Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diseases and Causes of Death in European Bats: Dynamics in Disease Susceptibility and Infection Rates

Background Bats receive increasing attention in infectious disease studies, because of their well recognized status as reservoir species for various infectious agents. This is even more important, as bats with their capability of long distance dispersal and complex social structures are unique in the way microbes could be spread by these mammalian species. Nevertheless, infection studies in bats are predominantly limited to the identification of specific pathogens presenting a potential health threat to humans. But the impact of infectious agents on the individual host and their importance on bat mortality is largely unknown and has been neglected in most studies published to date. Methodology/Principal Findings Between 2002 and 2009, 486 deceased bats of 19 European species (family Vespertilionidae) were collected in different geographic regions in Germany. Most animals represented individual cases that have been incidentally found close to roosting sites or near human habitation in urban and urban-like environments. The bat carcasses were subjected to a post-mortem examination and investigated histo-pathologically, bacteriologically and virologically. Trauma and disease represented the most important causes of death in these bats. Comparative analysis of pathological findings and microbiological results show that microbial agents indeed have an impact on bats succumbing to infectious diseases, with fatal bacterial, viral and parasitic infections found in at least 12% of the bats investigated. Conclusions/Significance Our data demonstrate the importance of diseases and infectious agents as cause of death in European bat species. The clear seasonal and individual variations in disease prevalence and infection rates indicate that maternity colonies are more susceptible to infectious agents, underlining the possible important role of host physiology, immunity and roosting behavior as risk factors for infection of bats.
Alignments and String Similarity in Information Integration: A Random Field Approach

Several problems central to information integration, such as ontology mapping and object matching, can be viewed as alignment tasks where the goal is to find an optimal correspondence between two structured objects and to compute the associated similarity score. The diversity of data sources and domains in the Semantic Web requires solutions to these problems to be highly adaptive, which can be achieved by employing probabilistic machine learning approaches. We present one such approach, Alignment Conditional Random Fields (ACRFs), a new framework for constructing and scoring sequence alignments using undirected graphical models. ACRFs allow incorporating arbitrary features into string edit distance computation, yielding a learnable string similarity function for use in tasks where approximate string matching is needed. We outline possible applications of ACRFs in information integration tasks and describe directions for future work.
Short-term results of total hip replacement in patients under thirty years of age.

BACKGROUND Total hip replacement is a commonly accepted treatment for disorders of the hip. The paper reviews the clinical and radiological outcomes of total hip arthroplasties performed in young patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-eight total hip arthroplasties were performed in twenty-one young patients between 1996 and 2005. The mean age of the patient at the time of the operation was 25.8 years (range 17 to 30 years). The mean follow-up was 6 years (range 3 to 12 years). RESULTS The average preoperative Harris score for this group of patients was 35.82 (range 11.75 to 51.45). After 6 years of follow-up all hips were rated excellent, with an average Harris score of 99.13 (range 95.6 to 100). Radiographs revealed that the acetabular and femoral components were correctly positioned in all patients. CONCLUSIONS 1. Total hip arthroplasty is an effective treatment in young patients who suffer from bilateral hip disease. 2. Using bone grafts around the acetabulum and inside the femoral canal is recommended especially in post-dysplastic hips and in rheumatoid patients.
Conflict Resolution in a Preschool Constructivist Classroom: A Case Study in Negotiation

Abstract The purpose of this study was to document a child's development of conflict resolution skills when a peer problem-solving model was used in a constructivist-designed classroom. At a laboratory preschool in an upper middle-class community, a 4-year, 11-month-old male, Stephen, was observed through audio- and videotaping 3 times weekly for 9 months by his preschool teacher. Findings revealed that Stephen progressed from a power assertion style of conflict resolution to a more sophisticated form of negotiation. Although only suggestive, this research supports current thinking that young children will engage in more developmentally advanced conflict resolution strategies when provided with opportunities to practice these skills. The emphasis that constructivist-oriented classrooms place on fostering more autonomous moral development is discussed.
Iterated Bayesian Learning and Portuguese Clitics Qualifying Paper II

