Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Misinterpretations in agreement and agreement attraction

It has been well established that subject–verb number agreement can be disrupted by local noun phrases that differ in number from the subject head noun phrase. In sentence production, mismatches in the grammatical number of the head and local noun phrases lead to agreement errors on the verb as in: the key to the cabinets are. Similarly, although ungrammaticality typically causes disruption in measures of sentence comprehension, the disruption is reduced when the local noun phrase has a plural feature. Using a forced-choice comprehension question method, we report two experiments that provide evidence that comprehenders were likely to misinterpret the number information on the head noun phrase when morphosyntactic number markings on the local noun phrase and verb did not match the head. These results are consistent with a growing body of research that suggests that comprehenders often arrive at a final interpretation of a sentence that is not faithful to the linguistic input.
Nanotoxicology using the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis: from developmental toxicity to genotoxicology

Abstract Concomitant with the fast-growing advances in the synthesis and engineering of colloidal nanocrystals, an urgent evaluation of their toxicity on human beings and environment is strongly encouraged by public health organisations. Despite the in vitro approaches employed for toxicological screening of hazardous compounds, the use of simple and cost-effective living organisms may enormously contribute to solve unanswered questions related to embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of nanomaterials. Here, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) is presented as a novel model organism to profile bio/non-bio interactions and to show a comprehensive toxicological analysis performed on embryos, larvae and adults treated with fluorescent cadmium-based nanocrystals. Spanning from in vivo biodistribution to molecular investigations, different behaviours and effects depending on the composition and surface coatings are showed. Rod-shaped cadmium selenide/cadmium sulfide (CdSe/CdS) nanocrystals resulted in excellent imaging probes to track N. vectensis development with negligible adverse effects, while spherical CdTe nanocrystals severely impaired embryogenesis, resulting in aberrant phenotypes and deregulation of developmental genes, which raise severe worries for a safe use of this type of nanoparticles for human purposes and environmental contamination.
The Mechanical Properties of Moulded and Thermoformed Denture Resins

This study describes in detail the mechanical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) denture base resins with regard to fabrication procedures, moulding and thermoforming. The investigation included eight specimens of each group of the materials, made separately for each experimental protocol (moulding and thermoforming). Analysis of the mechanical properties of the tested resins was comprised of tensile and 3-point bending strengths, elongation, fracture toughness and micro-hardness tests. Data obtained from the mechanical tests were statistically processed by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s post-hoc test and with the significance level α=0.05. Triplex cold specimens showed the lowest bending strength, fracture toughness and micro-hardness as well the highest standard deviations. Biocryl C in a thermoformed condition exhibited higher tensile and bending strength in comparison to the same material but in the as-received condition (before thermoforming), while the results are opposite for fracture toughness and micro-hardness. Compared to Triplex hot, thermoformed Biocryl C had statistically non-significantly higher values for bending strength and micro-hardness, but significantly lower ones for fracture toughness and tensile strength. In contrast, the lowest dissipation of testing results in all mechanical tests was recorded for Biocryl C fabricated by a thermoforming process, meaning that this material has the highest predictability of the materials tested. The mechanical properties of thermoformed PMMA materials are comparable to cold and hot polymerized PMMA materials. Standard deviations obtained for thermoformed PMMA material are lower than those obtained with cold and hot polymerized PMMA materials.
Linkages between Indian and US financial markets: impact of global financial crisis and Eurozone debt crisis

This paper examines inter-linkages between Indian and US equity, foreign exchange and money markets using the vector autoregressive-multivariate GARCH-BEKK framework. We investigate the impact of global financial crisis (GFC) and Eurozone debt crisis (EZDC) on the conditional volatility and conditional correlation estimates derived from the multivariate GARCH model for Indian and US financial markets. Our results indicate that there is significant bidirectional causality-in-mean between the Indian stock market returns and the Rs. /USD market returns, and significant unidirectional causality-in-mean from the US stock market returns to the Indian stock market returns. As regards volatility spillovers, we find that volatility in the Indian stock market rises in response to domestic as well as US financial market shocks but Indian financial market shocks do not impact the US markets. Further, impact of the recent crisis episodes on the covariance matrix is found to be significant. We find that volatility in the Indian and US financial markets significantly amplified during GFC. The conditional correlations across asset markets were significantly accentuated in the wake of the two crisis episodes. The impact of GFC on cross-market conditional correlations is higher for majority of the asset market pairs in comparison to the EZDC.
Effect of a Small Dose of Droperidol on Nausea, Vomiting and Recovery after Outpatient Enflurane Anaesthesia

