Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study on Nutritional Status and Body Composition of Urban and Rural Schoolchildren from Brandsen District (Argentina)

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether nutritional status and body composition varies according to the environment of residence (urban or rural) of children in the Brandsen district (Argentina). Weight, height, arm circumference and tricipital and subscapular skinfolds were performed in 1368 schoolchildren aged 3 to 14. NHANES III reference was used to estimate nutritional status -underweight, stunting, wasting, overweight, and obesity- and to evaluate body composition -deficit and excess of adipose (DA, EA) and muscular (DM, EM) tissues of the arm-. Central fat distribution (CFD) was estimated using the subscapular-tricipital index. A structured questionnaire was implemented to evaluate socio-environmental characteristics. Nutritional categories based on body size and body composition were compared between urban and rural areas of residence using Chi-squared tests (χ2). The results indicated for the total sample: 1.1% underweight, 6.9% stunting, 0.4% wasting, 12.1% overweight, 9.7% obesity, 22.0% DM, 2.5% EM, 0.1% DA, 17.6% EA, and 8.5% CFD. Significant differences between urban and rural areas were found only for CFD. The socio-environmental analysis showed that while access to public services and housing quality was significantly better in the urban area, a considerable number of city households lived under deficient conditions, lacked health insurance and had low socioeconomic level. Fifty-three percent of the undernourished children had DM without urban-rural significant differences, and none of them showed DA. In the overweight plus obesity group, 62.8% presented EA, 6.4% EM, 4.7% DM, and 22.8% CFD. The highest percentages of DM and CFD were recorded in rural areas (p = 0.00). We conclude that the child population shows the “double burden” of malnutrition. The environment of residence does not promote any differentiation in the nutritional status. Nevertheless, the increment of central adiposity and, in some cases of muscle deficit in rural children, suggests a consumption of unbalanced diet.
Electroproduction of longitudinally polarized vector mesons

It is reported on an analysis of electroproduction of light vector mesons at small Bjorken-x within the handbag approach. The partonic subprocesses, meson electroproduction off quarks or gluons, are calculated within the modified perturbative approach in which quark transverse momenta are retained. The soft hadronic matrix elements, generalized parton distributions, are constructed from the CTEQ6 parton distribution functions by means of double distributions. The cross sections for longitudinal polarized virtual photons evaluated from this approach, are in very good agreement with experiment in a wide range of kinematics. Talk presented at the DIS2007 conference, Munich (2007)
Failure to engage hospitalized elderly patients and their families in advance care planning.

IMPORTANCE Advance care planning can improve patient-centered care and potentially reduce intensification of care at the end of life. OBJECTIVES To inquire about patients' advance care planning activities before hospitalization and preferences for care from the perspectives of patients and family members, as well as to measure real-time concordance between expressed preferences for care and documentation of those preferences in the medical record. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Twelve acute care hospitals in Canada. PARTICIPANTS Elderly patients who were at high risk of dying in the next 6 months and their family members. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Responses to an in-person administered questionnaire and concordance of expressed preferences and orders of care documented in the medical record. RESULTS Of 513 patients and 366 family members approached, 278 patients (54.2%) and 225 family members (61.5%) consented to participate. The mean ages of patients and family members were 80.0 and 60.8 years, respectively. Before hospitalization, most patients (76.3%) had thought about end-of-life (EOL) care, and only 11.9% preferred life-prolonging care; 47.9% of patients had completed an advance care plan, and 73.3% had formally named a surrogate decision maker for health care. Of patients who had discussed their wishes, only 30.3% had done so with the family physician and 55.3% with any member of the health care team. Agreement between patients' expressed preferences for EOL care and documentation in the medical record was 30.2%. Family members' perspectives were similar to those of patients. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Many elderly patients at high risk of dying and their family members have expressed preferences for medical treatments at the EOL. However, communication with health care professionals and documentation of these preferences remains inadequate. Efforts to reduce this significant medical error of omission are warranted.
Should Rehabilitation Specialists Use External Focus Instructions When Motor Learning Is Fostered? A Systematic Review

