Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early versus Extended Exposure in Speech Perception Learning: Evidence from Switched-Dominance Bilinguals

Both the timing (i.e., when) and amount (i.e., how much) of language exposure affect language-learning outcomes. We compared speech recognition accuracy across three listener groups for whom the order (first versus second) and dominance (dominant versus non-dominant) of two languages, English and Spanish, varied: one group of Spanish heritage speakers (SHS; L2-English dominant; L1-Spanish non-dominant) and two groups of late onset L2 learners (L1-dominant English/Spanish learners and L1-dominant Spanish/English learners). Sentence-final word recognition accuracy in both English and Spanish was assessed across three “easy” versus “difficult” listening conditions: (1) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR; +5 dB SNR versus 0 dB SNR), (2) sentence predictability (high versus low sentence predictability), and (3) speech style (clear versus plain speech style). Overall, SHS English recognition accuracy was equivalent to that of the L1-dominant English Spanish learners, whereas SHS Spanish recognition accuracy was substantially lower than that of the L1-dominant Spanish English learners. Moreover, while SHS benefitted in both languages from the “easy” listening conditions, they were more adversely affected by (i.e., they recognized fewer words) the presence of higher noise and lower predictability in their non-dominant L1 Spanish compared to their dominant L2 English. These results identify both a benefit and limit on the influence of early exposure. Specifically, the L2-dominant heritage speakers displayed L1-like speech recognition in their dominant-L2, as well as generally better recognition in their non-dominant L1 than late onset L2 learners. Yet, subtle recognition accuracy differences between SHS and L1-dominant listeners emerged under relatively difficult communicative conditions.
Estado reproductivo de las ganaderías de vacuno lechero en el Principado de Asturias

Reproductive state of dairy cow sector in the Principality of Asturias (Spain) The dairy sector has been involved in an intensification process for the last decades. Under the hypothesis that the milk yield is related to the level of intensification of herds, the current reproductive status and reproductive technologies used in the Principality of Asturias were evaluated in relation to the size of the dairy farms. This was carried out through a survey to 2.4% of total active dairy cows stakeholders in the region to obtain reproductive data and the use of reproductive technologies. The yield per lactation and cow was lower in the farms with less production level (6,656 L) than in the rest of the farms (8,640, 9,322 and 10,070 L/cow in farms with production levels between 175-325 tonnes milk/year, 325-500 tonnes milk/year and >500 tonnes milk/year, respectively; P<0.001). However, the number of lactations per cow decreased when the production level increased from <175 to >500 tonnes milk/year (6.1 to 3.0 lacJiménez-Calderón et al. ITEA (2017), Vol. 113 (4), 347-358 347 * Autor para correspondencia: fvicente@serida.org http://doi.org/10.12706/itea.2017. 022 348 Jiménez-Calderón et al. ITEA (2017), Vol. 113 (4), 347-358 tations per cow, P<0.001). A number of 2.61 inseminations were necessary to obtain a delivery irrespective of the production level, with an interval between calving and next fertilization of 131 days in the most productive farms and 99 in the less productive ones (P<0.05). Hormonal treatments, sexed semen and embryo transfer were used to a greater extent as the size of the herd increased. No differences were observed in the incidence of reproductive pathologies among production levels. The results show that the production level of the farms affects the productive and reproductive performances of the animals.
The World-Wide Saga of Lyme Borreliosis

The clinical–epidemiological studies of a cluster of arthritis in Lyme, Connecticut, intersected with ongoing studies on tick-borne diseases in Long Island, New York, to set the stage for the discovery of the spirochaete agent of Lyme disease. Studies on the microbiology of spirochaetes in other parts of the country were instrumental for the cultivation of the newly discovered organism. The multinational clinical studies in Europe
Identification and Characterization of Cancer Stem Cells in Mouse Medulloblastoma and Glioma

