Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in vocal loudness following intensive voice treatment (LSVT®) in individuals with Parkinson's disease: A comparison with untreated patients and normal age‐matched controls

This study assessed the impact of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT®) on vocal loudness [sound pressure level (SPL)] in a group of dysarthric individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Pre‐ to post‐treatment changes in SPL in the treated group were compared with changes in voice SPL during the same time in two control groups: individuals with IPD not treated with the LSVT® and in non‐disordered individuals, age‐matched to the patients. All subjects produced the same voice and speech tasks—sustaining vowel phonation, reading the “Rainbow Passage,” producing a short monologue, and describing a picture. These tasks were recorded at three different occasions: just prior to treatment, just after treatment, and 6 months following treatment. The individuals treated with LSVT® increased voice SPL from baseline to post‐treatment by an average of 8 dB and from baseline to 6 months follow‐up by an average of 6 dB. These changes were statistically significant and perceptibly audible. No significant changes in SPL were observed in the control groups during the time corresponding to the treatment and follow‐up. Differences in SPL between the treated and untreated patients at post‐treatment and follow‐up were statistically significant for all voice and speech tasks. These findings, along with others, provide additional support for the efficacy of the LSVT®. Mov. Disord. 16:79–83, 2001. © 2001 Movement Disorder Society.
'Regulation' of capillary haematocrit.

The nature of blood as a suspension with characteristic flow properties is the basis of the uneven distribution of total red cell mass and plasma volume in the cardiovascular system. On one hand the fraction of blood volume occupied by red cells is reduced in the small blood vessels due to axial accumulation of erythrocytes in flow. On the other hand, the fraction of blood flow occupied by red cells is affected by hydrodynamic separation effects at microvascular bifurcations. The combination of these phenomena results in inhomogeneous haematocrit distribution even within the network of capillaries. Both effects are, for different reasons, affected by changes in vascular smooth muscle activity; as a consequence, haematocrit distribution is coupled to the mechanisms regulating vascular resistance.
Strong correlation between cross‐amplification success and genetic distance across all members of ‘True Salamanders’ (Amphibia: Salamandridae) revealed by Salamandra salamandra‐specific microsatellite loci

The unpredictable and low cross‐amplification success of microsatellite loci tested for congeneric amphibian species has mainly been explained by the size and complexity of amphibian genomes, but also by taxonomy that is inconsistent with phylogenetic relationships among taxa. Here, we tested whether the cross‐amplification success of nine new and 11 published microsatellite loci cloned for an amphibian source species, the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), correlated with the genetic distance across all members of True Salamanders (genera Chioglossa, Lyciasalamandra, Mertensiella and Salamandra that form a monophyletic clade within the family of Salamandridae) serving as target species. Cross‐amplification success varied strongly among the species and showed a highly significant negative relationship with genetic distance and amplification success. Even though lineages of S. salamandra and Lyciasalamndra have separated more than 30 Ma, a within genus amplification success rate of 65% was achieved for species of Lyciasalamandra thus demonstrating that an efficient cross‐species amplification of microsatellite loci in amphibians is feasible even across large evolutionary distances. A decrease in genome size, on the other hand, paralleled also a decrease in amplified loci and therefore contradicted previous results and expectations that amplification success should increase with a decrease in genome size. However, in line with other studies, our comprehensive dataset clearly shows that cross‐amplification success of microsatellite loci is well explained by phylogenetic divergence between species. As taxonomic classifications on the species and genus level do not necessarily mirror phylogenetic divergence between species, the pure belonging of species to the same taxonomic units (i.e. species or genus) might be less useful to predict cross‐amplification success of microsatellite loci between such species.
The Evaluation of Customers Services Quality in Five Star Hotels in the City of Riyadh

The study aimed to evaluate the reviews of the quality of the services provided in five star hotels in the city of Riyadh, the study on the impact of a range of demographic factors on the guests (seeing, sex, nationality and the reason for the visit and repeated times visit), as well as to provide a gauge can be approved appropriation in the measurement of the quality of the services of a hotel in Riyadh, in order to achieve the objectives of this study has been the development and distribution of questionnaires in hotels five star. The results of the study was to make a number of recommendations and proposals, including the provision of furniture, attention appropriate to the needs of the guests and increase the efficiency and accuracy of information for guests.
A weighted denoising auto-encoder applied to Mel sub-bands for robust speech recognition

