Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postnatal ontogeny, population structure, and extinction of the giant moa Dinornis

Recent reinterpretation of the giant moa Dinornis as consisting of two sexually dimorphic allospecies permits thorough site‐by‐site investigation of the ontogeny and population biology of this genus. Analysis of subadult skeletal material from natural swamp sites in the North and South Islands of New Zealand forms the basis for recognition of growth series for each long bone element, characterized by sequential formation of fossulae in the femur and fusion of bones in the tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus. Femora reached progressive developmental stages more rapidly than the other long bones, but all three elements reached maturity at about the same time. Patterns of bone fusion in Dinornis are more similar to those in Apteryx than in Struthio, and kiwi are recognized as a suitable developmental analog for interpreting moa ontogeny. Samples from Bell Hill Vineyard Swamp (South Island) and Makirikiri swamp (North Island) are interpreted as representing autochthonous moa populations; comparison with stages of kiwi long bone development suggests that Dinornis at these sites had high adult survivorship in strongly K‐selected populations, with 72.5–87.3% of individuals having achieved adult body mass, and 55.9–78.2% being sexually mature. The pattern of low fecundity and probable high longevity in both Dinornis species suggests that populations were vulnerable to loss of adults, primarily through hunting, rather than as a result of habitat destruction. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Divalproex sodium in alcohol withdrawal: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Divalproex sodium, an anticonvulsant and antikindling agent and gamma-aminobutyric acid enhancer, has been proposed as an alternative to benzodiazepines for treating alcohol withdrawal. This study reports on a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of divalproex sodium in acute alcohol withdrawal. METHODS Thirty-six hospitalized patients experiencing moderate alcohol withdrawal as measured by a score of at least 10 on the revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar) were randomized to receive either divalproex sodium 500 mg three times per day for 7 days or matched placebo in a double-blind manner. All subjects received a baseline dose of oxazepam and had additional oxazepam available as a rescue medication in accordance with a standard, symptom-triggered detoxification protocol. Mean total milligrams of oxazepam received, progression of withdrawal symptoms, psychological distress as measured by the Symptom Checklist-90, side effects, and adverse outcomes were compared between groups. RESULTS Use of divalproex sodium resulted in less use of oxazepam (p < 0.033). Group differences seemed primarily driven by those subjects who experienced symptoms above threshold level (CIWA-Ar >or=10) after 12 hr. The progression in severity of withdrawal symptoms (increase in CIWA-Ar above baseline) was also significantly greater in the placebo group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This placebo-controlled pilot study suggests that divalproex sodium significantly affects the course of acute alcohol withdrawal and reduces the need for treatment with a benzodiazepine. A more aggressive loading dose strategy may demonstrate a more robust or earlier response.
Carbamazepine hypersensitivity syndrome presenting as vasculitis of the CNS