According to the cancer stem cell hypothesis a subpopulation of cells within a tumour has the capacity to sustain its growth. These cells are termed cancer stem cells, and are most simply defined as the cells within a primary tumour that can self-renew, differentiate and regenerate a phenocopy of that cancer when transplanted in vivo. Cancer stem cells have now been prospectively identified from numerous human tumours and are actively sought in many cancer types, both clinical and experimental. The cancer stem cell hypothesis remains controversial, with evidence both supporting and challenging its existence in human tumours and in animal models of disease. Here we prospectively identify and study brain cancer stem cells in clinically representative mouse models of the medulloblastoma and glioma. Cancer stem cells from both mouse brain tumour types are prospectively enriched by fluorescent activated cell sorting freshly dissociated cells for the surface antigen CD15, display a neural precursor phenotype, exhibit the hallmark stem cell characteristics of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation, and regenerate a phenocopy of the original tumour after orthotopic transplantation. Additionally, novel mouse medulloblastoma and glioma cancer stem cell lines were established and studied in vitro as adherent cultures in the same serum-free media conditions that support the growth of normal neural stem cells. When mouse and human glioma stem cell lines were compared, many novel molecular mediators of the tumour phenotype were identified, as were chemical compounds that iii selectively inhibit their growth. Our results have important implications regarding the cancer stem cell hypothesis, the mechanisms that drive brain tumour stem cell growth and the therapeutic strategies that may prove effective for the treatment of glioma and medulloblastoma.
Análise Comparativa entre Plataformas para o Desenvolvimento da Indústria 4.0

A Industria 4.0 e a nova era da manufatura. Com ela sistemas de manufatura e tecnologias sao fortemente integrados permitindo a interacao dos dominios fisicos e digitais, as fabricas inteligentes utilizam-se desta integracao para habilitar recursos de otimizacao, configuracao e diagnostico de maneira autonoma. As ferramentas tecnologicas para realizar a integracao e controle dos dispositivos fabris sao recursos de plataformas que tornam smart factories possiveis. O objetivo desta pesquisa e identificar e avaliar as principais plataformas disponiveis no mercado, indicando ao final do processo a melhor opcao de acordo com uma serie de criterios definidos. Para a construcao da analise e geracao de resultados foi utilizado o metodo AHP, que se caracteriza por ser um metodo de analise comparativo multicriterio, que utiliza uma escala de pontuacoes que ao termino determina a melhor alternativa baseada na nota final. Com esse estudo conclui-se qual a melhor plataforma para o desenvolvimento da Industria 4.0 de acordo com os criterios definidos, somado a isso foi possivel evidenciar a qualidade e a abrangencia tecnologica das opcoes disponiveis no mercado. http://dx.doi. org/10.18226/23185279.v8iss2p115
The effect of bemiparin on neointimal hyperplasia and endothelial cell proliferation in a rabbit carotid artery model

