Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low among-provenance differences in structural and functional plasticity in response to nutrients in saplings of the circum-Mediterranean tree Arbutus unedo L.

The Mediterranean region is an area of special interest for conservation where the incidence of multiple drivers of global change is expected to increase. One of the factors predicted to change is soil-nutrient availability, an essential factor for plant growth. Thus, study of the effects of variation in this parameter is especially relevant in species with a circum-Mediterranean distribution, such as Arbutus unedo L. , in which the different provenances grow in different habitats, which must differ in nutritional conditions. We aimed to determine the effect of provenance on plasticity, to establish whether structural and morphological traits differ in the level of plasticity and to assess how nutrients affect the photosynthetic light response. In a common garden experiment, we studied seven provenances from the circum-Mediterranean range of A. unedo and established two nutrient treatments (low and high nutrient availability). We measured physiological and structural traits in 1-year-old sapling and determined a phenotypic plasticity index (PPI) to quantify the level of plasticity, whereas the radiation effects were tested by construction and analysis of light response curves. Interestingly, provenance did not explain a significant amount of variance, but the plasticity was four times higher for the structural traits than for the physiological traits. Therefore, the plasticity to nutrient availability will not favour or prevent the expansion or contraction of the range of any of these provenances of A. unedo. Furthermore, the structural plasticity demonstrated the ability of the strawberry tree to optimize resource allocation, whereas the physiology remained stable, thus avoiding extra expenditure. The study findings also suggest that increased availability of nutrients would improve the performance of the species during the Mediterranean summer, characterized by high irradiance. These abilities will be key to the survival of saplings of the species under the future scenario of changes in nutrient availability.
Rapid quantification and analysis of genetic diversity among Gordonia populations in foaming activated sludge plants

Activated sludge plants, sporadically suffers malfunction due to the proliferation of filamentous bacteria mainly Gordonia and Microthrix species. Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction‐Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (nested PCR‐RFLP) in combination with quantitative real‐time PCR (q PCR) was applied to study the distribution of Gordonia in foaming samples. Samples of mixed liquor were collected from three full‐scale activated sludge plants that were experiencing filamentous biological foaming. Partial sequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed the dominance of Gordonia amarae (60–80%), Gordonia terrae (10%), Gordonia polyisoprenivorans (30–40%) and an unidentified Gordonia species (20–50%). Restriction enzyme analysis of the amplicons exhibited 87.14 to 99.6% similarity at interspecies level. The q PCR results showed that there was an average of 15.6% Gordonia 16S rRNA copies with respect to the total bacterial 16S rRNA gene in foaming sludge samples with the highest being 23.51% and lowest being 10.28%. The presence of Gordonia spp. in the foaming samples was observed throughout the year but was lower during winter and its presence was significantly higher in foaming samples, compared to Microthrix parvicella (r = 0.007, P < 5%). This approach could help to quantify and confirm the existence of genetically diverse indigenous Gordonia spp. in foaming samples and can be used as an indicator of forthcoming foaming incidents. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Design of Fuzzy-Neural-Network-Inherited Backstepping Control for Robot Manipulator Including Actuator Dynamics

This study presents the design and analysis of an intelligent control system that inherits the systematic and recursive design methodology for an n-link robot manipulator, including actuator dynamics, in order to achieve a high-precision position tracking with a firm stability and robustness. First, the coupled higher order dynamic model of an n-link robot manipulator is introduced briefly. Then, a conventional backstepping control (BSC) scheme is developed for the joint position tracking of the robot manipulator. Moreover, a fuzzy-neural-network-inherited BSC (FNNIBSC) scheme is proposed to relax the requirement of detailed system information to improve the robustness of BSC and to deal with the serious chattering that is caused by the discontinuous function. In the FNNIBSC strategy, the FNN framework is designed to mimic the BSC law, and adaptive tuning algorithms for network parameters are derived in the sense of the projection algorithm and Lyapunov stability theorem to ensure the network convergence as well as stable control performance. Numerical simulations and experimental results of a two-link robot manipulator that are actuated by dc servomotors are provided to justify the claims of the proposed FNNIBSC system, and the superiority of the proposed FNNIBSC scheme is also evaluated by quantitative comparison with previous intelligent control schemes.
Rehabilitation of word deafness due to auditory analysis disorder

