Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of stimulus length on nasalance scores.

OBJECTIVE Nasalance measures were compared for speech stimuli of four different lengths. DESIGN The standard for comparison was a 44-syllable passage. The 44-syllable passage was compared to a 17-syllable passage, a 6-syllable sentence, and a 2-syllable word. All stimuli were devoid of nasal consonants and were composed only of low pressure consonants and vowels. SETTING Academic and clinical craniofacial center. SUBJECTS The subjects were 20 children at risk for velopharyngeal dysfunction and 5 children without history of communication disorder. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The main outcome measures were the nasalance scores associated with speech samples of different lengths. RESULTS The results showed that comparable measures of nasalance can be obtained using stimuli as short as a six-syllable sentence. Both the 17-syllable and the 6-syllable stimulus achieved high criterion validity, indicating that stimuli of that length could be substituted for the longer 44-syllable passage. The two-syllable word, however, had significantly lower criterion validity and could not be used to obtain valid estimates of nasalance. CONCLUSION Valid assessment of nasalance can be achieved with speech samples as short as six syllables.
PARA-Arm: singularity perturbed design of a planar 2 DOF parallel manipulator

We propose a new singularity-perturbed design approach to a planar five bar parallel-link manipulator. The design allows us to operate the manipulator either in parallel or in serial branch mode, and also to exchange those modes. Thus, it is possible to merge some of the well-known advantages of serial and parallel manipulators. We study two basic singularity-perturbed designs and show that one of them is preferable. A feasibility study through computer simulation, including maximum torque requirement, is also presented.
Health and social factors related to life satisfaction.

In an analysis of health, activity, social-psychological, and socio-economic variables thought to influence life satisfaction in middle age, it was found that self-rated health was the predominant variable. The amount of organizational activity and belief in internal control were the second and third most important variables related to life satisfaction. Organizational activity, in turn, was mainly related to intelligence and to internal control orientation among the men, but among women it was mainly related to lack of employment and to physical performance status. Several variables thought to be related to life satisfaction were found to have little or no relationship: age, sex, total social contacts, career anchorage, marital status, and intelligence.
NEW OCCURANCE OF AVIAN ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN BROILER - IS THIS AN EMERGING DISEASE?

Avian encephalomyelitis is caused by an Hepatovirus and primarily affects chickens. Chickens of all ages are susceptible to the virus, but the nervous symptoms are manifested only in young chicks, between one to five weeks of age. During the last thirty years, avian encephalomyelitis appeared to be well controlled by breeder vaccination. However, the increase of the number of cases is causing concern in the poultry industry. In the present study, we performed a retrospective analysis of the cases presenting histological lesions compatible with avian encephalomyelitis in broilers. The evaluated cases affected broilers from one to 35 days old from the southern region of Brazil. Only cases with compatible microscopic lesions and associated with clinical symptoms in the field were considered. In addition the histopathological diagnosis, sera were tested by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Considering the clinical, histopathological, and serological evidences, the disease was confirmed, showing an increase in outbreaks from the last quarter of 2012, extending through 2013. The cause of this increase is not clear, although we suspect vaccine or vaccination error. Enhancing vaccinated breeders flocks monitoring before the beginning of egg production and/or using a protocol with two vaccinations is recommended.
Ordem, focalização e preenchimento em portugues : sintaxe e prosodia