ÖZ Amaç: Bu çalışmada bemiparinin neointimal hiperplazi ve endotelyal hücre proliferasyonu üzerine olan etkileri bir tavşan karotis arter modelinde araştırıldı. Ça­lış­ma­pla­nı:­Mart 2015 Nisan 2015 tarihleri arasında rastgele seçilen, 2 ila 3 kg ağırlığında 12 Yeni Zelanda tavşanı iki gruba ayrıldı. Sağ karotis arterler transekte edildi ve 8-0 prolen, devamlı sütur tekniği ile sütüre edildi. Kontrol grubuna (n=6) herhangi bir ilaç verilmez iken, çalışma grubuna (n=6) yedi gün boyunca 150 IU/kg/gün bemiparin verildi. Tavşanların tümü 28. günde sakrifiye edildi ve karotis arter segmentleri çıkarılarak, histolojik inceleme için hazırlandı. Bul gu lar: Tüm histokimyasal ve histomorfolojik analizler gruplara kör iki araştırmacı tarafından yapıldı. Kontrol grubunun damar örneklerinin kesitsel analizinde, tunika intimada kalınlaşma izlendi ve bir kesitte intimal kalınlaşma çok az sayıda rekanalizasyon alanları ile birlikte lümeni neredeyse tamamen tıkamıştı. Bemiparin grubunda, kontrol grubuna kıyasla, intimal hiperplazi (p<0.006) ve tunika media kalınlığı (p<0.018) azalmıştı. Gruplar arasında ortalama luminal çapları ve luminal alanlarının histomorfometrik analizi açısından anlamlı bir fark yoktu (sırasıyla p<0.100, p<0.068). So­nuç:­ Çalışma sonuçlarımız, hayvan modelinde bemiparinin neointimal hiperplazi ve endotelyal hücre proliferasyonunu önleyerek etkisini gösterdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Anah­tar­ söz­cük­ler: Aort; bemiparin; karotis arter; intimal hiperplazi; vasküler endotelyal büyüme faktörü. ABSTRACT Background:­ The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of bemiparin on neointimal hyperplasia and endothelial cell proliferation in a rabbit carotid artery model. Methods: Between March 2015 and April 2015 12 randomly-selected New Zealand male rabbits, weighing 2 to 3 kg, were divided into two groups. The right carotid arteries were transected and sutured with 8-0 polypropylene material with continuous suture technique. The control group (n=8) received no additional medication, while the study group (n=6) received 150 IU/kg/day of bemiparin for seven days. All rabbits were sacrificed on Day 28, and the carotid artery segments were removed and prepared for histological examination. Results:­ All histochemical and histomorphological analyses were performed by two investigators who were blind to the groups. In the cross-section analysis of the vessel specimens of the control group, thickening of the tunica intima was noticed, and in a section, the intimal thickening was almost occluding the lumen with a few recanalization areas. In the bemiparin group, the intimal hyperplasia (p<0.006) and the thickness of the tunica media decreased (p<0.018), compared to the control group. There was no significant difference in the histomorphometric analysis results of the mean luminal diameters and luminal areas between the groups (p<0.100, p<0.068, respectively). Conclusion:­ Our study results suggest that bemiparin exerts its effect preventing neointimal hyperplasia and endothelial cell proliferation in animal model.
Characterization of Inhalable Aerosols from Cosmetic Powders and Sustainability in Cosmetic Products

Consumers may be exposed to aerosols that penetrate the lungs while applying cosmetics in a powder form. Toxic ingredients contained in aerosols can have a detrimental effect on the respiratory system. Two types of cosmetic powders were selected to evaluate the quantitative exposure of aerosols released from facial and eyeshadow products for five minutes. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to analyze the morphology of the cosmetic particles and to measure the inorganic components in the related aerosol. Deposition fractions were calculated using the International Commission on Radiological Protection model to evaluate the deposition patterns in the regions based on the respiratory tract. The aerosol dosage was calculated from the aerosol concentrations. For all cosmetic powders, 78% of aerosol deposition occurred in the head airways, while less than 2.5% was deposited in the tracheobronchial region, and less than 1% was deposited in the alveolar regions. The calculated dosage for this study was 700 µg for PM10 and 200 µg for PM2.5. This study presents a strategy for improving the sustainability of the cosmetic industry by providing a model for the quantitative evaluation and respiratory-based deposition of aerosols released from cosmetic powders.
An Automated Method for Quality Control in MRI Systems: Methods and Considerations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop an automated method for performing quality control (QC) tests in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, investigate the effect of different definitions of QC parameters and its sensitivity with respect to variations in regions of interest (ROI) positioning, and validate the reliability of the automated method by comparison with results from manual evaluations. Materials and Methods: Magnetic Resonance imaging MRI used for acceptance and routine QC tests from five MRI systems were selected. All QC tests were performed using the American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI accreditation phantom. The only selection criterion was that in the same QC test, images from two identical sequential sequences should be available. The study was focused on four QC parameters: percent signal ghosting (PSG), percent image uniformity (PIU), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and SNR uniformity (SNRU), whose values are calculated using the mean signal and the standard deviation of ROIs defined within the phantom image or in the background. The variability of manual ROIs placement was emulated by the software using random variables that follow appropriate normal distributions. Results: Twenty-one paired sequences were employed. The automated test results for PIU were in good agreement with manual results. However, the PSG values were found to vary depending on the selection of ROIs with respect to the phantom. The values of SNR and SNRU also vary significantly, depending on the combination of the two out of the four standard rectangular ROIs. Furthermore, the methodology used for SNR and SNRU calculation also had significant effect on the results. Conclusions: The automated method standardizes the position of ROIs with respect to the ACR phantom image and allows for reproducible QC results.
Nanoscale Electrical and Coarse-grained Molecular Dynamics Studies of Influenza Hemagglutinin-mediated Membrane Fusion Pores