Diversity of language is a key part of our understanding of natural languages now and from the past. This diversity goes hand in hand with language change. Change is pervasive at every linguistic level. However, the space of existing languages does not appear to be unconstrained. In the modern generative tradition, this is governed by Universal Grammar (UG) (see, for example, Kroch (2000)). A number of computational models have been proposed to probe the nature of language change and role learning has within this (eg. Kirby (2001); Kirby et al. (2007); Nowak et al. (1999); Niyogi and Berwick (1998); Griffiths and Kalish (2005)). All of these studies can be grouped under the umbrella of iterated learning. Within these computational models, variation arises primarily from the individual learning mechanism and the varying input coming from the rest of the adult population. Different studies embrace different approaches to the problem. However, all of these approaches require the learner to select a grammar from a finite data set. However, the majority of computational models of language change have generally been frequentist in nature. In particular, Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) is usually employed as the decision making criterion. In this context, the learner chooses the grammar which makes the input data most likely. In actuality, this amounts to assuming that grammars have specific and probabilities associated with particular syntactic constructions. Grammar acquisition is then reduced to matching observed frequencies to these grammar intrinsic probabilities. Whatever uneasiness one might have about embedding probabilities so deeply in the grammar we can immediately note another problem associated with this sort of estimation. That is, MLE requires us to conflate several factors: innate (prior) biases, social and communicative factors, and random noise. A natural candidate for solving such problems that has the ability of separating out these factors is Bayesian decision theory (c.f. Berger (1985)). That is, we set the learner the goal of choosing the grammar that will maximize their expected utility. This differs from the MLE based approaches mentioned above in that it takes a subjectivist view towards to the problem. Strong arguments have been made for the philosophical advantage of the Bayesian approach (Efron, 1986; Jaynes, 2003). The main benefit from our point of view is that the utility function explicitly takes into account issues of communicability and processing/production difficulties. This allows us to, at least theoretically, separate out such factors in a principled fashion. This paper considers these different approaches with respect to the case of clitic position change in European Portuguese. In the end, I will argue that, while MLE is the bread and butter of
IF YOU LET ME PLAY SPORTS: How Might Sport Participation Influence the Self-Esteem of Adolescent Females?

This study tests a model specifying that girls' precollege participation in sporting activities will foster positive body images, enhanced perceptions of physical competence, and more flexible gender identities, which, in turn, predict higher college self-esteem. A sample of 220 college females (mean age = 19.65 years) provided retrospective reports of their precollege sport involvement and contemporaneous assessments of body image, perceived physical competencies, gender identity, global self-esteem, and other psychosocial variables. Consistent with prior reports on male and mixed-gender samples, greater precollege sport participation predicted higher self-esteem in this exclusively female sample. Follow-up path analyses and tests for mediation revealed that the model's intervening variables totally mediated the sport participation/self-esteem relationship. The patterning of these data implies that participating in sports promotes females' self-worth by fostering physical competencies, favorable body images, and gender flexibility, and, in the absence of any such psychosocial benefits, participation in sports has little salutary effect on and can even undermine self-esteem.
What's Wrong with DSM-III Personality Disorders?

DSM–III and DSM–III–R personality disorders represent a major advance on earlier classifications but are deficient in several major respects. A fundamental criticism is that the system for classifying mental state disorders has been applied uncritically to personality disorders with considerably less success. The gains made by the introduction of well–defined operational criteria to DSM–III mental state disorders are considerably less successful with personality disorders, and there is doubt whether they are apposite at all because of the pervasiveness and variability of behavior shown in personality disorders. Many of the criteria used for the diagnosis of DSM–III personality disorders are based, with the exception of antisocial personality disorder, on inadequate evidence. Too much reliance is placed on questions to the subject, which is suspect with personality disorder as it is largely the impact of the abnormal personality on other individuals that leads to the diagnosis being made. Subjective report.
Transmembrane domain length determines intracellular membrane compartment localization of syntaxins 3, 4, and 5.