O presente trabalho, desenvolvido no âmbito da interface sintaxefonologia, consiste num estudo comparativo das construcoes de focalizacao em portugues brasileiro (doravante, PB) e em portugues europeu (doravante, PE) na expressao do foco informacional do elemento ? sujeito? A hipotese que buscamos confirmar ou infirmar neste estudo e a de que as diferentes formas de expressao do foco informacional do sujeito realizadas em PB e PE, alem de estarem relacionadas a questoes de natureza sintatica, como a fixacao do parâmetro prodrop, como afirmam Nespor & Guasti (2002) para as linguas em geral, tambem estao relacionadas a questoes de natureza prosodica, como, por exemplo, o peso fonologico dos constituintes nas sentencas. Os resultados alcancados nesta tese mostram que tanto em PE, como em PB, restricoes de peso fonologico atuam na escolha por determinada forma de focalizacao informacional do sujeito. Todavia, ainda mostram que, em PE, requisitos fonologicos relacionados ao alinhamento da proeminencia do elemento focalizado com a proeminencia principal de sentenca podem tambem ser satisfeitos atraves do reordenamento de constituintes ou do uso de estruturas pseudoclivadas, por exemplo. Diferentemente do PE, o PB, dadas as particularidades de sua gramatica, nao se vale destes mesmos artificios. Em PB, ocorre preferencialmente o uso de sentencas na ordem SV(O) com o sujeito portando a proeminencia principal da sentenca ou o uso de sentencas clivadas e clivadas invertidas. Quanto a primeira estrategia de focalizacao, ainda que o PE tambem possa se utilizar dela, nossos resultados indicam que as duas variedades de portugues apresentam diferencas quanto a posicao sintatica ocupada pelo sujeito focalizado. Enquanto este elemento se encontra na posicao de especificador de TP em PE, em PB, ele se encontra fora de TP. Tal afirmacao encontra respaldo na estrutura entoacional diferente associada a este tipo de sentenca nas duas variedades Abstract
Effect of Humic acid and phosphate sources on nutrient composition and yield of Radish grown in calcareous soil

Two field experiments were conducted at farmer’s field, Ebshway, El-Fayoum Governorate, Egypt during two seasons (2012-2013 and 2013-2014). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of foliar applications of humic acid and different source of phosphorus fertilization on dry matter, some nutrient elements and uptake by radish grown under calcareous soil conditions. Humic acid sprayed on the leaves at 0.05 and 0.1 % doses at 15 and 30 days after sowing. Phosphorus fertilization was applied to the soil at 100 and 200 kg P2O5 fed -1 from two source Calcium super phosphate (15.5% P2O5) and super Bio-phosphate (19.0% P2O5). Foliar application of humic acid at the rate 0.1 % combined with super Bio-phosphate at a rate 100 kg P2O5 fed -1 had statistically significant effect on fresh and dry weight of root and shoot, root length and diameter as well as nutrient content and uptake. Moreover, the highest values of chlorophyll a, b, a+b and carotenoids were obtained from the application of humic acid at the rate 0.1 % with super Biophosphate. As well as, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content recorded highest significant values in Radish plants with same treatment. Nitrate accumulation reduced significantly by application of both phosphate forms. Also, sodium content of root and shoot tissues decreased significantly with increasing phosphorus applied rate.
Tube ultrastructure of Pomatoceros americanus (Polychaeta, Serpulidae): implications for the tube formation of serpulids

The inner tube layer of Pomatoceros americanus has a complex oriented ultrastructure, which cannot be explained by the standard granular secretion model, predicting a largely unoriented structure of the tube. In the lamello-fibrillar structure of the inner tube layer, the crystallization axis of crystals has a uniform orientation, which is not continuous through successive growth increments. The complex biomineral structures of P. americanus suggest a matrix-controlled crystallization model rather than solidification of a slurry with calcareous granules deposited on the tube aperture.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Important Aspects of Diagnosis and Management

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly aggressive primary neuroendocrine tumor. It is suggested in the literature that postoperative radiotherapy may decrease local recurrence and improve overall survival. The purpose of this retrospective review was to determine our experience and review the literature on this aggressive malignancy. Charts of ten patients with MCC seen between 1985 and 1997 were reviewed to obtain clinicopathological data. Eight patients were male with a mean age of 72 years (range 49–90). The head and neck was the most common site, affecting 50 per cent of patients. All patients had primary excisions with documented negative margins. Pathological size ranged from 10 to 40 mm. Initial pathological diagnosis was lymphoma in three cases requiring immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin and neuron-specific enolase for definitive diagnosis. Lymphatic invasion was noted in three patients but only one of these patients had clinical lymph node involvement. The mean follow-up was 54 months (range 6–114) with an 80 per cent one-year survival and 30 per cent 2-year survival. Postoperative radiotherapy was administered to five patients. Of these three died with evidence of both local and distant recurrence. This small retrospective review highlights important points in the management of MCC including pathological diagnosis and benefits of adjuvant radiation therapy.
PREVENTION OF GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE BY A NOVEL IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT, PG490–88, THROUGH INHIBITION OF ALLOREACTIVE T CELL EXPANSION

