Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVALUACIÓN DE LA CALIDAD DEL HUMUS PRODUCIDO POR EISENIA ANDREI A PARTIR DE TRES SUSTRATOS ORGÁNICOS

Resumen. Se evaluo la calidad del humus producido por la lombriz Eisenia andrei a partir de tres mezclas organicas, caracterizando los cambios fisico-quimicos y microbiologicos durante las etapas del vermicompostaje. Los sustratos se prepararon con estiercol equino combinado con desechos de vegetales y de cocina en las siguientes proporciones: 60% estiercol + 40% desechos de cocina (60:40%) (T1), 60% estiercol + 20% desechos de cocina + 20% desechos de vegetales (60:20:20%) (T2) y 60% estiercol + 40% desechos de vegetales (60:40%) (T3). En todas las etapas del vermicompostaje, se determino el pH, contenidos de materia organica (MO), nutrimentos (N, P, Mn, Ca) y metales pesados (Cd, Cu, Hg y Pb). En los humus, adicionalmente se analizo granulometria, calidad microbiologica (densidad y tipos de microorganismos) y madurez del abono. Se encontraron diferencias estadisticamente significativas tanto para los tratamientos como para cada una de las etapas de transformacion. En las diferentes etapas del vermicompostaje, el pH oscilo entre 7,4 y 8,1, el contenido de MO vario de 40 a 55,5% y los nutrimentos mas abundantes fueron P y N. Se observaron cambios significativos en los contenidos de metales pesados, particularmente del Cd, encontrandose en los humus contenidos de metales por debajo de los limites establecidos por la legislacion ambiental. Las bacterias fueron los microorganismos predominantes. Los humus producidos por E. andrei presentaron contenidos elevados de macro y micronutrimentos, abundancia y variedad de microorganismos, niveles minimos de metales pesados, asi como un grado de madurez optimo.
The Influence of Galantamine on Reaction Time, Attention Processes, and Performance Variability in Elderly Alzheimer Patients

Objective: To examine the effect of galantamine in elderly patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD) on reaction time (RT), selective (SA) and alternating attention (AA), errors, and on interindividual and intraindividual variability. Methods: Forty-one outpatients with AD were included in an open-label prospective trial and evaluated at baseline and after 8 and 22 weeks of treatment using a RT test that allows differentiation between the decision and movement time components of the total RT. The various tasks of the RT test allowed calculation of SA and AA. Standard AD evaluation tests were performed at baseline and after 22 weeks. Results: After 8 and 22 weeks of treatment, an improvement of decision time and RT at all complexity levels was noted. For movement time, improvements were less pronounced and not present at both follow-up moments or at all complexity levels. Selective attention, but not AA, improved significantly after 22 weeks. A decrease in the number of errors was noted. At several complexity levels, both at 8 and 22 weeks, the interindividual and intraindividual variability decreased. Changes in Mini Mental State Evaluation score were correlated with those in SA. Conclusions: Our study provides arguments that galantamine treatment improves various parameters of the RT, attention, and interindividual and intraindividual variability in elderly AD patients. Because the study is not a controlled trial, further investigation is needed.
Temporal trends and determinants of longitudinal change in 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels

Vitamin D is essential for facilitating calcium absorption and preventing increases in parathyroid hormone (PTH), which can augment bone resorption. Our objectives were to examine serum levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and PTH, and factors related to longitudinal change in a population‐based cohort. This is the first longitudinal population‐based study looking at PTH and 25(OH)D levels. We analyzed 3896 blood samples from 1896 women and 829 men in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study over a 10‐year period starting in 1995 to 1997. We fit hierarchical models with all available data and adjusted for season. Over 10 years, vitamin D supplement intake increased by 317 (95% confidence interval [CI] 277 to 359) IU/day in women and by 193 (135 to 252) IU/day in men. Serum 25(OH)D (without adjustment) increased by 9.3 (7.3 to 11.4) nmol/L in women and by 3.5 (0.6 to 6.4) nmol/L in men but increased by 4.7 (2.4 to 7.0) nmol/L in women and by 2.7 (−0.6 to 6.2) nmol/L in men after adjustment for vitamin D supplements. The percentage of participants with 25(OH)D levels <50 nmol/L was 29.7% (26.2 to 33.2) at baseline and 19.8% (18.0 to 21.6) at year 10 follow‐up. PTH decreased over 10 years by 7.9 (5.4 to 11.3) pg/mL in women and by 4.6 (0.2 to 9.0) pg/mL in men. Higher 25(OH)D levels were associated with summer, younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), regular physical activity, sun exposure, and higher total calcium intake. Lower PTH levels were associated with younger age and higher 25(OH)D levels in both women and men and with lower BMI and participation in regular physical activity in women only. We have observed concurrent increasing 25(OH)D levels and decreasing PTH levels over 10 years. Secular increases in supplemental vitamin D intake influenced both changes in serum 25(OH)D and PTH levels. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Taxonomic Studies on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Series