Young, healthy outpatients (100) undergoing restorative dentistry and/or oral surgery under enfluranenitrous oxide‐oxygen anaesthesia were given 0.014 mg/kg of droperidol or a saline placebo i. v. in a doubleblind random fashion 5 min after induction of anaesthesia to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting. Overall, less patients given droperidol were nauseated (18%) or vomited (7%) in comparison with patients given saline (27% and 11%, respectively). During the first postoperative hour, 4% of patients given droperidol were nauseated and 2% vomited, whereas 16% of patients given saline were nauseated and 6% vomited. Four patients given saline were not discharged from the clinic 1 h after anaesthesia owing to prolonged nausea and vomiting. The time elapsed until the patients were oriented as to time and place after cessation of enflurane and nitrous oxide administration was similar in both groups (mean±s. d., 13.5 ± 4.7 min). Thirty minutes after anaesthesia, the ability to walk on a straight line was significantly (P<0.001) worse in patients given droperidol as compared to patients given saline. After 60 min, only one patient given droperidol and four patients who received saline and vomited took side steps or were unable to walk. Psychomotor performance was significantly (P<0.05) better in a perceptual speed test both 30 and 60 min after anaesthesia in patients receiving saline as compared to those given droperidol. It is concluded that although droperidol is a less effective antiemetic after outpatient than after inpatient enflurane anaesthesia, small doses of droperidol may be used for outpatients prone to vomiting to prevent delayed discharge from the clinic due to prolonged vomiting.
To RAS or not to RAS? What is the difference in outcomes in multi-regional input–output models?

ABSTRACT The global resource accounting model (GRAM), which is based on OECD input–output and bilateral trade data, is a multi-regional input–output model covering 53 countries and 2 regions. What differentiates GRAM from other state-of-the-art models in this field is that it does not use a matrix balancing technique, such as RAS, after the initial construction of the global intermediate coefficient and final demand matrices. Instead, it reproduces prescribed intermediate and final demand, and determines value added residually. This choice was made to alter the original data as little as possible and keep the calculations traceable. This simpler solution technique might, however, yield different results. This paper aims at identifying the difference between the current solution of GRAM and the solution of a RASed version of GRAM, thus contributing to the assessment of currently used methodologies in this research field. The short conclusion is that, even though some differences during the calculations are present, the calculated output (production) matrix does not differ substantially. The results show that larger differences are brought about by poor assumptions regarding missing or conflicting data rather than by applying or not applying a RAS procedure to the constructed global matrices.
Lightning, Physics and Effects [Book Review]

PREVENTING THERMAL CYCLING AND VIBRATION FAILURES IN ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT By Dave S. Steinberg, John Wiley & Sons, 2001. Environmental failure-rate studies in military aircraft have shown that about 50% of all the electronic failures are related to thermal events, and 20% are due to vibration. But thermal expansion and shrink or vibration are not avoided when we turn equipment on and off or transport electronic systems. Thermalcycle stress and vibration stress are generated by running opto-electronic systems. Every stress cycle will use up part of the fatigue life in the load-carrying structural elements of the system. When the total number of stress cycles reaches a critical level in the weakest element of the system, failures will occur. These failures are often caused by various combinations of thermal, vibration, shock, humidity, salt, and dust environments combined with poor design practices, poor manufacturing processes, and poor maintenance. This book focuses on how electronic components are affected by temperature variations and vibration during use, how to prevent such problems, and how the concept of damage accumulation can be used to determine the approximate fatigue life of electronic components and assemblies. The book has 15 chapters. Chapter 1 explains the physics of failure in electronic systems. Chapters 2–4 describe the different parameters that cause thermal displacement and vibration for components, structure, and print boards. Chapter 5 points out how to estimate fatigue life in thermal cycling and vibration environments. Chapters 6–10 provide a design guide for preventing vibration and thermal expansion. Chapter 10 covers both fatigue damage for random vibration and thermal cycling. Chapters 11–13 identify failures due to different assemblies. Chapter 14 summarizes ware and interface surface fretting corrosion in electrical connectors. Chapter 15 gives the case histories of failures and failure analyses. There is a list of symbols used, a bibliography, and an index. This book is very organized and readable. It deals with the package of electronic equipment to prevent damage form vibration and exposure to a large variation in temperature. There are a lot of formulas and curves to help manufactures design, analyze, and evaluate electronic systems for lower costs and improved reliability in harsh environments using hand calculations without the aid of a larger computer so that a sanity check can be realized. This book should be very useful not only for managers and engineers working in the automobile, missile, communication, and entertainment electronic equipment industries, but also for the managers and engineers working in opto-electronic device industries, such as semiconductor optical components and transceivers, because such optical components and modules have same thermal cycling and vibration failure problem.
The roles of JAK/STAT signaling in Drosophila immune responses