Background. PG490–88 is a water soluble, semisynthetic derivative of a novel compound PG490 (triptolide) purified from the Chinese herb Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F. Methods. PG490–88 was administrated into recipient mice in a model (B10.D2→BALB/c) of lethal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) to study the effects of PG490–88 on GVHD and on the various steps involved in the pathological course of GVHD. Results. Injection of PG490–88 i.p. at a dose of 0.535 mg/kg/day for the first 3 weeks after transplantation protected all the recipients from developing GVHD up to 100 days after transplantation. PG490–88 inhibited in vivo both CD4+V&bgr;3+ and CD8+V&bgr;3+ T cell (alloreactive T cells in this model) expansion in the spleen by 64.09 and 34.02%, respectively, at the time when V&bgr;3+ cell expansion was in the logarithmic phase (day 3 after transplantation). Intracellular cytokine staining without further in vitro activation demonstrated 47.42% inhibition of IL-2 production among CD4+ spleen cells in PG490–88-treated mice as compared to GVHD control on day 3 after transplantation. In contrast, CD25 (&agr; chain of interleukin-2 receptor) expression did not differ. Conclusions. PG490–88 is highly effective in prevention of murine GVHD. The immunosuppressive effect of PG490–88 is mediated by inhibition of alloreactive T cell expansion through interleukin-2 production.
Regression of the Carotid Intima Media Thickness by Propylthiouracil Therapy in Graves' Hyperthyroidism

Introduction:One of the cardiovascular effects of hyperthyroidism is increased carotid intima media thickness (CIMT). The aim of this study is to investigate the CIMT in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism and the effect of propylthiouracil (PTU) therapy on CIMT. Method:Twenty-six patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism and 33 healthy controls were included in the study. CIMT was measured at the right and left external carotid arteries in every patient in both groups. CIMT was measured before and after the PTU therapy in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism. Results:There was a significant difference in CIMT between the group of Graves' hyperthyroid patients and the control group (0.72 versus 0.55 mm, P < 0.0001) at baseline. Twenty-five of 26 patients with Graves' disease were followed up for 18 months prospectively. Euthyroidism has been achieved in 21 patients. After 18 months of treatment, CIMT decreased significantly compared with the baseline values [0.84 (0.54–1.3) to 0.72 (0.50–1.2), change 0.12 mm, P < 0.001]. Conclusion:Graves' hyperthyroidism is associated with atherosclerosis as assessed by CIMT. Treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism with PTU decreases the CIMT.
Calcium channels play a pivotal role in the sequence of ionic changes involved in initiation of mouse sperm acrosomal exocytosis

