Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reporting of fragmentations in the binocular rivalry of contours.

Male and female college students reported changes for 5 min while observing rivalry or pseudo rivalry (sequences of rivalrylike stimulus changes) with or without fragmentations, under rapid-rate, natural-rate, or slow-rate instructions; firstand second-grade girls had only natural-rate instructions. Differences in rivalry rates were not related to response mechanisms and may be presumed to reflect perceptual differences. Age, sex, instruction, and temporal variables affected rivalry independently.
WHAT’S NEW IN CARDIOVASCULAR PREVENTION?

Abstract This review is essentially a summary of the 2007 version of the European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice recently published by the 4th Joint Task Force. New data from the guidelines in the fields of the general objectives in lifestyle modifications and drug therapies are emphasised. Recent studies on antioxydant vitamins, homocysteine-lowering vitamins and HDL-Cholesterol raising drugs are also being discussed.
Is there a relationship between chronic periodontitis and erectile dysfunction?

INTRODUCTION Chronic periodontitis (CP) is characterized with inflammation of the gingival tissues, which causes endothelial dysfunction in different organs. AIM In this study, we investigated the association of CP with the erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS The study group included 80 male patients with ED and 82 male patients without ED (control), aged between 30 and 40 years. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to assess male sexual function, particularly the presence or absence of ED. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The patients in the study and control groups were statistically compared according to their plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BoP), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). RESULTS In the non-ED and the ED groups, the mean age was 35.7 ± 4.8 and 34.9 ± 4.9 years, respectively. Patients' characteristics including body mass index, household income, and education status were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). Nineteen patients (23%) had severe CP in the non-ED group; 42 patients (53%) had severe CP in the ED group. Logistic regression analysis showed a significantly high association between ED and the severity of CP (odds ratio: 3.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.36-9.55, P < 0.01). The mean values of PI, BoP, and the percentages of sites with PD >4 mm and sites with CAL >4 mm were significantly higher in the ED group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The mean values of PD and CAL were not significantly different in the two groups (P > 0.05). The decayed, missing, filled teeth scores were also significantly higher in the ED group than in the non-ED group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our results have suggested that CP had a high association with ED in young adults at 30-40 years. We think that it will be of benefit to consider periodontal disease as a causative clinical condition of ED in such patients.
Eye Movements of Highly Skilled and Average Readers: Differential Effects of Frequency and Predictability

This study offers a glimpse of the moment-by-moment processes used by highly skilled and average readers during silent reading. The eye movements of adult readers were monitored while they silently read sentences. Fixation durations and the spatial–temporal patterns of eye movements were examined to see whether the two groups of readers exhibited differential effects of frequency and/or predictability. In Experiment 1, high- and low-frequency target words were embedded in nonconstraining sentence contexts. In Experiment 2, the same participants read high- and low-frequency target words that were either predictable or unpredictable, embedded in highly constraining sentence contexts. Results indicated that when target words appeared in highly constraining sentence contexts, the average readers showed different effects of frequency and predictability from those shown in the highly skilled readers. It appears that reading skill can interact with predictability to affect the word recognition processes used during silent reading.
Effect of Epidural Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Femoral Arterial and Venous, Uteroplacental, and Umbilical Blood Flow Velocities and Waveforms

The effect of epidural anesthesia on the maternal femoral arterial and venous, uteroplacental, and umbilical circulations was studied by the pulsed Doppler technique in 13 women undergoing elective cesarean delivery. Resistance and pulsatility indices of umbilical arterial velocity waveforms did not change with the use of epidural anesthesia. In the uteroplacental circulation, these indices increased in 11 patients, suggesting an increase in resistance. Reduction of sympathetic tone in resistance and capacitance vessels was reflected in the femoral artery by an increase in systolic and end-diastolic velocities, a reversal of the post-systolic backward flow, and an increase in mean velocity. The latter also occurred in the femoral vein. The diameters of these large maternal vessels did not change. This study suggests an impairment in uteroplacental circulation associated with a drop in peripheral vascular resistance and an increase in leg blood flow after epidural anesthesia.
Who Is Black, White, or Mixed Race? How Skin Color, Status, and Nation Shape Racial Classification in Latin America1