Summary: Innate immune responses are mediated by the activation of various signaling processes. Here, we describe our current knowledge on Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling in the Drosophila immune response. First, we briefly introduce the main effectors involved in the humoral and cellular responses, such as anti‐bacterial peptides and hemocytes. Second, we describe the canonical JAK/STAT‐signaling pathway, as established from extensive studies in mammalian systems, and we introduce the Drosophila components of the JAK/STAT pathway, as discovered from studies on embryonic development. Third, we describe the various roles of JAK/STAT signaling in both humoral and cellular responses. We present the JAK/STAT‐dependent humoral factors, such as the thioester‐containing proteins and the Tot peptides, produced by the fat body in response to septic injury. We also discuss the possible involvement of the JAK/STAT pathway in cellular responses, including hemocyte proliferation and differentiation. Finally, we present how cytokines, such as Upd3, might contribute to the integration of the immune responses at the organism level by orchestrating the response of various immune cells and organs, such as fat body, hemocytes, and lymph glands.
Social Decision Heuristics Used by Families in Allocating Resources

The hypothesis is proposed that due to shallow information processing families frequently use an equal-division social decision heuristic in allocating resources. In Study 1 a survey was conducted of a nationwide sample (n=446) and a smaller student sample (n=50) consisting of married or cohabiting participants. In line with our prediction, it was found that allocating part of a monthly income to joint or individual savings followed an equal-division rule. However, choices to maximize joint savings were almost equally frequent. Since the prevalence of a joint family economy correlated with these choices, participants probably applied a social-decision heuristic of subscribing to a status-quo rule. In Study 2 a sample of 100 students made fictitious choices of allocating part of a monthly income to joint or individual savings after either an income increase or decrease. Consistent with the results of Study 1, the equal-division rule was used after an income increase and when the prior allocations were equal. However, an income decrease or unequal prior allocations appeared to induce less shallow information processing resulting in the application of an equity rule.
Self-Care Practices of Populations at Risk for HIV

Studies have shown that health outcomes are disproportionately worse for homeless individuals as compared with individuals with stable housing (Brickner, Scanlan, and Conanan 1986); however, the unique coping mechanisms that they employ to protect their health have been largely understudied. Better understanding of attitudes and behaviors that individuals adopt to maintain their health, collectively termed “self-care” is imperative to the design and implementation of effective public health interventions for this population. The purpose of this thesis is to better understand both the barriers and coping strategies of transient populations. The two research questions guiding this thesis are: What barriers to health do transient residents in high-risk neighborhoods experience, and how do they mitigate the perceived or existing barriers? Findings from this analysis indicate that the most salient barriers for transient populations are lack of transportation, lack of health insurance, beliefs about health, and mental illness. The agency exercised by participants to improve their own health outcomes has important implications for the efficacy of health promotion campaigns and health policy aimed at high-risk populations. INDEX WORDS: Public Health, Qualitative Research, Homelessness, Poverty, Health Outcomes, Barriers to Health SELF-CARE PRACTICES OF POPULATIONS AT RISK FOR HIV
Characterization of the Hepatitis C Virus NS2/3 Processing Reaction by Using a Purified Precursor Protein

ABSTRACT The NS2-NS3 region of the hepatitis C virus polyprotein encodes a proteolytic activity that is required for processing of the NS2/3 junction. Membrane association of NS2 and the autocatalytic nature of the NS2/3 processing event have so far constituted hurdles to the detailed investigation of this reaction. We now report the first biochemical characterization of the self-processing activity of a purified NS2/3 precursor. Using multiple sequence alignments, we were able to define a minimal domain, devoid of membrane-anchoring sequences, which was still capable of performing the processing reaction. This truncated protein was efficiently expressed and processed in Escherichia coli. The processing reaction could be significantly suppressed by growth in minimal medium in the absence of added zinc ions, leading to the accumulation of an unprocessed precursor protein in inclusion bodies. This protein was purified to homogeneity, refolded, and shown to undergo processing at the authentic NS2/NS3 cleavage site with rates comparable to those observed using an in vitro-translated full-length NS2/3 precursor. Size-exclusion chromatography and a dependence of the processing rate on the concentration of truncated NS2/3 suggested a functional multimerization of the precursor protein. However, we were unable to observe trans cleavage activity between cleavage-site mutants and active-site mutants. Furthermore, the cleavage reaction of the wild-type protein was not inhibited by addition of a mutant that was unable to undergo self-processing. Site-directed mutagenesis data and the independence of the processing rate from the nature of the added metal ion argue in favor of NS2/3 being a cysteine protease having Cys993 and His952 as a catalytic dyad. We conclude that a purified protein can efficiently reproduce processing at the NS2/3 site in the absence of additional cofactors.
The effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on postnatal depression: a randomised controlled trial