Nanoscale Electrical and Coarse-grained Molecular Dynamics Studies of Influenza Hemagglutinin-mediated Membrane Fusion Pores Brett Eugene Alcott Fusion of viral and host membranes is a key step during infection by membrane-enclosed viruses. The fusion pore plays a critical role, and must dilate to release the viral genome. Prior studies of fusion mediated by influenza A hemagglutinin (HA) revealed ~2-5 nm pores that flickered before dilating to >10 nm. The mechanisms involved are unknown. Here we studied HA-mediated fusion pore dynamics using a novel single-pore assay (supported by a novel, robust, single-cell optical assay for fusion between HA-expressing cells and nanodiscs), combined with computational simulations accessing extraordinarily long (ms) timescales. We measured pores between HA-expressing fibroblasts and bilayer nanodiscs. From pore currents we infer pore size with millisecond time resolution. Unlike previous in vitro studies, the use of nanodiscs limited the membrane contact areas and maximum pore sizes, better mimicking the initial phases of virus-endosome fusion. In wild-type (WT) HA-mediated fusion pores, pores flickered about a mean pore size ~1.7 nm. In contrast, fusion pores formed by GPIanchored HA nucleated at less than half the WT rate; results were consistent with earlier findings that showed that while GPI-HA pores stabilize at larger initial conductances than WT, they were not able to enlarge beyond their initial size. We developed radically coarse-grained, explicit lipid molecular dynamics simulations of the fusion pore reconstituted with post-fusion, trans HA hairpins. With WT HA, fusion pores were small, similar to experiment. Over time hairpins gradually converted from trans to cis. With lipid-anchored HA, the trans → cis transition was much accelerated. Once most hairpins had converted to cis, because apposing membranes were released, the fusion pore was able to dilate to sizes close to protein-free. Additionally, in crowded simulations with HA densities approximating those found in HA clusters, we found that HA aggregation, promoted by TMDTMD interactions, delayed fusion pore dilation by inhibiting the trans → cis transition. Our results suggest that pore dilation requires the trans → cis transition. We hypothesize that this transition is accelerated in GPI-HA by the more mobile lipid anchor, and may explain the larger observed nascent fusion pores.
Observation of Vapor Wall Deposition in a Smog Chamber Using Size Evolution of Pure Organic Particles

ABSTRACT Prior studies have shown that neglecting the vapor wall loss could lead to the underestimation of the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields in smog chamber experiments. The majority of the previous studies investigated vapor wall loss of a wide range of semi-volatile organic vapors at room temperatures using extensive chemical analysis. This study poses a question: Can vapor wall deposition in a smog chamber be observed only using physical measurements of aerosol properties? This study assesses the significance of vapor wall loss using only the size evolution of pure organic compound particles. To our knowledge, this technique is used for the first time in assessing the vapor wall loss of chemical species in chamber experiments. Dark experiments were conducted by injecting pure levoglucosan particles into an outdoor smog chamber at multiple ambient temperatures, ranging from -10oC to +15oC. Peak diameter analysis revealed levoglucosan particles shrunk by ~37% at 15oC and ~20% at 10oC experiments, whereas no shrinkage was observed at temperatures below 0°C suggesting significant vapor wall loss of levoglucosan at warmer temperatures (> 10oC). Two-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) and additional simple kinetic model simulations suggest that the effects of temperature on vapor wall loss can primarily be explained by the change in saturation vapor pressure of the organic compound and that the lack of apparent vapor wall loss of levoglucosan below 0°C was due to kinetics, i.e., slow evaporation relative to the chamber experiment timescales. The same approach can be applied to other organic species to expand the range of volatility relevant to chamber experiments.
Deriving Annual Double-Season Cropland Phenology Using Landsat Imagery

