Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Unequal Is the United States? Adolescents' Images of Social Stratification.

This study highlights the use of pictorial images to understand adolescents' views on social stratification. A continuum of five visual images of social stratification were presented to a diverse sample of five hundred ninety-eight 8th-12th graders (14-18 years old). Adolescents selected which image best represented the United States (today, in 20 years, how it ought to be). Images ranged from inequitable to egalitarian. Results supported reference group and possible selves theories. Adolescents in higher status families chose a more egalitarian image for how the United States is today and how it ought to be. African Americans considered the United States today more unequal. Differences in adolescents' commitment to an egalitarian ideal depended on their reactions to inequality and their beliefs about government responsiveness, bolstering the measure's validity.
Optimization of multipollutant air quality management strategies: A case study for five cities in the United States

Developing regional air quality management strategies is a difficult task because formation of air pollutants is interdependent and air quality at different locations may have different responses to emissions from common sources. We developed an optimization-based model, OPtimal integrated Emission Reduction Alternatives (OPERA), which allows for identifications of least-cost control strategies for attaining multipollutant air quality targets at multiple locations simultaneously. To implement OPERA, first, sensitivities of air quality to precursor emission changes are quantified. Second, cost functions of emission reductions are estimated using a cost analysis tool that includes a pool of available control measures. The third step is to determine desired reductions in concentrations of air pollutants. The last step is to identify the optimal control strategies by minimizing costs of emission controls using the sensitivities of air pollutants to emission changes, cost functions, and constraints for feasible emission reduction ratios. A case study that investigates ozone and PM2.5 air quality in the summer of 2007 for five major cities in the eastern United States is presented in this paper. The results of the OPERA calculations show that reductions in regional NOx and VOC as well as local primary PM2.5 emissions were more cost-effective than SO2 controls for decreasing ozone and total PM2.5 concentrations in the summer of 2007. This was because reductions in SO2 emissions would only decrease PM2.5 concentrations, and reductions in primary PM2.5 emissions were more cost-effective than SO2 emission controls. Implications: We developed an optimization-based model, OPtimal integrated Emission Reduction Alternatives (OPERA), which allows for identification of least-cost emission control strategies for attaining multipollutant air quality targets at multiple locations simultaneously. A major strength of OPERA is its flexibility, which allows for changes in air quality regulations, involving agencies, study regions, and so on, to be readily incorporated. Overall, it has been demonstrated that OPERA is useful in developing least-cost emission control strategies for achieving multipollutant air quality targets at multiple locations simultaneously and could be useful for policymakers developing integrated air quality management plans.
Effect of microbial phytase and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol on dietary copper utilization in chicks.

Bile Cu accumulation in Cu-depleted chicks fed Cu concentrations between . 56 and 1.56 mg Cu/kg (0, .5, or 1 mg supplemental Cu/kg) was used to investigate the effect of microbial phytase at 600 U/kg and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] at 10 micrograms/kg on Cu bioavailability from dehulled soybean meal (SBM) and cottonseed meal (CSM). The bioavailability of Cu (relative to CuSO4.5H2O, which was set at 100%) in SBM and CSM was 43 and 39%, respectively. Phytase addition (600 U/kg diet) decreased Cu bioavailability in SBM to 21%, but did not affect that in CSM (34%). Copper bioavailability in SBM was not affected by addition of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (10 micrograms/kg diet), but that in CSM was nearly doubled by 1,25-(OH)2D3 supplementation.
Bioavailability of the Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) from wheat straw and chaff in pigs

Fusarium infections do not only affect the grain, but also the rest of the plant, which result in contamination of plants with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). The bioavailability of DON may be influenced by the matrix due to the differences in nutrient composition between grain and straw, particularly the high fibre component in straw. The experiment was carried out by exposing 18 male castrated pigs (30–40 kg live weight) with a single dose of DON from wheat grain, straw and chaff in the diet. The courses of DON serum concentrations were evaluated using toxicokinetic methods. The absorption of DON was not influenced by the source of DON. The invasion half-life of DON from grain, straw and chaff amounted to 0.76, 0.77 and 0.48 h, respectively, and were not significantly different. The elimination of DON was also not affected by the DON source. The bioavailability of DON, calculated by the dose corrected area under the curve of the serum-DON-concentrations, amounted to 81.9, 87.3 and 109.8% for straw, grain and chaff, respectively, without significant differences. Thus, the uptake of DON from straw may contribute comparably to the overall exposure of animals.
Endosomal Rab cycles regulate Parkin-mediated mitophagy

