Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparation of activated carbon from peat

Peat with an approximate 60% carbon content collected in the suburbs of Palangka Raya, Indonesia, was carbonized, followed by activation with steam in an electric furnace. The resultant activated carbon (AC) had ca. 900 m2/g of BET surface area and 1000 mg/g of iodine adsorption. This performance implies that this AC can be used as an adsorbent for environmental purification. We had a carbonizing furnace manufactured in Palangka Raya, which did not require electric power. Some AC having 350 mg/g of iodine adsorption was obtained by using this furnace. Although the adsorption ability was much lower than that of commercially available AC, the AC achieved significant decoloration and decrease in chemical oxygen demand of polluted river water. Thus, this article demonstrated the potential of tropical peat soil as a source of AC.
Sacred Tobacco Use in Ojibwe Communities

A sacred relationship exists between tobacco and American Indian ceremonial activities and beliefs.This ancient connection continuesto play an important role in American Indian communities including the Anishinabe (Ojibwe). Six Ojibwe traditional healers and spiritual leaders described the sacred use of tobacco during interviews. The research provides information on key-informant smoking behaviors, influence of tobacco-industry media, and 3 essential themes: the origin of sacred traditional tobacco; contemporary use and abuse of tobacco; and cultural strengths and meaning of tobacco in Anishinabe (Ojibwe) communities. Health professionals must recognize, be amenable to learn, and understand that sacred tobacco use and smoking commercial cigarette tobacco have separate purposes and functions. The challenge for health professionals, including nurses, is to retain the cultural use and value of tobacco while addressing the abuse and chronic effects of cigarette smoking when providing health care to American Indian clients.
Constraint-based motion adaptation

Today's computer animators have access to many systems and techniques to author high-quality motion. Unfortunately, available techniques typically produce a particular motion for a specific character. In this paper we present a constraint-based approach to adapt previously created motions to new situations and characters. We combine constraint methods that compute changes to motion to meet specified needs with motion signal processing methods that modify signals yet preserve desired properties of the original motion. The combination allows the adaptation of motions to meet new goals while retaining much of the motion's original quality. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adult women's attitudes toward the HPV vaccine.

AIMS Two human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have demonstrated efficacy in preventing HPV infection and are currently being administered to adolescent girls in several countries. Although the most efficient HPV prevention strategy is immunizing adolescents before there is any risk of exposure, adult women also may benefit from vaccination. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of women aged 27-55 years toward the HPV vaccine. METHODS Thirty-eight women were recruited from a university-based gynecological practice, completed a demographic questionnaire, and then were interviewed. RESULTS Most participants had heard about the vaccine and were positive about the HPV vaccine for adult women. Women advocated universal access to this vaccine, indicating that all women should have the option. They assessed their risk level in several ways, including level of monogamy, relationship status, previous sexual risk behaviors, history of an abnormal Pap smear, and family history. All but 2 woman described barriers to vaccination, including cost, side effects, and hassle factors. Most women did not believe the vaccine would change risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The women from this convenience sample knew the HPV vaccine existed and in general found it acceptable. If an HPV vaccine becomes available to adult women, healthcare professionals will be faced with the challenge of providing accurate information, being sensitive and willing to help each individual woman make a decision, and being creative when developing new ways to eliminate barriers to getting the vaccine.
A comparison of combination methods for ensembles of RBF networks

Building an ensemble of classifiers is an useful way to improve the performance. In the case of neural networks the bibliography has centered on the use of multilayer feedforward (MF). However, there are other interesting networks like radial basis functions (RBF) that can be used as elements of the ensemble. In a previous paper we presented results of different methods to build the ensemble of RBF. The results showed that the best method is in general the simple ensemble. The combination methods used in that research was averaging. In this paper we present results of fourteen different combination methods for a simple ensemble of RBF. The best performing methods are Borda count, weighted average and majority voting.
BRCA 1 / 2 gene mutations in Uyghur and Han women with sporadic breast cancer in the xinjiang region of China