Comparative research on racial classification has often turned to Latin America, where race is thought to be particularly fluid. Using nationally representative data from the 2010 and 2012 America’s Barometer survey, the authors examine patterns of self-identification in four countries. National differences in the relation between skin color, socioeconomic status, and race were found. Skin color predicts race closely in Panama but loosely in the Dominican Republic. Moreover, despite the dominant belief that money whitens, the authors discover that status polarizes (Brazil), mestizoizes (Colombia), darkens (Dominican Republic), or has no effect (Panama). The results show that race is both physical and cultural, with country variations in racial schema that reflect specific historical and political trajectories.
Mifepristone-induced abortion and placental complications in subsequent pregnancy.

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to explore the effect of first-trimester mifepristone-induced abortion (MA) on placental complications in subsequent pregnancy. METHODS Two cohorts of nulliparous pregnant women were recruited in China during early pregnancy, one with a history of one MA and the other with no abortion (NA). Women were followed up until delivery. RESULTS The incidence proportions of abruptio placenta, placenta previa, placenta accreta and retained placenta in the MA group (4673) and NA group (4690) were, respectively, 0.5 and 0.3, 0.8 and 0.9, 0.5 and 0.5, and 0.7 and 0.8% (all differences non-significant). After adjustment for center, age, education, occupation, residence, income, BMI and type of delivery, the incidence rates of placenta previa, accreta and retained placenta in the MA and NA groups showed no significant differences. The risk of abruptio placenta in women with a MA was nearly double that of women with no abortion, although this apparent increased risk was not statistically significant. Furthermore, this increased risk of abruptio placenta was found only in those with a gestational age >6 weeks at abortion (aOR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.00-6.04), a curettage after abortion (aOR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.25-7.20) or a longer inter-pregnancy interval (P-value for trend: 0.022). CONCLUSIONS Mifepristone-induced abortion itself is not associated with placental complications in subsequent pregnancy, but other factors related to medical abortion-such as a gestational age >6 weeks at abortion, a curettage after abortion, and a longer interpregnancy interval-may increase the risk of abruptio placenta.
Influência do consórcio de feijão-de-porco (Canavalia ensiformis L.) cultivado em diferentes arranjos espaciais sobre a produção de milho

A adubacao verde e uma pratica milenar, onde sao utilizadas plantas leguminosas com intuito de adicionar nitrogenio no solo, proporcionando tambem a reducao de infestacao de plantas espontâneas, ciclagem de nutrientes, aumento da materia orgânica do solo e protecao do solo contra erosao. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar diferentes arranjos espaciais de consorcio entre feijao-de-porco e milho e a influencia sobre a produtividade da cultura. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente em blocos casualizados em um esquema fatorial 5x4. Os resultados foram submetidos a analise de variância e os contrastes das medias comparadas pelo teste Tukey ao nivel de 5% de probabilidade. O plantio de milho com feijao consorciado nao influenciou na producao final de graos da cultura do milho, onde o arranjo espacial de fileiras duplas de feijao de porco ladeadas as linhas de milho o mais vantajoso sob o aspecto de aporte de materia verde e seca ao sistema.
Presence of glutamate, glycine, and γ‐aminobutyric acid in the retina of the larval sea lamprey: Comparative immunohistochemical study of classical neurotransmitters in larval and postmetamorphic retinas