Cropland phenology provides key information in managing agricultural practices and modelling crop yield. However, most of the existing phenological products have coarse spatial resolution ranging from 250 to 8000 m, which is not sufficient to capture the critical spatial details of cropland phenology at the landscape scale. Landsat imagery provides an unprecedented data source to generate 30-m spatial resolution phenological products. This paper explored the potential of utilizing multi-year Landsat enhanced vegetation index to derive annual phenological metrics of a double-season agricultural land from 1993 to 2009 in a sub-urban area of Shanghai, China. We used all available Landsat TM and ETM+ observations (538 scenes) and developed a Landsat double-cropping phenology (LDCP) algorithm. LDCP captures the temporal trajectory of multi-year enhanced vegetation index time series very well, with the degree of fitness ranging from 0.78 to 0.88 over the study regions. We found good agreements between derived annual phenological metrics and in situ observation, with root mean square error ranging from 8.74 to 18.04 days, indicating that the proposed LDCP is capable of detecting double-season cropland phenology. LDCP could reveal the spatial heterogeneity of cropland phenology at parcel scales. Phenology metrics were retrieved for approximately one-third and two-thirds of the 17 years for the first and second cropping cycles, respectively, depending on the number of good quality Landsat data. In addition, we found an advanced peak of season for both cropping cycles in 50–60% of the study area, and a delayed start of season for the second cropping cycle in 50–70% of the same area. The potential drivers of those trends might be climate warming and changes in agricultural practices. The derived cropland phenology can be used to help estimate historical crop yields at Landsat spatial resolution, providing insights on evaluating the effects of climate change on temporal variations of crop growth, and contributing to food security policy making.
Passive Detection of Phosphorus in Agricultural Tile Waters Using Reactive Hybrid Anion Exchange Resins

Tile drainage waters carry considerable loads of phosphorus (P) from agricultural fields to rivers and streams in the Midwestern U.S. An innovative and economical approach to monitor dissolved reactive P (DRP) flux in tile waters is needed to understand the extent of P loss in field-scale. In this study, a passive sampling technique was developed using iron oxide-coated polyacrylic/polystyrene anion exchange resins (hybrid resins) a P sink. Laboratory batch adsorption isotherm and kinetic experiments indicated that the hybrid resins had high P adsorption capacity (7.69–19.84 mg/g) and high kinetic performance. The passive sampling method with field-calibrated hybrid polyacrylic resin and hybrid polystyrene resins (sampling rate: 0.1351 and 0.0763 L/h, respectively) predicted the average DRP concentrations of 0.006–0.020 mg/L, which did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from the auto-sampling data. A rapid increase in DRP concentration during storm events and subsequent flooding events was also predicted well. In conclusion, a passive detection method using iron oxide coated hybrid resins can be recommended for monitoring seasonally fluctuating DRP flux in agricultural waters as long as the hybrid resins are well-calibrated under specific field conditions (e.g., flow rate and concentration range).
Bridging the gap between respiratory research and health literacy: an interactive web-based platform

Many patients with respiratory disease lack an understanding of basic respiratory physiology and the changes occurring in their lungs due to disease. Describing how the lungs work using realistic 3D visualisation of lung structure and function will improve communication of complicated concepts, resulting in improved health literacy. We developed a web-based platform, using anatomically realistic 3D lung models, to create an interactive visualisation tool to improve health literacy for patients with respiratory disease. A small amount of non-identifying personal information including gender, age, weight, height and smoking history can be used to customise the visualisation to an individual user. 3D computer modelling was used to create a web-based application that helps people understand how their lungs work in health and disease. The web-based application includes pages describing and visualising how the lungs work and the changes that occur during asthma and damage that smoking may be doing to their lungs. The application is freely available and located at https://sites.bioeng. auckland.ac. nz/silo6/lung_new/. This application bridges the gap between computational modelling and patient education, giving a visually compelling view into the patient’s body that cannot be provided with any existing tools, hence providing a novel platform for enhancing patient–clinician interaction.