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of BRCA1/2 gene mutations and their relationship with clinical pathological parameters in Uyghur and Han sporadic breast cancer patients in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were used to detect mutations of the BRCA1 (exons 2, 11 (11A and 11B) and 20) and BRCA2 (exon 11) genes in paraffin-embedded tissues obtained from 170 sporadic breast cancer patients (85 Uyghur and 85 Han) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Results: The prevalence of BRCA mutations in sporadic breast cancer cases was 9.41% (16/170). Of these, 8.24% (14/170) harbored BRCA1 mutations and 1.18% (2/170) BRCA2 mutations. Among the 14 patients with BRCA1 mutations, the detection rates of mutations in exons 2, 11 and 20 were 21.43% (3/14), 64.29% (9/14) and 14.29% (2/14), respectively. One of the sixteen mutations was at the -5382 locus in BRCA1 (a hot-spot mutation site in Ashkenazi Jews); seven cases exhibited novel mutations. There were two germline mutations in exon 11 of the BRCA2 gene. The rates of BRCA gene mutations in Uyghur and Han patients were 10.59% (9/85) and 8.24% (7/85), respectively; this difference was not significant (P > 0.05). Patients with BRCA gene mutations were on average 41.31±6.34 years old, and those without mutations were 49.67±12.63 years old. Thus, the mutation group was younger than the no-mutation group, and the age of onset of breast cancer in the total population was ≤ 50 years. Patients with amenorrhea comprised 18.75% (3/16) of the mutation group, and 81.25% (13/16) of patients were premenopausal; this difference was significant (P < 0.05). Analysis of the relationship between BRCA gene mutation status and clinical pathological features showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) in clinical staging, lymph node metastasis, tumor diameter, fertility status and age at menarche. BRCA mutations showed no significant differences among the patients of different molecular classifications (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of BRCA1 mutations was significantly higher than that of BRCA2 mutations in sporadic breast cancer patients in Xinjiang. This study detected one mutation of the BRCA1 gene at the -5382 locus (a hot spot in Jewish individuals) and seven novel mutations, perhaps is the founder mutation of the local area in patients with breast cancer mutations. The BRCA mutations detected did not differ markedly between Uyghur and Han patients. Pre-menopausal patients with breast cancer < 50 years old in Xinjiang may be at high risk of BRCA1/2 mutations, and screening of the BRCA gene should be performed in such individuals.
Resumption of menses after 32 years in anorexia nervosa

In anorexia nervosa estrogen deficient amenorrhea is associated with reduced bone mineral density and increased fracture risk. We report a case of a 53 years old female patient affected with AN since the age of 17 years when also amenorrhea started. During the subsequent 31 years she refused to modify her body weight, she always remained with a BMI below 17, and amenorrhea persisted throughout all the period. In November 2005, when she was 48 years old (BMI 15.6 kg/m2), she came to the Eating Disorder Unit of Niguarda Hospital to treat surgical complication of lower limb wound persisting after two operation; she also presented a marked reduction of bone density. After 6 months of intensive day hospital treatment she got a normal body weight and resumption of menses; in the following four years she has still been well and with normal menses, and bone density showed an improvement.
Lumped mini-column associative knowledge graphs

This paper presents an extension of active neural associative knowledge graphs (ANAKG) to their mini-column form where each symbol is represented several times. We demonstrate that this new associative memory organization preserves all properties of ANAKG memories like storage of knowledge based on spatio-temporal input sequences, while increasing recall quality, memory capacity, and its resolution for short-term memory recall. The implemented model combines ANAKG associative neuron idea with the idea of a hierarchical temporal memory that uses a mini-column form of symbol representation. Performed tests confirm our claims of higher resolution and higher memory capacity of the new associative knowledge graph.
A 130 mm/sup 2/ 256 Mb NAND flash with shallow trench isolation technology

