Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Spectrum of Bacterial Peritonitis in CAPD Patients in a Developing Country: Is it Different?

1. Van Biesen W, Davies S, Lameire N. An integrated approach to end-stage renal disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2001; 16(Suppl 6):7-9. 2. Szeto CC, Lai KN, Wong TY, Law MC, Leung CB, Yu AW, et al. Independent effects of residual renal function and dialysis adequacy on nutritional status and patient outcome in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Am J Kidney Dis 1999; 34:105(H)4. 3. Shemin D, Bostom AG, Lambert C, Hill C, Kitsen J, Kliger AS. Residual renal function in a large cohort of peritoneal dialysis patients: change over time, impact on mortality and nutrition. Perit Dial Int 2000; 20: 439-44. 4. Bargman JM, Thorpe KE, Churchill D. Relative contribution of residual and peritoneal clearance to adequacy of dialysis. A reanalysis of the CANUSA Study. J Am Soc Nephrol 2001; 12:2158--62. 5. Jansen MA, Hart AA, Korevaar JC, Dekker FW, Boeschoten EW, Krediet RT. Predictors of the rate of decline of residual renal function in incident dialysis patients. Kidney Int 2002; 62:1046-53. 6. Andrews PA,Warr KJ, Hicks JA, Cameron JS. Impaired outcome of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in immunosuppressed patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant 1996; 11:1104-8. 7. Smak Gregoor PJH, Zietse R, Van Saase JLCM, op de Hoek CT, Ijzermans JNM, Lavarijssen ATJ, et al. Immunosuppression should be stopped in patients with renal allograft failure. Clin Transplant 2001; 15: 397-401. 8. Sasal J, Naimark D, Klassen J, Shea J. Bargman JM. Late renal transplant failure: an adverse prognostic factor at initiation of peritoneal dialysis. Perit Dial Int 2001; 21:405-10. 9. Jassal SV, Lok CE, Walele A, Bargman JM. Continued transplant immunosuppression may prolong survival after return to peritoneal dialysis: results of a decision analysis. Am J Kidney Dis 2002; 40:178-83. 10. Davies SJ. Peritoneal dialysis in the patient with a failing renal allograft. Perit Dial Int 2001; 2HSuppl 3): S280-4.
Longitudinal associations between depressive and anxiety disorders: a comparison of two trait models

Background Depression and anxiety are highly co-morbid disorders. Two latent trait models have been proposed to explain the nature of the relationship between these disorders. The first posits that depressive and anxiety disorders are both manifestations of a single internalizing factor. The second model, based on a tripartite model proposed by Clark & Watson [Journal of Abnormal Psychology (1991) 100, 316–336], proposes that depressive and anxiety disorders reflect a combination of shared and disorder-specific factors. Method We directly compared the two models in a sample of 891 individuals from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project who participated in up to four diagnostic assessments over approximately 15 years. Structural equation models were used to examine the relationship between depressive and anxiety disorders across different developmental periods (<14, 14–18, 19–23, 24–30 years of age). Results The one- and three-factor models were hierarchically related. Thus, a direct comparison between the one- and three-factor models was possible using a χ2 difference test. The result found that the three-factor model fit the data better than the one-factor model. Conclusions The three-factor model, positing that depressive and anxiety disorders were caused by a combination of shared and disorder-specific factors, provided a significantly better fit to the data than the one-factor model postulating that a single factor influences the development of both depressive and anxiety disorders.
Flight-to-Quality or Flight-to-Liquidity? Evidence from the Euro-Area Bond Market

Do bond investors demand credit quality or liquidity? The answer is both, but at different times and for different reasons. Using data on the Euro-area government bond market, which features a unique negative correlation between credit quality and liquidity across countries, we show that the bulk of sovereign yield spreads is explained by differences in credit quality, though liquidity plays a nontrivial role, especially for low credit risk countries and during times of heightened market uncertainty. In contrast, the destination of large flows into the bond market is determined almost exclusively by liquidity. We conclude that credit quality matters for bond valuation but that, in times of market stress, investors chase liquidity, not credit quality.
Does support from foreign domestic workers decrease the negative impact of informal caregiving? Results from Singapore survey on informal caregiving.