Sub-band speech processing is well-known in robust speech recognition. On the other hand, in recent years, deep neural networks have been widely used in speech recognition for acoustic modeling and also feature extraction and transformation. In this paper, we propose to consider Mel sub-band speech processing in denoising auto-encoder(DAE) training to benefit from both mentioned method properties. In this way, in the training process, we assign lower weights to the Mel subbands containing higher level of noise, while we assign higher weights to sub-bands including lower level of noise. Furthermore, we use restricted Boltzmann Machine for pre-training of DAE. Thus, DAE can train the noise behavior and performs better in noise reduction. Experimental results on Aorura2 database, show the proposed DAE improve performance of logarithm of Mel filter bank energies (LMFB) for noisy speech recognition about 47.8% in the best case.
The microstrip antenna with periodic planar pattern

In the paper the microstrip antenna with pattern based on a unit cells composed of patches with boomerang-like shaped slots has been presented. The antenna has the base edges in the center for the higher layer and slots cut along the periphery of the cell with small perpendicular slits in the middle. The square unit cell edge is 4mm length. The antenna was simulated in CST Microwave Studio. The simulations were performed with the Transient Solver in order to check their properties such as the return loss, the current distribution, the radiation pattern and the gain. The parametric study was achieved to test the influence of the parameter dimensions on the properties. The optimal model of the antenna which is issued from the parametric study is fabricated and tested. The results of the measurements are then confronted with those of the simulations for comparison.
Lateral diffusion of Toll-like receptors reveals that they are transiently confined within lipid rafts on the plasma membrane

The innate immune system utilises pattern recognition receptors in order to recognise microbial conserved molecular patterns. The family of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) has been shown to act as the main pattern recognition receptors for the innate immune system. Using biochemical as well as fluorescence imaging techniques, TLR2 and TLR4 were found to be recruited within microdomains upon stimulation by bacterial products. Furthermore their lateral diffusion in the cell membrane as determined by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching revealed that upon stimulation by bacterial products TLRs encounter barriers to their lateral movement, thus supporting the notion that specialised domains on the plasma membrane facilitate the innate recognition.
Review: What Signals the Kidney to Release Renin?

• Much has been said and much has been written on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterqne system but one of the most important problems remains unresolved. The specific signals perceived by the renal juxtaglomerular (JG) cells to secrete renin are still unknown. In an editorial in 1964 (1), attention was called to the paucity of experimentation in this area. There is now no lack of interest in and pursuit of this important problem, and recently a number of innovative approaches have resulted in pertinent new data. This article is written to describe these new approaches and to stimulate interest and further research which might close this important gap in our knowledge. Early attempts at elucidation of this problem were aimed at testing either the baroreceptor hypothesis or the macula densa theory. Increasing evidence has accumulated to support the idea that the sympathetic nervous system is also involved. And, a number of humoral agents influence renin release, espedally in pharmacologic doses; these findings raise the question of the physiological roles of these substances in the control of renin secretion. The JG cells, the macula densa, and the renal sympathetic nerves are depicted diagrammatically in relation to the renal arterioles (Fig. 1). In homeostasis and in several experimental and clinical situations with secondary aldosteronism, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
Elevated serum neutrophil to lymphocyte and platelet to lymphocyte ratios could be useful in lung cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND Lung cancer (LC) is still the primary cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and late diagnosis is a major obstacle to improving lung cancer outcomes. Recently, elevated preoperative or pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) detected in peripheral blood were identified as independent prognostic factors associated with poor survival with various cancers, including colon cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and breast cancer. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine whether MPV, NLR and PLR could be useful inflammatory markers to differentiate lung cancer patients from healthy controls. An investigation was also made of the relationship between these markers and other prognostic factors and histopathological subgroups. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospectively eighty-one lung cancer patients and 81 age-sexes matched healthy subjects included into the study. Patients with hypertension, hematological and renal disease, heart failure, chronic infection, hepatic disorder and other cancer were excluded from the study. The preoperative or pretreatment blood count data was obtained from the recorded computerized database. RESULTS NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in the LC patients compared to the healthy subjects. ( NLR: 4.42 vs 2.45 p=0.001, PLR: 245.1 vs 148.2 p=0.002) MPV values were similar in both groups (7.7 vs 7.8). No statistically significant relationship was determined between these markers (MPV, NLR and PLR) and histopathological subgroups and TNM stages. CONCLUSIONS NLR and PLR can be useful biomarkers in LC patients before treatment. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.
Habitat distribution of Ixodes dammini (Acari: Ixodidae) an Lyme disease spirochetes on Fire Island, New York.