Numerical classification of slowly growing mycobacteria, including 159 strains received as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, and M. microti, was carried out using 88 characters, and the following results were obtained. 1) All 159 strains received as M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, and M. microti formed one cluster, and no clear‐cut differentiation among these four species was achieved. These four species should be reduced to one species, M. tuberculosis. 2) Within the cluster, two subclusters appeared, with a number of strains located outside the subclusters. One subcluster was composed, except for two strains, of only M. tuberculosis strains, and another of M. bovis and M. africanum strains only. The subclusters were regarded as subspecies tuberculosis and subspecies bovis, respectively. M. africanum was regarded as a synonym of M. bovis, i.e., a niacin‐positive variety of M. bovis (subsp. bovis). 3) An intermediate subcluster was observed outside the M. tuberculosis and M. bovis subclusters. This may be regarded as intermediate between the two subspecies, tuberculosis and bovis. 4) In the last two decades, the characteristics of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from patients seemed to be approaching those of M. bovis strains. The recently isolated strains showed stronger arylsulfatase activity and lower resistance to thiophene‐2‐carboxylic acid hydrazide than the strains isolated 16 to 19 years ago.
Befristete Beschäftigung in der Schweiz: Ausmaß, Determinanten und ökonomische Bewertung im internationalen Vergleich

In der vorliegenden Studie werden erstmals fur den schweizerischen Arbeitsmarkt umfassende Informationen uber den Umfang, die Verbreitung und die Determinanten befristeter Arbeitsverhaltnisse prasentiert und eine okonomische Bewertung dieser Beschaftigungsform im Vergleich zu unbefristeten Arbeitsvertragen vorgenommen. Verwendet werden Daten aus den ersten drei Wellen des neuen Schweizerischen Haushalts-Panels (SHP) fur die Jahre 1999 bis 2001. Hierbei zeigt sich, dass eine Befristung der Beschaftigung bei hoch qualifizierten Arbeitskraften sowie bei jungeren und alteren Arbeitnehmern haufiger vorkommt. Die Lohne befristet beschaftigter Frauen sind geringer als diejenigen der anderen weiblichen Erwerbstatigen. Diese Lohndifferenz ist jedoch nicht auf die Befristung der Beschaftigung per se, sondern auf unbeobachtbare individuelle Heterogenitat zwischen den Frauen zuruckzufuhren. Fur die Gruppe der Manner ist hingegen kein Einfluss der unterschiedlichen Beschaftigungsformen auf den Lohn festzustellen. Sowohl das empfundene als auch das tatsachliche Arbeitslosigkeitsrisiko sind bei befristet Beschaftigten groser. Gleichzeitig besteht – trotz gewisser Persistenzphanomene – eine erhebliche Mobilitat von befristeter zu dauerhafter Beschaftigung. Ferner ist zu beobachten, dass ein befristeter Arbeitsvertrag die Wahrscheinlichkeit erhoht (reduziert) mit der Arbeitsstelle generell sehr zufrieden (unzufrieden) zu sein. Die Zufriedenheit mit dem Lohn ist bei temporar angestellten Mannern geringer als bei den anderen mannlichen Arbeitskraften. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, an beruflichen Weiterbildungsmasnahmen teilzunehmen, ist hingegen fur befristet Beschaftigte nicht kleiner als fur andere Arbeitnehmer. Ein internationaler Vergleich anhand von Daten des International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) von 1997 zeigt, dass sich die Determinanten befristeter Beschaftigung in der Schweiz mit denen anderer Lander weitgehend decken. Schlieslich hangt die Befristungsquote nicht signifikant vom Ausmas des Kundigungsschutzes, sondern vielmehr von der Arbeitslosenquote ab.
Fabrication of Al2O3 Nano-Structure Functional Film on a Cellulose Insulation Polymer Surface and Its Space Charge Suppression Effect