Higher density flash memories for mass storage are attractive for application in the audio-video field, for example, in digital cameras and for voice recording. A 100 MB Flash records one hour CD-quality music. Improvements in video compression techniques are expected to realize gigabyte flash, enabling movies on silicon in the near future; a development that is expected to lead to rapidly rising demand for high-density flash. Both the low bit cost due to the small cell size and the high program and read performance are important factors for the high density flash. A NAND flash has potential advantages in those respects. Shallow trench isolation (STI) shrinks bit line pitch to 73% of that in the case of conventional LOCOS isolation, enabling 0.29 um/sup 2/ cell 0.25 /spl mu/m design rules. The 129.76 mm/sup 2/ chip is made possible by using NAND type memory cell and STI.
Sparse-data CT image reconstruction using Tikhonov-Phillips regularization and GVC: Application to plasma images

The TikhonovPhillips regularization and the minimum generalized cross validation (GCV) criteria are applied to computer tomography (CT) which has sparse data and noise to optimize their reconstructed images. Using plasma images having sparse (several hundred) projection data and pixels, experimental data-processing and simulations of the method are carried out. Mathematical concepts of image reconstruction, including the Fourier base and expansion coefficients, are examined. The results show that the differential operator of the Phillips equation improves the base system of an image (notably its low-frequency waves), and prevents deterioration of the data. The results also show that the GCV appropriately indicates the image compression, as a criterion of choosing the regularization parameters and the evaluation functions. The effectiveness of this method (a linear-algebraic solution) on a sparse-data CT has been confirmed experimentally. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 30(11): 8593, 1999
Dorsal hippocampal cannabinoid CB1 receptors mediate the interactive effects of nicotine and ethanol on passive avoidance learning in mice

The present study evaluated the involvement of the dorsal hippocampal cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the combined effect of ethanol and nicotine on passive avoidance learning in adult male mice. The results indicated that pre‐training administration of ethanol (1 g/kg, i.p.) impaired memory retrieval. Pre‐test administration of ethanol (0.5 and 1 g/kg, i.p.) or nicotine (0.5 and 0.7 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly reversed ethanol‐induced amnesia, suggesting a functional interaction between ethanol and nicotine. Pre‐test microinjection of a selective CB1 receptor agonist, ACPA (3 and 5 ng/mouse), plus an ineffective dose of ethanol (0.25 g/kg) or nicotine (0.3 mg/kg) improved memory retrieval, while ACPA by itself could not reverse ethanol‐induced amnesia. Pre‐test intra‐CA1 microinjection of a selective CB1 receptor antagonist, AM251 (0.5–2 ng/mouse), did not lead to a significant change in ethanol‐induced amnesia. However, pre‐test intra‐CA1 microinjection of AM251 prevented the ethanol (1 g/kg) or nicotine (0.7 mg/kg) response on ethanol‐induced amnesia. In order to support the involvement of the dorsal hippocampal CB1 receptors in nicotine response, the scheduled mixed treatments of AM251 (0.1–1 ng/mouse), ACPA (5 ng/mouse) and nicotine (0.3 mg/kg) were used. The results indicated that AM251 reversed the response of ACPA to the interactive effects of nicotine and ethanol in passive avoidance learning. Furthermore, pre‐test intra‐CA1 microinjection of the same doses of ACPA or AM251 had no effect on memory retrieval. These findings show that the cannabinoid CB1 receptors of dorsal hippocampus are important in the combined effect of ethanol and nicotine on passive avoidance learning.
Digestibility, fermentation and microbiological characteristics of Calotropis procera silage with different quantities of grape pomace

