Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temporal organization of syllable production in the speech of Cantonese-speaking children

The paper investigates the temporal structures of three types of syllables, CV:, CVN, and CVV (C = [p ph ts tsh s], V: = [aː], VN = [an], VV = [ai]), in Cantonese. Results of a temporal analysis of the speech samples from two 9to 10-year-old Cantonese-speaking children are as follows. First, the durations of the syllable-initial consonants and the following rime are not negatively correlated, as there is no temporal compensation involved within the sequence of the initial consonant and rime. It is assumed that the initial consonant and rime within a syllable are not programmed as a single articulatory unit (Lehiste [10]). The rime however has a tendency to be slightly shorter after the aspirated [ph] and [tsh] than after the unaspirated counterparts [p] and [ts]. Second, the duration of the vowel [a] of [an] and [ai] is about one half of the duration of the vowel [aː] of CV: syllables, suggesting the occurrence of compensatory shortening of the vowel duration when [aː] occurs in other syllable types. This in turn suggests that the rime [an] and the diphthong [ai] are programmed as a single articulatory unit. Third, the temporal data in this study support Lehiste‟s contention ([10]) that there is a closer connection between a vowel and a following consonant than between an initial consonant and a following vowel. Lastly, the patterns of temporal organization of syllable production for children are similar to those for adults, indicating that children of middle childhood at 9 to 10 years of age have acquired the adult-like temporal patterns.
Pralatrexate: basic understanding and clinical development

Importance of the field: Pralatrexate (PDX; 10-propargyl 10-deazaaminopterin), is an exciting new chemotherapeutic agent that is approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL). This is the only approved therapy for patients with PTCL. Areas covered in this review: This review describes the clinical development of PDX from its synthesis to its FDA approval. It details the biochemical basis of the differences between PDX and other antifolates that form the basis of the superiority of its activity. This is followed by a description of the preclinical data that led to early-phase clinical trials in lung cancer and lymphoma and, finally, the definitive trial that led to its approval in PTCL. The review also describes how PDX is being combined with other agents in both the preclinical and clinical arenas. What the reader will gain: These trials have been instrumental in defining a safe dose as well as the safety profile of the agent. FDA approval for the use of PDX in PTCL has been granted based on the results of the pivotal Phase II trial of this agent in relapsed and refractory PTCL patients. Take home message: PDX is a unique antifolate that has been rationally designed to have a high affinity for the reduced folate receptor (RFC-1) and the enzyme folylpolyglutamy synthetase. It is active in T-cell lymphomas and non-small-cell lung cancer. It is now being studied in combination with other chemotherapeutic and targeted agents for the treatment of hematological malignancies.
Heart weight and heart weight/body weight coefficient in malnourished adults.

OBJECTIVE To compare the heart weight and the heart weight/body weight coefficient of adults with and without chronic malnutrition. METHODS In an initial case series of 210 autopsies performed in adults, we recorded body and heart weights and calculated the heart weight/body weight coefficients (HW/BW x 100). The exclusion criteria were as follows: positive serology for Chagas' disease, edema, obesity, heart diseases, hepatopathies, nephropathies, and systemic arterial hypertension. Malnutrition was characterized as a body mass index <18.5kg/m2. Differences with p<0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS Individuals in the malnourished (n=15) and control (n=21) groups were statistically different, respectively, in regard to body mass index (15.9+/-1.7 versus 21.3+/-2.5kg/m2), heart weight (267.3+/-59.8 versus 329.1+/-50.4g), and the HW/BW coefficient (0.64+/-0.12 versus 0.57+/-0.09%). A positive and significant correlation was observed between heart weight and body mass index (r=0.52), and between heart weight and body weight (r=0.65). CONCLUSION Malnourished individuals have lighter hearts and a greater HW/BW coefficient than non-malnourished individuals do. These findings indicate a possible preservation of the myocardium in relation to the intensity of weight loss associated with the probable relative increase in cardiac connective tissue and heart blood vessels.
Evaluation of buccal alveolar bone dimension of maxillary anterior and premolar teeth: a cone beam computed tomography investigation.