The sequence of ionic changes involved in initiation of acrosomal exocytosis in capacitated mouse spermatozoa was investigated. Earlier studies demonstrated that a large influx of Na+ is required for exocytosis, this Na+ apparently being associated with an increase in intracellular pH (pHi) via an Na+‐H+ exchanger. This rise in pHi may in turn activate calcium channels and permit the influx of extracellular Ca2+ needed to trigger acrosomal exocytosis. In the present study, the dihydropyridine voltage‐dependent calcium channel antagonist nifedipine was able to inhibit significantly exocytosis in sperm cells treated in various ways capable of stimulating acrosomal loss. The monovalent cation ionophore monensin can promote Na+ entry required for both capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis, as demonstrated by using chlortetracycline to monitor changes in sperm functional potential. In the presence of 10 nM nifedipine, monensin treatment accelerated capacitation but was unable to trigger exocytosis. The requirement for internalization of a high concentration of Na+ can be bypassed by the addition of 25 mM NH4CI to raise the pHi of cells capacitated in 25NH4CI to raise the pHi of cells capacitated in 25 mM Na+ (insufficient Na+ to support exocytosis under usual conditions). Again, introduction of nifedipine was able to inhibit exocytosis. In a third experimental approach, amiloridestimulated exocytosis in capacitated cells was significantly inhibited by nifedipine. In contrast to these treatments directed at specific mechanisms, the ability of the Ca2+ inophore A23187 to promote more general entry of Ca2+ and thereby to accelerate capacitation and exocytosis was not inhibited by nifedipine. Finally, monensin‐treated cells exhibited a rise and then a fall in 45Ca2+ uptake, the time course of which paralleled stimulation of acrosomal exocytosis in similarly treated cells. Nifedipine significantly reduced this uptake. The fact that nifedipine can block exocytosis induced by a variety treatments strongly suggests that voltage‐dependent calcium channels play a pivotal role in the response. These results are consistent with the following sequence of ionic changes in capacitated cells leading to acrosomal exocytosis: [Na+]i ↑ → [H]i↓ → pHi ↑ → activation of calcium channels → [Ca2+]i ↑ → exocytosis. Given that zona‐induced exocytosis is reportedly an indirect response, mediated by voltage‐dependent calcium channels, and that the Na+‐H+ exchanger in somatic cells can be activated by receptor‐mediated mechanisms, we suggest that sperm‐zona inter action promotes an influx of Na+ by activating an Na+‐H+ exchanger and thereby initiating the above sequence of changes. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
World enough and space-time : absolute versus relational theories of space and time

Newton's "Principia "introduced conceptions of space and time that launched one of the most famous and sustained debates in the history of physics, a controversy that involves fundamental concerns in the foundations of physics, metaphysics, and scientific epistemology.This book introduces and clarifies the historical and philosophical development of the clash between Newton's absolute conception of space and Leibniz's relational one. It separates the issues and provides new perspectives on absolute relational accounts of motion and relational-substantival accounts of the ontology of space time.Earman's sustained treatment and imaginative insights raise to a new level the debate on these important issues at the boundary of philosophy and physics. He surveys the history of the controversy from Newton to Einstein develops the mathematics and physics needed to pose the issues in sharp form and provides a persuasive assessment of the philosophical problems involved.Most importantly, Earman revitalizes the connection of the debate to contemporary science. He shows, for example, how concerns raised by Leibniz form the core of ongoing debate on the foundations of general theory of relativity, moving the discussion into a new and vital arena and introducing arguments that will be discussed for years to come.John Earman is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. A Bradford Book
Methylphenylsuccinimide (milontin) in epilepsy.

FAVORABLE results with methylphenylsuccinimide in the treatment of epilepsy were reported first by Zimmerman1 and later by Zimmerman and Burgemeister,2 Millichap,3 Smith and Forster,4 Carter,5 Lemere,6 Lereboullet7 and Chao and Fields,8 although the last named combined the drug with Tridione. The treated cases numbered 15 to 200. In contrast, Doyle, Livingston and Pearson9 encountered flat failure in 21 cases. Our observation of 296 persons treated with methylphenylsuccinimide during a period of three years suggests that the drug is of value. Material and Method Patients were seen by one of us, either as clinic or as office patients in the Seizure .
Endogenous hydrogen peroxide in paraventricular nucleus mediates sympathetic activation and enhanced cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex in renovascular hypertensive rats