Preserving forage plants adapted to a semi-arid climate as silage may minimize the animal feed deficit during drought. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different quantities of grape pomace added to Calotropis procera silage on its fermentation, in vitro digestibility, total digestible nutrients and microbiology. A completely randomized experimental design was used with four treatments (0, 10, 20 and 40% fresh matter) and four replicates. The silos were opened after 90 days of ensilage, and the soluble carbohydrate, ethanol, organic acid and ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations; pH; fermentation loss; dry matter (DM) recovery; DM density, and microbial populations were determined. The pH (3.96-3.87) was adequate for ensiling in all silage samples. The soluble carbohydrate concentration decreased (p<0.05), and the ethanol concentration increased with increasing quantities of grape pomace. The lactic acid concentration decreased (p<0.05) from 5.3 to 1.94% DM, and the acetic, propionic and butyric acid concentrations increased with increasing quantities of grape pomace. The lactic acid bacteria decreased linearly (p <0.05), varying from 6.43 to 5.82 log CFU/g silage. The mold and yeast population variations fit best using a third-order polynomial equation (p <0.05). Enterobacteria and Clostridium spp were not observed. Adding grape pomace to the silage increased the effluent and gas loss; the latter varied from 5.35 to 14.4%. The total digestible nutrient (TDN) variation fit best using a second-order polynomial equation, and the maximum value was estimated at 82.95% DM with 3.5% grape pomace using the regression equation. The percent digestibility decreased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing quantities of grape pomace. We show that Calotropis procera has potential as silage even without adding grape pomace.
Randomized Trial Effect of Two Contrasting Interventions on Upper Limb Chronic Pain and Disability : A Randomized Controlled Trial

Methods: Sixty-six adults with chronic pain in the shoulder, elbow/forearm, or hand/wrist and work disability were randomly allocated to 10 weeks of specific resistance training for the shoulder, arm, and hand muscles for 3 x 10 minutes per week, or ergonomic training and education (usual care control group). Pain intensity (average of shoulder, arm, and hand, scale 0 – 10) was the primary outcome, and disability (Work module of DASH questionnaire) as well as isometric shoulder and wrist muscle strength were secondary outcomes.
The Application of QSAR Approaches to Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used throughout the world for many purposes. The resulting exposure increases the relevance of efforts to assess their effects. The activities of NPs are related to many structural features, including their shape, composition and size. Applying Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship (QSAR) methods to nanoscale systems becomes challenging, due to the lack of data and insight into the fate and effects of NPs. In this study, the possible use of QSAR methods on NPs is investigated. To this intent, several ways of representing and describing NPs were tested by using different data mining methods. The main conclusion is that QSAR methods are relevant for the study of the activity of NPs, but this should be confirmed by using larger and more diverse sets of data. Moreover, representing the constitution of NPs (in terms of core, coating and surface modification) significantly increases the prediction accuracy of the models. In our case, the most significant features to be represented were found to be the core and surface modification.
A memory clinic for older people with intellectual disabilities

Cognitive decline in older people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is often under-recognized. Following the publication of the National Service Framework for Older People and the white paper Valuing People, older people with intellectual disabilities of all aetiologies should have access to a systematic assessment of their cognitive function in order to detect decline in cognition and adaptive skills and implement appropriate treatments as early as possible. The development of a memory clinic for older people with ID is described, including instruments used and characteristics of attendees. Such projects are in line with current UK government policies and can contribute to the improvement of standards of care and support research in this vulnerable group of people.
Online and remote machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis system using wireless sensor networks

Motor systems are critical equipment in modern industry. To make the equipment maintenance more efficient, this paper proposes an online and remote machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis system for motor system based on WIA-PA (Wireless network for Industry Automation - Process Automation). The system continuously monitors the status of the target motor systems using wireless vibration transmitters. After extracting the feature of vibration signals, the wireless vibration transmitters send feature data to host computer through WIA-PA wireless sensor network. These data are processed further in host computer to make diagnosis for the motor system using the customized expert system. This paper describes the structure of the system, vibration transmitter, WIA-PA wireless network and host computer system in detail. The proposed system was tested in field, and the results are presented.
Hyperspectral imagery and urban green observation