The distributions of Ixodes dammini Spielman, Clifford, Piesman, and Corwin and Lyme disease spirochetes were studied on Fire Island, N.Y. Adult ticks were more common in high-shrub habitats (shrubby vegetation greater than or equal to 1 m high) than in grassy and lowshrub habitats (vegetation less than 1 m) in spring and fall. In the fall, adults were also common in the woods. Adults were more abundant on narrow trails than in nearby vegetation. During the summer, questing nymphs and larvae were far more common in the woods (primarily in leaf litter) than in open grass-shrub habitats. In contrast, the number of nymphs and larvae per white-footed mouse did not differ among habitats, suggesting that mice play a role in tick dispersal. CO2 trap captures of nymphs on trails were not significantly greater than off trails. Most collections of larvae and nymphs had more than one tick, whereas most samples of adults had only one individual. Borrelia burgdorferi infection rates in free-living ticks were 38% (n = 12) to 50% (n = 32) in adults, 32% in nymphs (n = 184), and 0% in larvae (n = 15). The proportion of ticks infected did not differ significantly among habitats. Therefore, during the spring and fall, activities that take place in high-shrub areas or in the woods (e.g., landscaping, trail or brush clearing) involve a high risk of exposure to adult ticks infected with Lyme disease. In late spring to early summer, any activity involving close contact with leaf litter (e.g., playing in the leaves, gathering leaves for camp bedding) results in a high risk of exposure to infected nymphs.
Longitudinal trends in race/ethnic disparities in leading health indicators from adolescence to young adulthood.

OBJECTIVE To use ethnically diverse, national data to examine longitudinal trends in race/ethnic disparities in 20 leading health indicators from Healthy People 2010 across multiple domains from adolescence to young adulthood. Much of what is known about health disparities is based on cross-sectional measures collected at a single time point. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Nationally representative data for more than 14 000 adolescents enrolled in wave I (1994-1995) or wave II (1996) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and followed up into adulthood (wave III; 2001-2002). We fit longitudinal regression models to assess and contrast the trend in health indicators among racial/ethnic groups of adolescents as they transition into adulthood. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Diet, inactivity, obesity, tobacco use, substance use, binge drinking, violence, sexually transmitted diseases, mental health, and health care access. RESULTS Diet, inactivity, obesity, health care access, substance use, and reproductive health worsened with age. Perceived health, mental health, and exposure to violence improved with age. On most health indicators, white and Asian subjects were at lowest and Native American subjects at highest risk. Although white subjects had more favorable health in adolescence, they experienced greatest declines by young adulthood. No single race/ethnic group consistently leads or falters in health across all indicators. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal data indicate that, for 15 of 20 indicators, health risk increased and access to health care decreased from the teen and adult years for most US race/ethnic groups. Relative rankings on a diverse range of health indicators (and patterns of change over time) vary by sex and race/ethnicity, causing disparities to fluctuate over time.
An analytical method for the response of DFIG under voltage dips

Electromagnetic transients resulting from voltage dips complicate the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind turbines (WTs). To study the transients deeply, an analytical method to solve the dynamic response is presented in this paper. Although some attempts have been made in literature, the accuracy cannot be ensured, or the physical significance implied in the transients is not feasible to be revealed without a proper method to this complex process. To clarify the response, a concept of equivalent fault source is defined in the stator and rotor circuit respectively and the overall behavior is decomposed into a stator-fault-sourced response and a rotor-fault-sourced response. The former corresponds to the dips of the stator voltage, while the latter deals with the variations in the rotor resistance and the terminal voltage due to activation of the crowbar. Adding these two zero-state responses to the healthy pre-fault conditions, the overall response can be constructed accurately and each of the terms has its apparent significance. With the analytical solution, the behavior is discussed and some important features are presented. The accuracy of the solution is verified by close agreement with the simulative results from a MATLAB/Simulink model of a 2MW DFIG and the experimental records on an 11kW laboratory-scale test rig.
Essential oil constituents

Das Ziel dieser Literaturubersicht war, fur die sedierenden, angstlosenden, beruhigenden und schlaffordernden Wirkungen von atherischen Olen und deren Inhaltsstoffen die moglichen Wirkmechanismen zu bestimmen. Anhand der Hauptinhaltsstoffe wird eine mogliche Verbindung zu den GABAA-Rezeptoren und anderen Targets erforscht. Angstzustande, die mit Unruhe, Schlaflosigkeit und anderen Symptomen und Problemen einhergehen, werden in der Gesellschaft immer haufiger. In der heutigen Zeit, wo der Stress zunimmt, greifen immer mehr Personen zu Einschlafhilfen und Beruhigungsmitteln. Alternativen auf pflanzlicher Basis wie die Aromatherapie oder die orale Einnahme von Lavendelol Praparaten finden immer mehr Anklang. Denn die Einnahme von Benzodiazepinen als Tranquillantium, Anxiolytika, Sedativa und Hypnotika birgt neben seiner positiven Wirkung auf die Psyche auch einer Reihe an Nebenwirkungen (Sedation, Gewichtszunahme, sexuelle Dysfunktion) und die Gefahr des Missbrauchs. Pflanzliche Produkte werden dadurch immer genauer erforscht um Ihre Wirkungen auszunutzen. Ein gut vertragenes anxiolytisches Medikament konnte deshalb die Bedenken der Betroffenen auflosen und konnte die Grundlage fur eine bessere Akzeptanz und Behandlung sein.
Pediatric Minor Injury Outcomes: An Initial Report