An enhancement of the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex (CSAR) contributes to sympathetic activation in renovascular hypertension. Angiotensin II in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) augments the CSAR and increases sympathetic outflow and blood pressure. The present study aimed to determine whether endogenous hydrogen peroxide in the PVN mediated the enhanced CSAR, sympathetic activity and the effects of angiotensin II in the PVN in renovascular hypertension induced by the two‐kidney, one‐clip method (2K1C) in rats. At the end of the fourth week, the rats underwent sino‐aortic and vagal denervation under general anaesthesia with urethane and α‐chloralose. Renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded. The CSAR was evaluated by the RSNA response to epicardial application of bradykinin. Microinjection of polyethylene glycol–catalase (PEG‐CAT), an analogue of endogenous catalase, into the PVN decreased the RSNA and MAP and abolished the CSAR in both sham‐operated and 2K1C rats. Microinjection into the PVN of the catalase inhibitor, aminotriazole, increased the RSNA and MAP and enhanced the CSAR. The effects of PEG‐CAT or aminotriazole were greater in 2K1C rats than in sham‐operated animals. The effects of angiotensin II in the PVN were abolished by pretreatment with PEG‐CAT in both sham‐operated and 2K1C rats; however, aminotriazole failed to potentiate the effects of angiotensin II. The catalase activity was decreased but the H2O2 levels were increased in the PVN of 2K1C rats. These results indicate that endogenous H2O2 in the PVN not only mediates the enhanced sympathetic activity and CSAR, but also the effects of angiotensin II in the PVN in renovascular hypertensive rats.
Evolution of a novel lysine decarboxylase in siderophore biosynthesis

Structural backbones of iron‐scavenging siderophore molecules include polyamines 1,3‐diaminopropane and 1,5‐diaminopentane (cadaverine). For the cadaverine‐based desferroxiamine E siderophore in Streptomyces coelicolor, the corresponding biosynthetic gene cluster contains an ORF encoded by desA that was suspected of producing the cadaverine (decarboxylated lysine) backbone. However, desA encodes an l‐2,4‐diaminobutyrate decarboxylase (DABA DC) homologue and not any known form of lysine decarboxylase (LDC). The only known function of DABA DC is, together with l‐2,4‐aminobutyrate aminotransferase (DABA AT), to synthesize 1,3‐diaminopropane. We show here that S. coelicolor desA encodes a novel LDC and we hypothesized that DABA DC homologues present in siderophore biosynthetic clusters in the absence of DABA AT ORFs would be novel LDCs. We confirmed this by correctly predicting the LDC activity of a DABA DC homologue from a Yersinia pestis siderophore biosynthetic pathway. The corollary was confirmed for a DABA DC homologue, adjacent to a DABA AT ORF in a siderophore pathway in the cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis, which was shown to be a bona fide DABA DC. These findings enable prediction of whether a siderophore pathway will utilize 1,3‐diaminopropane or cadaverine, and suggest that the majority of bacteria use DABA AT and DABA DC for siderophore, rather than norspermidine/polyamine biosynthesis.
Desarrollo y validación de contenido de la nueva versión de un instrumento para clasificación de pacientes

Este estudio tuvo como proposito reconstruir el instrumento de clasificacion de pacientes propuesto por Perroca y evaluar la validez de contenido de la nueva version. La apreciacion del instrumento fue realizada por un grupo de expertos constituidos por diez enfermeros mediante aplicacion de la Tecnica Delphi. La recoleccion de datos ocurrio en el periodo de marzo de 2008 a febrero de 2009 a traves de cuestionarios estructurados enviados por correo electronico. La nueva version paso a ser constituida por nueve areas de cuidados. Hubo concordancia ≥ 90% en relacion a la estructura del instrumento y de 80 a 96% en las areas de cuidados. El refinamiento de instrumentos de clasificacion es de fundamental importancia para generacion de datos validos y confiables en los cuales se puede basar la toma de decisiones de administracion relativa a la planificacion de la asistencia y mensuracion de carga de trabajo del equipo de enfermeria.Descriptores: Pacientes Internos/Clasificacion; Carga de Trabajo; Estudios de Validacion; Evaluacion en Enfermeria.
JOBS SEQUENCING IN INDUSTRIAL PLANTS BY MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION BASED ON A SYSTEM OF AUTONOMOUS GENETIC AGENTS

Simulation Optimisation is one of the hottest topics in the M&S area. Evolutionary Computation has been shown to have great synergy with simulation both for fitness assessment and constraints description. In this paper, the Authors discuss a general architecture for job sequencing in a case of multi objective simulation optimisation by agent-directed simulation. Autonomous genetic agents have been used.