Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulation of the migration of mineral oil from recycled paperboard into dry foods by Tenax®?

Conventional migration testing for long-term storage at ambient temperature with Tenax® was applied to a recycled paperboard as well as to the same paperboard with a polyethylene or polypropylene film in between. Test conditions were from the European Union plastic Regulation 10/2011, that is, 10 days at 60°C, but previous standard conditions of 10 days at 40°C were also applied. The results were compared with the migration into real packs made of the same packaging material containing six test foods and stored over 9 months. For the direct contact, simulation at 60°C overestimated the maximum migration of the saturated hydrocarbons in the real packs by 73%. Simulation reflected hardly any effect by the plastic films and resulted in an overestimation of the maximum migration into the real packs by a factor of 5.1 and 27 for the polyethylene and the polypropylene film, respectively. Analogous simulation was performed with polenta (corn semolina) instead of Tenax®. Three main causes for this deviation were identified: (i) at 60°C, migration reached beyond n-C35, whereas it ends at about n-C24 in reality. (ii) Tenax® is a far stronger adsorbent than foods, resulting in almost complete extraction. (iii) The significant barrier effect of polypropylene films at ambient temperature is lost at increased temperature. The suitability of such simulation for the prediction of long-term migration is questioned.
How do siblings shape the language environment in bilingual families?

Abstract This article investigates the home literacy practices of Portuguese–English bilingual children raised in Portugal. The ethnographic research was inspired by experience with bilingual families, whose children were all of school age, so acquisition of literacy in English as the non-school language had surfaced as an issue. The research opens up new ground on exactly how siblings shift the language balance in the home and build bridges or barriers to language acquisition. The research explores whether parents are able to promote both languages in the home due to the cross-cultural experiences of siblings in the home and community and whether there are additional issues where there is a single parent with the minority language. My research findings demonstrate that in the Portuguese–English bilingual families there may be conflicts due to the arrival of a younger sibling and a language shift towards Portuguese, or older siblings may act as mediators of both languages in the home and support the younger sibling's emerging biliteracy. My research indicates that shared sibling support needs to be learnt, encouraged and supported in home literacy practices, rather than parents expecting such support to appear naturally.
Neuroinflammation in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Measured Using Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging of Translocator Protein.

IMPORTANCE Neuroinflammation may play a role in epilepsy. Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), a biomarker of neuroinflammation, is overexpressed on activated microglia and reactive astrocytes. A preliminary positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging study using carbon 11 ([11C])-labeled PBR28 in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) found increased TSPO ipsilateral to seizure foci. Full quantitation of TSPO in vivo is needed to detect widespread inflammation in the epileptic brain. OBJECTIVES To determine whether patients with TLE have widespread TSPO overexpression using [11C]PBR28 PET imaging, and to replicate relative ipsilateral TSPO increases in patients with TLE using [11C]PBR28 and another TSPO radioligand, [11C]DPA-713. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In a cohort study from March 2009 through September 2013 at the Clinical Epilepsy Section of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, participants underwent brain PET and a subset had concurrent arterial sampling. Twenty-three patients with TLE and 11 age-matched controls were scanned with [11C]PBR28, and 8 patients and 7 controls were scanned with [11C]DPA-713. Patients with TLE had unilateral temporal seizure foci based on ictal electroencephalography and structural magnetic resonance imaging. Participants with homozygous low-affinity TSPO binding were excluded. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The [11C]PBR28 distribution volume (VT) corrected for free fraction (fP) was measured in patients with TLE and controls using FreeSurfer software and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for anatomical localization of bilateral temporal and extratemporal regions. Side-to-side asymmetry in patients with TLE was calculated as the ratio of ipsilateral to contralateral [11C]PBR28 and [11C]DPA-713 standardized uptake values from temporal regions. RESULTS The [11C]PBR28 VT to fp ratio was higher in patients with TLE than in controls for all ipsilateral temporal regions (27%-42%; P < .05) and in contralateral hippocampus, amygdala, and temporal pole (approximately 30%-32%; P < .05). Individually, 12 patients, 10 with mesial temporal sclerosis, had asymmetrically increased hippocampal [11C]PBR28 uptake exceeding the 95% confidence interval of the controls. Binding of [11C]PBR28 was increased significantly in thalamus. Relative [11C]PBR28 and [11C]DPA-713 uptakes were higher ipsilateral than contralateral to seizure foci in patients with TLE ([11C]PBR28: 2%-6%; [11C]DPA-713: 4%-9%). Asymmetry of [11C]DPA-713 was greater than that of [11C]PBR28 (F = 29.4; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Binding of TSPO is increased both ipsilateral and contralateral to seizure foci in patients with TLE, suggesting ongoing inflammation. Anti-inflammatory therapy may play a role in treating drug-resistant epilepsy.
A Single-Step Sequencing Method for the Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Species