Carbamazepine is a drug widely used in the treatment of partial and generalised tonic-clonic seizures, trigeminal neuralgia and other pain syndromes, affective disorders, and paroxysmal symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Common side effects are diplopia, dizziness, headache, nausea, and rash. Less common side effects include blood dyscrasias, toxic hepatitis, hyponatraemia as a consequence of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, orofacial dyskinesias, and cardiac arrythmias.1 Carbamazepine is also known to cause a severe systemic hypersensitivity reaction, known as carbamazepine hypersensitivity syndrome (CHS). 2 It consists of a triad of fever, lymphadenopathy, and rash; so called pseudolymphoma syndrome.2 Other organs are often involved, most commonly the liver and, more rarely, lungs and kidneys.3 There are two cases of meningitis described as a complication of the carbamazepine therapy.4 5 We describe a case of severe CHS with a typical pseudolymphoma picture and involvement of other organs, including the CNS. We suggest a possible pathogenetic mechanism for encephalopathy. A 63 year old woman was started on carbamazepine (2×200 mg), as a seizure prophylaxis after a meningeoma operation. About 3 weeks later she developed a flu-like illness. Two days afterwards, she developed a generalised rash and facial oedema, and fever appeared. She was admitted to hospital where physical examination disclosed a diffuse purpuric rash, oedema of the face and the tongue, pharyngitis, enlargement of …
Endonasal Endoscopic Scalpel-Forceps Dacryocystorhinostomy vs Endocanalicular Diode Laser Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose. To compare the efficacy of endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy and endocanalicular diode laser dacryocystorhinostomy. Methods. A total of 126 dacryocystorhinostomies were performed in 111 patients with epiphora. In 55% of cases (69/126) we performed an endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy and in 45% (57/126) we carried out an endocanalicular dacryocystorhinostomy using diode laser. The mean age at diagnosis was 63 years. The mean age was higher in the endocanalicular group than in the endonasal endoscopic group: 64 versus 62 years. There were 25 men (23%) and 86 women (77%). Results. Successful results were achieved in 73% of patients (92/126). In the endonasal endoscopic group, 83% of patients (57/69) were symptom free compared to 62% of patients (35/57) in the laser diode group. A bicanalicular nasal silicone tube was left in place for a mean of 2.32 months in the endoscopic endonasal group and for 2.82 months in the laser diode group (p=0.164). Median time of recurrence after removal of the tube was 3.56 months (range 0–9.6): 2.84 months in the laser diode group and 4.87 months in the endonasal endoscopic group (p=0.069). Conclusions. The endonasal endoscopic approach achieved better results for nasolacrimal obstruction than the endocanalicular laser diode technique.
The behavioral and emotional well-being of school-age children with different birth weights.

OBJECTIVE To describe the mental and emotional well-being of children born at different birth weights assessed at school age and to identify neonatal, intervening health, and sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with mental and emotional well-being. METHODS To address this issue, we used a prospective cohort study involving two previously studied cohorts, which were recontacted at 8 to 10 years of age to provide a multisite sample of 247 children weighing 1000 g or less at birth, 364 weighing 1001 to 1500 g, 724 weighing 1501 to 2500 g, and 533 weighing more than 2500 g. Maternal reports were obtained on three standardized measures of mental and emotional well-being (the Rand General Well-being Scale, the Behavior Problem Index, and the Harter Scale of Child Competence) and on intervening health, sociodemographic, and environmental variables. Neonatal variables were derived from records at birth. Statistical techniques included analysis of variance and ordinary least squares multiple regression. RESULTS Lower birth weight children did not differ on the General Well-being Scale but were more likely to have behavior problems and to be considered less competent. Other important correlates of mental and emotional well-being included childhood illness, maternal mental health, home environment score, and exposure to household cigarette smoking. CONCLUSION Although lower birth weight children have poorer mental and emotional well-being, a substantial portion of this adverse outcome reflects modifiable environmental factors.
Intrinsic rescaling of granule cells restores pattern separation ability of a dentate gyrus network model during epileptic hyperexcitability

The dentate gyrus (DG) is thought to enable efficient hippocampal memory acquisition via pattern separation. With patterns defined as spatiotemporally distributed action potential sequences, the principal DG output neurons (granule cells, GCs), presumably sparsen and separate similar input patterns from the perforant path (PP). In electrophysiological experiments, we have demonstrated that during temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), GCs downscale their excitability by transcriptional upregulation of “leak” channels. Here we studied whether this cell type‐specific intrinsic plasticity is in a position to homeostatically adjust DG network function. We modified an established conductance‐based computer model of the DG network such that it realizes a spatiotemporal pattern separation task, and quantified its performance with and without the experimentally constrained leaky GC phenotype. Two proposed TLE seizure mechanisms were implemented in various degrees and combinations: recurrent GC excitation via mossy fiber sprouting and increased PP input. While increasing PP strength degraded pattern separation only gradually, already the slight elevation of sprouting drastically (non‐linearly) impaired pattern separation. In most tested hyperexcitable networks, leaky GCs ameliorated pattern separation. However, in some sprouting situations with all‐or‐none seizure behavior, pattern separation was disabled with and without leaky GCs. In the mild sprouting (and PP increase) region of non‐linear impairment, leaky GCs were particularly effective in restoring pattern separation performance. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the experimentally observed intrinsic rescaling of GCs serves to maintain the physiological function of the DG network. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Automatic color correction: region-based approach and performance evaluation using full reference metrics