PURPOSE Clinical guidelines suggest that a minimal buccal alveolar bone thickness of 1 to 2 mm is required to maintain the tissue architecture following tooth extraction and implant placement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the thickness of buccal alveolar bone at the maxillary first premolars and anterior teeth using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS CBCT images of the maxillae of 43 implant patients were obtained. Two examiners manually measured the distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the buccal alveolar bone crest and the thickness of the buccal alveolar bone at the crest, midroot, and apex of the maxillary first premolars and anterior teeth. The absence of bone and presence of radiographic artifacts were recorded. Average bone thicknesses were calculated and compared. Both parametric and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the findings. RESULTS The median distance from the CEJ to the buccal alveolar bone crest was 2.79 mm, and measurements were similar among tooth positions. The median buccal alveolar bone thickness 1 mm apical to the alveolar bone was 1.13 mm in the premolar area and 0.83 mm for the anterior maxillary teeth. The median buccal alveolar bone thickness at the midroot was 1.03 mm in the premolar area and 0.70 mm for the other anterior maxillary teeth. Measurements of the buccal plate at 1 mm from the tooth apex were similar in all teeth positions, with a median thickness of 0.88 mm. CONCLUSIONS The presence or absence of buccal alveolar bone can be discerned by CBCT evaluation. Few maxillary anterior teeth displayed buccal alveolar bone thickness greater than 1 mm. The implications for implant therapy must be fully discerned regarding tissue biotypes and dental implant outcomes.
Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis of Screening Tools for Bipolar Disorder Comorbid With ADHD in Schoolchildren

Objective: We compared Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)-AAA (Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Anxious/Depressed) and Parent–Young Mania Rating Scale (P-YMRS) profiles in Brazilian children with ADHD, pediatric-onset bipolar disorder (PBD), and PBD + ADHD. Method: Following analyses of variance or Kruskal–Wallis tests with multiple-comparison Least Significant Difference (LSD) or Dunn’s Tests, thresholds were determined by Mann–Whitney U Tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plots. Results: Relative to ADHD, PBD and PBD + ADHD groups scored higher on the Anxious/Depressed, Thought Problems, Rule-Breaking, and Aggressive Behavior subscales and Conduct/Delinquency Diagnostic Scale of the CBCL; all three had similar attention problems. The PBD and PBD + ADHD groups scored higher than the ADHD and healthy control (HC) groups on all CBCL problem scales. The AAA-profile ROC had good diagnostic prediction of PBD + ADHD. PBD and PBD-ADHD were associated with (similarly) elevated P-YMRS scores. Conclusion: The CBCL-PBD and P-YMRS can be used to screen for manic behavior and assist in differential diagnosis.
Course-control, metabolism and wing interference during ultralong tethered flight in Drosophila melanogaster

Tethered flight in a 3-day-old female Drosophila was sustained for 32.2 h with only short interruptions during uptake of sucrose solution. The course-control reactions derived from the difference of the wingbeat amplitudes on either side have been used to simulate the rotatory displacement of the surrounding landmarks during a comparable turn in free flight. Stabilization of a target in the preferred area of the visual field requires continuous visual attention. A rate of about 5 course-correcting manoeuvres per second was maintained throughout the experiment. Drosophila seems to be able to cover long distances in search of a favourable habitat. Flight-specific carbohydrate consumption is equivalent to a metabolic power input per body weight of about 18 W N−1. The tethered fly produces about 40 % of the lift required to sustain hovering flight. The resulting mechanochemical efficiency of about 0.04-0.07 is within the expected order of magnitude for flying insects. Expenditure of reserve substances may account for the difference between the comparatively low power input of about 7 WN−1 derived from carbohydrate uptake in the first hours of flight (Wigglesworth, 1949), and the actual metabolic turnover of about 21WN−1 derived from oxygen consumption during this period (Laurie-Ahlberg et al . 1985). Weis-Fogh's ‘clap and fling’, a widespread lift-generating process exploiting the aerodynamic wing interference at the dorsal end of the wingbeat, was in action throughout the flight. However, there were two significant modifications (as first conceived by Ellington, 1980): (1) during ‘clap’, there is a progress of wing contact from the leading to the trailing edge, which is likely to ‘squeeze’ a thrust-generating jet of air to the rear; (2) during ‘fling’, there is a progress of wing separation in the same direction, which is described as a ‘peel’ resembling the progressive separation of two plastic foils pulled apart against forces of mutual attraction. The wings of the test fly survived about 23 million such peels without damage. Increasing airspeed decreases the intensity of ‘clap and fling’ in Drosophila : results obtained in the wind tunnel show the transition to a ‘near clap and fling’, lacking mutual wing contact.
Childhood Asthma in Thailand

Asthma is common in Thai children with a prevalence of about 4%. A prospective study of 2,000 Thai asthmatic children showed boys to be more frequently affected than girls, and fifty percent of patients experienced their first attack within the first 2 years of life. Attacks usually occurred in winter and the rainy season. 63.15% of patients had asthma associated with other allergic diseases and 79.25% had a family history of allergic diseases. Positive skin tests to important antigens were noted in 93.7% of cases, and house dust was the most common. Pharmacokinetic studies of theophylline were made in Thai asthmatic children after oral administration revealed that the elimination half‐life of theophylline was longer than that observed in subjects in Western countries. Long‐term follow up of 247 Thai asthmatic children revealed that in 37.2% of patients, symptoms ceased at the age of 15 years. The factors which indicated a favorable prognosis included male sex, mild or moderate illness, negative skin tests or positive skin tests to only a few allergens.
Review of Infectious Etiology of Acute Pancreatitis