Urban vegetation is known to play a major role in improving urban environmental conditions and to contribute to urban life quality. Consequently, nowadays most central European cities take special care on green spaces management and research on the effects is performed in different disciplines. Both need precise and up-to-date information, also beyond public areas. Using remote sensing is therefore valuable and especially since high resolution data are available for urban studies. Hyperspectral data are potentially interesting for such highly heterogeneous areas. However, there has been limited evaluation of the use of hyperspectral images and processing techniques for mapping urban vegetation. Here, we discuss the potential to use hyperspectral data for vegetation detection in urban areas. For our study we analyze field spectra and an image acquired by the Compact Airborne Spectral Imager (CASI) in September 2005 over Strasbourg city area (France). We present the first results on evaluation of coherence between field and image data. For image processing, a vegetation mask and minimum noise fraction transformation (MNF) is applied to reduce and compress the data. The following Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification aims at vegetation identification at species level. We finally discuss our experiences and illustrate the difficulties encountered with urban vegetation detection.
Token Dependency Semantics and the Paratactic Analysis of Intensional Constructions

This article introduces Token Dependency Semantics (TDS), a surface‐oriented and token‐based framework for compositional truth‐conditional semantics. It is motivated by Davidson's ‘paratactic’ analysis of semantic intensionality (‘On Saying That’, 1968, Synthese 19: 130–146), which has been much discussed in philosophy. This is the first fully‐fledged formal implementation of Davidson's proposal. Operator‐argument structure and scope are captured by means of relations among tokens. Intensional constituent tokens represent ‘propositional’ contents directly. They serve as arguments to the words introducing intensional contexts, rather than being ‘ordinary’ constituents. The treatment of de re readings involves the use of functions (‘anchors’) assigning entities to argument positions of lexical tokens. Quantifiers are thereby allowed to bind argument places on content tokens. This gives us a simple underspecification‐based account of scope ambiguity. The TDS framework is applied to indirect speech reports, mental attitude sentences, control verbs, and modal and agent‐relative sentence adverbs in English. This semantics is compatible with a traditional view of syntax. Here, it is integrated into a Head‐driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG). The result is a straightforward and ontologically parsimonious analysis of truth‐conditional meaning and semantic intensionality.
Effectiveness of 1 mol L-1 citric acid and 15% EDTA irrigation on smear layer removal.

AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the cleansing and smear layer removal capability of alternate canal irrigation with citric acid and NaOCl. METHODOLOGY Eighty-one teeth were divided into three groups on the basis of the type of instrumentation, namely, manual stainless steel, Ni-Ti mechanized ProFile . 04 taper or MACXim. The groups were further divided on the basis of irrigation protocol: 5% NaOCl alone, NaOCl alternated with 1 mol L-1 citric acid solution or a combination of 15% EDTA and Cetrimide solution. After longitudinal sectioning, dentinal walls were microphotographed with scanning electron microscopy at x300 and x1000 magnifications. Qualitative and quantitative cleansing level evaluations were performed using computerized image analysis software. Data were statistically evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis analysis and t-test. RESULTS Qualitative evaluation at x300 and x1000 showed no statistically significant differences in cleansing ability between citric acid, EDTA and NaOCl groups. Quantitative evaluation of smear layer removal, measured as open tubules/total dentinal surface ratio, showed that 1 mol L-1 citric acid solution was comparable to EDTA (11.97% vs. 10.36%) (NS); in samples treated with ProFile . 04 taper instruments citric acid was most effective (16.17%), whilst in the group treated with manual instrumentation EDTA and Cetrimide were the most effective (11.94%). Specimens irrigated with 5% NaOCl demonstrated significantly more cleansing than those obtained in the other two groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS 1 mol L-1 citric acid solution was as effective in removing smear layer as EDTA, but was superior in specimens treated with ProFile . 04 taper instruments.