Damaged mitochondria are selectively eliminated by mitophagy. Parkin and PINK1, gene products mutated in familial Parkinson’s disease, play essential roles in mitophagy through ubiquitination of mitochondria. Cargo ubiquitination by E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin is important to trigger selective autophagy. Although autophagy receptors recruit LC3-labeled autophagic membranes onto damaged mitochondria, how other essential autophagy units such as ATG9A-integrated vesicles are recruited remains unclear. Here, using mammalian cultured cells, we demonstrate that RABGEF1, the upstream factor of the endosomal Rab GTPase cascade, is recruited to damaged mitochondria via ubiquitin binding downstream of Parkin. RABGEF1 directs the downstream Rab proteins, RAB5 and RAB7A, to damaged mitochondria, whose associations are further regulated by mitochondrial Rab-GAPs. Furthermore, depletion of RAB7A inhibited ATG9A vesicle assembly and subsequent encapsulation of the mitochondria by autophagic membranes. These results strongly suggest that endosomal Rab cycles on damaged mitochondria are a crucial regulator of mitophagy through assembling ATG9A vesicles.
Post-Exercise Ingestion of Low or High Molecular Weight Glucose Polymer Solution Does Not Improve Cycle Performance in Female Athletes.

The current study sought to evaluate the effects of post-exercise ingestion of a high molecular weight glucose polymer solution (HMW) compared to an isocaloric low molecular weight solution (LMW) or placebo (PLA) on subsequent cycling performance in female athletes. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design, 10 competitive female cyclists (Mean ± SD; Age = 25.7 ± 5.0 yrs; VO2peak = 49.7 ± 4.3 ml[BULLET OPERATOR]kg[BULLET OPERATOR]min) completed three testing sessions separated by 7-10 days. Visits consisted of a ride-to-exhaustion (RTE) at 75% VO2peak, followed by immediate consumption of 700 mL containing either: 1.2 g[BULLET OPERATOR]kg LMW (maltodextrin/dextrose/fructose); 1.2 g[BULLET OPERATOR]kg HMW (Vitargo®); or 0.066 g[BULLET OPERATOR]kg PLA (noncaloric flavoring). After 2 hours rest, participants performed a 15-minute time-trial (TT). Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was assessed via indirect calorimetry during exercise. Total body water (TBW) was measured using bioelectrical impedance to assess fluid balance. When covaried for estrogen, there was no treatment effect on distance (km; p=0.632) or power output (watts; p=0.974) during the 15-minute TT. RER was not significantly different during the LMW and HWM TTs (p>0.999), but both were significantly higher than PLA (p=0.039, p=0.001, respectively). Changes in TBW pre- to post-exercise were not significantly different between trials (p=0.777). Despite benefits of HMW on cycling performance previously reported in males, current results demonstrate no ergogenic effect of HMW or LMW in females. Sex differences in substrate utilization may account for the discrepancy, and further research involving performance nutrition for female athletes is merited.
Efficient Large-Scale Multi-Modal Classification

While the incipient internet was largely text-based, the modern digital world is becoming increasingly multi-modal. Here, we examine multi-modal classification where one modality is discrete, e.g. text, and the other is continuous, e.g. visual representations transferred from a convolutional neural network. In particular, we focus on scenarios where we have to be able to classify large quantities of data quickly. We investigate various methods for performing multi-modal fusion and analyze their trade-offs in terms of classification accuracy and computational efficiency. Our findings indicate that the inclusion of continuous information improves performance over text-only on a range of multi-modal classification tasks, even with simple fusion methods. In addition, we experiment with discretizing the continuous features in order to speed up and simplify the fusion process even further. Our results show that fusion with discretized features outperforms text-only classification, at a fraction of the computational cost of full multi-modal fusion, with the additional benefit of improved interpretability.
Diminution of aflatoxicosis in growing chickens by the dietary addition of a hydrated, sodium calcium aluminosilicate.