Abstract. We propose a solution for automatic color correction between two images/videos based on region correspondences. It starts with image segmentation by marker-controlled watershed transformation, which is faster and produces more uniform regions with better adherence to object boundaries than the segmentation in previous color correction approaches. Then regions between two images are matched using point feature correspondences, which are invariant to geometric transformation and illumination change. Finally, the color-distorted image is corrected using the color statistics of corresponding regions and the color transfer functions weighted by influence masks. We demonstrate the experimental results using several data sets and evaluate the color correction by different measures of image similarity.
Effects of postnatal methylmalonate administration on neurobehavioral development of rats.

Administration of methylmalonic acid in rats has been used as a model for methylmalonicacidemia in humans. Nestling Wistar rats of both sexes received 5 injections daily at 3-h intervals (starting at 7:30 a.m.) of saline or methylmalonic acid (MMA, 10 mg/ml) in a volume of 9 microliters/g body weight per injection subcutaneously in the lumbar region from the 5th to the 9th day of life and 11 microliters/g from day 10 to 14. Growth and neuromotor development were assessed by monitoring the following parameters daily in 54 rats: body weight, ear unfolding, incisor eruption, eye opening, righting, palmar grasp, negative geotaxis, cliff avoidance, free-fall righting and startle reflex. The only statistically significant effects of MMA administration were on the day of appearance of the free-fall righting reflex: MMA, 12.44 +/- 1.55 vs 11.0 +/- 0.39 days for saline control (P < 0.05, by two-way ANOVA) and a significant decrease in weight (P < 0.05, by ANOVA with repeated measures). The results suggest that chronic MMA administration to rats has a selective effect on neuromotor development.
PREDICTORS OF FAILED THROMBOLYSIS IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

objectives: Acute myocardial infarction(AMI) is becoming increasingly important problem in developing countries, and thrombolysis is the main modality of treatment here. About 25-50% of patients fail to achieve successful reperfusion and these patients have poor prognosis. Since alternative modes of reperfusion are available, it is important to identify them. This study was aimed at defining the extent of failed thrombolysis and identifying its demographic and clinical predictorsMethods: 50 cases of thrombolysed AMI patients were studied. Failed thrombolysis considered if there is 0.05), percentage of females was 25% v/s 16.7%(P>0.05), mean time for resolution of chest pain was 3.55±1.1 hrs v/s. 1.98±0.93 hrs (P 0.05), inferior wall MI was 30% v/s 46% (P>0.05) in failed and successful group respectivly. Interpretation and conclusion.Late presentation is an important risk factor for failed thrombolysis in AMI. Persistence of chest pain and non-resolution of reciprocal ST depression are significantly associated with failed thrombolysis.
The Sensory Processing Measure–Preschool (SPM-P)—Part One: Description of the Tool and Its Use in the Preschool Environment

School-based and early intervention occupational therapy evaluation is influenced by federal policy and prevailing ideas regarding best practice. Current best practice considers a child's performance in appropriate contexts and natural environments, as well as the impact of the environment on occupational functioning and participation across settings. As a recent report suggested 3.4% to 15.6% of children in a community sample of 4-year-olds may demonstrate sensory processing difficulties, occupational therapists should be familiar with multiple methods of assessment to address these concerns. One such assessment tool, the Sensory Processing Measure–Preschool (SPM-P) for children 2- to 5-years old, provides 8 scaled scores: Vision, Hearing, Touch, Body Awareness, Balance and Motion, Total Sensory System Score, Planning and Ideas, and Social Participation. Through discussion on the development, usage, and implementation of both Home and School forms, this article illustrates how the SPM-P provides a mechanism for preschool educational teams to meet best practice initiatives.
Effect of Acetylcysteine on Experimental Corneal Wounds in Dogs