According to the Constrained Action Hypothesis, motor learning is believed to be more efficient when an external focus (EF) of motor control is given to the performer instead of an internal focus (IF) of motor control. This systematic review investigated whether findings of studies focusing on the Constrained Action Hypothesis may be transferred to rehabilitation settings by assessing the methodological quality and risk of bias (ROB) of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Of the 18 selected reports representing 20 RCTs, the methodological quality was rather low, and the majority of the reports appeared to have a high ROB. The 18 reports included 68 patients tested in a rehabilitation setting and 725 healthy participants. The time scale of the motor learning processes presented in the selected articles was heterogenic. The results of this systematic review indicate that the assumption that an external focus of control is to be preferred during motor learning processes is not sufficiently substantiated. The level of available evidence is not large enough to warrant transfer to patient populations (including children and the elderly) and raises doubts about research with healthy individuals. This implies that based on the methodology used so far, there seems to be insufficient evidence for the superiority of an external focus of control, neither in healthy individuals nor in clinical populations. The relationship between EF instructions and motor learning research and its
DEVELOPING VOCABULARY MASTERY THROUGH WORD ASSOCIATION BY THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF SMP MUHAMMADIYAH AL AMIN SORONG

AbstractThis research was conducted with the aim of proving that teaching English through word association can develop the vocabulary of the second year students of SMP Muhammadiyah Al Amin Sorong. The sample of the research was 31 students in VIII A class at SMP Muhammadiyah Al Amin Sorong. In collecting the data he used tests (Pre-test and Post-test). The research applied pre-test and post-test one group design. The instrument of data collection was a test. The data analyzed statistically. The result of the data analysis has shown that there was a significant difference between the results of pre-test and post-test. It was proved through the testing hypothesis, i.e. applying 0.05 level significance with 30 (31-1) the degree of freedom (df), the researcher found that t-test (7.3) was greater than the value of the t-table (1.697). In conclusion, the word association was effective to be used in teaching English Vocabulary.
Artificial Intelligence An interactive system for finding complementary literatures : a stimulus to scientific discovery

An unintended consequence of specialization in science is poor communication across specialties. Information developed in one area of research may be of value in another without anyone becoming aware of the fact. We describe and evaluate interactive software and database search strategies that facilitate the discovery of previously unknown cross specialty information of scientific interest. The user begins by searching MEDLINE for article titles that identify a problem or topic of interest. From downloaded titles the software constructs input for additional database searches and produces a series of heuristic aids that help the user select a second set of articles complementary to the first set and from a different area of research. The two sets are complementary if together they can reveal new useful information that cannot be inferred from either set alone. The software output further helps the user identify the new information and derive from it a novel testable hypothesis. We report several successful tests and applications of the system.
A first-order statistical method for channel estimation

Multipath is a major impairment in a wireless communications environment, and channel estimation algorithms are of interest. We propose a superimposed periodic pilot scheme for finite-impulse response (FIR) channel estimation. A simple first-order statistic is used, and any FIR channel can be estimated. There is no loss of information rate but a controllable increase in transmission power. We derive the variance expression of our linear channel estimate and compare with the Cramer-Rao bound. Numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Peer relationships and friendships: Perspectives from Pupils and Staff at a Secondary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)

There has been much research suggesting that peer relationships and friendships become increasingly important in adolescence and that they usually play a beneficial role in young people’s lives. Although there has been some exploration of the views of excluded young people in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), little research has focused on their experiences with their peers during their time at the PRU, including whether they maintain friendships with their friends in mainstream school. The current study aimed to explore these experiences from the views of young people excluded from mainstream school and attending a secondary PRU in an inner London borough. Underpinned by Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystemic model, this study also aimed to gain the perspectives of staff at the PRU to explore their views regarding the peer relationships of pupils at the PRU, thereby attempting to gather a broader understanding of the microsystem of the PRU setting. The study employed the qualitative method of interviewing and semi-structured interview schedules were used. Participants included twelve pupils (four female and eight male participants) ranging from Year 9-11 who had been permanently excluded from mainstream secondary school. Eleven members of staff at the PRU were also interviewed and this sample consisted of six teachers and five learning assistants. A thematic analysis was carried out and various main themes and sub-themes emerged for both group of participants. Drawing from the pupils’ results, themes included facilitators and barriers to peer acceptance and factors that contributed to friendships. Themes that emerged from staff interviews included the features of peer relationships amongst pupils and what factors staff perceived to affect the peer relationships of these pupils. Results are discussed in light of the existing literature, with the limitations of the current study considered. Future research and implications for Educational Psychologists and other professionals are consequently reflected upon.
Submicroscopic Deletions of Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Gene (IGH) in Precursor B Lymphoblastic Leukemia with IGH Rearrangements