Cellulose insulation polymer (paper/pressboard) has been widely used in high voltage direct current (HVDC) transformers. One of the most challenging issues in the insulation material used for HVDC equipment is the space charge accumulation. Effective ways to suppress the space charge injection/accumulation in insulation material is currently a popular research topic. In this study, an aluminium oxide functional film was deposited on a cellulose insulation pressboard surface using reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The sputtered thin film was characterized by the scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influence of the deposited functional film on the dielectric properties and the space charge injection/accumulation behaviour was investigated. A preliminary exploration of the space charge suppression effect is discussed. SEM/EDS, XPS, and XRD results show that the nano-structured Al2O3 film with amorphous phase was successfully fabricated onto the fibre surface. The cellulose insulation pressboard surface sputtered by Al2O3 film has lower permittivity, conductivity, and dissipation factor values in the lower frequency (<103 Hz) region. The oil-impregnated sputtered pressboard presents an apparent space-charge suppression effect. Compared with the pressboard sputtered with Al2O3 film for 90 min, the pressboard sputtered with Al2O3 film for 60 min had a better space charge suppression effect. Ultra-small Al2O3 particles (<10 nm) grew on the surface of the larger nanoparticles. The nano-structured Al2O3 film sputtered on the fibre surface could act as a functional barrier layer for suppression of the charge injection and accumulation. This study offers a new perspective in favour of the application of insulation pressboard with a nano-structured function surface against space charge injection/accumulation in HVDC equipment.
Genetic Evidence Supporting Caveolae Microdomain Regulation of Calcium Entry in Endothelial Cells*

Various cellular signals initiate calcium entry into cells, and there is evidence that lipid rafts and caveolae may concentrate proteins that regulate transmembrane calcium fluxes. Here, using mice deficient in caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and Cav-1 knock-out reconstituted with endothelium-specific Cav-1, we show that Cav-1 is essential for calcium entry in endothelial cells and governs the localization and protein-protein interactions between transient receptor channels C4 and C1. Thus, Cav-1 is required for calcium entry in vascular endothelial cells and perhaps other specialized cell types containing caveolae.
A vertical layered space-time code and its blind symbol detection

Among various space-time codec schemes, the capacity provided by V-BLAST is very close to the channel capacity and its structure is relatively simple, therefore it is included by some standards. However, there is little research on the blind symbol detection without knowing the CSI and blind channel identification. By introducing some redundancy, a new V-BLAST scheme is proposed in this paper so that both the original transmitted symbol can be detected and the channel can be identified via an ESPRIT-like method. Furthermore, this scheme can also eliminate the constraint that the number of receive antennas is more than transmit ones. Computer simulations evaluate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Second-Line Therapy of Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Topotecan Compared to a Combination Treatment with Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide And Vincristine (ACO) - a Single Center Experience

Background: Randomized trials established topotecan and the combination of adriamycin, cyclophosphamide and vincristine (ACO) as second-line therapy options for small-cell lung cancer. We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of SCLC patients undergoing second-line chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: 92 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of SCLC between 2000 and 2010 were analyzed. Results: 86 patients (93.5%) were evaluable for outcome analysis. All patients diagnosed with limited disease (LD) SCLC received platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment. 69 patients (98.6%) diagnosed with extensive disease (ED) SCLC received first-line palliative chemotherapy. In the total cohort, the median overall survival (OS) was 10.3 months (19.2 months and 9.2 months for LD-SCLC and ED-SCLC, respectively). 42 patients received second-line therapy (ACO in 47.6% and topotecan in 31.0% of patients, respectively). Eight patients (19.0%) were re-challenged with platinum/etoposide. Neither the overall response rate (52.9% vs. 22.2%; p=0.128) nor progression-free survival (2.4 vs. 2.4 months; p=0.794) or OS (5.5 vs. 5.0 months; p=0.997) were significantly different between ACO and topotecan. ACO-treated patients showed a trend towards a longer duration of inpatient care. Conclusion: We showed similar outcomes as reported in clinical trials. Second-line combination chemotherapy with ACO did not show superiority to intravenous topotecan, but was associated with a clinically relevant longer hospitalization time.
Physical random number generator based on MOS structure after soft breakdown