While gallstones and alcoholism are widely known to be the most common causative agents of acute pancreatitis, about 10% of cases are thought to be caused by infectious microorganisms. These microorganisms include viruses (e.g. mumps, Coxsackie B, and hepatitis), bacteria (e.g. Mycoplasma pneumoniae and leptospirosis), and parasites (e.g. Ascaris lumbricoides, Fasciola hepatica, and hydatid disease). Each organism causes acute pancreatitis through diverse mechanisms. The review is primarily conducted in an attempt to provide a better understanding of the possibility of acute pancreatitis presenting as a complication relating to these organisms, and the aim is to guide future diagnoses, management, and predictions of complications.
Mitochondrial differentiation in a polymorphic land snail: evidence for Pleistocene survival within the boundaries of permafrost

Abstract The genetic differentiation of populations having colonized formerly unsuitable habitats after the Pleistocene glaciations depends to a great extent on the speed of expansion. Slow dispersers maintain their refugial diversity whereas fast dispersal leads to a reduction of diversity in the newly colonized areas. During the Pleistocene, almost the entire current range of the land snail Arianta arbustorum has repeatedly been covered with ice or been subjected to permafrost. Owing to the low potential for dispersal of land snails, slow (re)colonization of the wide range from southern refugia can be excluded. Alternatively, fast, passive dispersal from southern refugia or survival in and expansion from multiple refugia within the area subjected to permafrost may account for the current distribution. To distinguish between these scenarios we reconstructed a phylogeography based on the sequences of a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I from 133 individuals collected at 45 localities and analysed the molecular variance. Seventy‐five haplotypes were found that diverged on average at 7.52% of positions. This high degree of diversity suggests that A. arbustorum is an old species in which the population structure, isolation and the hermaphroditic nature have reduced the probability of lineage extinction. The genetic structure was highly significant with the highest variance partition found among regions. Geographic distance and mitochondrial differentiation were not congruent. Lineages had overlapping ranges. The clear genetic differentiation and the patchy pattern of haplotype distribution suggest that colonization of formerly unsuitable habitats was mainly achieved from multiple populations from within the permafrost area.
New Coding Algorithm Based on Variable-Length Codewords for Piecewise Uniform Quantizers

This paper presents a model for signal compression, which consists of a piecewise uniform quantizer and a new lossless coder. The model is designed in a general manner, i.e. for any symmetrical signal distribution; this general theory is applied to design models for Gaussian and Laplacian distributions. Rigorous mathematical derivation of the expression for the bit-rate is presented. Forward adaptation of the model is done for non-stationary signals. Theory is proved by simulations in MATLAB and by an experiment with a real speech signal. The most important advantages of the model are low complexity and good performances – it satisfies G.712 standard for the speech transmission quality with 6.18 bps (bits per sample), which is significantly smaller than 8 bps required for quantizers used in PSTN (public switched telephone network) defined with G.711 standard.
Comparison of detectability of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in children , using PCR-test and serological methods : indirect immunofluorescence and immunoenzymatic assay

P1346 Citation: Clinical Microbiology and Infection Volume 8, Supplement 1, 2002 Comparison of detectability of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in children, using PCR-test and serological methods: indirect immunofluorescence and immunoenzymatic assay B. Maczyñska, K. Matusiewicz, J. Chiciak, M. Stankiewicz, B. Sozañska, A. Boznañski
CHALLENGES IN FAMILIES WITH A CHILD WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

By a content analysis of newspaper articles were identified main challenges of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder present in the media: lack of services reimbursed by the state, difficulties of inclusion in mainstream schools, fear of the future because the lack of services for adults with autism, unrecognized disorder in adulthood and cessation of financial support received from the state, fight social prejudices, lack of information on autism, incorrect or delayed diagnosis or financial difficulties. From this research result some practical implications, such as widening the range of free services for people with autism spectrum disorders and public awareness about the problems of this category of persons.
Molecular Taxonomy and Epidemiology of Cystic Echinococcosis

Echinococcus granulosus exhibits substantial genetic diversity that has important implications for the design and development of vaccines, diagnostic reagents, and drugs effective against this parasite. DNA approaches arenow being used routinely for accurate identification of these genetic variants and in molecular epidemiological surveys of cystic echinococcosis in different geographical settings and host assemblages. The recent publication of the complete sequences of the mitochondrial (mt) genomes of the horse and sheep strains of E. granulosus and of E. multilocularis, and the availability of mt DNA sequences for a number of other E. granulosus genotypes, has provided additional genetic information that can be used for more in depth strain characterization and taxonomic studies of these parasites. This very rich sequence information has provided a solid molecular basis, along with a range of different biological, epidemiological, biochemical and other molecular-genetic criteria, for revising the taxonomy of the genus Echinococcus. This has been a controversial issue for some time. Furthermore, the accumulating genetic data may allow insight to several other unresolved questions such as confirming the occurrence and precise nature of the E. granulosus G9 genotype and its reservoir in Poland and whether it occurs elsewhere, more precise delineation of the host and geographic ranges of the genotypes characterized to date, and whether additional genotypes of E. granulosus remain to be identified.
Effects of repeated burning on woody vegetation structure and composition in a semi-arid southern African savanna