Translocations leading to fusions between the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGH) and various partner genes have been reported in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, submicroscopic deletions within IGH in B-ALL have not been rigorously assessed. In this study, we investigated characteristics of IGH submicroscopic deletions, by FISH, in B-ALL with IGH rearrangements. FISH was performed by using commercially available IGH dual-color break-apart rearrangement probes (Abbott/Vysis, Downers Grove, IL, USA; Kreatech, Amsterdam, Netherlands). The study group included seven B-ALL patients with IGH rearrangements, observed by FISH. Among them, two exhibited deletion of the 5' variable region of IGH by FISH. The B-ALL in these two patients included two kinds of abnormal cells; one had an IGH rearrangement without any IGH submicroscopic deletion, while the other had an IGH submicroscopic deletion, which showed that one normal fusion signal and one 3' IGH signal were detected. Thus, submicroscopic deletion of the IGH 5' variable region may have occurred in either the native or rearranged chromosome 14. These findings indicate that B-ALL with IGH rearrangements may be accompanied by submicroscopic deletions of the IGH 5' variable region, which can be detected by FISH. The clinical significance of such deletions is unclear, but the loss of part of the IGH gene in B-ALL warrants further study.
Morphogenesis, Adhesive Properties, and Antifungal Resistance Depend on the Pmt6 Protein Mannosyltransferase in the Fungal Pathogen Candida albicans

ABSTRACT Protein mannosyltransferases (Pmt proteins) initiate O glycosylation of secreted proteins in fungi. We have characterizedPMT6, which encodes the second Pmt protein of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. The residues of Pmt6p are 21 and 42% identical to those of C. albicans Pmt1p and S. cerevisiae Pmt6p, respectively. Mutants lacking one or twoPMT6 alleles grow normally and contain normal Pmt enzymatic activities in cell extracts but show phenotypes including a partial block of hyphal formation (dimorphism) and a supersensitivity to hygromycin B. The morphogenetic defect can be suppressed by overproduction of known components of signaling pathways, including Cek1p, Cph1p, Tpk2p, and Efg1p, suggesting a specific Pmt6p target protein upstream of these components. Mutants lacking bothPMT1 and PMT6 are viable and showpmt1 mutant phenotypes and an additional sensitivity to the iron chelator ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). The lack of Pmt6p significantly reduces adherence to endothelial cells and overall virulence in a mouse model of systemic infection. The results suggest that Pmt6p regulates a more narrow subclass of proteins in C. albicans than Pmt1p, including secreted proteins responsible for morphogenesis and antifungal sensitivities.
A High-Temperature Embedded Network Interface using Software Thread Integration

This document describes an experimental implementation of a communication network protocol bridge for a high-temperature (200° C / 392° F) application. The software uses a novel compilation technique called Software Thread Integration (STI) to interleave multiple real-time program threads for efficient concurrent execution, allowing an off-the-shelf, high-temperature, low-speed 8 bit microcontroller to translate messages between a CAN bus and a serial UART data link. The prototype system, which has been buil t and tested, demonstrates the feasibility of using STI in real-world applications. STI provides the techniques needed to automate the tedious hand-scheduling of time-sensitive code from multiple simultaneous threads so common in cost-driven microcontroller-based applications.
Adaptive control for UAVs equipped with a robotic arm

Abstract This paper deals with the trajectory tracking control for quadrotor aerial vehicles equipped with a robotic manipulator. The proposed approach is based on a two-layer controller: in the top layer, an inverse kinematics algorithm computes the motion references for the actuated variables while in the bottom layer, an adaptive motion control algorithm is in charge of tracking the motion references. A stability analysis of the closed-loop system is developed. Finally, a simulation case study is presented to prove the effectiveness of the approach.
Chapter 2 EXPRESSION OF ERYTHROPOIETIN AND ITS RECEPTOR IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein that is produced mainly by interstitial fibroblasts in the kidney. Released into the circulation, EPO makes its way to the bone marrow where it regulates red cell production by preventing apoptosis of erythroid progenitor cells. Recently, EPO has emerged as a multifunctional growth factor that plays a significant role in the nervous system. Both EPO and its receptor are expressed throughout the brain in glial cells, neurons and endothelial cells. Brain-derived EPO is upregulated by hypoxia, and expression of both EPO and its receptor are specifically modulated during cerebral ischemia. EPO has potent neuroprotective properties in vivo and in vitro and appears to act in a dual way by directly protecting neurons from ischemic damage and by stimulating endothelial cells, and thus supporting the growth of new blood vessels. EPO eventually also modulates inflammatory responses. Thus, hypoxically upregulated EPO is a naturally self-regulated physiological protective mechanism in the mammalian brain, especially during ischemia. As EPO is also a clinically extremely well studied and tolerated compound, its use in stroke patients is tempting.
Abscisic Acid as an Internal Integrator of Multiple Physiological Processes Modulates Leaf Senescence Onset in Arabidopsis thaliana