We present a novel physical random number generator (RNG) that uses a metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor after soft breakdown (SBD) as a random source. It is known that the electrical properties of MOS capacitors after SBD show large fluctuation. When the resistor in an astable multivibrator is replaced with an MOS capacitor after SBD, the multivibrator converts the noise signal into a rectangular wave whose period fluctuates randomly. A 1-bit counter and a flip-flop are used to generate random numbers from the fluctuating rectangular wave. Some high-level tests indicate that the generated random numbers have excellent quality for cryptographic applications. Even though our circuit is small and can be constructed using about 20 complementary-MOS logic gates and several passive devices, high-quality random numbers such as those generated by large physical RNGs can be obtained.
Bone tissue response to implant surfaces functionalized with phosphate-containing polymers.

OBJECTIVES Inorganic polyphosphates are said to stimulate the activity of osteoblast-like cells in vitro. The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo bone regeneration around implants treated with polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and phosphorylated pullulan (PPL). MATERIAL AND METHODS Two types of implants with different surface roughness (R1: Sa ≈ 0.23 μm; R2: Sa ≈ 1.35 μm) were treated with three solutions (distilled water, 10%wt PPA, or 10%wt PPL) prior to implantation in both tibia of twelve female white rabbits. Each animal received six implants randomly positioned according to their surface roughness and treatment: R1 + water; R1 + PPA; R1 + PPL; R2 + water; R2 + PPA; R2 + PPL. Animals were sacrificed after 1 or 4 weeks, and samples were prepared for histological and histomorphometrical analysis. Bone regeneration areas were evaluated for bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone fraction (BF) in areas 100 and 500 μm remote from the implant surface. Data were statistically analyzed by means of Friedman and Wilcoxon matched-pair tests (P < 0.05). RESULTS After 1 week, bone tissue was rarely formed in the regeneration areas. After 4 weeks, implants treated with PPA presented higher ratios of BIC (R1 = 52.3 ± 13.1; R2 = 54.6 ± 11.0) than the ones treated with water (R1 = 24.1 ± 15.1; R2 = 32.4 ± 13.0). On the other hand, around the implant surface (100 μm), PPL-treated implants induced higher BF (R1 = 78.3 ± 34.1; R2 = 71.2 ± 21.8) as compared with the water-treated ones (R1 = 46.1 ± 22.0; R2 = 49.6 ± 21.0). At 500 μm, however, no statistically significant differences in BF were found among the groups evaluated (P > 0.05). Surface roughness influenced neither BIC nor BF. CONCLUSIONS Implant surface treatment with phosphate-containing polymers may positively influence osseointegration.
Time-dependency in brain lesion enhancement with gadodiamide injection

Purpose: To determine the effective time window for MR imaging of tumors with blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage after injection of Gd-containing contrast media. Material and Methods: Eleven patients with 15 brain lesions (metastasis, glioma, abscess) were studied with a T1-weighted spin-echo sequence repeated over periods of up to 43 min after contrast injection. A quotient was calculated between the signals in the lesion and in the gray matter, and plotted against time. Results: All lesions reached 70% of the maximum RATIO within 3.5 min. After 25 min 12 out of 15 lesions showed persistent enhancement within 15% of the maximal RATIO. Conclusion: The peak enhancement of BBB damage occurs around 3.5 min after injection. The effect does not change during the next 25 min. Scanning should not be started until 2–5 min after injection of the contrast medium, and there is no advantage in waiting longer as no major increase (or decline) of contrast can be expected.
Radioimmunoassay for bovine and ovine luteinizing hormone.