Insulin recruits glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) vesicles from intracellular stores to the plasma membrane in muscle and adipose tissue by specific interactions between the vesicle membrane-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein target receptor (SNARE) protein VAMP-2 and the target membrane SNARE protein syntaxin 4. Although GLUT-4 vesicle trafficking has been intensely studied, few have focused on the mechanism by which the SNAREs themselves localize to specific membrane compartments. We therefore set out to identify the molecular determinants for localizing several syntaxin isoforms, including syntaxins 3, 4, and 5, to their respective intracellular compartments (plasma membrane for syntaxins 3 and 4; cis-Golgi for syntaxin 5). Analysis of a series of deletion and chimeric syntaxin constructs revealed that the 17-amino acid transmembrane domain of syntaxin 5 was sufficient to direct the cis-Golgi localization of several heterologous reporter constructs. In contrast, the longer 25-amino acid transmembrane domain of syntaxin 3 was sufficient to localize reporter constructs to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, truncation of the syntaxin 3 transmembrane domain to 17 amino acids resulted in a complete conversion to cis-Golgi compartmentalization that was indistinguishable from syntaxin 5. These data support a model wherein short transmembrane domains (< or =17 amino acids) direct the cis-Golgi localization of syntaxins, whereas long transmembrane domains (> or =23 amino acids) direct plasma membrane localization.
Virtual alteration of body material by periodic vibrotactile feedback

Characters with body materials that are different from that of humans, such as metal robots or rubber people, frequently appear in movies and comics. While the abilities of their synthetic bodies can be easily observed from their actions, their somatic sensations are more difficult to appreciat e. Our aim in this work is to simulate the alteration of the material of the human body by means of vibrotactile feedback. The feedback represents the properties of the materials and is periodically applied to the elbow joint in synchrony with the elbow angle. This simulated sensation of having a different body material gives us the feeling of those characters. This technique can also be applied to improve maneuverability in the teleoperation of master-slave systems because it gives the operator a robot-like sensation.
Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: meta-analysis of prospective studies.

The relationships between alcohol consumption and dementia and cognitive decline were investigated in a systematic review including meta-analyses of 15 prospective studies. Follow-ups ranged from 2 to 8 years. Meta-analyses were conducted on samples including 14,646 participants evaluated for Alzheimer disease (AD), 10,225 participants evaluated for vascular dementia (VaD), and 11,875 followed for any type of dementia (Any dementia). The pooled relative risks (RRs) of AD, VaD, and Any dementia for light to moderate drinkers compared with nondrinkers were 0.72 (95% CI = 0.61-0.86), 0.75 (95% CI = 0.57-0.98), and 0.74 (95% CI = 0.61-0.91), respectively. When the more generally classified "drinkers," were compared with "nondrinkers," they had a reduced risk of AD (RR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.47-0.94) and Any dementia (RR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.53-0.82) but not cognitive decline. There were not enough data to examine VaD risk among "drinkers. " Those classified as heavy drinkers did not have an increased risk of Any dementia compared with nondrinkers, but this may reflect sampling bias. Our results suggest that alcohol drinkers in late life have reduced risk of dementia. It is unclear whether this reflects selection effects in cohort studies commencing in late life, a protective effect of alcohol consumption throughout adulthood, or a specific benefit of alcohol in late life.
Creative Commodification of rural life from a performance perspective: A study of two south-east Estonian farm tourism enterprises