OBJECTIVES To assess the instrumental support from a foreign domestic worker (FDW) as a moderator of the association of 4 types of impairments (physical function, memory, behavior, and mood) among older persons (OPs) with caregiving-related outcomes among their informal caregivers (CGs). METHOD Data from a national survey of 1,190 Singaporeans aged 75 and older receiving human assistance for functional limitations and their CGs were used. Severity scores for the four OP impairments were calculated. A modified version of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA) assessed the impact of caregiving in four domains: disturbed schedule and poor health, lack of finances, lack of family support, and CG esteem. Linear regression models, one for each CRA domain, with interaction terms of the four impairment severity scores with FDW support, were developed. RESULTS FDW instrumental support, reported for 50% of the OPs, moderated the direct association of OP physical impairment with disturbed schedule and poor health (p = .009), OP memory impairment with disturbed schedule and poor health (p < .0001) and lack of finances (p = .02), and OP behavior impairment with lack of family support (p = .001). Although such support buffered the inverse association of OP behavior impairment with CG esteem (p = .01), it also buffered the positive association of OP mood impairment with CG esteem (p = .02). DISCUSSION FDW support is associated with better caregiving outcomes. Given its aging population, the number of FDWs in Singapore is likely to increase as families try to cope with caregiving for their older members. This has policy implications for (a) immigration patterns into Singapore and (b) training of and support networks for FDWs.
Effects of Teaching Different Tasks in Group versus Individual Training Formats with Severely Handicapped Individuals

An alternating treatments design was employed to compare the effectiveness of two group-training formats relative to individual training in teaching three severely handicapped adults to identify Bliss symbols. In one group format, each individual learned the same symbols; whereas, each learned different symbols in the other group format. Results indicated either equivalent or faster acquisition in group training than in individual training only when the same symbols were taught to each group member. When different symbols were taught to each member of the group, acquisition was slower than during individual training. Each student also demonstrated observational learning of some symbols being taught to other members of the group. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for using group training as a practical and efficient alternative to individualized instruction in classroom situations.
Mesenchymal stem cell response to topographically modified CoCrMo

Abstract Surface roughness on implant materials has been shown to be highly influential on the behavior of osteogenic cells. Four surface topographies were engineered on cobalt chromium molybdenum (CoCrMo) in order to examine this influence on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). These treatments were smooth polished (SMO), acid etched (AE) using HCl 7.4% and H2SO4 76% followed by HNO3 30%, sand blasted, and acid etched using either 50 μm Al2O3 (SLA50) or 250 μm Al2O3 grit (SLA250). Characterization of the surfaces included energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), contact angle, and surface roughness analysis. Human MSCs were cultured onto the four CoCrMo substrates and markers of cell attachment, retention, proliferation, cytotoxicity, and osteogenic differentiation were studied. Residual aluminum was observed on both SLA surfaces although this appeared to be more widely spread on SLA50, whilst SLA250 was shown to have the roughest topography with an R a value greater than 1 μm. All substrates were shown to be largely non‐cytotoxic although both SLA surfaces were shown to reduce cell attachment, whilst SLA50 also delayed cell proliferation. In contrast, SLA250 stimulated a good rate of proliferation resulting in the largest cell population by day 21. In addition, SLA250 stimulated enhanced cell retention, calcium deposition, and hydroxyapatite formation compared to SMO (p < 0.05). The enhanced response stimulated by SLA250 surface modification may prove advantageous for increasing the bioactivity of implants formed of CoCrMo. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3747–3756, 2015.
Prevalence and Correlates of Major Chronic Illnesses among Older Kuwaiti Nationals in Two Governorates

