Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of oral hygiene instructions in sign language among hearing impaired adults in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE To improve knowledge of oral health among the hearing impaired in Saudi Arabia using videos with detailed oral hygiene instructions in Arabic sign language. METHODS Videos of oral hygiene instructions in Arabic sign language were produced under the supervision of a periodontist. Fifty male subjects above 18 years of age were chosen randomly from different deaf schools in Jazan, Saudi Arabia and divided into two groups as follows: Group 1 received printed booklets with oral hygiene instructions, and Group 2 received videos of the same instructions in Arabic sign language. Knowledge regarding oral health and hygiene practice was evaluated with the aid of a questionnaire before and after 4 weeks. RESULTS The estimated marginal mean of the knowledge regarding oral hygiene in Group 1 was 3.37, which was slightly increased to 4.40 after 4 weeks of general instructions. The estimated marginal mean in Group 2 was 3.70 before the distribution of the videos, which was significantly increased to 11 after 4 weeks (P < .001). CONCLUSION Videos of oral hygiene instructions in Arabic sign language had immensely improved knowledge regarding oral health and hygiene practices in the deaf/hearing impaired patients in this study.
Tilburg University Social support in the workplace and training effectiveness

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Cytokine Profile in Early Infection by Leptospira interrogans in A/J Mice

Leptospirosis is considered a neglected disease with an estimated more than one million cases every year. Since rodents are at the same time the main reservoir and generally asymptomatic to Leptospira infection, understanding why some animal species are resistant and others are susceptible to this infection would shed some light in how to control this important zoonosis. The innate immune response against Leptospira is mainly dependent on phagocytosis and activation of the Complement System. In this context, cytokines may drive the early control of infection and the adaptive response. Since the Complement System is important to eliminate leptospires in vivo, we investigated if Complement C5 in A/J mice would modulate the cytokine production during infection by Leptospira interrogans serovar Kennewicki type Pomona Fromm (LPF). Thus, our aim was to investigate the systemic levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines during Leptospira infection in the blood, liver, lung, and kidney on the third and sixth days of infection in A/J C5+/+ and A/J C5−/− mice. Blood levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, and MCP-1 reached a peak on the third day. Although both mouse strains developed splenomegaly, similar histopathological alterations in the liver and the lung, levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were different. A/J C5+/+ mice had higher levels of liver IL-10, IL-1β, IL-12p40, and IL-12p70 and kidney IL-1β, IL-12p40, and IL-12p70 on the sixth day of infection when compared to A/J C5−/− mice. Our results showed that in A/J genetic background, the Complement component C5 modulates a cytokine profile in the liver and kidney of infected mice, which may play a role in the control of disease progression.
Substages of moral judgment and prosocial behaviors.

r Research was conducted with college students to determine the relationship of substages of moral judgment (A or.B), sex of subject, and type of task to the likelihood of participation in prosocial (altruistic) tasks. The tasks examined involved two levels of expenditure! a minimal-expenditure task (phone-assist) and a substantial-expenditure task (blood donation). ' _^«julfs^indi^ does not appear to provide added motivation for participation in particular prosocial tasks. Furthermore, subjects are more likely to engage in prosocial tasks which do not require much effort. Finally, it appears that females who help respond more quickly than males who help in a minimal-expenditure task, while males are more likely than females to promise to engage in more demanding tasks but do not always keep their promises. Implications for future research are discussed.
The Impact of Tropical Storm Paul ( 1999 ) on the Motion and Rainfall Associated with Tropical

A heavy rainfall event associated with the passage of Tropical Storm Rachel (1999) over southern Taiwan was studied in which a conceptual model was proposed. In the model, Tropical Storm Paul (1999) plays an important role in impeding the movement of Rachel, thus becoming one of the key factors in enhancing the rainfall amount in southern Taiwan. To further quantify the above concept, a mesoscale numerical model is used to evaluate the influence of Paul on the simulated rainfall associated with Rachel near Taiwan. Sensitivity experiments are performed by removing the circulation of Paul, and/or the large-scale monsoon trough system, where Paul is imbedded. The potential vorticity diagnosis shows that the movement of Rachel is indeed affected by the presence of Paul. Nevertheless, a more detailed analysis shows that it is the presence of the entire monsoon trough that impedes the movement of Rachel and steers the storm toward southwestern Taiwan especially before its landfall. In all, these results generally support the conceptual model with regard to the heavy rainfall mechanism proposed in a previous study. Moreover, this study further points out that it is the circulation associated with both Paul and the entire monsoon trough that affects the movement of Rachel. In addition, the analyses based on the no-terrain simulation depict the relationships among the moisture-rich air from the South China Sea associated with Rachel, relatively dry air from South China, and the mechanism of forming a warm and dry region to the eastern side of the Taiwan terrain, which greatly influences the heavy rainfall distribution in the event.
DRY-ICE CLEANING: THE MOST EFFECTIVE CLEANING PROCESS FOR SRF CAVITIES?