Background The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) comprises closely related species responsible for strictly human and zoonotic tuberculosis. Accurate species determination is useful for the identification of outbreaks and epidemiological links. Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium canettii are typically restricted to Africa and M. bovis is a re-emerging pathogen. Identification of these species is difficult and expensive. Methodology/Principal Findings The Exact Tandem Repeat D (ETR-D; alias Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit 4) was sequenced in MTC species type strains and 110 clinical isolates, in parallel to reference polyphasic identification based on phenotype profiling and sequencing of pncA, oxyR, hsp65, gyrB genes and the major polymorphism tandem repeat. Inclusion of M. tuberculosis isolates in the expanding, antibiotic-resistant Beijing clone was determined by Rv0927c gene sequencing. The ETR-D (780-bp) sequence unambiguously identified MTC species type strain except M. pinnipedii and M. microti thanks to six single nucleotide polymorphisms, variable numbers (1–7 copies) of the tandem repeat and two deletions/insertions. The ETR-D sequencing agreed with phenotypic identification in 107/110 clinical isolates and with reference polyphasic molecular identification in all isolates, comprising 98 M. tuberculosis, 5 M. bovis BCG type, 5 M. canettii, and 2 M. africanum. For M. tuberculosis isolates, the ETR-D sequence was not significantly associated with the Beijing clone. Conclusions/Significance ETR-D sequencing allowed accurate, single-step identification of the MTC at the species level. It circumvented the current expensive, time-consuming polyphasic approach. It could be used to depict epidemiology of zoonotic and human tuberculosis, especially in African countries where several MTC species are emerging.
A Novel Approach for Data-Driven Automatic Site Recommendation and Selection

This paper presents a novel, generic, and automatic method for data-driven site selection. Site selection is one of the most crucial and important decisions made by any company. Such a decision depends on various factors of sites, including socio-economic, geographical, ecological, as well as specific requirements of companies. The existing approaches for site selection (commonly used by economists) are manual, subjective, and not scalable, especially to Big Data. The presented method for site selection is robust, efficient, scalable, and is capable of handling challenges emerging in Big Data. To assess the effectiveness of the presented method, it is evaluated on real data (collected from Federal Statistical Office of Germany) of around 200 influencing factors which are considered by economists for site selection of Supermarkets in Germany (Lidl, EDEKA, and NP). Evaluation results show that there is a big overlap (86.4 \%) between the sites of existing supermarkets and the sites recommended by the presented method. In addition, the method also recommends many sites (328) for supermarket where a store should be opened.
Antigen-Pulsed CpG-ODN-Activated Dendritic Cells Induce Host-Protective Immune Response by Regulating the T Regulatory Cell Functioning in Leishmania donovani-Infected Mice: Critical Role of CXCL10

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by Leishmania donovani, is a systemic infection of reticulo-endothelial system. There is currently no protective vaccine against VL and chemotherapy is increasingly limited due to appearance of drug resistance to first line drugs such as antimonials and amphotericin B. In the present study, by using a murine model of leishmaniasis we evaluated the function played by soluble leishmanial antigen (SLA)-pulsed CpG-ODN-stimulated dendritic cells (SLA–CpG–DCs) in restricting the intracellular parasitic growth. We establish that a single dose of SLA–CpG–DC vaccination is sufficient in rendering complete protection against L. donovani infection. In probing the possible mechanism, we observe that SLA–CpG–DCs vaccination results in the significant decrease in Foxp3+GITR+CTLA4+CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) cell population in Leishmania-infected mice. Vaccination with these antigen-stimulated dendritic cells results in the decrease in the secretion of TGF-β by these Treg cells by possible regulation of the SMAD signaling. Moreover, we demonstrate that a CXC chemokine, IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10; CXCL10), has a direct role in the regulation of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells in SLA–CpG–DC-vaccinated parasitized mice as Treg cells isolated from IP-10-depleted vaccinated mice showed significantly increased TGF-β production and suppressive activity.
Circassian Israelis: Multilingualism As a Way of Life.

Abstract The Circassian community in Israel, though one of the smallest in the diaspora (about 3000), is also one of the most successful in preserving its national identity and language, while at the same time integrating into Israeli life. We have recently launched a multi‐disciplinary study of this unique community in Israel, which we hope will become part of a broader study of Circassian communities both in the diaspora (Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Germany and other countries) and in the Caucasian homeland (one of the communities is described by Bridges, this issue). Our team is from various disciplines: anthropology, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics and history. The present paper, the first in a planned series, presents general background on the Israeli Circassians and then focuses on our recently completed study of Circassian pupils in Kfar Kama, the larger of the two Circassian villages in Israel.
A Comparative Study of Growth-Inhibitory Effects of Isoflavones and Their Metabolites on Human Breast and Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

