Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual Predictors of Reading Performance in Kindergarten and First Grade Children

Purpose. A masked investigation of the relation between performance on various vision tests and reading was conducted with 90 kindergartners (mean age 5.73 years) and 91 first graders (mean age 6.76 years) from a middle class, suburban, elementary school near Cleveland, Ohio. Methods. Vision testing included the Modified Clinical Technique (MCT), ±2.00 D flipper lenses with red/green suppression check for accommodative facility, and Randot for stereoacuity. Reading performance was independently evaluated with the Metropolitan Achievement Test 6 Reading Test and teachers' assessments. Results. The results revealed that accommodative facility was predictive of successful reading performance in 7-year-olds (p=0.0431), first graders (p=0.0125), and in the entire subject group when age (p=0.0254) or grade (p=0.0224) was controlled. Failure on the MCT was significantly associated with decreased reading skill in 5-year-olds (p=0.0431). In addition, stereoacuity worse than 100 sec arc (p=0.0316), MCT failure plus stereoacuity worse than 50 sec arc (p=0.0316), and accommodative facility (p=0.0155) were predictive of whether children of average intelligence would show successful or unsuccessful reading ability. Conclusions. Thus, visual performance was significantly related to reading performance even in children of average intelligence when IQ was partially controlled. Also, the predictive value of the MCT for reading achievement could be improved by the addition of a referral criterion for stereoacuity. This would make the results of MCT screening more readily applicable to educators.
Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are increasingly associated with acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to determine whether an underlying chronic infection might be behind this process and to determine the epidemiological characteristics of the isolates involved, to implement useful protocols for preventing and treating these infections. METHODS P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from respiratory samples of 13 patients with COPD and from blood samples of 10 patients in intensive care units were investigated. In 8 patients with COPD, isolates were obtained during sequential exacerbation episodes. Five patients presented a single infection episode. Production of virulence determinants and genetic relationships were analyzed in all isolates. RESULTS Patients with COPD were usually infected with 1 P. aeruginosa clone that remained in the lung for years, without evidence of interpatient transmission. During chronic infection, each clone diversified, which led to the coexistence of isolates with different morphotypes and antibiotic susceptibility. Overall, P. aeruginosa evolved toward an increased mutation rate, increased antibiotic resistance, and reduced production of proteases. Isolates from samples of infected lungs tend to be less cytotoxic and motile and to produce more biofilm, compared with isolates from blood samples. CONCLUSION These results provide the first evidence supporting the hypothesis that P. aeruginosa causes chronic infections in COPD, with patterns of infection and evolution that resemble those observed in cystic fibrosis. Experience gained from treating cystic fibrosis might be useful for implementing new procedures for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infection due to P. aeruginosa in COPD.
Analytical Modeling of Plate Fin Heat Sinks for Natural Convection Cooling in Power Electronics

Natural convection cooling offers advantages such as low cost, high reliability, noiseless operation and positioning independent from other cooling circuits. Since the main disadvantage is a relatively low heat transfer, an analytic model is required to efficiently design natural convection heat sinks according to the applied design constraints. This paper describes a natural convection thermal model which can be applied to parallel plate heat sinks in order to find an optimum heat sink design. First, the theoretical model was applied to different commercially available heat sink profiles, from which the most suitable profile was chosen for an inverter prototype. As a reference, FEM simulations were performed. Thermal measurements were carried out to validate the model. Then, the achieved thermal performance was compared to the theoretical optimum design. It was found out that described model predicts the resulting heat sink temperatures with a practical accuracy compared to measurements. Therefore, the approach described in this paper is a mathematically simple and validated model for the design of natural convection heat sinks. Furthermore, with an optimum design the heat sink volume can be reduced by 45% compared to a commercially available heat sink profile.
Overexpression of Laccaria bicolor aquaporin JQ585595 alters root water transport properties in ectomycorrhizal white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings.

The contribution of hyphae to water transport in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings was examined by altering expression of a major water-transporting aquaporin in Laccaria bicolor. Picea glauca was inoculated with wild-type (WT), mock transgenic or L. bicolor aquaporin JQ585595-overexpressing (OE) strains and exposed to root temperatures ranging from 5 to 20°C to examine the root water transport properties, physiological responses and plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) expression in colonized plants. Mycorrhization increased shoot water potential, transpiration, net photosynthetic rates, root hydraulic conductivity and root cortical cell hydraulic conductivity in seedlings. At 20°C, OE plants had higher root hydraulic conductivity compared with WT plants and the increases were accompanied by higher expression of P. glauca PIP GQ03401_M18. 1 in roots. In contrast to WT L. bicolor, the effects of OE fungi on root and root cortical cell hydraulic conductivities were abolished at 10 and 5°C in the absence of major changes in the examined transcript levels of P. glauca root PIPs. The results provide evidence for the importance of fungal aquaporins in root water transport of mycorrhizal plants. They also demonstrate links between hyphal water transport, root aquaporin expression and root water transport in ECM plants.
Treatment of von Willebrand disease

