in the fall were positive for Haemoproteus fringillae and one (3%) had detectable infections of Trypanosoma avium. Individuals infected with H. fringillae were hatching year redstarts sampled in September and October. Intensity of infection was 78 and <1 infected erythrocytes per 10,000 erythrocytes, respectively. None of the birds had detectable infections when resampled prior to spring migration the following March.