Objective: To provide community-based information on the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease and to highlight their significant correlates. Materials and Methods: Data were collected in a cross-sectional household survey of 2,487 Kuwaiti nationals aged 50 and over in 2005/2006. A proportionately representative sample of 1,451 respondents from a relatively more urban area (Capital) and 1,036 respondents from a relatively less urban area (Ahmadi) were interviewed. A proxy respondent was used in 5.4% of cases. Among the 2,605 potentially eligible persons approached, 2,487 (95.5%) participated. Results: Doctor-diagnosed prevalences of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease in the two governorates were reported to be 53.4, 50.6 and 17.5%, respectively. If the prevalence in the two governorates is reflective of the nation, a remarkable increase seems to have occurred since 1996. The prevalence of each of the three diseases increased linearly by age among both sexes. Comorbidity of the three diseases increased from 3.6 to 9.4 and to 20.9% among those aged 50–59, 60–69 and ≧70 years, respectively. Logistic regression showed the prevalence of chronic illnesses to be significantly higher among persons who were older, retired, non-Bedouin, less educated, had higher income, were less socially active, were obese and had poorer exercise behavior. The prevalence of diabetes and heart disease was significantly lower among women than men. Conclusion: Judging from data on two governorates, the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease is likely to have increased to alarmingly high levels among older Kuwaitis, highlighting the need for focused intervention programs in order to reduce morbidity and increase healthy life years.
Biomaterial properties and biocompatibility in cell culture of a novel self-inflating hydrogel tissue expander.

The aim of this study was to investigate the swelling properties and the biocompatibility of a novel tissue expander material. The self-inflating material is a hydrogel consisting of a modified copolymer of methylmethacrylate and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, which takes up water by osmosis. To increase the swelling volume, the primarily neutral gel material was modified by converting it into an ionized gel. To study the swelling and pressure behavior of the material, the anhydrous gel cylinders were equilibrated in distilled water, saline, and sugar solutions. The biocompatibility was investigated in cell culture. We tested the hydrogel eluate after swelling for cytotoxicity and mutagenicity using the cell lines MRC-5 and P3X63 Ag8 653 (Ag8). Furthermore, particles of the material were added to cell cultures to induce foreign body reactions and to verify its influence on monocyte differentiation. The material has a swelling capacity (Q = maximum swelling volume/anhydrous volume) of 5 to 50 depending on the degree of ionization of the polymer network. In this study, two polymer modifications with a swelling equilibrium of Q = 11.1 and 30 in water were tested. The swelling ratio also depends on concentration and ion content of the equilibration medium. The highest swelling capacity was found in water, the lowest in Ringer's solution. The swelling of the anhydrous material with the swelling capacity of Q = 11.1 fits best the average purpose of material properties for tissue expansion and generates a maximal hydrostatic pressure of approximately 235 mmHg. Effects on cell proliferation were detected only at the highest eluate concentration tested (i.e., eluate: culture medium = 1:1), which was far beyond physiological values, whereas mutagenicity was absent. Monocytes neither migrated nor tightly attached to the hydrogel. They neither phagocytose the material nor did they show any sign of a foreign body reaction, e.g., formation of multinucleated giant cells or monocyte proliferation. In the presence of hydrogel material, the differentiation processes of monocytes to macrophages or dendritic cells, respectively, were found to be undisturbed. From these results, we conclude that there is a high biocompatibility of the expander material, which may be a favorable and interesting candidate for further clinical applications.
Bringing Home the Trash: Do Colony-Based Differences in Foraging Distribution Lead to Increased Plastic Ingestion in Laysan Albatrosses?