The commodification of rural life emerges when a community’s culture, previously developing in tacit cultural practices, has moved from a self-regulating process to a consciously acknowledged commodity packaged and offered for tourist consumption, as, for example, in the construction of rural “tourist attractions” (Crouch 2006, p. 355, George et al. 2009, 35–36). The contemporary multifunctional countryside has become the site of diverse tourist attractions and leisure activities, where both natural and cultural elements – landscapes, buildings, traditions and people – acquire new features in the context of commodification, often in the form of performances (cf. Edensor 2006; Gray 2000). The process of commodification has given rise to a vast range of niche products that suggest changing representations of rural life, and its sites and activities (Cloke 2007, 39–40). In this paper, we focus on specific kinds of rural commodities, such as performances “staged” by small-scale rural tourism entrepreneurs who thereby create personalized interpretations of rural life, both past and present. The context of this research is farm tourism in south-east Estonia, which is, mostly due to its scenic landscapes and cultural heritage, one of the most popular tourism regions for both domestic and foreign tourists. The number of rural inhabitants in Estonia relying increasingly on their income from tourism – usually starting with offering accommodation and moving on to rather varied tourism products – rose gradually during the second half of the 1990s and at the beginning of the 2000s (Alanen 2004; Ardel 2004, 44–46; Busby and Rendle 2000 Journal of Baltic Studies Vol. 44, No. 2, June 2013, pp. 205–227
Prevalence, Reliability and Validity of Dissociative Disorders in an Inpatient Setting

Abstract The authors studied the prevalence and concurrent validity of the dissociative disorders in a private psychiatric hospital inpatient setting over a period of 8 months. All consenting patients admitted over a period of 8 months were administered the 8-item taxometric subscale of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-T) and the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (DDIS) by one interviewer. A second interviewer then administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D). Subsequently, a third interviewer conducted clinical diagnostic interviews on subjects positive and negative for dissociative disorders according to the previous interviewers. The second and third interviewers were blind to the results of the preceding interviews. A total of 407 individuals were admitted; of these, 201 completed the DES-T and DDIS; of these, 110 completed the SCID-D; and of these, 50 completed a clinical interview. The lifetime prevalences of dissociative disorders among the interviewed subjects were: DDIS, 40.8%; SCID-D, 44.5%; and clinician, 28.0%. The lifetime prevalences of dissociative identity disorder were: DDIS, 7.5%; SCID-D, 9.1%; and clinician, 10.0%. Kappas for presence of dissociative identity disorder or dissociative disorder not otherwise specified versus no dissociative disorder were: DDIS-DES-T, 0.81; SCID-D-DES-T, 0.76; clinician-DES-T, 0.74; DDIS-SCID-D, 0.74; DDIS-clinician, 0.71; and SCID-D-clinician, 0.56. Kappas for dissociative amnesia and depersonalization disorder were not significant. Dissociative disorders, including dissociative identity disorder, are common in inpatient settings. Chronic, complex dissociative disorders have good concurrent validity. Dissociative fugue is too rare for reliability data to be accumulated. Dissociative amnesia and depersonalization disorder did not demonstrate validity in this study.
The impact of plant volatiles on bacterial quorum sensing

Studies describing the use of essential oil constituents as antimicrobial agents have steadily increased; however, some phyto‐constituents are often overlooked due to unfavourable minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. Virulence depends on transcriptional factors which are regulated by cell‐to‐cell communication called quorum sensing (QS). This study was undertaken to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti‐QS properties of 29 compounds commonly found in essential oils using two bioreporter strains. QS‐inhibitory activity was assessed qualitatively by agar diffusion and quantitatively by spectrophotometric assays. MICs of all the tested compounds ranged from 0·032 to >5 mg ml−1. Twenty‐two compounds displayed varying levels of QS inhibitory activity with zones of violacein inhibition ranging from 9 to 16 mm. Majority of tested molecules inhibited violacein and pyocyanin production in Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while seven compounds increased violacein and pyocyanin production. Interestingly, it was observed that the (+)‐enantiomers of carvone, limonene and borneol increased violacein and pyocyanin production, while their levorotary analogues inhibited this production. α‐Terpineol and cis‐3‐nonen‐1‐ol exhibited >90% violacein inhibition, suggesting their potential as QS inhibitors. This preliminary study indicates that plant volatiles have the potential to impede or promote bacterial communication and further studies need to be undertaken to explore the contribution of structural analogues and stereochemistry of molecules in this process.
Boiling stable acid phosphatases (BsAPases) in Triticum aestivum induced by phosphate (Pi) deficiency