The neurochemistry of the retina of the larval and postmetamorphic sea lamprey was studied via immunocytochemistry using antibodies directed against the major candidate neurotransmitters [glutamate, glycine, γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), aspartate, dopamine, serotonin] and the neurotransmitter‐synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. Immunoreactivity to rod opsin and calretinin was also used to distinguish some retinal cells. Two retinal regions are present in larvae: the central retina, with opsin‐immunoreactive photoreceptors, and the lateral retina, which lacks photoreceptors and is mainly neuroblastic. We observed calretinin‐immunostained ganglion cells in both retinal regions; immunolabeled bipolar cells were detected in the central retina only. Glutamate immunoreactivity was present in photoreceptors, ganglion cells, and bipolar cells. Faint to moderate glycine immunostaining was observed in photoreceptors and some cells of the ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer. No GABA‐immunolabeled perikarya were observed. GABA‐immunoreactive centrifugal fibers were present in the central and lateral retina. These centrifugal fibers contacted glutamate‐immunostained ganglion cells. No aspartate, serotonin, dopamine, or TH immunoreactivity was observed in larvae, whereas these molecules, as well as GABA, glycine, and glutamate, were detected in neurons of the retina of recently transformed lamprey. Immunoreactivity to GABA was observed in outer horizontal cells, some bipolar cells, and numerous amacrine cells, whereas immunoreactivity to glycine was found in amacrine cells and interplexiform cells. Dopamine and serotonin immunoreactivity was found in scattered amacrine cells. Amacrine and horizontal cells did not express classical neurotransmitters (with the possible exception of glycine) during larval life, so transmitter‐expressing cells of the larval retina appear to participate only in the vertical processing pathway. J. Comp. Neurol. 499:810–827, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fukushima effects in Germany? Changes in media coverage and public opinion on nuclear power

Based on a literature review on factors that explain media effects and previous findings on media coverage and public opinion on nuclear power, this article examines the effects of Fukushima on media coverage and public opinion in Germany in two studies. The first study uses content analysis data to analyse changes in media coverage, and the second one is based on panel survey data to examine attitude changes on an individual level. The results of both studies show changes in media coverage and public opinion on nuclear power. Furthermore, the second study reveals that individual attitude changes cannot necessarily be explained by the same factors as the distribution of attitudes.
Measuring Values With the Short Schwartz's Value Survey

The reliability and validity of the Short Schwartz's Value Survey (SSVS) was examined in 4 studies. In Study 1 (N = 670), we examined whether value scores obtained with the SSVS correlate with those obtained with Schwartz's Value Survey (SVS; Schwartz, 1992, 1996) and the Portrait Values Questionnaire (Schwartz et al., 2001) and whether the quasi-circular structure of values can be found with the SSVS. In Study 2 (N = 3,261), we replicated the quasi-circular structure in a more heterogeneous sample and assessed whether the SSVS can differentiate appropriately between gender, religiosity, students from different fields, and supporters of left- and right-wing political parties. In Study 3 (N = 112), we examined the test–retest reliability of the SSVS and in Study 4 (N = 38), time saving gained by the SSVS compared to the SVS. The results show that the new scale had good reliability and validity and that the values measured by the SSVS were arrayed on a circle identical to the theoretical structure of values. We also provided equations that can be used in future studies to measure individuals' scores on the 2 main value dimensions, Self-Transcendence and Conservation.
Iron deficiency anemia and educational

The present study investigates the effect of iron supplementation on measures of school performance among 78 iron-deficient anemic and 41 nonanemic children in an economically deprived rural area in Central Java, Indonesia. All the subjects were treated forancylostomiasis before iron supplementation. They were randomly assigned to either an iron or placebo group. Hematological and behavioral measurements were obtained immediately before (Tl) and after (T2) the iron and placebo treatments. Iron treatment for a 3-mo period resulted in substantive increases in mean Hgb, Hct, and transferrin saturation among the iron-deficient anemic children. Furthermore, changes in the iron status ofiron-deficient anemic children were associated with significant changes in the school achievement test scores of iron-deficient anemic children. T2 evaluation of achievement test scores indicated that the difference between iron-treated anemic and nonanemic children was still statistically significant. However, when T 1 scores were entered as a covariate, iron-deficient anemic subjects treated with iron obtained significantly higher delta achievement scores. Findings from the present study indicate that iron supplementation among iron-deficient anemic children benefits learning processes as measured by the school achievement test scores. Am J C/in Nuir l985;42: 122 1-1228.
A conceptual framework to measure performance of the public health system.