When searching for prey, animals should maximize energetic gain, while minimizing energy expenditure by altering their movements relative to prey availability. However, with increasing amounts of marine debris, what once may have been ‘optimal’ foraging strategies for top marine predators, are leading to sub-optimal diets comprised in large part of plastic. Indeed, the highly vagile Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) which forages throughout the North Pacific, are well known for their tendency to ingest plastic. Here we examine whether Laysan albatrosses nesting on Kure Atoll and Oahu Island, 2,150 km apart, experience different levels of plastic ingestion. Twenty two geolocators were deployed on breeding adults for up to two years. Regurgitated boluses of undigestable material were also collected from chicks at each site to compare the amount of plastic vs. natural foods. Chicks from Kure Atoll were fed almost ten times the amount of plastic compared to chicks from Oahu despite boluses from both colonies having similar amounts of natural food. Tracking data indicated that adults from either colony did not have core overlapping distributions during the early half of the breeding period and that adults from Kure had a greater overlap with the putative range of the Western Garbage Patch corroborating our observation of higher plastic loads at this colony. At-sea distributions also varied throughout the year suggesting that Laysan albatrosses either adjusted their foraging behavior according to constraints on time away from the nest or to variation in resources. However, in the non-breeding season, distributional overlap was greater indicating that the energy required to reach the foraging grounds was less important than the total energy available. These results demonstrate how a marine predator that is not dispersal limited alters its foraging strategy throughout the reproductive cycle to maximize energetic gain and how this has led to differences in plastic ingestion.
Systematic review of methodology used in ultrasound studies aimed at creating charts of fetal size

Please cite this paper as: Ioannou C, Talbot K, Ohuma E, Sarris I, Villar J, Conde‐Agudelo A, Papageorghiou A. Systematic review of methodology used in ultrasound studies aimed at creating charts of fetal size. BJOG 2012;119:1425–1439.
E-Cadherin Acts as a Regulator of Transcripts Associated with a Wide Range of Cellular Processes in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Background We have recently shown that expression of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is required for LIF-dependent pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Methodology In this study, we have assessed global transcript expression in E-cadherin null (Ecad-/-) ES cells cultured in either the presence or absence of LIF and compared these to the parental cell line wtD3. Results We show that LIF has little effect on the transcript profile of Ecad-/- ES cells, with statistically significant transcript alterations observed only for Sp8 and Stat3. Comparison of Ecad-/- and wtD3 ES cells cultured in LIF demonstrated significant alterations in the transcript profile, with effects not only confined to cell adhesion and motility but also affecting, for example, primary metabolic processes, catabolism and genes associated with apoptosis. Ecad-/- ES cells share similar, although not identical, gene expression profiles to epiblast-derived pluripotent stem cells, suggesting that E-cadherin expression may inhibit inner cell mass to epiblast transition. We further show that Ecad-/- ES cells maintain a functional β-catenin pool that is able to induce β-catenin/TCF-mediated transactivation but, contrary to previous findings, do not display endogenous β-catenin/TCF-mediated transactivation. We conclude that loss of E-cadherin in mouse ES cells leads to significant transcript alterations independently of β-catenin/TCF transactivation.
Dowsing for Overflows: A Guided Fuzzer to Find Buffer Boundary Violations

Dowser is a 'guided' fuzzer that combines taint tracking, program analysis and symbolic execution to find buffer overflow and underflow vulnerabilities buried deep in a program's logic. The key idea is that analysis of a program lets us pinpoint the right areas in the program code to probe and the appropriate inputs to do so. Intuitively, for typical buffer overflows, we need consider only the code that accesses an array in a loop, rather than all possible instructions in the program. After finding all such candidate sets of instructions, we rank them according to an estimation of how likely they are to contain interesting vulnerabilities. We then subject the most promising sets to further testing. Specifically, we first use taint analysis to determine which input bytes influence the array index and then execute the program symbolically, making only this set of inputs symbolic. By constantly steering the symbolic execution along branch outcomes most likely to lead to overflows, we were able to detect deep bugs in real programs (like the nginx webserver, the inspircd IRC server, and the ffmpeg videoplayer). Two of the bugs we found were previously undocumented buffer overflows in ffmpeg and the poppler PDF rendering library.
Sericostoma vittatum(Trichoptera) Larvae Are Able to Use Pine Litter as an Energy Source