The dry-ice sublimation-impulse cleaning (DIC) technique using a two component ring jet has been proven as a highly efficient cleaning process for niobium and copper surfaces. The liquid carbon dioxide flows through a ring-type nozzle assembled in a purpose-built cleaning head, expands to form a dry-ice / gas mixture and is accelerated by the surrounding nitrogen. A set-up for the HORIZONTAL cleaning of single-cell niobium cavities has been successfully commissioned during the last years. A preliminary parameter set for effective final cleaning is established. Several cavities have been cleaned and tested without any detectable field emission up to 36 MV/m. As application of the DIC technique might result in additional cleaning potential for accelerator structures, an extension of the set-up and testing of nine-cell cavities is planned until mid of 2008. Furthermore, DIC was applied to the copper injector "gun" cavity for TTF/FLASH [1] recently. In order to reduce the dark current of the gun cavity, a vertical cleaning setup was developed and tested.
UV cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone electrospun fibres as antibacterial surfaces

ABSTRACT Many bacteria become progressively more resistant to antibiotics and it remains a challenging task to control their overall levels. Polymers combined with active biomolecules come to the forefront for the design of antibacterial materials that can address this encounter. In this work, we investigated the photo-crosslinking approach of UV-sensitive benzophenone molecule (BP) with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer within electrospun fibres. The BP and PVP solutions allowed fabricating polymer mats that were subsequently functionalised with antibacterial lysozyme. The physical properties of the crosslinked electrospun fibres were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The average diameter of the obtained fibres decreased from 290 ± 50 nm to 270 ± 70 nm upon the addition of the crosslinking molecules and then to 240 ± 80 nm and 180 ± 90 nm after subsequent crosslinking reaction at an increasing time: 3 and 5 h, respectively. The peak force quantitative nanomechanical mapping (PF-QNM) indicated the increase of DMT modulus of obtained cross-linked fibres from 4.1 ± 0.8 GPa to 7.2 ± 0.5 GPa. Furthermore, the successful crosslinking reaction of PVP and BP solution into hydrogels was investigated in terms of examining photo-crosslinking mechanism and was confirmed by rheology, Raman, Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance. Finally, lysozyme was successfully encapsulated within cross-linked PVP-BP hydrogels and these were successfully electrospun into mats which were found to be as effective antibacterial agents as pure lysozyme molecules. The dissolution rate of photo cross-linked PVP mats was observed to increase in comparison to pure PVP electrospun mats which opened a potential route for their use as antibacterial, on-demand, dissolvable coatings for various biomedical applications. Graphical Abstract
Effect of dietary tryptophan supplementation on growth performance, immune response and anti‐oxidant status of broiler chickens from 7 to 21 days

Abstract Background This study was conducted to investigate the optimum dietary level of tryptophan (Trp) supplementation at which broiler chickens have better growth with efficient immune system and anti‐oxidant status. Method One hundred and twenty (n = 120) 1‐day‐old broiler chicks were fed a common commercial diet from days 1 to 7. On day 7, the chicks were randomly divided in three treatment groups, that is, Trp 0.2 [national research council (NRC) recommended level of tryptophan], Trp 0.3 (tryptophan supplemented at 0.3%) and Trp 0.5 (tryptophan supplemented at 0.5%). All the experimental diets were iso‐caloric (ME; 3,000 kcal/kg) and iso‐proteic (CP; 18.5%). Weekly data on feed intake and body weight gain (BWG) were recorded to calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR). On day 19, avian tuberculin was injected to note the cellular immunity. On day 21, two birds per replicate were killed to determine carcass and visceral organ weights. Blood serum samples were collected for analysis of humoral immune response against sheep red blood cells, total oxidant and anti‐oxidants by spectrophotometric method. Results Feed intake, carcass and visceral organ weights remained unaffected by dietary treatments while BWG and FCR tended to improve (p < .05) in broiler chicks fed the Trp 0.3 and the Trp 0.5 diets. Total oxidant status was also improved (p < .05) in broiler chicks fed the Trp 0.5 diet. Likewise, broiler chicks fed the Trp 0.3 and the Trp 0.5 diets tended to have better (p < .05) total anti‐oxidant status, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and arylesterase (ARE). The overall antibodies response and IgG improved (p < .05) by the Trp 0.3 and Trp 0.5 diets compared to control. However, IgM level remained similar across the treatment. The cellular immunity against avian tuberculin improved at 24 hr post‐injection but its effect disappeared at 48 hr. Conclusion The results of present study revealed that Trp above the NRC recommended level may give better growth, immune response and anti‐oxidant status in broiler chickens.
Características de carcaça de cordeiros Hampshire Down e Santa Inês sob diferentes fotoperíodos

