Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Neighborhood Energy Balance Equation: Does Neighborhood Food Retail Environment + Physical Activity Environment = Obesity? The CARDIA Study

Background Recent obesity prevention initiatives focus on healthy neighborhood design, but most research examines neighborhood food retail and physical activity (PA) environments in isolation. We estimated joint, interactive, and cumulative impacts of neighborhood food retail and PA environment characteristics on body mass index (BMI) throughout early adulthood. Methods and Findings We used cohort data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study [n=4,092; Year 7 (24-42 years, 1992-1993) followed over 5 exams through Year 25 (2010-2011); 12,921 person-exam observations], with linked time-varying geographic information system-derived neighborhood environment measures. Using regression with fixed effects for individuals, we modeled time-lagged BMI as a function of food and PA resource density (counts per population) and neighborhood development intensity (a composite density score). We controlled for neighborhood poverty, individual-level sociodemographics, and BMI in the prior exam; and included significant interactions between neighborhood measures and by sex. Using model coefficients, we simulated BMI reductions in response to single and combined neighborhood improvements. Simulated increase in supermarket density (from 25th to 75th percentile) predicted inter-exam reduction in BMI of 0.09 kg/m2 [estimate (95% CI): -0.09 (-0.16, -0.02)]. Increasing commercial PA facility density predicted BMI reductions up to 0.22 kg/m2 in men, with variation across other neighborhood features [estimate (95% CI) range: -0.14 (-0.29, 0.01) to -0.22 (-0.37, -0.08)]. Simultaneous increases in supermarket and commercial PA facility density predicted inter-exam BMI reductions up to 0.31 kg/m2 in men [estimate (95% CI) range: -0.23 (-0.39, -0.06) to -0.31 (-0.47, -0.15)] but not women. Reduced fast food restaurant and convenience store density and increased public PA facility density and neighborhood development intensity did not predict reductions in BMI. Conclusions Findings suggest that improvements in neighborhood food retail or PA environments may accumulate to reduce BMI, but some neighborhood changes may be less beneficial to women.
Metal-organic conjugated microporous polymers.

Zwei vielseitige Strategien fur die Herstellung von Metall-organischen konjugierten mikroporosen Polymeren (MO-CMPs) mit Metallen wie Rhenium, Rhodium und Iridium werden beschrieben (siehe Beispiel). Diese Materialien vereinen in sich zwei Merkmale: eine ausgedehnte, unterbrechungsfreie elektronische Konjugation und das Vorhandensein katalytisch aktiver Metallzentren
Enhanced isolation of lymphoid cells from human skin

Studying skin immune cells under various pathophysiological conditions is vital for understanding the nature of cutaneous inflammatory responses. Available methods of isolating cells from the skin have relatively low yield or require in vitro culture. To increase the effective isolation of skin immune cells, we used collagenase P treatment. The number of T cells obtained ex vivo using this technique was dramatically greater than that obtained with conventional methods, without the need for long‐term culture. The phenotype and function of isolated cells were comparable with those of cells isolated by EDTA treatment. Collagenase P‐based methods will enhance the ability to investigate lymphoid cell function in both healthy and diseased skin.
Classification of Actinobacillus spp isolates from horses involved in mare reproductive loss syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To identify Actinobacillus spp isolates recovered from fetuses and pericardial fluid from horses affected with mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) and determine whether these bacterial species are the same as those isolated from clinically normal horses. SAMPLE POPULATION Isolates of actinobacilli recovered from 18 horses with pericarditis and 109 fetuses aborted by mares affected by MRLS. Procedures-Actinobacillus spp isolates were identified to the level of species or subspecies by use of conventional phenotypic tests and biochemical and enzyme test kits. The 16S rRNA gene from selected isolates was amplified, purified, and sequenced. Sequence data were compared with sequence data for actinobacilli in GenBank. RESULTS Of the 109 isolates obtained from fetuses, 14 were Actinobacillus equuli subsp equuli, 65 were A equuli subsp haemolyticus, 28 were Bisgaard taxon 10-like bacterium, and 2 were Actinobacillus genomospecies 1. Of the 18 isolates from horses with pericarditis, 4 were A equuli subsp equuli, 13 were A equuli subsp haemolyticus, and 1 was Bisgaard taxon 10-like bacterium. Comparisons with published data and GenBank data revealed that the isolates recovered from horses with MRLS were the same as those isolated from the oral cavity or alimentary tract of healthy horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Actinobacillus spp isolates recovered from fetuses and pericardial fluid samples of horses affected by MRLS in 2001 to 2003 were identical to Actinobacillus spp found in the oral cavity and alimentary tracts of healthy horses.
Quasi-experimental Study of the Effectiveness of an Integrated Service Delivery Network for the Frail Elderly*