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of repeated dry season annual hot fITes on woody plants in a semi-arid southern African savanna in Zimbabwe. Parts of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) research fields in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe have been burnt annually in the dry season between 1994 and 2003 in order to control bush encroachment. The present study was carried out in both the burnt and unburnt sites of the NUST research fields consisting of Acacia karroo-Colophospermum mopane vegetation. The study adopted a randomised block design and woody vegetation data were collected from a total of 10 plots. Variables measured and recorded included woody plant height, density, number of stems per plant, proportion of multi-stemmed plants, proportion of dead stems, basal area, fire damage and number of species per plot. The study results indicate that there were significant differences (P 0.05) in density, number of species per plot and number of stems per plant in woody plants between the burnt and unburnt sites. The study results suggest that repeated dry season annual hot fITes leads to thinner and shortstemmed plants in semi-arid savanna ecosystems. Repeated burning also increased the proportion of multi-stemmed plants and proportion of dead stems in the burnt site. Despite burning sections of the study area annually, bush encroachment control has not been effectively achieved. The study fmdings points to the need of adaptive management strategies in the use of fITes in managing vegetation in semi-arid savanna ecosystems.
CAN IMAGES OF “WATCHING EYES” KICK-START DONATIONS TO CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS? Senior Project in Cognitive Science

Eye gaze has well-documented and surprisingly profound effects on human behavior. Cues of being watched promote prosocial and altruistic decision-making in a number of different contexts. I examine this effect in an as-yet-unstudied domain: online crowdfunding campaigns. I designed an experiment to investigate whether campaigns that display an image of eyes are more financially successful than campaigns that do not. My hypothesis was that the presence of subtle cues of being watched will increase the amount of money that participants donate. I found that people who scored high on a scale measuring tendency to conform donated significantly more money to campaign pages that had a picture of “watching eyes. ”
Memory influences subjective experience: Noise judgments.

The influence of memory on the subjective experience of later events was investigated in two experiments. In one experiment, previously heard sentences and new sentences were presented against a background of while noise that varied in intensity. In a second experiment, a cue set of words was presented either before or after a target set that was embedded in noise. The cue set was either the same as or different from the target set. In both experiments, one of the tasks was to judge the loudness of the noise. The data show that subjects were unable to discount the contribution of memory to perception when judging the noise level. Subjects appeared to base their noise judgments on ease of interpretatio n of the message presented through noise, with differences in ease being misattributed to a difference in noise level. The advantages of subjective experience as a measure of memory, and the role of subjective experience and misattribution in confusions between cognitive and physical deficits are discussed. Although memory has traditionally been assessed by recall or recognition tests, memory for a prior experience can also be revealed by its influence on the perception of later events. Several recent experiments have demonstrated that memory can serve to increase the accuracy of later perception, and that these effects on perception often arc independent of performance on recall or recognition tests. For example, a prior presentation of a word in the experimental selling can have a large and long-lasting influence on its later identification in perceptually difficult situations, even when the word is not recognized as having been previously presented (e.g., Jacoby, 1983; Jacoby & Dallas, 1981). The experiments reported in this article describe another influence of memory on perception. Rather than examining effects of memory on accuracy of perception, we investigated the influence of memory on the subjective experience of later events. Owing to the influence of behaviorism, perhaps, reporting accuracy has been the major focus of contemporary investigations of memory and perception. This contrasts with the focus on subjective experience and the use of introspection as a tool that marked earlier traditions, James (1890), for example, discussed the influence of attention and of expertise in terms of their effects on subjective experience. Attention and expertise were said to increase the intensity and the clarity of a sensation. Effects of the sort that James described are commonplace. Most of us have experienced the voice of the person with whom one is conversing at a cocktail party as
An anatomical and biometrical study of the femoral trochlear groove in the human fetus

We performed a biometric analysis of the femoral trochlear groove in the fetus and compared our findings with those observed in adults. We studied 44 formalin‐preserved fetuses (13–38 weeks) and used digitized images to obtain measurements (α angle of the groove, trochlear slopes θL and θM). A comparison of means between our series and adults was achieved. For each angle of the distal epiphysis (α, θL, θM) there was no significant difference between our fetal series and adults. This is the first biometric study of fetal trochlea. The morphology of the lower femur appears to be the same in the fetus and the adult.