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of photoperiod and breed on carcass characteristics. Seven Hampshire Down and seven Santa Ines ram lambs were assigned to two photoperiods: 12 hours light x 12 hours dark, or short photoperiod, and to 18 hours of light x 6 hours of dark, or long photoperiod. After weaning, the lambs were housed in individual stalls. The lambs were weighed weekly until slaughter weight of 31 kg. After slaughter, the carcass and the non-carcass components were weighed. Santa Ines lambs had higher hot carcass weight than Hampshire Down and also a higher commercial dressing percentage. Santa Ines lambs had higher blood, heart, lung, kidneys and spleen weight. The Hampshire Down lambs had higher skin, feet, full stomach and full intestine weight. Santa Ines lambs had higher width hindquarters and leg length than the Hampshire Down. Santa Ines lambs had higher percentage of discovered rib and low and the Hampshire Down lambs, higher percentage of leg. Breed influences more the carcass characteristics than photoperiod.
The impact of positive and negative emotions on loyalty intentions and their interactions with customer equity drivers

Customer equity drivers (CEDs) include value, brand, and relationship equity, which have a strong link with loyalty intentions. This study aims to examine the incremental effects of positive and negative emotions on loyalty intentions and to determine whether these emotions moderate the positive link between CEDs and loyalty intentions. We use customer data with 102 leading firms across eighteen services industries in the Netherlands. The results show that (1) positive and negative emotions have incremental effects on loyalty intentions, (2) positive emotions weaken the positive link (negative interaction), and (3) negative emotions strengthen the positive link, but only for brand and relationship equity (positive interaction). Thus, positive and negative emotions also explain loyalty intentions. However, managers should be cautious when combining CEDs with positive and negative emotions. We provide a strategic matrix to help managers arrive at effective combinations.
Psychological and physiological effects of applying self-control to the mobile phone

This preregistered study examined the psychological and physiological consequences of exercising self-control with the mobile phone. A total of 125 participants were randomly assigned to sit in an unadorned room for six minutes and either (a) use their mobile phone, (b) sit alone with no phone, or (c) sit with their device but resist using it. Consistent with prior work, participants self-reported more concentration difficulty and more mind wandering with no device present compared to using the phone. Resisting the phone led to greater perceived concentration abilities than sitting without the device (not having external stimulation). Failing to replicate prior work, however, participants without external stimulation did not rate the experience as less enjoyable or more boring than having something to do. We also observed that skin conductance data were consistent across conditions for the first three-minutes of the experiment, after which participants who resisted the phone were less aroused than those who were without the phone. We discuss how the findings contribute to our understanding of exercising self-control with mobile media and how psychological consequences, such as increased mind wandering and focusing challenges, relate to periods of idleness or free thinking.
Computational Models and Methods for Ultrasound Tomography

In this dissertation, computational methods are developed for modeling and reconstruction of ultrasound tomographic imaging. A fast method for computing the acoustic field of ultrasound transducers is presented with application to rectangular elements that are cylindrically focused. Our motivation is the rapid calculation of imaging kernels for physics based diagnostic imaging where current methods are computationally too intensive. Here the surface integral defining the acoustic field from a baffled piston is converted to a three-dimensional spatial convolution of the element surface and the Green’s function. A three-dimensional version of the overlap-save method from digital signal processing is employed to obtain a fast computational algorithm based on spatial Fourier transforms. Further efficiency is gained by using a separable approximation to the Green’s function through singular value decomposition and increasing the effective sampling rate by polyphase filtering. Secondly, ultrasound images are reconstructed from frequency-domain measurements of the scattered field from an object with contrast in attenuation and sound speed. The case where the object has uniform but unknown contrast in these properties relative to the background is considered. Background clutter is taken into account by considering an exact scattering model for randomly located small scatterers that vary in sound speed. The resulting statistical characteristics of the interference is incorporated into the imaging solution, which includes applying a total-variation minimization based approach where the relative effect of perturbation in sound speed to attenuation is included as a parameter. Convex optimization methods provide the basis for the reconstruction algorithm. Numerical data for inversion examples are generated by solving the discretized Lippman-Schwinger equation for the object and speckle-forming scatterers in the background. A statistical model based on the Born approximation is used for reconstruction of the object profile. Results are presented for a two dimensional problem in terms of classification performance and compared to minimum-`2-norm reconstruction. Classification using the proposed method is shown to be robust down to a signal-to-clutter ratio of less than 1 dB.
Prevalence of aphasia after stroke in a hospital population in southern Brazil: a retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Background: Aphasia negatively impacts quality of life. This is the first Brazilian study that investigates the prevalence of aphasia and its related factors, the results of which may underpin hospital and health service planning for this vulnerable population. Objective: To establish the prevalence of aphasia in patients after first-ever ischemic stroke (FEIS) and associated factors. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, based on a database held in Joinville, Brazil. All cases of FEIS admitted to one public hospital in Joinville in 2015 were selected. The diagnosis of aphasia was verified by neurologists through the language item of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results: Of the 350 patients with FEIS, 79 (22.6%) had aphasia. Patients with aphasia (PWA) were older, with a higher likelihood of dysarthria, more thrombolytic use, and greater stroke severity. PWA had higher mortality than patients without aphasia (24.1% versus 10.7%, p = .004) and longer hospitalization time (21.32 versus 17.46 days, p = .009). Higher NIHSS score was an independent predictor for the occurrence of aphasia on admission (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.17–1.31, p < .001). Older age (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03–1.09, p < .001) and stroke severity by NIHSS (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.12–1.25, p = <0.001) were independent predictors of death. Conclusions: PWA may need more health care during hospitalization, because of the severity of the stroke, and their frailty. Further studies are needed to assess the direct impact of aphasia on inpatients.
Radical Scavenging and Antibacterial Activity of Phenolic Compounds from Anacardium occidentale L. Stem Barks from South East Sulawesi-Indonesia