OBJECTIVES This article describes a unifying conceptual framework for the public health system as a way to facilitate the measurement of public health system performance. METHODS A conceptual framework for the public health system was developed on the basis of the work of Donabedian and a conceptual model previously developed by Bernard Turnock and Arden Handler. RESULTS The conceptual framework consists of 5 components that can be considered in relationship to each other: macro context, mission, structural capacity, processes, and outcomes. Although the availability of measures for each of these components varies, the framework can be used to examine the performance of public health systems as well as that of agencies and programs. CONCLUSIONS A conceptual framework that explicates the relationships among the various components of the public health system is an essential step toward providing a science base for the study of public health system performance.
Increasing Incidence of Late-onset Neonatal Invasive Group B Streptococcal Infections in Iceland

Background: Group B streptococci (GBS) may cause life-threatening invasive infections in infants. The incidence of these infections has been increasing during the last decades. The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiology of neonatal GBS infections to be able to implement therapeutic and preventive measures more effectively. Methods: A retrospective case study was conducted in Iceland that included all neonates with positive GBS cultures from blood or cerebrospinal fluid during the period 1975 to 2006. Serotyping of all available GBS isolates was performed. Results: A total of 87 children with 89 infections were included in the study. In all, 53 infants had early-onset (EO) GBS infections (occurring <7 days after birth) and 34 had late-onset (LO) infections (occurring on days 7–90). EO infections increased during the first 3 quartiles of the study period but decreased during the last quartile. LO infections increased throughout the entire study period. GBS was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid in 21 patients; 9 with EO and 12 with LO infections. Premature infants comprised 15 with EO and 14 with LO infections. Eight children died of GBS infection, 7 with EO and 1 with LO infections; no correlation with serotypes was found. Serotype III was most common for both EO (34%) and LO infections (62%). Conclusion: The number of GBS infections increased during the study period. The decrease in EO infections in recent years could be attributed to intrapartum antibiotic treatment. The increasing number of LO infections is a concern.
Radiofrequency versus microwave ablation in a hepatic porcine model.

PURPOSE To compare microwave (MW) and radiofrequency (RF) ablation in a hepatic porcine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional animal research committee approval was obtained. Nineteen pigs were divided into groups based on time of sacrifice (group A, immediate; group B, 2 days; group C, 28 days; group D, 28 days). Groups A, B, and C each underwent a combination of RF and MW ablation. Group D underwent either four MW or four RF ablations. Ablation was performed with a prototype MW device (915 Mhz, 40 W, 10 minutes) and a commercial RF system (150 W, 10 minutes, 3-cm deployment). Computed tomography (CT) was performed in groups B and C at 2 days and in group C at 28 days. Group D underwent serial laboratory testing. Specimens were serially sectioned, and short-axis diameter and length of each were measured. The percentage deflection caused by local blood vessels (heat-sink effect) was also measured in group A. Likelihood ratio tests and unpaired t tests were used for statistical analyses as appropriate. RESULTS MW ablation zones were longer at days 0, 2, and 28 (P < .05), but short-axis diameter was not different from that with RF ablation at any time point (P > .05). Local blood vessels caused 3.5% +/- 5.3 (standard deviation) deflection at MW ablation compared with 26.2% +/- 27.9 at RF ablation (P < .05). MW and RF ablation zones were indistinguishable at CT or pathologic evaluation. Laboratory test results were similar between RF ablation-only animals and MW ablation-only animals, with the exception of a slightly higher alkaline phosphatase levels at day 2 in RF ablation-only animals (P < .02). CONCLUSION MW and RF ablation zones are similar in pathologic appearance and imaging characteristics. Increased length with MW ablation is likely caused by the length of the radiating segment of the antenna. MW ablation may be less affected by the heat-sink effect that is thought to contribute to local recurrence after RF ablation.
The Mechanism of Hearing as Revealed Through Experiment on the Masking Effect of Thermal Noise.