The amelioration of aflatoxicosis in broiler and Leghorn chickens was examined by feeding a hydrated, sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) or activated charcoal. In three experiments, HSCAS or activated charcoal at a concentration of . 5% of the total diet were incorporated into diets for broiler and Leghorn chicks containing either no added, purified aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), 7.5 mg of AFB1 per kg, or 5 mg of aflatoxin (AF) per kg (produced by Aspergillus parasiticus on rice). Compared to the controls, the AFB1 reduced BW gains at 0 to 3 wk by 21 to 38% in broilers; and the AF reduced BW gains at 0 to 4 wk in Leghorns by 20 percent. The HSCAS significantly diminished the growth-inhibitory effects of AFB1 or of AF on growing chicks by 50 to 67 percent. Feeding 5 mg of AF per kg of diet with or without charcoal to Leghorn chicks caused a significant increase in the relative weights of the liver, kidney, proventriculus, and gizzard as well as significant increases in activity of serum gamma glutamyltransferase; also, significant decreases in the relative bursa weights as well as the concentrations of serum total protein and albumin. With the exception of the relative bursa weights, the toxic effects caused by aflatoxin were prevented or were reduced by adding hydrated, sodium calcium aluminosilicate. These data suggest that HSCAS can modulate the toxicity of AFB1 and AF in the chicken; however, adding activated charcoal to the diet did not appear to have protective properties against the effects of aflatoxin B1 or of aflatoxin.
The Genetic and Environmental Effects on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Female Twins

Abstract The aim of the present study was to examine the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to depressive symptoms among older women. The participants were 102 monozygotic and 115 dizygotic female twin pairs aged 64 to 76 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for the Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The contribution of genetic and environmental effects was estimated for the constructed depressiveness factor and for the subscales which were depressed mood, psychomotor retardation, lack of wellbeing and interpersonal difficulties. Of the variance in depressiveness, shared environmental influences accounted for 39% and nonshared environmental influences 61%. For the subscales, 24% to 62% of the variance was explained by individual, and 13% to 23% by shared, environmental factors. Lack of well-being had its own moderate additive genetic effect explaining 30% of the variance. This study showed that in older women predominantly environmental factors underlay individual differences in depressiveness; however, the factors varied to some extent between dimensions measured by the subscales.
Fast convergence and reduced complexity receiver design for LDS-OFDM system

Low density signature for OFDM (LDS-OFDM) is able to achieve satisfactory performance in overloaded conditions, but the existing LDS-OFDM has the drawback of slow convergence rate for multiuser detection (MUD) and high receiver complexity. To tackle these problems, we propose a serial schedule for the iterative MUD. By doing so, the convergence rate of MUD is accelerated and the detection iterations can be decreased. Furthermore, in order to exploit the similar sparse structure of LDS-OFDM and LDPC code, we utilize LDPC codes for LDS-OFDM system. Simulations show that compared with existing LDS-OFDM, the LDPC code improves the system performance.
Variation in documented care for unhealthy alcohol consumption across race/ethnicity in the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