Objectives: The objectives were (1) to present a preliminary evaluation of outcomes after pediatric emergency department (PED) minor injury care (not previously described) and (2) to test the feasibility of study methods and of a HRQOL tool in this acute care setting. Methods: A prospective observational study of clinical and functional short-term outcomes in PED patients with minor injury was performed. Results: Thirty-five (80%) of 44 families completed telephone follow-up. Children had a median of 3 days of pain; 24% had pain for more than 7 days. Children returned to normal activity in a median of 3 days, and 37%, in more than 7 days. Fifty percent of families had normal activities disrupted, with median of 5 days and 39% in more than 7 days. Among children with school/scheduled activities, 55% missed more than 3 days, and 20% missed more than 7 days. Among parents who missed work/school, the mean was 1 day, and 22% missed more than 3 days. The acute Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was feasible for emergency department/follow-up use and had the expected inverse correlations with poor outcomes. Conclusions: We found significant morbidity after PED treatment of minor injury. The study methods and PedsQL patient and proxy forms were feasible for emergency department use. The PedsQL had some initial indications of construct validity for this population.
Multi-modal pharmacokinetic modelling for DCE-MRI: using diffusion weighted imaging to constrain the local arterial input function

The routine acquisition of multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging data in oncology yields the possibility of combined model fitting of traditionally separate models of tissue structure and function. In this work we hypothesise that diffusion weighted imaging data may help constrain the fitting of pharmacokinetic models to dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI data. Parameters related to tissue perfusion in the intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) modelling of diffusion weighted MRI provide local information on how tissue is likely to perfuse that can be utilised to guide DCE modelling via local modification of the arterial input function (AIF). In this study we investigate, based on multi-parametric head and neck MRI of 8 subjects (4 with head and neck tumours), the benefit of incorporating parameters derived from the IVIM model within the DCE modelling procedure. Although we find the benefit of this procedure to be marginal on the data used in this work, it is conceivable that a technique of this type will be of greater use in a different application.
Comparison between childhood and adult tuberculosis in a rural tuberculosis unit of West Bengal: A retrospective study

Background and Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality with different clinical presentations and outcomes as compared to TB in adults. The present study was designed to compare these differences and to determine if childhood TB was an important predictor of adverse outcome following treatment under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). Materials and Methods: Retrospective record based study of cases registered between January 2008 and December 2011, at the Amdanga TB Unit (TU), West Bengal. Results: Of the total 1,508 cases notified, 3.4% were childhood TB. Differences with adult TB were noted in the number of cases categorized as cat II and III in children (P = 0.012 and 0.000, respectively). New smear positive pulmonary TB was significantly lower (21.6%, P = 0.000), while new extra-pulmonary TB (39.2%, P = 0.000) was significantly higher in children. Smear negative cases comprised 7.8 and 11.4% of the childhood and adult cases of TB, respectively. Retreatment cases were significantly higher in adults (P = 0.012). Among the registered new smear positive cases, the differences in favourable and adverse outcomes did not have a significant statistical difference (P = .100). Childhood TB was not a significant risk factor for adverse outcome following treatment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28–2.32). Conclusions: The registration of childhood TB under the RNTCP in the TU was low. There were differences in the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of TB among children and adults. Childhood TB was not a significant predictor of adverse treatment following treatment.
Efficient liver-directed gene transfer by in situ generation of retroviral vector from adenoviral templates.

UNLABELLED To improve liver-directed retroviral-mediated gene transfer, we injected C57/BL10 mice intravenously with three adenoviral vectors encoding retroviral vector genome and structural components: AdGagPol expressing the respective structural genes of Moloney murine leukaemia virus, Ad10A1Env expressing the 10A1 envelope protein of 10A1-MuLV, and AdLEIN, encoding the LEIN retrovirus genome, expressing green fluorescence protein (eGFP) and the neomycin resistance gene. MATERIALS AND METHODS The extent of eGFP expression was determined after 1 and 15 weeks by fluorescence microscopy and FACS analysis. Proviral integration was determined by a novel PCR-based technique. RESULTS Hepatocytes infected with all three Ad vectors generated LEIN retrovirus after one week and in situ transduction of neighbouring cells resulted in stable proviral integration associated with eGFP expression ranging from 4.3% to 20.5% in different liver cell populations 15 weeks post-infection. CONCLUSION Hybrid adeno-retroviral vectors can be efficiently used to improve the efficiency of retroviral-mediated gene transfer to the liver.