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a new, integrated service delivery (ISD) network of health and social services for frail elderly living in a semi-urban community. A quasi-experimental study was conducted from 1997 to 2000, with measures taken before implementation (T0) and every 12 months after implementation for a 3-year period (T1, T2, T3); 482 people aged 75 years or older from 2 communities, 272 in the experimental and 210 in the control group, were followed. Analyses were conducted using parametric and non-parametric statistics, a generalized linear model, and Cox regression for survival analysis. A declining trend in institutionalization was observed and the desire to be institutionalized was lower in the study group. When absence of deterioration on follow-up was analysed in terms of the level of autonomy, the ISD network produced positive effects on the frailer clientele at T1, effects that tended to be maintained at T2. In regard to caregivers' burden, the ISD network seemed to have been effective, with caregivers' burden being less at T1 and T2. The ISD network did not have a marked effect on the utilization of services. The ISD network did, in fact, produce some effects that should be seen as important for the elderly population. RÉSUMÉ L'objectif de cette étude vise à évaluer l'efficacité d'un nouveau réseau de services intégré (RSI) pour les personnes âgées vulnérables en milieu semi-urbain. Une étude quasi-expérimentale avec mesures avant (T0) et après à chaque 12 mois (T1, T2, T3), de 1997 à 2000; auprès d'une cohorte initiale de 482 personnes dont 272 dans le groupe expérimental et 210 dans le groupe témoin. Les analyses ont été faites en employant des tests statistiques paramétriques et non-paramétriques, modèle linéaire généralisé et régression de Cox pour les analyses de survie. Une tendance à la baisse de l'hébergement a été observée et le désir d'être hébergé était plus faible dans le groupe expérimental. Quand le suivi sans détérioration était analysé en fonction de l'autonomie, le RSI avait des effets positifs à T1 et qui tendaient à se maintenir à T2 chez les personnes en plus grande perte d'autonomie. Le fardeau des aidants était moindre à T1 et T2 dans le groupe expérimental. Le RSI a eu peu d'effet sur l'utilisation des services de santé. Le RSI a effectivement produit des effets jugés importants pour une population âgée.
Coarse and fine root respiration in aspen (Populus tremuloides).

Coarse and fine root respiration rates of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were measured at 5, 15 and 25 degrees C. Coarse roots ranged from 0.65 to 4.45 cm in diameter, whereas fine roots were less than 5 mm in diameter. To discriminate between maintenance and growth respiration, root respiration rates were measured during aboveground growing periods and dormant periods. An additional measurement of coarse root respiration was made during spring leaf flush, to evaluate the effect of mobilization of resources for leaf expansion on root respiration. Fine roots respired at much higher rates than coarse roots, with a mean rate at 15 degrees C of 1290 micromol CO2 m-3 s-1 during the growing period, and 660 micromol CO2 m-3 s-1 during the dormant period. The temperature response of fine root respiration rate was nonlinear: mean Q10 was 3.90 for measurements made at 5-15 degrees C and 2.19 for measurements made at 15-25 degrees C. Coarse root respiration rates measured at 15 degrees C in late fall (dormant season) were higher (370 micromol CO2 m-3 s-1) than rates from roots collected at leaf flush and early summer (200 micromol CO2 m-3 s-1). The higher respiration rates in late fall, which were accompanied by decreased total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) concentrations, suggest that respiration rates in late fall included growth expenditures, reflecting recent radial growth. Neither bud flush nor shoot growth of the trees caused an increase in coarse root respiration or a decrease in TNC concentrations, suggesting a limited role of coarse roots as reserve storage organs for spring shoot growth, and a lack of synchronization between above- and belowground growth. Pooling the data from the coarse and fine roots showed a positive correlation between nitrogen concentration and respiration rate.
Benefits of social vs. non-social feedback on learning and generosity. Results from the Tipping Game

Although much work has recently been directed at understanding social decision-making, relatively little is known about how different types of feedback impact adaptive changes in social behavior. To address this issue quantitatively, we designed a novel associative learning task called the “Tipping Game,” in which participants had to learn a social norm of tipping in restaurants. Participants were found to make more generous decisions from feedback in the form of facial expressions, in comparison to feedback in the form of symbols such as ticks and crosses. Furthermore, more participants displayed learning in the condition where they received social feedback than participants in the non-social condition. Modeling results showed that the pattern of performance displayed by participants receiving social feedback could be explained by a lower sensitivity to economic costs.
Defining noninterference in the temporal logic of actions