Separate radioimmunoassays for bovine and ovine luteinizing hormone (LH) have been developed. Antiserum against LH was developed in rabbits and purified preparations of bovine and ovine LH were used for radioiodina-tion. Specificity of the assays was demonstrated by comparing radioimmunoassay and bioassay estimates of the LH content of pituitary preparations containing various ratios of the pituitary hormones. Using the bovine LH radioimmuno-assay and 200 μl aliquots of serum, relatively high levels (12–60 mg/ml) of LH were measured in serum from heifers on the day of estrus and measurable levels of LH were present in serum from castrated males (3–5 ng/ml). The ovine LH assay serum obtained from ewes on the day of estrus contained an average of 26 ng/ml, whereas serum obtained during the follicular and luteal phases of the cycle contained approximately 2 ng/ml. The average LH content of serum from castrated ewes was 4.9 ng/ml, whereas the level in castrated males was 20.9 ng/ml. Serum from normal male she.
Intelligence, age and schooling: data from the Battery of Reasoning Tests (BRT-5)

Intelligence is commonly divided into two distinctive areas: fluid intelligence (Gf), which is understood as the skill of reasoning or intelligence as a process, and crystallized intelligence (Gc) that involves skills that are more related to learning and experience (knowledge-based skills). The objective of the present work was to investigate the effects that schooling and age exert on fluid and crystallized intelligence measuring students' results in sub-tests of the Battery of Reasoning Test (BRT-5). This study considered a sample composed of 1,722 students - 603 were assessed with Form A of the battery and 1,119 with Form B. The results show that intelligence is systematically associated with schooling and age. Some difficulties in separating the effects of cognitive development from the effects of formal learning on students' cognitive performance are also emphasized.
Group-Sparse Channel Estimation using Bayesian Matching Pursuit for OFDM Systems

We apply the Bayesian matching pursuit (BMP) algorithm to the estimation of time-frequency selective channels in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By exploiting prior statistics and sparse characteristics of propagation channels, the Bayesian method provides a more accurate and efficient detection of the channel status information (CSI) than do conventional sparse channel estimation methods that are based on compressive sensing (CS) technologies. Using a reasonable approximation of the system model and a skillfully designed pilot arrangement, the proposed estimation scheme is able to address the Doppler-induced inter-carrier interference (ICI) with a relatively low complexity. Moreover, to further reduce the computational cost of the channel estimation, we make some modifications to the BMP algorithm. The modified algorithm can make good use of the group-sparse structure of doubly selective channels and thus reconstruct the CSI more efficiently than does the original BMP algorithm, which treats the sparse signals in the conventional manner and ignores the specific structure of their sparsity patterns. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed Bayesian estimation has a good performance over rapidly time-varying channels.
The Effect on Extracting Solvents using Natural Dye Extracts from Hyphaene thebaica for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

This study covers the fabrication and characterization of dye sensitized solar cell using Hyphaene thebaica as the natural dye sensitizer for DSSCs. Ethanol and water in separate container was used as the extracting solvent for the natural dyes. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass forming a TiO2 thin film, underwent sintering at 400oC for 40 minutes. The photo electrochemical performance of the dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on the doum palm pericarp shows open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.37 V and 0.50 V, and short circuit current density (Jsc) of 0.005 mA/cm2 and 0.010 mA/cm2 for ethanol and water extracts respectively. This study further inspected the fill factor as 0.63 and 0.66 for the ethanol and water extract respectively. The conversion efficiency for the ethanol extract was 0.012% and water extract is up to 0.033% under light intensity of 1000 m/Wm2 (AM 1.5).
A precise method for identifying reusable abstract data types in code

This paper presents the results of research within the RE/sup 2/ project of a refinement of two existing methods for identifying reusable abstract data types. These methods are based on the relationships existing between the user defined types and procedure-like components that use them in their headings and on direct dominance trees and strong direct dominance trees that are refinements of the call directed graph of a program. It shows how these methods can be used to give a more precise set of reusable abstract data types. The method is then applied to a program and the results are compared with the existing method. <<ETX>>