The effects of 3, 10 and 20% concentrations of acetylcysteine on experimental corneal wound healing in dogs were evaluated. Experimental corneal wounds were induced surgically, up to the depth of the anterior third of the stroma, in both eyes of 18 dogs. One of the eyes was treated topically with 0.9% NaCl solution three times a day. The contralateral eye was treated topically with acetylcysteine (3, 10 and 20% concentrations) in each of 6 cases separately. Corneal wounds were measured by fluorescein staining every day. The mean time of healing in the 3% group was significantly different from control eyes (6.17 ± 1.94 days). It was 7.19 ± 0.75 days in the 20% group and 7 ± 2 days in the 10% group. The last two groups were not significantly different from the controls (9.67 ± 3.01 days and 8.17 ± 3.60 days, respectively).
Optimal transmission range for cluster-based wireless sensor networks with mixed communication modes

Prolonging the network lifetime is one of the most important designing objectives in wireless sensor networks (WSN). We consider a heterogeneous cluster-based WSN, which consists of two types of nodes: powerful cluster-heads and basic sensor nodes. All the nodes are randomly deployed in a specific area. To better balance the energy dissipation, we use a simple mixed communication modes where the sensor nodes can communicate with cluster-heads in either single-hop or multi-hop mode. Given the initial energy of the basic sensor nodes, we derive the optimal communication range and identify the optimal mixed communication mode to maximize the WSN's lifetime through optimizations. Moreover, we also extend our model from 2-D space to 3-D space
Hydrometeorology of the Amazon in ERA-40

The hydrometeorology of the Amazon basin in the ERA-40 reanalysis for 1958–2001 is compared with observations of precipitation, temperature, and streamflow. After 1979, the reanalysis over the Amazon has a small cool bias of the order of 0.35 K, and a small low bias of precipitation of the order of 0.3 mm day 1 . In the early years (1958–72), there is a large upward drift in reanalysis precipitation and runoff associated with an upward drift in the atmospheric water vapor in the analysis, and a somewhat smaller downward drift of temperature as precipitation increases. In the presatellite data, there are inhomogeneities in the radiosonde and surface synoptic data, and there were problems with the variational analysis of humidity once satellite radiances were introduced. Approximate bias corrections can be made for precipitation and runoff on an annual basis, but this also removes some of the interannual variability. The reanalysis runoff–precipitation relationship is similar to the observed streamflow–precipitation relation, on an annual water-year basis. Compared to observations, ERA-40 precipitation for the Amazon is low by about 1.3 mm day 1 in the rainy season, and high by a smaller amount in the dry season. The precipitation bias produces a temperature bias in ERA-40 of the opposite sign on the annual time scale. The reanalysis has a small cold temperature bias after 1967, but on an annual time scale it reproduces the interannual variability of the observations. Although the biases in temperature and precipitation in recent decades are small, the difficulties with the analysis of atmospheric water vapor lead to large uncertainty in long-term trends of the water cycle.
EVOLUTIONARY ASSOCIATIONS OF BROOD PARASITIC FINCHES (VIDUA) AND THEIR HOST SPECIES: ANALYSES OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA RESTRICTION SITES

The species‐specific associations of the African brood parasitic finches Vidua with their estrildid finch host species may have originated by cospeciation with the host species or by later colonizations of new hosts. Predictions of these alternative models were tested in two species groups of brood parasites (indigobirds, paradise whydahs) and their hosts. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the brood parasites and their hosts did not speciate in parallel. The parasitic indigobirds share mitochondrial haplotypes with each other, and species limits in both indigobirds and paradise whydahs do not correspond with their gene trees. Different parasite species within a region are more closely related to each other than any is to parasites that are associated with its same host species in other regions of Africa. There is little genetic difference between parasite species D̂i,j < 0.001 in the indigobirds, D̂i,j = 0.01 in the whydahs). Genetic distances D̂i,j between the parasite species are less than the genetic distances between their corresponding host species in all parasite‐host comparisons, and average only 7.2% as large in the indigobirds as in their hosts and 42% as large in the paradise whydahs as in their hosts. A phylogenetic model that allows ancestral haplotype polymorphisms to be retained in descendant species was compared to a constraint model of species monophyly requiring all but the one ancestral haplotype to be independently derived within each species. The constraint model increases the length of the indigobird tree by 50% over that of the model of retained ancestral polymorphisms; the difference is statistically significant. Both phylogenetic and distance analyses indicate that the brood parasites have become associated with their host species through host switches and independent colonizations of the hosts, rather than through parallel cospeciation with them. The molecular genetic results are supported by recent discoveries of additional host species that are associated with the indigobirds in the field and by variation in the species‐specific song behaviors of the brood parasites.
Effect of dietary net energy concentrations on growth performance and net energy intake of growing gilts