Covert channels are a critical concern for multilevel secure (MLS) systems. Due to their subtlety, it is desirable to use formal methods to analyze MLS systems for the presence of covert channels. This paper describes an approach for using Abadi & Lamport's (1993) temporal logic of actions (TLA) to specify noninterference properties. In addition to providing a more intuitive definition of noninterference than previous attempts, this approach also supports the analysis of systems that do contain covert channels to demonstrate limitations on their exploitations. In relating the definition of noninterference given in this paper to prior definitions of noninterference, this paper discusses ways in which other definitions of noninterference can be formalized in TLA, too. Finally, this paper discusses how prior work on specification refinement and composition might be applied to the noninterference problem within the framework provided by TLA.
Novel restraint system for neuroendocrine studies of socially living common marmoset monkeys

We describe a novel soft jacket and sling-harness restraint that permits species-typical postures for small-bodied primates, such as the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), during long-term (>6 h), continuous restraint. The restraint system is straightforward to use and manipulate, it is easily repaired, and the materials used are readily available. The soft jacket allows for increased versatility and longevity, and the sling-harness provides for greater movement and much longer duration of continuous restraint (up to 3 days) compared to a previously described, more conventional chair restraint for small-bodied primates. The new restraint system prevents the normal diurnal decrease in plasma cortisol levels across the daylight hours; however, it does not disrupt ovulatory cycles. Unlike the previously available techniques, therefore, this new restraint system is applicable to many neurobiological and neuroendocrine studies involving small-bodied, non-human primates and is especially suited to investigations requiring the maintenance of relationships within social groups.
Predictors of Overweight During Childhood in Offspring of Parents With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To study which perinatal factors affect the risk of childhood overweight in offspring with a first-degree relative (FDR) with type 1 diabetes and to determine whether maternal diabetes is an independent contributor to overweight risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data on a child's weight and height were collected at age 2, 5, and 8 years from 1,214 children participating in the prospective BABYDIAB study. All children had an FDR with type 1 diabetes, including 783 whose mothers had type 1 diabetes. Overweight was defined as BMI percentile ≥90. Data on birth size, breast-feeding, maternal age, and smoking during pregnancy were collected by questionnaires. Risk estimates were calculated by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Breastfeeding duration and birth size both contributed significantly to overweight risk at all age intervals. Full breast-feeding >4 months or any breast-feeding >6 months reduced risk of overweight (aged 8 years: odds ratio 0.3 [95% CI 0.2–0.7], P = 0.004; and 0.3 [0.1–0.6], P = 0.001). Large-for-gestational-age status increased risk of overweight (aged 8 years: 2.4 [1.4–4.3], P = 0.002). Importantly, no evidence was found for an independent contribution of maternal type 1 diabetes to childhood overweight. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that maternal type 1 diabetes is not an independent risk factor for overweight during childhood in offspring of type 1 diabetic mothers but that factors associated with maternal type 1 diabetes, such as short breast-feeding duration and high birth size, predispose children to overweight during childhood.
Assessing Competence: The European Survey on Aging Protocol (ESAP)

Objectives: The main goal of this research project was to translate and adapt the European Survey on Ageing Protocol (ESAP) to 7 European countries/cultures. This article presents preliminary results from the ESAP, the basic assessment instrument of EXCELSA (European Longitudinal Study of Aging). Methods: 672 individuals aged 30–85, selected through quota sampling (by age, gender, education and living conditions), participated in this study, with 96 subjects from each of the 7 European countries. The basic research protocol for assessing competence and its determinants was designed to be administered in a 90-min in-home face-to-face interview. It contains a series of questions, instruments, scales and physical tests assessing social relationships and caregiving, mental abilities, well-being, personality, mastery and perceived control, self-reported health, lifestyles, anthropometry, biobehavioral measures and sociodemographic variables. Results: 84% of ESAP measures are age-dependent and 75% of them discriminate between education levels. Minor differences were found due to gender, and between people living in rural and urban areas. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 10 factors accounting for 67.85% of total variance, one of which was identified as cognitive and physical ‘competence’. This factorial structure was tested across countries through concordance coefficients. Finally, using structural equation modeling, our data were fitted into a model of competence. When the sample was split into younger groups (aged 30–49 years) and older ones (50 and more years), the same model was appropriate for our data. Discussion: The results are discussed in accordance with other findings on psychosocial, biophysical and sociodemographic components of competence, and also in accordance with theories on competence and successful aging.
Serum Adhesion Molecule Levels as Prognostic Markers in Patients with Early Systemic Sclerosis: A Multicentre, Prospective, Observational Study