Considerable information concerning the dynamical properties of the hearing mechanism can be obtained from physical measurements on audition. In fact, probably more precise information can be obtained by such measurements than from data obtained by animal experimentation, or from data on post mortem sections of human temporal bones. It is well known that when a person is immersed in, a noise his ability to hear other sounds is decreased. The noise is said to produce a masking effect. Before describing the experiments on the masking effect of thermal noise I will first describe the method of obtaining thermal noise and how it is quantitatively defined. In an electrical conductor there is a statistical variation of the electrical potential difference between its two ends which is due to the thermal agitation of the atoms, including the electrons. This fluctuating voltage may be amplified by means of a vacuum tube amplifier. Such an electrical disturbance is called an electrical thermal noise. If this electrical thermal noise is sent through a telephone receiver, or a loud speaker, it is then converted into acoustical thermal noise. Such an acoustical thermal noise was used in the masking experiments discussed in this paper. Let If be defined as the intensity per cycle of thermal noise using 10-16 watts* per square centimeter as a unit of intensity. If AI is the intensity due to the thermal noise in the band of frequencies between f and f + Af, then AI If= . (1) Af
Residual Venous Thrombosis and Recurrent Thromboembolism

TO THE EDITOR: Prandoni and colleagues (1) reported that residual venous thrombosis was an important risk factor for recurrent thromboembolism. The high incidence of persistent abnormalities on venous ultrasonography after 3 months of anticoagulation for initial deep venous thrombosis (DVT) has been previously noted (2, 3), but the reasons for this lack of resolution remain unclear. Because the authors did not report any specific data on international normalized ratios (INRs) or the length of time that the INRs remained in the therapeutic range during the initial course of anticoagulation, it is possible that such treatment variables might explain the high incidence of residual abnormalities noted on follow-up ultrasonography. Caprini and associates (4) reported that patients with incomplete DVT resolution after 6 months of warfarin treatment had median INRs that were significantly lower than the INRs of patients who demonstrated complete thrombus resolution. We believe that strict maintenance of the INR within the therapeutic range might increase the rate of complete DVT resolution and thereby lessen the subsequent risk for recurrent thromboembolism.
Planned Parenthood in Arabidopsis : FLOWERING LOCUS

“Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” goes the line that persists in folkloric fashion in academic biology, most likely because it is so much fun to say. The saying is no longer taken literally by scientists who value their reputation, and Ernst Haeckel, the nineteenth-century German zoologist who first coined the phrase, has been widely discredited for having manipulated anatomical drawings so as to support the curious notion that higher animals pass through developmental stages in which they resemble their phylogenetic forerunners. Haeckel thus espoused a view of evolution as the successive addition of novel adult developmental stages onto existing programs of development. Popular notions that human fetuses transiently possess gill slits and tails are some of the more prominent myths that this view has perpetuated to the present day. However odd Haeckel’s views might seem upon objective consideration, the heuristic impact of comparative development, the field of biology that he represented, has been enormous in guiding evolutionist inquiries. The embryonic development of the human, for instance, rather than tracing a phylogenetic course from single cell to fish to ape to infant, instead reflects the unique orchestration of a genetic program that has arisen slowly through evolutionary events that are often, but not always, subtle. Indeed, the oftenquoted estimation that the human genome is 98% similar to that of the chimpanzee stresses that, genetically speaking, it’s not merely what you have that counts, but how—and when—you use it. Thus, mutations in key regulatory functions, and thereby in the chronology of genetic programs, often seem to have driven speciation. Evolutionists refer to such mutations, Planned Parenthood in Arabidopsis: FLOWERING LOCUS C