Background: Word deafness refers to an inability to understand spoken words despite intact hearing. In a cognitive approach, word deafness could be explained by a deficiency at the lower perceptive level of the auditory process. The impairment of the auditory analysis system would explain a disorder of identification of speech sounds. Only few studies addressed rehabilitation of central auditory processing and have described therapy focused on phoneme discrimination. Objective: To determine whether a specific auditory analysis rehabilitation addressing phoneme discrimination and phoneme recognition may improve oral comprehension and communication. Method: A single-case experimental design was used in a 65 year-old woman, with word deafness consecutive to a cerebral infarction which occurred 10 months before. Verbal naming, written expression and written comprehension were normal. Verbal comprehension, repetition and phoneme discrimination and recognition were impaired. In terms of cognitive model of auditory processing, the patient showed impairment of the auditory analysis system affecting verbal comprehension. A computerized rehabilitation of auditory analysis system was carried out in two consecutive tasks: phoneme discrimination and phoneme recognition. Errorless learning therapy was used, with a difficulty hierarchy practised from the easier to the most difficult phoneme and systematic visual cues which were progressively delayed and suppressed. This study tested the efficacy and the specificity of this therapy on the addressed tasks (phoneme discrimination and recognition), related tasks (oral comprehension and repetition), independent tasks (recognition of environmental sounds) and daily life (questionnaire). Results: The phoneme discrimination and recognition impairment was stable over 4 months before therapy. After therapy, phoneme discrimination (p < 0.001) and phoneme recognition (p < 0.0001) were improved. The improvement was specific to verbal sounds recognition, while non-verbal sounds recognition was unchanged. An improvement occurred for repetition (p < 0.05) and oral comprehension (p < 0.01). The communication disability decreased (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In a case of word deafness, this study demonstrates not only the efficacy of a specific phoneme processing therapy but also its efficacy in the improvement of higher level of cognitive treatment such as oral comprehension and its transfer in daily life. The role of errorless therapy using systematic visual cues and difficulty hierarchy must be underlined.
Specific chromosome aberration in human renal cell carcinoma

Using G‐banding technique, the chromosomes were studied in short‐term cultures of 25 primary renal‐cell carcinomas (RCC). Phytohaemagglutinin‐stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes or normal kidney cells of the same patients growing in primary cultures were analysed to define the constitutional karyotype. The modal chromosome number of 23 RCC's was found to be pseudo‐diploid or near‐diploid with only few structural rearrangements, 22 of the RCC's showed an aberration of chromosome 3, deletion of 3p, or translocation of different chromosome segments to the deleted chromosome 3, leading to the loss of variable segments of chromosome 3. The breakpoints in rearrangements of chromosome 3 clustered in the region 3p11.2–p13. Shortest‐region overlap analysis localized a consistent change to a small area of 3p13‐pter. In 8 of the 25 RCCs, the rearrangement of chromosome 3 was the only karyotype change determined, and 4 other tumours had only one chromosomal rearrangement in addition to the aberration of chromosome 3. These results suggest that the aberration of chromosome 3 is the first cytogenetic event in the clonal evolution of RCCs. Translocation 3;5 was preferentially involved in the rearrangements between chromosome 3p and other chromosomes. The breakpoint on chromosome 3 was constant at p13, but the breaks on chromosome 5 varied between bands q11.2 and q22. Monosomy 14 was observed in 10 cases and loss of Y chromosome was detected in 6 of 14 tumours obtained from male patients. Since the normal somatic cells were free of chromosomal aberrations, one may conclude that the loss of 3p13‐pter segment is an acquired, consistent chromosomal aberration which marks human RCCs.
Children in the Syrian Civil War: the Familial, Educational, and Public Health Impact of Ongoing Violence

Abstract Objective The Syrian civil war since 2011 has led to one of the most complex humanitarian emergencies in history. The objective of this study was to document the impact of the conflict on the familial, educational, and public health state of Syrian children. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in May 2015. Health care workers visited families with a prospectively designed data sheet in 4 Northern Syrian governorates. Results The 1001 children included in this study originated from Aleppo (41%), Idleb (36%), Hamah (15%), and Lattakia (8%). The children’s median age was 6 years (range, 0-15 years; interquartile range, 3-11 years), and 61% were boys. Almost 20% of the children were internally displaced, and 5% had deceased or missing parents. Children lacked access to safe drinking water (15%), appropriate sanitation (23%), healthy nutrition (16%), and pediatric health care providers (64%). Vaccination was inadequate in 72%. More than half of school-aged children had no access to education. Children in Idleb and Lattakia were at greater risk of having unmet public health needs. Younger children were at greater risk of having an incomplete vaccination state. Conclusions After 4 years of civil war in Syria, children have lost parents, live in substandard life quality circumstances, and are at risk for outbreaks because of worsening vaccination states and insufficient availability of health care providers. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:874–882)
Maternal predictors of toddler health status.