Many studies have shown that exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) promotes leaf abscission and senescence. However, owing to a lack of genetic evidence, ABA function in plant senescence has not been clearly defined. Here, two-leaf early-senescence mutants (eas) that were screened by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and named eas1-1 and eas1-2 showed high photosynthetic capacity in the early stage of plant growth compared with the wild type. Gene mapping showed that eas1-1 and eas1-2 are two novel ABA2 allelic mutants. Under unstressed conditions, the eas1 mutations caused plant dwarf, early germination, larger stomatal apertures, and early leaf senescence compared with those of the wild type. Flow cytometry assays showed that the cell apoptosis rate in eas1 mutant leaves was higher than that of the wild type after day 30. A significant increase in the transcript levels of several senescence-associated genes, especially SAG12, was observed in eas1 mutant plants in the early stage of plant growth. More importantly, ABA-activated calcium channel activity in plasma membrane and induced the increase of cytoplasmic calcium concentration in guard cells are suppressed due to the mutation of EAS1. In contrast, the eas1 mutants lost chlorophyll and ion leakage significant faster than in the wild type under treatment with calcium channel blocker. Hence, our results indicate that endogenous ABA level is an important factor controlling the onset of leaf senescence through Ca2+ signaling.
Evidence for winding states in noncommutative quantum field theory

We study noncommutative field theories at finite temperature to learn more about the degrees of freedom in the non-planar sector of these systems. We find evidence for winding states. At temperatures for which the thermal wavelength is smaller than the noncommutativity scale, there is a drastic reduction of the degrees of freedom in the non-planar sector. In this regime, the non-planar sector has thermodynamics resembling that of a 1+1 dimensional field theory.
The Value of “Dialogue Events” as Sites of Learning: An exploration of research and evaluation frameworks

In the past five years, informal science institutions (ISIs), science communication, advocacy and citizen action groups, funding organizations, and policy‐makers in the UK and the USA have become increasingly involved in efforts to promote increased public engagement with science and technology (PEST). Such engagement is described as taking place within the context of a “new mood for dialogue” between scientific and technical experts and the public. Mechanisms to increase PEST have taken a number of forms. One of the most visible features of this shift towards PEST in ISIs is the organization and staging of adult‐focused, face‐to‐face forums that bring scientific and technical experts, social scientists, and policy‐makers into discussion with members of the public about contemporary scientific and socioscientific issues related to the development and application of science and technology. A significant aspect of the literature on efforts to increase PEST has focused on the development of a unifying evaluative framework for determining what counts as success for PEST mechanisms, and how success (or lack thereof) can be empirically measured. In this article, we draw from our experiences as UK‐based and US‐based “dialogue event” practitioners and researchers/evaluators to suggest that these existing evaluative criteria are insufficient to explore the role and value of ISI‐based “dialogue events. ” Instead, we suggest that it may be productive to research and evaluate these ISI‐based “dialogue events” as sites of learning. Secondly, however, we show through a discussion of our own research frameworks that understanding these “dialogue events” as sites of learning does not intuitively provide a framework for understanding what counts as success for these efforts. Instead, research on the role of “dialogue” within the educational literature—and the connections between “dialogue” and competing understandings of the nature of science and society—offers a multiplicity of approaches to defining the terms and goals of these events. Finally, we identify two broader implications of researching and evaluating these “dialogue events” as sites of learning for ISIs and all efforts to increase PEST.
Self-organization of Spatio-temporal Earthquake Clusters Camera-ready Copy for Self-organization of Spatio-temporal Earthquake Clusters

Cellular automaton versions of the Burridge-Knopoo model have been shown to reproduce the power law distribution of event sizes; that is, the Gutenberg-Richter law. However, they have failed to reproduce the occurrence of foreshock and aftershock sequences correlated with large earthquakes. We show that in the case of partial stress recovery due to transient creep occurring subsequently to earthquakes in the crust, such spring-block systems self-organize into a statistically stationary state characterized by a power law distribution of fracture sizes as well as by foreshocks and aftershocks accompanying large events. In particular, the increase of foreshock and the decrease of aftershock activity can be described by, aside from a prefactor, the same Omori law. The exponent of the Omori law depends on the relaxation time and on the spatial scale of transient creep. Further investigations concerning the number of after-shocks, the temporal variation of aftershock magnitudes, and the waiting time distribution support the conclusion that this model, even \more realistic" physics is missed, captures in some ways the origin of the size distribution as well as spatio-temporal clustering of earthquakes.