The possible growth-inhibitory properties of the recently synthesized novel metabolite 1-(2,4-dihydrobenzoyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylene (2-de-O-DMA) and six other metabolites of isoflavones were investigated and compared with those of the major isoflavones genistein, daidzein, and glycitein on human breast noncancer and breast and prostate cancer cell lines in vitro. The novel metabolite 2-de-O-DMA was found to be a more potent inhibitor than genistein on human breast cancer MCF-7, MDA-MB-468, and SK-BR-3 cells and breast noncancer MCF-10A cells. In prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and DU145, 2-de-O-DMA elicited a six- to sevenfold more potent inhibition than genistein. Flow cytometric analysis showed that 2-de-O-DMA and genistein blocked cells at the Gsub2;/M phase of the cell cycle. Genistein and 2-de-O-DMA led to apoptosis of a variety of cancer cell lines. The rapid response of growth inhibition induced by 2-de-O-DMA compared with genistein strongly suggests that the observed antiproliferation effects elicited by this novel metabolite are mediated via a biological pathway different from that induced by genistein. 2-de-O-DMA, a novel metabolite of isoflavone, could have a potential role in chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic treatment of hormonal breast and prostate cancers.
Childhood Determinants of Risk Aversion: The Long Shadow of Compulsory Education

We study the determinants of individual attitudes towards risk and, in particular, why some individuals exhibit extremely high risk aversion. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics we find that a policy induced increase in high school graduation rates leads to significantly fewer individuals being highly risk averse in the next generation. Other significant determinants of risk aversion are age, sex, and parents' risk aversion. We verify that risk aversion matters for economic behavior in that it predicts individuals' volatility of income.
Violence Between Intimate Partners: Patterns, Causes, and Effects

Violence Between Intimate Partners: Patterns, Causes, and Effects. Albert P. Cardarelli (Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 1997. 230 pp. ISBN 0-02-319213-5. $41.75 cloth. This edited volume of readings on violence between intimate partners sets a new standard for texts about family violence. Cardarelli accomplishes three major goals in the selection of articles and the organization of the text: (a) Intimate violence is cast as a public, as well as a criminal issue; (b) overlooked areas in domestic violence are included (i.e., courtship violence, same-sex couple violence); and (c) the dynamics, experiences, and consequences of violence for perpetrators, victims, and others are examined. In the introduction, Cardarelli lays the groundwork for the book by presenting a model of intimacy, power, and violence in relationships. He suggests, as others have before him, that conflict resolution is key to understanding violence and abuse. However, he develops this further with the concept of an intimacy continuum (from dating to divorce) and the inclusion of gay and lesbian relationships. The issue of family as private, familiar to all family scholars, is treated as a complex issue in researching and theorizing family violence, especially in regard to societal ambivalence and conflicting ideologies. Further, the response of the criminal and civil justice system is seen as both reflecting and shaping societal reactions to violence between intimate partners. In the first section of the text, "Patterns, Causes, and Conceptualizations of Intimate Violence," the case for an integrated theoretical model is made and supported. The opening article by Miller and Wellford provides an overview of the measurement issues and major explanatory models used in the study of intimate violence. Miller and Wellford call for an integrated theoretical model, one that focuses on the characteristics and experiences of individuals, the social dimensions of their lives, and the cultural conditions in which they live. They suggest that an integrated or multilevel theory directs attention to multifaceted responses to the problem. The next three articles present the intimacy continuum from courtship and marriage to samesex relationships. These articles capture the process of establishing and maintaining an intimate relationship. And they call into question societal ambivalence about relationship and family privacy, appropriate role behavior based on age and gender, and issues of power and dependency in relationships. For example, Makepeace addresses the problems facing teens in a highly sexualized context where their access to resources, like contraception, is severely limited. Browne translates the intimacy continuum to reflect a process that ranges from intrusion to homicide, detailing warning signs of potentially lethal relationships. Renzetti provides a way to understand gay and lesbian violence in the larger context of a homophobic society. …
THE SARONIC HARBORS ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT (SHARP): Investigations at Mycenaean Kalamianos, 2007-2009

Abstract:ABSTRACTThis article describes the initial phase of investigations at Kalamianos, a recently discovered Mycenaean coastal settlement on the Saronic Gulf in the southeastern Corinthia. To date 50 buildings and 120 rooms of Late Helladic IIIB date have been identified at the site, which is unique for the excellent preservation of aboveground architectural remains. Beyond the site is another large Mycenaean architectural complex, as well as small fortified enclosures and terrace walls also dating to the Bronze Age. The evidence indicates that Kalamianos was a significant center of Mycenaean activity in the 13th century b.c., and possibly served as Mycenae’s principal harbor on the Saronic Gulf.
Qualitative similarities in cognitive impairment associated with 24 h of sustained wakefulness and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%