PURPOSE The purposes of this study were to examine the relationships among maternal and environmental variables in the first 6 months postpartum and toddler health status, and to identify predictors of toddler health. DESIGN AND METHODS A secondary analysis was conducted on an existing dataset of a longitudinal parent-child survey. RESULTS Maternal stress predicted 8% of the variance in child health status at 18 months of age. Children in nonparental care more than 20 hr per week were perceived as less healthy. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Pediatric nurses should assess levels of maternal stress in the early months postpartum and anticipate poorer health status in toddlers who spend more than 20 hr per week in nonparental care.
A Survey of Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms Based on Decomposition

Decomposition is a well-known strategy in traditional multiobjective optimization. However, the decomposition strategy was not widely employed in evolutionary multiobjective optimization until Zhang and Li proposed multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) in 2007. MOEA/D proposed by Zhang and Li decomposes a multiobjective optimization problem into a number of scalar optimization subproblems and optimizes them in a collaborative manner using an evolutionary algorithm (EA). Each subproblem is optimized by utilizing the information mainly from its several neighboring subproblems. Since the proposition of MOEA/D in 2007, decomposition-based MOEAs have attracted significant attention from the researchers. Investigations have been undertaken in several directions, including development of novel weight vector generation methods, use of new decomposition approaches, efficient allocation of computational resources, modifications in the reproduction operation, mating selection and replacement mechanism, hybridizing decomposition- and dominance-based approaches, etc. Furthermore, several attempts have been made at extending the decomposition-based framework to constrained multiobjective optimization, many-objective optimization, and incorporate the preference of decision makers. Additionally, there have been many attempts at application of decomposition-based MOEAs to solve complex real-world optimization problems. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the decomposition-based MOEAs proposed in the last decade.
Who receives specialist palliative care in Western Australia - and who misses out

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of Western Australian (WA) people who received, and did not receive, specialist palliative care (SPC) during their last 12 months of life. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting and participants: People who died between 1 July 2000 and 31 December 2002 in WA, and whose cause of death was from cancer or selected non-cancer conditions. Main outcome measures: Use of SPC in the last 12 months of life. Results: There were 27 971 deaths from all causes in WA over the study period. Two-thirds (68%) of people who died of cancer received SPC, but less than one in ten (8%) who died of selected non-cancer conditions received SPC. Those who died of cancer were significantly less likely to receive SPC if they were single or widowed, aged-/ 85 years or lived in a region other than a major city. Of those who died of selected non-cancer conditions, people other than those who were married were significantly less likely to have accessed SPC. Indigenous people were less likely to have accessed SPC, although this was not statistically significant (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.36-1.34). Conclusions: Within a WA context, this study confirms established international evidence for problems of access to SPC by non-cancer patients and other disadvantaged groups. Importantly, this evidence is provided at a population level, thus documenting the extent of inequities in palliative care service provision. By pointing to the areas of most critical need, this study assists in health service policy and planning.
An essential role for fibronectin extra type III domain A in pulmonary fibrosis.

RATIONALE Tissue fibrosis is considered a dysregulated wound-healing response. Fibronectin containing extra type III domain A (EDA) is implicated in the regulation of wound healing. EDA-containing fibronectin is deposited during wound repair, and its presence precedes that of collagen. OBJECTIVES To investigate the role of EDA-containing fibronectin in lung fibrogenesis. METHODS Primary lung fibroblasts from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or from patients undergoing resection for lung cancer were assessed for EDA-containing fibronectin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) expression. Mice lacking the EDA domain of fibronectin and their wild-type littermates were challenged with the bleomycin model of lung fibrosis. Primary lung fibroblasts from these mice were assayed in vitro to determine the contribution of EDA-containing fibronectin to fibroblast phenotypes. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung fibroblasts produced markedly more EDA-containing fibronectin and alpha-SMA than control fibroblasts. EDA-null mice failed to develop significant fibrosis 21 days after bleomycin challenge, whereas wild-type controls developed the expected increase in total lung collagen. Histologic analysis of EDA-null lungs after bleomycin showed less collagen and fewer alpha-SMA-expressing myofibroblasts compared with that observed in wild-type mice. Failure to develop lung fibrosis in EDA-null mice correlated with diminished activation of latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and decreased lung fibroblast responsiveness to active TGF-beta in vitro. CONCLUSIONS The data show that EDA-containing fibronectin is essential for the fibrotic resolution of lung injury through TGF-beta activation and responsiveness, and suggest that EDA-containing fibronectin plays a critical role in tissue fibrogenesis.
Circulating Cytokines in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Determined by a Multiplex Cytokine Array System