Objective To assess the utility of circulating adhesion molecule levels as a prognostic indicator of disease progression in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with early onset disease. Methods Ninety-two Japanese patients with early onset SSc presenting with diffuse skin sclerosis and/or interstitial lung disease were registered in a multicentre, observational study. Concentrations of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) −1, E-selectin, L-selectin, and P-selectin in serum samples from all patients were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent asssay (ELISA). In 39 patients, adhesion molecule levels were measured each year for four years. The ability of baseline adhesion molecule levels to predict subsequent progression and severity in clinical and laboratory features were evaluated statistically. Results At their first visit, serum levels of ICAM-1, E-selection, P-selectin were significantly elevated and serum L-selectin levels were significantly reduced in patients with SSc compared with healthy controls. Overall, serum ICAM-1 levels at each time point were significantly inversely associated with the %vital capacity (VC) of the same time and subsequent years by univariate analysis. The initial serum ICAM-1 levels were significantly inversely associated with the %VC at the fourth year by multiple regression analysis. The initial serum P-selectin levels were significantly associated with the health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) at the fourth year by multiple regression analysis. Initial adhesion molecule levels were not significantly associated with other clinical features including skin thickness score. Baseline adhesion molecule levels were not significantly associated with subsequent rate of change of clinical parameters. Conclusion In patients with SSc, serum levels of ICAM-1 and P-selectin may serve as prognostic indicators of respiratory dysfunction and physical disability, respectively. Further longitudinal studies of larger populations are needed to confirm these findings.
IEW Non-surgical management of tooth hypersensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is a common complaint of patients in dental practices. Studies have demonstrated dentinal hypersensitivity to affect 10–30% of the population. There are various potential causes of tooth sensitivity and a variety of available treatment options. This narrative review will discuss the possible aetiology of this condition, as well as the treatment modalities available. A tailor-made treatment plan that starts with the most non-invasive treatment options and escalates only when those options have proven insufficient in alleviating symptoms should be provided for each patient. Only after all nonand less-invasive methods have failed to reduce the symptoms should more invasive treatment options, such as root-coverage, be considered.
Vector Quantization Approach for Speaker Recognition using MFCC and Inverted MFCC

Front-end or feature extractor is the first component in an automatic speaker recognition system. Feature extraction transforms the raw speech signal into a compact but effective representation that is more stable and discriminative than the original signal. Since the front-end is the first component in the chain, the quality of the later components (speaker modeling and pattern matching) is strongly determined by the quality of the front-end. In other words, classification can be at most as accurate as the features. Over the years, MelFrequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) modeled on the human auditory system has been used as a standard acoustic feature set for speech related applications. In this paper it has been shown that the inverted Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients is one of the performance enhancement parameters for speaker recognition, which contains high frequency region complementary information in it. This paper introduces the Gaussian shaped filter (GF) while calculation MFCC and inverted MFCC in place of traditional triangular shaped bins. The main idea is to introduce a higher amount of correlation between subband outputs. The performance of both MFCC and inverted MFCC improve with GF over traditional triangular filter (TF) based implementation, individually as well as in combination. In this study the Vector Quantization (VQ) feature matching technique was used, due to high accuracy and its simplicity. The proposed investigation achieved 98.57% of efficiency with a very short test voice sample 2 seconds.
Field evaluation of an avian risk assessment model

We conducted two laboratory subacute dietary toxicity tests and one outdoor subacute dietary toxicity test to determine the effectiveness of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's deterministic risk assessment model for evaluating the potential of adverse effects to birds in the field. We tested technical‐grade diazinon and its D·Z·N® 50W (50% diazinon active ingredient wettable powder) formulation on Canada goose (Branta canadensis) goslings. Brain acetylcholinesterase activity was measured, and the feathers and skin, feet, and gastrointestinal contents were analyzed for diazinon residues. The dose–response curves showed that diazinon was significantly more toxic to goslings in the outdoor test than in the laboratory tests. The deterministic risk assessment method identified the potential for risk to birds in general, but the factors associated with extrapolating from the laboratory to the field, and from the laboratory test species to other species, resulted in the underestimation of risk to the goslings. The present study indicates that laboratory‐based risk quotients should be interpreted with caution.
Spatial–Temporal Changes of Water Resources in a Typical Semiarid Basin of North China over the Past 50 Years and Assessment of Possible Natural and Socioeconomic Causes

AbstractHydrological processes in most semiarid regions on Earth have been changing under the impacts of climate change, human activities, or combinations of the two. This paper first presents a trend analysis of the spatiotemporal changes in water resources and then diagnoses their underlying atmospheric and socioeconomic causes over 10 catchments in the Laoha basin, a typical semiarid zone of northeast China. The impacts of climate variability and human activities on streamflow change were quantitatively evaluated by the VIC (Variable Infiltration Capacity) model. First, results indicate that six out of the 10 studied catchments have statistically significant downward trends in annual streamflow; however, there is no significant change of annual precipitation for all catchments. Two abrupt changes of annual streamflow at 1979 and 1998 are identified for the four largest catchments. Second, the Laoha basin generally experienced three evident dry–wet pattern switches during the past 50 years. Furthermore,.