Objective This experiment investigated the effect of dietary net energy (NE) concentrations on growth performance and NE intake of growing gilts. Methods Five diets were formulated to contain 9.6, 10.1, 10.6, 11.1, and 11.6 MJ NE/kg, respectively. A metabolism trial with 10 growing pigs (average body weight [BW] = 15.9±0.24 kg) was conducted to determine NE concentrations of 5 diets based on French and Dutch NE systems in a 5×5 replicated Latin square design. A growth trial also was performed with five dietary treatments and 12 replicates per treatment using 60 growing gilts (average BW = 15.9±0.55 kg) for 28 days. A regression analysis was performed to predict daily NE intake from the BW of growing gilts. Results Increasing NE concentrations of diets did not influence average daily gain and average daily feed intake of growing gilts. There was a quadratic relationship (p = 0.01) between dietary NE concentrations and feed efficiency (G:F), although the difference in G:F among treatment means was relatively small. Regression analysis revealed that daily NE intake was linearly associated with the BW of growing gilts. The prediction equations for NE intake with the BW of growing gilts were: NE intake (MJ/d) = 1.442+(0.562×BW, kg), R2 = 0.796 when French NE system was used, whereas NE intake (MJ/d) = 1.533+(0.614×BW, kg), R2 = 0.810 when Dutch NE system was used. Conclusion Increasing NE concentrations of diets from 9.6 to 11.6 MJ NE/kg have little impacts on growth performance of growing gilts. Daily NE intake can be predicted from the BW between 15 and 40 kg in growing gilts.
THE DEMAND FOR WHOLESALE BEEF CUTS BY SEASON AND TREND

This study estimates demand during the 1980-90 period for wholesale beef cuts by season and by trend. A data set containing monthly nominal prices for wholesale cuts and average choice boxed beef from January 1980 to December 1990 was collected from multiple sources. The approach expressed the change in demand for wholesale cuts as the change in the price ratio of individual cuts relative to the price of boxed beef. This approach shows changes in amount by season and over time relative to the average wholesale cut. Brisket, Armbone Chuck, Bottom Gooseneck, and Knuckle showed the strongest demand in winter and lowest in summer. Top (Inside) Round had a clear downward trend in demand, but the seasonal pattern was less pronounced and more erratic than the lower-priced cuts. Top Sirloin Butt had its highest demand in spring and summer with November-December being the lowest period. Strip Loin had the strongest warm season demand during the period which contains Memorial Day. Ribeye experienced a seasonal demand highest in November-December and lowest in January to April. Full Tenderloin was the most expensive wholesale beef cut analyzed in the study, and its demand was highest in November-December. The study clearly showed that a change in seasonal demand was responsible for the major part of price ratio fluctuations for individual wholesale cuts.
Sobolev algebras through heat kernel estimates

On a doubling metric measure space $(M,d,\mu)$ endowed with a "carr\'e du champ", let $\mathcal{L}$ be the associated Markov generator and $\dot L^{p}_\alpha(M,\mathcal{L},\mu)$ the corresponding homogeneous Sobolev space of order $0 0}$ for the spaces $\dot L^{p}_\alpha(M,\mathcal{L},\mu) \cap L^\infty(M,\mu)$ to be algebras for the pointwise product. Two approaches are developed, one using paraproducts (relying on extrapolation to prove their boundedness) and a second one through geometrical square functionals (relying on sharp estimates involving oscillations). A chain rule and a paralinearisation result are also given. In comparison with previous results ([29,11]), the main improvements consist in the fact that we neither require any Poincar\'e inequalities nor $L^p$-boundedness of Riesz transforms, but only $L^p$-boundedness of the gradient of the semigroup. As a consequence, in the range $p\in(1,2]$, the Sobolev algebra property is shown under Gaussian upper estimates of the heat kernel only.