Nutrient limitation represents a ubiquitous form of environmental abiotic stress and Pi limitation is especially common due to low availability in most soils. As a result, most natural soils have soluble Pi concentrations lower than cytoplasmic Pi concentrations required for plant growth. Acid phosphatases (APases) are widely found in plants having intracellular and extracellular activities. APases are believed to be important for Pi scavenging and remobiliza- tion in plants, but role of boiling stable APases in adaptation to Pi stress at germination level has not been critically evaluated. To address this issue, the effect of low phosphate stress (LPS) on boiling stable acid phosphatases in wheat embryos and endosperm was investigated. With comparison to high phosphate condition (HP), a considerable increase in boiling stable acid phosphatase (BsAPase) activity was observed both in embryos and endosperm under LPS treat- ment. Post-LPS study revealed that BsAPase activity decreased considerably upon relieving the Pi stress. Further, as compared to HP conditions, SDS-PAGE analysis also detected a differential strong band under LPS conditions, which disappeared upon relieving Pi stress. These findings suggest that changes in the phosphatase enzymes might play important roles in adaptation of germinating seeds under Pi stress conditions. Based upon these results, a possible physiological role of BsAPases in germinating wheat seeds is discussed. Acta Biol Szeged 56(1):51-55 (2012)
Accuracy and biological variation of human serum paraoxonase 1 activity and polymorphism (Q192R) by kinetic enzyme assay.

BACKGROUND Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) phenotype is a better predictor of atherosclerosis risk than are PON1 genetic polymorphisms alone. Larger studies are required to determine the role of PON1 and there is a need for standardized PON1 assays between laboratories. METHODS We have adapted 5 enzyme kinetic assays for high-throughput automated analysis of PON1 activity. Using different substrates and reaction conditions, we measured PON1 activity and used activity ratios to identify the PON1 Q192R genetic polymorphisms and assessed the accuracy of the genotype assignments in 79 adult study participants by comparing them with genotypes determined by AlwI restriction enzyme digestion of a 176-bp PCR amplification product from genomic DNA. Imprecision was determined using pooled serum and purified enzyme preparations. Biological variability was estimated by analysis of serial samples from 17 individuals. Variability parameters were compared with total cholesterol as a point of reference to a recognized biomarker of coronary heart disease risk. RESULTS Salt stimulation and inhibition ratios were 97.4% and 94.7% correct in assigning Q192R genotype, respectively. Analytical imprecision (CV) was 1.0%-3.0% for phenylacetate and paraoxon substrate assays and 3.0%-8.0% for the para-nitrophenylacetate substrate assays. Combination of the 2 ratios into a double ratio resulted in 100% correct genotype classification. CONCLUSION The described methods for measurement of PON1 activity and accurate genotype assignment are rapid and have potential to facilitate the efficient investigation of PON1 status in clinical and epidemiological studies.
Talking Beyond the Rational

Although discourse theorists have deconstructed Western rationality and rejected objectivism and analytical means, the critique of the rational in discourse theories often does not go far enough. Discourse theories that remain wedded to instrumental action (good means ensure good ends) and continue to ignore the nonrational (emotions, bias, ideology, money, or power) do not offer a vision of public space that is open and inclusive. An alternative theoretical perspective of associational discursive space is offered here, a perspective grounded in feminist ethics and in a reformulation of Hannah Arendt’s notion of agonistic tension. In associational discursive space, storytelling and narrative theory substitute for rational argumentation and rational theory and allow us to talk with one another beyond the rational.