Summary. von Willebrand disease is the most frequent of inherited bleeding disorders (1:100 affected individuals in the general population). The aim of treatment is to correct the dual defects of haemostasis, i.e., abnormal coagulation expressed by low levels of factor VIII and abnormal platelet adhesion expressed by a prolonged bleeding time. There are two main options available for the management of von Willebrand disease: desmopressin and transfusion therapy with blood products. Desmopressin is the treatment of choice in patients with type 1 von Willebrand disease, who account for approximately 80% of cases. This pharmacological compound raises endogenous factor VIII and von Willebrand factors and thereby corrects the intrinsic coagulation defect and the prolonged bleeding time in most type 1 patients. In type 3 and in the majority of type 2 patients desmopressin is not effective, and it is necessary to resort to plasma concentrates containing factor VIII and von Willebrand factor. Treated with virucidal methods, these concentrates are effective and currently safe, but the bleeding time defect is not always corrected by them. Platelet concentrates or desmopressin can be used as adjunctive treatments when poor correction of the bleeding time after concentrates is associated with continued bleeding.
Genetic Characterization of Hepatitis B Virus in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes: Evidence for Selection and Compartmentalization of Viral Variants with the Immune Escape G145R Mutation

ABSTRACT The compartmentalization of viral variants in distinct host tissues is a frequent event in many viral infections. Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) classically is considered hepatotropic, it has strong lymphotropic properties as well. However, unlike other viruses, molecular evolutionary studies to characterize HBV variants in compartments other than hepatocytes or sera have not been performed. The present work attempted to characterize HBV sequences from the peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of a large set of subjects, using advanced molecular biology and computational methods. The results of this study revealed the exclusive compartmentalization of HBV subgenotype Ae/A2-specific sequences with a potent immune escape G145R mutation in the PBL of the majority of the subjects. Interestingly, entirely different HBV genotypes/subgenotypes (C, D, or Aa/A1) were found to predominate in the sera of the same study populations. These results suggest that subgenotype Ae/A2 is selectively archived in the PBL, and the high prevalence of G145R indicates high immune pressure and high evolutionary rates of HBV DNA in the PBL. The results are analogous to available literature on the compartmentalization of other viruses. The present work thus provides evidence in favor of the compartment-specific abundance, evolution, and emergence of the potent immune escape mutant. These findings have important implications in the field of HBV molecular epidemiology, transmission, transfusion medicine, organ transplantation, and vaccination strategies.
Donor Clara Cell Secretory Protein Polymorphism is a Risk Factor for Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome After Lung Transplantation

Background We hypothesized that a reduced potential for bronchiolar stem-cell (Clara cell)–related repair in the setting of an ever-present risk of small airway injury would increase the risk of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). Method CCSP A38G gene polymorphism was assessed in both lung donors and recipients in a longitudinal study cohort of 63 consecutive lung transplant recipients (LTR) with a median follow-up of 493 days (range, 26–894). Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) and interleukin 8 levels were assessed in the bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation. CCSP-positive cells were assessed in transbronchial biopsies at 1 and 3 months. Results Of the 63 LTR, there were 5 early deaths (⩽90 days, 8% [95% confidence interval, 4%–21%]), and 20 developed BOS (32%, [95% confidence interval, 21%–45%]). Donor but not recipient CCSP A38G polymorphism was associated with more risk of BOS (relative risk, 8.6 [2.2–33.5], P<0.0001) and decreased overall survival (log-rank test, P=0.011). Bronchoalveolar lavage CCSP and CCSP/interleukin 8 levels were low and decreasing early after transplantation in LTR who developed BOS (P=0.015). CCSP+ve cells in transbronchial biopsies increased at 3 months only in LTR who remained free of BOS (P=0.003). Conclusion Donor CCSP A38G polymorphism is associated with decreased CCSP levels early after lung transplantation and poor long-term outcomes.
Nestin expression as a new marker in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) can be difficult to diagnose because it lacks specific immunohistochemical markers. S‐100, which is a useful marker of MPNST, has limited diagnostic utility. Recent studies suggest that nestin, which is an intermediate filament protein, is expressed in neuroectodermal stem cells. The diagnostic utility of immunostains for nestin and three other neural markers (S‐100, CD56 and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5)) were evaluated in 35 cases of MPNST and in other spindle cell tumors. All MPNST cases were strongly positive for nestin and had cytoplasmic staining. Stains for S‐100, CD56, and PGP 9.5 were positive in fewer cases (17/35, 11/35, and 29/35 cases, respectively), and had less extensive staining. Nestin was negative in 10/10 leiomyomas, and weak nestin expression was seen in 10/10 schwannomas, 3/10 neurofibromas, 2/8 synovial sarcomas, 2/10 liposarcomas, 4/7 carcinosarcomas and 3/7 malignant fibrous histiocytomas. In contrast, strong nestin positivity was seen in 10/10 rhabdomyosarcomas, 15/19 leiomyosarcomas, and 9/9 desmoplastic melanomas. Nestin is more sensitive for MPNST than other neural markers and immunostains for nestin in combination with other markers could be useful in the diagnosis of MPNST.
Impact of the Receive Antenna Arrays on Spatio-Temporal Availability in Satellite-to-Indoor Broadcasting