We tested the effect of conditioning time of Pinus sylvestris litter on food consumption and growth of laboratory-reared Sericostoma vittatum larvae. In all cases, larval mass was positively correlated with consumption rates but negatively with growth rates and gross production efficiencies. Conditioning time (4, 8 or 30 weeks) had an effect on feeding rates: they were lowest for the least conditioned pine litter, but no effect of conditioning time on growth rates was observed. Contrary to previous reports on conifer litter use by aquatic detritivores, our results indicate that S.vittatum larvae were able to transform the highly refractory pine litter into secondary production even when it was conditioned for only 4 weeks.
Orchestration of Writing Processes and Writing Products: A Comparison of Sixth-Grade Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

The aim of the study was to compare two samples of sixth-grade Spanish primary students on coordination of writing processes measured by online or direct retrospection techniques and writing products. One group was comprised of 81 students with learning disabilities (LD), the other was made up by 80 typically achieving students. The results showed that students with LD spent more time on the task, but this generally included more interruptions and less involvement in editing, revising, reading, or changing the text. However, the findings did not highlight differences between the two groups with regard to the planning process. As for the modulation variables of writing, students with LD displayed less selfknowledge and self-regulation in composition writing, with higher writing self-efficacy beliefs than typical students. These factors probably influence the resulting texts, which showed poorer quality, structure, and coherence. The relationship between these types of variables is complex and should be explored further. This study highlights the theoretical and practical importance of studying the online processes that are developed in the composition writing of primary LD students.
Tag recommendations in social bookmarking systems

Collaborative tagging systems allow users to assign keywords - so called “tags” - to resources. Tags are used for navigation, finding resources and serendipitous browsing and thus provide an immediate benefit for users. These systems usually include tag recommendation mechanisms easing the process of finding good tags for a resource, but also consolidating the tag vocabulary across users. In practice, however, only very basic recommendation strategies are applied. In this paper we evaluate and compare several recommendation algorithms on large-scale real life datasets: an adaptation of user-based collaborative filtering, a graph-based recommender built on top of the FolkRank algorithm, and simple methods based on counting tag occurrences. We show that both FolkRank and collaborative filtering provide better results than non-personalized baseline methods. Moreover, since methods based on counting tag occurrences are computationally cheap, and thus usually preferable for real time scenarios, we discuss simple approaches for improving the performance of such methods. We show, how a simple recommender based on counting tags from users and resources can perform almost as good as the best recommender.
Looking beyond social support: examining dimensions of relationship quality in kidney transplant recipients

Perceived availability or receipt of tangible or instrumental social support has generally been associated with favorable outcomes in kidney transplant recipients, yet there has been insufficient attention in the literature to other social relationship processes beyond support that may contribute to mental and physical health. The overall objective of the current study was to examine whether specific dimensions of relationship quality, such as emotional closeness, sexual relations, support transactions, respect/acceptance, and conflict/negative communication, within the context of a close interpersonal relationship, were associated with psychosocial and medical outcomes in kidney transplant recipients when accounting for the effects of global social support. Participants had received a living or deceased donor kidney transplant and were 6 months – 5 years post-surgery at the time of enrollment in the study. A total of 93 participants completed self-report measures and a semi-structured clinical interview via telephone that assessed each of the aforementioned dimensions with regard to a specified relationship. A subsample of 67 participants were married or involved in a committed dating relationship and responded to interview questions with their partner in mind; the remaining participants selected the person to whom they felt closest over the preceding 6 months (e.g., friend, sibling, parent). Structural equation modeling and linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results suggested that the distinct yet highly correlated dimensions reflected an underlying ‘relationship quality’ construct. Poorer relationship quality was associated with increased symptoms of depression, decreased feelings of well-being, and worse mental health-related quality of life for both the full sample and the subsample of