Three phenolic compounds, pinostrobin, pinocembrin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehide have been isolated and identified for the first time from methanol extract of Anacardium occidentale L. stem bark. The isolation was carried out using various techniques of chromatography such as thin layer chromatography, vacuum liquid chromatography and radial chromatography. Silica gel as adsorbent and a mixture of solvents as eluent were used during the separation process. Structures of the isolated compounds were determined by Fourier transforms infrared, mass and nuclear magnetic resonance (1- and 2-Dimensi) spectroscopies. Biological properties of the isolated compounds were evaluated against four strains of bacteria, Shigella dysenteriae ATCC 13313, Salmonella typhi YCTC, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC33591, and Escherichia coli ATCC 35219), as well as the radical scavenging potential in DPPH assay. Results indicated that pinocembrin was the most active isolated compound towards S. dysenteriae, S. typhi, methicillin-resistant S. aureus and E. coli, however in comparison to the MIC50 value of the standard, pinocembrin possessed low antibacterial activity. Meanwhile, 4-hydroxybenzaldehide showed the highest radical scavenger activity with IC50 value of 134.93±0.13 µM, but much lower compared to vitamin C with IC50 value of 63.32±0.22 µM.
Thoracoscopic pleural brushing - an innovative method of pleural sampling in diagnostic medical thoracoscopy.

INTRODUCTION Pleural biopsy is the commonest mode of obtaining thoracoscopic pleural specimens from suspected pleural lesions. However, this may be associated with arisk of bleeding in certain cases. The decision to perform biopsy could be difficult, especially when the lesions are close to vascular structures and the visceral pleura. So, pleural brushing can be used to get safely thoracoscopic specimens in addition to biopsy samples. AIM To determine the sensitivity and specificity of thoracoscopic pleural brushing in exudative pleural effusions. MATERIAL AND METHODS This prospective study was done in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College, Pondicherry, India on 80 patients with exudative pleural effusion in whom pleural fluid analysis and closed pleu-ral biopsy results were inconclusive. All these patients were subjected to medical thoracoscopy after getting informed consent. Pleural biopsy and pleural brushings were taken and sent for analysis. RESULTS Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was diagnostic in 76 of 80 patients (95%). Thoracoscopic pleural brushing was diagnostic in 74 patients (92.5%). Histopathology revealed malignancy (82.7%), granulomatous inflammation (11.5%) and nonspecific inflam-mation (5.7%). The sensitivity and specificity of pleural brushing were 96% and 75%, respectively. Interestingly, pleural brushing was the only diagnostic modality in one patient that was reported to be adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Thoracoscopic pleural brushing is an easy, convenient and safe procedure as it can augment the diagnostic yield of thoracoscopy. It is of significant value, especially in sampling pleural lesions close to vessels and the visceral pleura compared to pleural biopsy.
Perceptions of kanji learning strategies: Do they differ among Chinese character and alphabetic background learners?

This study investigates three important issues in kanji learning strategies; namely, strategy use, effectiveness of strategy and orthographic background. A questionnaire on kanji learning strategy use and perceived effectiveness was administered to 116 beginner level, undergraduate students of Japanese from alphabetic and character backgrounds in Australia. Both descriptive and statistical analyses of the questionnaire responses revealed that the strategies used most often are the most helpful. Repeated writing was reported as the most used strategy type although alphabetic background learners reported using repeated writing strategies significantly more often than character background learners. The importance of strategy training and explicit instruction of fundamental differences between character and alphabetic background learners of Japanese is discussed in relation to teaching strategies. [Author abstract]