BACKGROUND The VA Healthcare System has made progress implementing evidence-based care for unhealthy alcohol use, but whether there are differences in care across race/ethnicity is unclear. We describe alcohol-related care for 3 racial/ethnic groups among VA outpatients with unhealthy alcohol use. METHODS This cross-sectional study utilized secondary quality improvement data collected for the VA Office of Quality and Performance (July 2006 to June 2007) to identify a sample of 9,194 black (n = 1,436), Hispanic (n = 500), and white (n = 7,258) VA outpatients who screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT-C score ≥4 men; ≥3 women). Alcohol-related care was defined as medical record documentation of brief intervention (advice or feedback) and/or referral (discussion of or scheduled). Logistic regression models estimated the prevalence of alcohol-related care among black, Hispanic, and white patients after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol use severity, other substance use, and mental health comorbidity. RESULTS Among all eligible patients, 2,903 (32%) had documented alcohol-related care. Adjusted prevalences were 35.3% (95% CI 30.0 to 40.5) for black, 27.3% (95% CI 21.1 to 33.5) for Hispanic, and 28.9% (95% CI 25.5 to 32.3) for white patients. Differences in documented alcohol-related care between all racial/ethnic groups were significant (p-values all < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Among VA patients with unhealthy alcohol use, black patients had the highest, and Hispanic the lowest, prevalence of documented alcohol-related care. Future research should evaluate contextual and system-, provider-, or patient-level factors that may attenuate racial/ethnic differences in documented alcohol-related care, as well as whether differences in documented care are associated with differences in outcomes.
Risk factors for hip fracture sites and mortality in older adults.

BACKGROUND Our study was designed to (1) investigate the risk factors associated with cervical or trochanteric hip fractures; and (2) identify the risk factors for increased mortality in the elderly population sustaining hip fractures, after adjusting the miscellaneous baseline prefracture conditions. METHODS Two hundred seventeen elder patients with first-time, low-trauma hip fractures were enrolled. The follow-up time ranged from 35 months to 56 months. Potential risk factors for hip fracture types included (1) the 77 items on the self-reported questionnaire; (2) the body height, weight, and body mass index; (3) tests of coordination, handgrip strength, and peak expiratory flow rate; and (4) the bone mineral density variables. GTFN ratio was defined as the bone mineral density ratio between the greater trochanter and the femoral neck. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression models were used for analysis. The population attributable risk proportion of death to each significant factor was estimated. RESULTS Risk factors for trochanteric fractures include a GTFN ratio ≤0.81, being male, and an age >80 years. Risk factors for higher mortality after hip fracture included trochanteric fracture, body mass index ≤20 (kg/m), poor self-assessed health status, peak expiratory flow rate ≤215 (L/min), being male, illiteracy, and coordination abnormality, in the declining order of population attributable risk proportion. Trochanteric fractures had a significantly higher cumulative mortality at 36 months, 48 months, and 60 months than cervical fractures. CONCLUSIONS The novel GTFN ratio was associated with hip fracture sites. Clinically, cervical and trochanteric fractures represent different disease entities because of the difference in their mortality rates.
Effect of semen dose, frequency of insemination, age and productivity of the male on duration and levels of fertility and hatachability in the turkey.

In 3 separate trials, duration and levels of fertility and hatchability were studied in 3 groups of Broad Breasted White turkey hens inseminated on 1, 2 or 3 successive days with 0.030 ml. semen. In the first test, hens in a fourth group were given a single insemination of 0.090 ml. semen. and those in the fifth group received 2 inseminations of 0.045 ml. The semen used in Trial 1, was obtained from males producing different levels of semen, and in Trials 2 and 3 the semen was from males of different age groups. Neither age of the male nor level of semen production appreciably affected duration or levels of fertility in turkey hens. However, duration and level of fertility were slightly better in hens given 2 or 3 inseminations of 0.03 ml. or 2 inseminations of 0.045 ml. of semen on successive days than in comparable hens given a single insemination of 0.030 ml. or 0.090 ml. semen. Hatchability was significantly higher (p = less than .05) in hens inseminated twice with doses of 0.030 ml. as compared with hens inseminated 1 or 3 times with doses of 0.030 ml. In 1 of 2 test years, hatchability in hens inseminated with semen from young males was from 7 to 12 percent greater than for comparable hens inseminated with semen from old males. Semen concentration and percent of normal sperm was generally higher in young males (39 wk.) as compared to older males (89 wk.).
Recursive prediction of broiler growth response to feed intake by using a time-variant parameter estimation method.