This contribution presents the results of our study on spatio-temporal availability in satellite-to-indoor broadcasting. We compare the performance of single and multiple antenna arrays consisting of theoretical and measured antennas with various polarimetric radiation patterns and coupling effects for different satellite elevation angles. The spatial satellite to indoor channels are obtained by a 3D ray tracing engine and by a geometry-based channel modeling tool. The temporal fluctuations of the channels are modeled by the PDF of a truncated normal distribution and are based on satellite-to-indoor measurements. The additional antennas at the receiver reduce both the spatial and the temporal variability of the received power, leading to a significant reduction of the transmit power required to achieve the same target availability. The simulation results suggest that the spatial correlation in the line-of-sight room area is higher than in the non-line-of-sight room area. In the line-of-sight areas, the best performance is achieved by multiple circularly polarized receive antennas. For elevations higher than 50 in the non-line-of-sight areas, a combination of horizontally and vertically (orthogonal) polarized antennas shows the best performance, especially if high availabilities are considered. Furthermore, the influence of coupling effects between closely spaced receive antennas on the availability is studied. In general, antenna coupling effects should be handled by increasing the required link margin. The influence of the temporal changes due to a person movement on the availability is found to be not very significant.
New era of marketing

At the beginning of a new millennium there are qualitative changes in the concept of mass marketing. Companies have to concentrate more on value creation for single customer. Main reasons that brought such a change are: globalization of the economy, informatisation of the society, new customer and new way of leading the company. New (holistic) marketing' is based on completely different relationship with customers. It presumes creation of "demanded" values to customers based on the "research of values". Customers are regarded and individuals and they have their system of value for what is offered. New role of marketing in the company is made of its integration with global management. That brings new relation of marketing towards all other business functions.
The Kinase ERULUS Controls Pollen Tube Targeting and Growth in Arabidopsis thaliana

In this paper, we describe the role of the receptor-like kinase ERULUS (ERU) in PT growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. In silico analysis and transcriptional reporter lines revealed that ERU is only expressed in pollen and root hairs (RHs), making it a tip growth-specific kinase. Deviations from Mendelian inheritance were observed in the offspring of self-pollinated heterozygous eru plants. We found that in vivo eru PT targeting was disturbed, providing a possible explanation for the observed decrease in eru fertilization competitiveness. Extracellular calcium perception and intracellular calcium dynamics lie at the basis of in vivo pollen tube (PT) tip growth and guidance. In vitro, ERU loss-of-function lines displayed no obvious PT phenotype, unless grown on low extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]ext) medium. When grown at 12 the normal [Ca2+]ext, eru PTs grew 37% slower relative to WT PTs. Visualization of cytoplasmic [Ca2+]cyt oscillations using the Yellow Cameleon 3.6 (YC3.6) calcium sensor showed that, unlike in WT PTs, eru apical [Ca2+]cyt oscillations occur at a lower frequency when grown at lower [Ca2+]ext, consistent with the observed reduced growth velocity. Our results show that the tip growth-specific kinase ERULUS is involved in regulating Ca2+-dependent PT growth, and most importantly, fertilization efficiency through successful PT targeting to the ovules.
Sixty years of anthropogenic pressure: a spatio‐temporal genetic analysis of brown trout populations subject to stocking and population declines