Plasma cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) by initiating and perpetuating various cellular and humoural autoimmune processes. The aim of the present study was to describe a broad spectrum of T‐cell and B‐cell cytokines, growth factors, chemokines and molecules that could contribute to cell death in SS. A novel protein array system was utilized to measure simultaneously the levels of 25 plasma cytokines of patients with primary SS and healthy individuals. Furthermore, we correlated these plasma cytokine levels with potential laboratory and clinical parameters related to disease activity in SS. A subset of plasma cytokines [e.g. interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, CXCL8 (IL‐8), IL‐12 p40, IL‐15, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), epidermal growth factor, CCL4 (MIP‐1β), CCL2 (MCP‐1), CCL11 (Eotaxin), CCL5 (RANTES), TNF‐RI and TNF‐RII] was found to significantly differ between patients and controls. Also, distinct populations of cytokines were found to differentiate between patients with normal versus elevated ESR or IgG levels and patients with the presence or absence of extra‐glandular manifestations (EGMs). Our results support the assumption that the multiplex cytokine array system can be successfully utilized in the diagnosis and disease management of SS. Furthermore, it may provide a powerful tool in the design of individualized anticytokine therapies.
Clinical Evaluation and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Intradiscal Methylene Blue Injection for the Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain.

BACKGROUND Low back pain is a common worldwide health problem and has a significant socioeconomic impact on public health. Internal disc disruption has been considered as the most common cause of low back pain. Various therapies, including interbody fusion, disc replacement, injection therapies, and thermal annular procedures have been utilized for the treatment of discogenic low back pain. Recently, a new method of intradiscal methylene blue injection has been introduced to treat discogenic low back pain, but the clinical outcomes are controversial. OBJECTIVES To investigate the clinical outcomes and magnetic resonance imaging changes of intradiscal methylene blue injection for the treatment of discogenic low back pain. STUDY DESIGN Observational study. SETTING An interventional low back pain management practice in a university hospital. METHODS A total of 33 patients were selected to be treated with intradiscal methylene blue injection. The clinical outcomes were evaluated by numeric rating scale and Oswestry Disability Index at pretreatment, one month, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. The magnetic resonance imaging changes of involved intervertebral discs were assessed by apparent diffusion coefficient and T2 values at pretreatment, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. RESULTS All of the patients got a follow-up period up to 12 months. The mean numeric rating scale scores at pretreatment, one month, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment were 6.54, 2.98, 3.23, 3.66, and 4.72, respectively. There was a minimum of 2 points reduction at one month, 3, and 6 months after treatment, but less than 2 points reduction at 12 months. There was at least 50% improvement on the Oswestry Disability Index at one month, 3, and 6 months after treatment, but not at 12 months. The mean apparent diffusion coefficient and T2 value were significantly higher at 6 and12 months after treatment compared to pretreatment, but there was no significant difference between pretreatment and 3 months after treatment. LIMITATIONS This is an observational study with a relatively small sample size and short-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The intradiscal methylene blue injection might be an effective therapy for discogenic low back pain for the short-term and could improve disc degeneration condition to some extent.Key words: Low back pain, discogenic pain, internal disc disruption, provocation discography, methylene blue, intradiscal injection, disc degeneration, magnetic resonance, imaging.
Protective factors and suicidality in members of Arab kindred.

BACKGROUND Relatively little is known about the role of protective factors in an Arab population in the presence of suicidal risk factors. AIMS To examine the role of protective factors in a subsample of in large Arab Kindred participants in the presence of suicidal risk factors. METHODS We assessed protective and risk factors in a sample of 64 participants (16 suicidal and 48 nonsuicidal) between 15 and 55 years of age, using a comprehensive structured psychiatric interview, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), self-reported depression, anxiety, hopelessness, impulsivity, hostility, and suicidal behavior in first-degree and second-relatives. We also used the Religiosity Questionnaire and suicide attitude (SUIATT) and multidimensional perceived support scale. RESULTS Suicidal as opposed to nonsuicidal participants were more likely to have a lifetime history of major depressive disorder (MDD) (68.8% vs. 22.9% χ2=11.17, p=.001), an anxiety disorder (87.5% vs. 22.9, χ2=21.02, p<.001), or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (25% vs. 0.0%, Fisher's, p=.003). Individuals who are otherwise at high risk for suicidality have a much lower risk when they experience higher perceived social support (3.31±1.36 vs. 4.96±1.40, t=4.10, df=62, p<.001), and they have the view that suicide is somehow unacceptable (1.83±.10 vs. 1.89±.07, t=2.76, df=60, p=.008). CONCLUSIONS Taken together with other studies, these data suggest that the augmentation of protective factors could play a very important role in the prevention of incidental and recurrent suicidal behavior in Arab populations, where suicidal behavior in increasing rapidly.