Background Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is the most commonly used hormonal contraceptive method in South Africa. It is frequently administered in the immediate postnatal period, yet it is unclear whether it affects the risk of postnatal depression (PND). Aim To determine whether DMPA increases the risk of PND compared with the copper-containing intrauterine device (IUD) when administered after delivery. Design and setting A single-blind randomised controlled trial conducted at two teaching hospitals in East London, South Africa. Methods Eligible, consenting women (N=242) requiring postnatal contraception were randomised to receive DMPA or an IUD within 48 hours of childbirth and interviewed at 1 and 3 months postpartum. Depression was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Resumption of sexual intercourse, menstrual symptoms and breastfeeding rates were also assessed. Results One-month EPDS depression scores were statistically significantly higher in the DMPA arm compared with IUD arm (p=0.04). Three-month BDI-II scores were significantly higher in the DMPA arm than in the IUD arm (p=0.002) and, according to the BDI-II but not the EPDS, more women in the DMPA arm had major depression at this time-point (8 vs 2; p=0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in other outcome measures except that fewer women had resumed sexual activity by 1 month postpartum in the DMPA arm (13% vs 26%; p=0.02). Conclusions The possibility that immediate postnatal DMPA use is associated with depression cannot be excluded. These findings justify further research with longer follow-up. Clinical trial number PACTR201209000419241.
Acquisition of two endogenous ecotropic murine leukemia viruses in distinct Asian wild mouse populations

Wild mouse DNAs were analyzed for two types of endogenous ecotropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs), Akv and Fv-4r-associated MuLV. Endogenous Akv viruses were found only in northern Chinese mice, Korean mice, and Japanese (Mus musculus molossinus) mice. The Fv-4r gene, which is a truncated endogenous MuLV with ecotropic interference properties, was carried by Southeast Asian (M. m. castaneus) mice, Korean mice, and M. m. molossinus. Sequences related to Fv-4r MuLV env were found only in M. m. castaneus. These findings suggest that endogenous Akv viruses were acquired by northern Chinese mice and that the Fv-4r gene or its related endogenous MuLVs were acquired independently by M. m. castaneus. The Fv-4r gene appears to have been generated hundreds of thousands of years ago, before the amplification of the Fv-4r-related endogenous MuLVs in M. m. castaneus. The coexistence of Akv viruses and the Fv-4r gene in M. m. molossinus may be explained by the hybrid origin of M. m. molossinus in crosses between northern Chinese mice and M. m. castaneus, as described in other articles. The absence of the Fv-4r-related endogenous MuLVs in M. m. molossinus may indicate that the ancestral mice of this subspecies either were an ancient type of M. m. castaneus that had acquired the Fv-4r gene but had not yet acquired the Fv-4r-related endogenous MuLVs or were a rare fraction of a mixed population of M. m. castaneus and northern Chinese mice.
High-dose Vitamin D3 Supplementation in Children and Young Adults with HIV: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial

Background: Suboptimal vitamin D status is prevalent in HIV-infected patients and associated with increased risk of disease severity and morbidity. We aimed to determine 12-month safety and efficacy of daily 7000 IU vitamin D3 (vitD3) versus placebo to sustain increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and improve immune status in HIV-infected subjects. Methods: This was a double-blind trial of perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV)-infected subjects or behaviorally acquired HIV (BHIV)-infected subjects (5.0-24.9 years). Safety, 25(OH)D-related parameters and immune status were assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Results: Fifty-eight subjects enrolled (67% male, 85% African American and 64% BHIV) and 50 completed with no safety concerns. In unadjusted analyses, there were no differences between randomization groups at baseline; at 3, 6 and 12 months, 25(OH)D was higher with supplementation than baseline and higher than with placebo (P < 0.05). In adjusted mixed models, in the supplementation group, the fixed effect of 25(OH)D was higher (P < 0.001). Percentage of naive T-helper cells (Th naive%) were significantly (P < 0.01) and T-helper cells (CD4%) marginally (P < 0.10) increased with supplementation in those taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and RNA viral load was reduced (P ⩽ 0.05). In exploratory linear models, change in 25(OH)D predicted RNA viral load at 3 and 12 months and CD4% at 3 months (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Daily 7000 IU vitD3 for 12 months was safe in HIV-infected subjects and effective in increasing 25(OH)D. Supplementation improved some clinically important HIV immune markers in subjects on HAART. Adjunct therapy with high-dose, daily vitD3 for HIV-infected subjects and for those on/off HAART requires further investigation.