Analyses of historical samples can provide invaluable information on changes to the genetic composition of natural populations resulting from human activities. Here, we analyse 21 microsatellite loci in historical (archived scales from 1927 to 1956) and contemporary samples of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from six neighbouring rivers in Denmark, to compare the genetic structure of wild populations before and after population declines and stocking with nonlocal strains of hatchery trout. We show that all populations have been strongly affected by stocking, with admixture proportions ranging from 14 to 64%. Historical population genetic structure was characterized by isolation by distance and by positive correlations between historical effective population sizes and habitat area within river systems. Contemporary population genetic structure still showed isolation by distance, but also reflected differences among populations in hatchery trout admixture proportions. Despite significant changes to the genetic composition within populations over time, dispersal rates among populations were roughly similar before and after stocking. We also assessed whether population declines or introgression by hatchery strain trout should be the most significant conservation concern in this system. Based on theoretical considerations, we argue that population declines have had limited negative effects for the persistence of adaptive variation, but admixture with hatchery trout may have resulted in reduced local adaptation. Collectively, our study demonstrates the usefulness of analysing historical samples for identifying the most important consequences of human activities on the genetic structure of wild populations.
Supporting immigrant language learning on smartphones: A field trial

Abstract The challenge of supporting immigrant language-learning and social integration has increased recently, leading to initiatives and projects that aim to provide assistance, including using smartphones in the course of daily activities. However, most of the Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) literature focuses on classroom based learning thereby leaving a gap in understanding the learning in informal settings. This paper discusses a UK field trial of the European funded MASELTOV project, which developed a suite of smartphone tools and services (the ‘MApp’) to help immigrants’ language learning and social inclusion in four European cities. MApp tools and services include language lessons designed to assist informal learning in everyday life, focusing on situational language needs and a social forum for peer support, cultural information, comments and practice. The paper reports on interview data and social forum use. Our findings suggest that the MApp helps immigrants with their confidence; with relevant, practical language learning and practice of different language skills, and also supports social learning. Studying and practising language skills in the locations, and at times, of learner’s choice, along with access to a social forum for socio-emotional support and feedback, it is a powerful combination of informal mobile language learning.
Mutations in HIV reverse transcriptase which alter RNase H activity and decrease strand transfer efficiency are suppressed by HIV nucleocapsid protein.

Structural studies of authentic HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) suggest a role for the p51 carboxyl terminus in forming an active RNase H conformation [Rodgers, D. W. , Gamblin, S. J., Harris, B. A. , Ray, S. , Culp, J. S. , Hellmig, B. , Woolf, D. J., Debouck, C. & Harrison, S. C. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 1222-1226]. We have purified mutant RT heterodimers containing deletion of 5, 9, or 13 amino acids from the p51 carboxyl terminus. These "selectively deleted" heterodimers have been analyzed for changes in RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity, RNase H activity, and the ability to catalyze DNA strand transfer. As deletions extended into the p51 subunit, a decrease in the stability of the RT-DNA complex was apparent. The largest effect was observed for p66/p51Delta13 RT, which showed a 3-fold decrease relative to wild-type RT. RNase H activity was measured by digestion of the RNA in a 5' 32P-labeled RNA/DNA hybrid. Deletion of 5 or 9 amino acids from p51 had little effect on synthesis-dependent and synthesis-independent RNase H activities. In contrast, deletion of 13 amino acids from p51 increased the length of the hydrolysis products of both RNase H activities by 8-10 bp, thus changing the spatial relationship between the polymerase and RNase H active sites from a distance of 17-18 bp to 26-27 bp. The Delta13 derivative was also incapable of efficient DNA strand transfer. This defect in strand transfer could be suppressed by the 71-amino acid form of HIV nucleocapsid protein (NC) but not by the 55-amino acid form (NC55) or by equine infectious anemia virus NC. These results provide evidence for the existence of a specific complex between RT and NC and are discussed in terms of the role of this complex in proviral DNA synthesis.
Patient with terminal duplication 3q and terminal deletion 5q: comparison with the 3q duplication syndrome and distal 5q deletion syndrome

Partial duplication of chromosome 3q is a well‐described condition of multiple congenital anomalies and developmental delay that resembles the Brachmann‐de Lange syndrome. Similarly, an emerging phenotype of a distal 5q deletion syndrome has recently been described. The combination of both chromosome abnormalities has not been previously described. We report on a child with both a de novo duplication of distal 3q (q27 → qter) and terminal deletion of 5q (q35.2 → qter). The patient had facial anomalies, hypoplastic toenails, lymphedema of the dorsum of the feet, type I Chiari malformation, a seizure disorder, and moderate developmental delays. The phenotype is compared and contrasted to the few reports of patients with similar terminal 3q duplications and 5q deletions. Our patient did not have the characteristic phenotype of the 3q duplication syndrome, suggesting that the chromosome region responsible for this phenotype is more proximal than the terminal 3q27 region. In addition, comparison with three other reported cases of terminal 5q35 deletions suggests a possible association of terminal 5q deletions with central nervous system (CNS) structural abnormalities. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.