The objective of this study was to explore whether time-variant parameter estimation procedures allow modeling and predicting the dynamic growth response of broiler chickens to feed intake in real time. A recursive linear model was used that estimated the model parameters every 24 h based on a fixed number of actual and past measurements (i.e., time window). Based on 48 datasets, it was concluded that the mean relative prediction error (MRPE) of the recursive linear modeling approach had a minimum for a window size of 5 d. Weight of the birds could be predicted during the growth process 3 to 7 d ahead with a mean relative prediction error of 5% or less. In comparison with the prediction results of three static empirical growth models (one linear and two nonlinear models), the recursive modeling technique had a similar accuracy to the nonlinear empirical models (MRPE of 1.4% to 2.3% vs. 1.1% to 2.8%), but it was less accurate for larger prediction horizons (2 to 7 d). The compact recursive linear model was more accurate than the static linear growth model for prediction horizons of one up to 4 d, depending on the feeding strategy. Since such recursive modeling approach allows the prediction of broiler growth without any prior knowledge of the system and takes into account the time-variant (nonlinear) nature of the growth process based on only a small window of measured information, it is suitable for real-time integration in process management.
Cardiovascular Risk in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Postmenopausal Minority Women: Use of the Framingham Risk Score.

OBJECTIVE To characterize and compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in HIV-infected and uninfected postmenopausal minority women using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) as an assessment measure. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was performed in 152 (109 HIV+, 43 HIV-) subjects from an existing study cohort of postmenopausal Hispanic and African American women. Data necessary to calculate FRS and menopause features were retrieved by retrospective chart review. Bivariate statistics was used to compare CVD risk factors. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine factors associated with FRS in HIV-infected women. RESULTS The HIV-infected group was younger, less obese, and with lower rates of diabetes versus controls. In a subset of age-matched participants, median FRS did not differ between groups (14.6 [IQR = 9.1, 21.6] vs. 15.5 [IQR = 12.3, 22.1]; p = 0.73). Fourteen percent of HIV-infected women meeting criteria for the low-risk FRS category (<10%) had a history of CVD, a similar rate as controls. HIV-infected women at intermediate/high CVD risk had higher rates of surgical menopause. According to 2013 clinical guidelines, more than half of HIV-infected women not prescribed statin therapy (52%) were eligible for treatment; however, statin therapy was similarly under-prescribed in uninfected women. CONCLUSIONS In this study, CVD risk as assessed by the FRS was not significantly different by HIV status. Performance of the FRS may be compromised in postmenopausal HIV-infected minority women. HIV-infected and uninfected women may be undertreated with statin therapy. Large longitudinal cohorts and inclusion of subclinical measures of CVD are necessary to better characterize risk.
Transcriptional Changes in Mycorrhizal and Nonmycorrhizal Soybean Plants upon Infection with the Fungal Pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina.

Macrophomina phaseolina is a soil-borne fungal pathogen with a wide host range that causes charcoal rot in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ]. Control of the disease is a challenge, due to the absence of genetic resistance and effective chemical control. Alternative or complementary measures are needed, such as the use of biological control agents, in an integrated approach. Several studies have demonstrated the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing plant resistance or tolerance to biotic stresses, decreasing the symptoms and pressure caused by various pests and diseases, including M. phaseolina in soybean. However, the specific contribution of AMF in the regulation of the plant response to M. phaseolina remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate, under strict in-vitro culture conditions, the global transcriptional changes in roots of premycorrhized soybean plantlets challenged by M. phaseolina (+AMF+Mp) as compared with nonmycorrhizal soybean plantlets (-AMF+Mp). MapMan software was used to distinguish transcriptional changes, with special emphasis on those related to plant defense responses. Soybean genes identified as strongly upregulated during infection by the pathogen included pathogenesis-related proteins, disease-resistance proteins, transcription factors, and secondary metabolism-related genes, as well as those encoding for signaling hormones. Remarkably, the +AMF+Mp treatment displayed a lower number of upregulated genes as compared with the -AMF+Mp treatment. AMF seemed to counteract or balance costs upon M. phaseolina infection, which could be associated to a negative impact on biomass and seed production. These detailed insights in soybean-AMF interaction help us to understand the complex underlying mechanisms involved in AMF-mediated biocontrol and support the importance of preserving and stimulating the existing plant-AMF associates, via adequate agricultural practices, to optimize their agro-ecological potential.