Previous studies that have quantified fatigue‐related cognitive impairment as blood alcohol concentration (BAC) equivalents have been limited by two issues: the effect of practice on tests of cognition and, more importantly, the statistic used to quantify change in cognitive performance. The current study addressed these issues by adopting an ABACA design, which allowed for the adequate control of practice effects, and by using effect size metrics, which enabled direct comparisons to be made in performance impairments as a result of fatigue (i.e. sustained wakefulness of 24 h) and alcohol (i.e. BAC of 0.05%). Cognitive performance under the fatigue and alcohol conditions required the use of the CogStateTM battery. It was demonstrated that fatigue caused greater impairment than alcohol on the speed of continuous attention and memory and learning, and on the accuracy of complex matching. Alcohol was more detrimental than fatigue only on the accuracy of memory and learning. Performances on the remaining tasks were the same for both the fatigue and alcohol conditions. These differences and similarities in performance impairment are discussed emphasizing the deleterious cognitive effects of relatively short periods of sustained wakefulness.
The Relationships of Racial Identity and Gender Role Conflict to Self-Esteem of Asian American Undergraduate Men

This study was conducted using a sample of Asian American male college students (N = 173) from one east coast public, research institution and one west coast public, research institution to explore the relationships of racial identity and gender role conflict with self-esteem. The study employed the People of Color Racial Identity Attitudes Scale, Gender Role Conflict Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Regression analysis revealed that 36.8% (p < .001) of the total variance in self-esteem was accounted for by demographic variables, racial identity, and gender role conflict. Implications for college and university campuses are discussed.
Vancomycin resistant enterococci in urine cultures: Antibiotic susceptibility trends over a decade at a tertiary hospital in the United Kingdom

Purpose Enterococci are a common cause of urinary tract infection and vancomycin-resistant strains are more difficult to treat. The purpose of this surveillance program was to assess the prevalence of and determine the risk factors for vancomycin resistance in adults among urinary isolates of Enterococcus sp. and to detail the antibiotic susceptibility profile, which can be used to guide empirical treatment. Materials and Methods From 2005 to 2014 we retrospectively reviewed 5,528 positive Enterococcus sp. urine cultures recorded in a computerized laboratory results database at a tertiary teaching hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Results Of these cultures, 542 (9.8%) were vancomycin resistant. No longitudinal trend was observed in the proportion of vancomycin-resistant strains over the course of the study. We observed emerging resistance to nitrofurantoin with rates climbing from near zero to 40%. Ampicillin resistance fluctuated between 50% and 90%. Low resistance was observed for linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Female sex and inpatient status were identified as risk factors for vancomycin resistance. Conclusions The incidence of vancomycin resistance among urinary isolates was stable over the last decade. Although resistance to nitrofurantoin has increased, it still serves as an appropriate first choice in uncomplicated urinary tract infection caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus sp.
Estimating glomerular filtration rate from serum creatinine and cystatin C.

BACKGROUND Estimates of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that are based on serum creatinine are routinely used; however, they are imprecise, potentially leading to the overdiagnosis of chronic kidney disease. Cystatin C is an alternative filtration marker for estimating GFR. METHODS Using cross-sectional analyses, we developed estimating equations based on cystatin C alone and in combination with creatinine in diverse populations totaling 5352 participants from 13 studies. These equations were then validated in 1119 participants from 5 different studies in which GFR had been measured. Cystatin and creatinine assays were traceable to primary reference materials. RESULTS Mean measured GFRs were 68 and 70 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area in the development and validation data sets, respectively. In the validation data set, the creatinine-cystatin C equation performed better than equations that used creatinine or cystatin C alone. Bias was similar among the three equations, with a median difference between measured and estimated GFR of 3.9 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with the combined equation, as compared with 3.7 and 3.4 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with the creatinine equation and the cystatin C equation (P=0.07 and P=0.05), respectively. Precision was improved with the combined equation (interquartile range of the difference, 13.4 vs. 15.4 and 16.4 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), respectively [P=0.001 and P<0.001]), and the results were more accurate (percentage of estimates that were >30% of measured GFR, 8.5 vs. 12.8 and 14.1, respectively [P<0.001 for both comparisons]). In participants whose estimated GFR based on creatinine was 45 to 74 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), the combined equation improved the classification of measured GFR as either less than 60 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) or greater than or equal to 60 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) (net reclassification index, 19.4% [P<0.001]) and correctly reclassified 16.9% of those with an estimated GFR of 45 to 59 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) as having a GFR of 60 ml or higher per minute per 1.73 m(2). CONCLUSIONS The combined creatinine-cystatin C equation performed better than equations based on either of these markers alone and may be useful as a confirmatory test for chronic kidney disease. (Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.).