Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of feeding various levels of canola meal on the performance of broiler chicks

A total of 1905 mixed sex day old broiler chickens were reared in environmentally controlled house for 5 weeks to study the production performance of chicks by feeding different levels of canola meal in their diets. The chickens were randomly allocated to five dietary treatment groups ( A, B, C, D and E ) having three replicates of 127 birds in each group. Groups A, B, C, D and E were fed pelleted diets containing 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 percent canola meal (with 85% KOH solubility and 36% crude protein), respectively. Experimental diets and fresh water were offered ad libitum. Feed intake during 0-35 days of age was reduced (P 0.05). The price per kilogram weight gain to market age was lowest in diet containing high level of canola meal indicating maximum inclusion of canola meal in broiler diet is economical. It may be suggested that canola meal (with 85% KOH solubility) upto 25% can be incorporated in broiler diets without any adverse effect on production parameters. For optimizing the profits from feeding of canola meal, it may be used upto 25% in the diets of commercial broiler chicks.
Maternal thinking and beyond: towards a care-full pedagogy for early childhood

This paper explores feminist philosopher Sara Ruddick's concept of ‘maternal thinking’ and considers the applicability and use of her ideas for early childhood pedagogy. This is illustrated through a small-scale case study, undertaken in early years settings in England, in which three dimensions of maternal thinking are evidenced in the work of early years practitioners: preservation of the child, fostering the growth of the child and the child's social acceptance. We argue that ethics of care are central to an articulation of contemporary early childhood pedagogy and must be advanced through engagement with students of early childhood in higher education (HE). This practice is demonstrated in a second case study, reporting a participatory research project with university students. Care-full values, practice and thinking are vital in order to challenge the status quo and emphasise early childhood pedagogy as important work towards the creation of a more equitable and sustainable society.
Visualisations for Comparing Self-organising Maps

Self-organising Maps (SOMs) are a very useful method for exploring and analysing large data collections: They project high-dimensional data into a low-dimensional output space so that it is easier to analyse for humans than the original data. For the purpose of analysis, plenty of visualisations exist which display different aspects and properties of the maps and the data. There are, however, very few visualisations for directly comparing two or more SOMs with each other. This work tries to rectify that by introducing three visualisations to compare SOMs trained on the same dataset with different parameters, to find out where the data comes to lie on each map and assess the stability and quality of the projections.
MicroRNA-34c Enhances Murine Male Germ Cell Apoptosis through Targeting ATF1

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital regulatory roles in many cellular processes. The expression of miRNA (miR)-34c is highly enriched in adult mouse testis, but its roles and underlying mechanisms of action are not well understood. Methodology/Principal Findings In the present study, we show that miR-34c is detected in mouse pachytene spermatocytes and continues to be highly expressed in spermatids. To explore the specific functions of miR-34c, we have established an in vivo model by transfecting miR-34c inhibitors into primary spermatocytes to study the loss-of-function of miR-34c. The results show that silencing of miR-34c significantly increases the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and prevents germ cell from apoptosis induced by deprivation of testosterone. Moreover, ectopic expression of the miR-34c in GC-2 cell trigger the cell apoptosis with a decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio and miR-34c inhibition lead to a low spontaneous apoptotic ratio and an increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-34c reduces ATF1 protein expression without affecting ATF1 mRNA level via directly binding to ATF1's 3′UTR, indicating that ATF1 is one of miR-34c's target genes. Meanwhile, the knockdown of ATF1 significantly decreases the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and triggers GC-2 cell apoptosis. Inhibition of miR-34c does not decrease the GC-2 cell apoptosis ratio in ATF1 knockdown cells. Conclusions/Significance Our study shows for the first time that miR-34c functions, at least partially, by targeting the ATF1 gene in germ cell apoptosis, providing a novel mechanism with involvement of miRNA in the regulation of germ cell apoptosis.
White matter hyperintensities in relation to cognition in HIV-infected men with sustained suppressed viral load on combination antiretroviral therapy

Objectives:The objective of this study was to assess whether HIV-infected patients on long-term successful combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) have more extensive white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin compared with uninfected controls and whether these intensities are associated with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we explored potential determinants of increased WMH load long-term suppressed HIV infection. Design:A cross-sectional comparison of WMH in an observational cohort. Methods:Clinical, cognitive, and MRI data were collected from 103 middle-aged, aviremic HIV-infected men on cART, and 70 HIV-uninfected, otherwise similar controls. In the MRI data, WMH load was quantified by automated approaches and qualitatively reviewed by an experienced neuroradiologist using the Fazekas scale. Results:HIV-infected men had an increased WMH load. Among HIV-infected patients, increased WMH load was independently associated with older age, higher DBP, higher D-dimer levels, and longer time spent with a CD4+ cell count below 500 cells/&mgr;l. HIV-associated cognitive deficits were associated with increased WMH load. Conclusions:WMH are more extensive and associated with cognitive deficits in middle-aged, aviremic cART-treated HIV-infected men. The extent of WMH load was associated with both cardiovascular risk factors and past immune deficiency. As cognitive impairment in these same patients is also associated with these risk factors, this may suggest that in the setting of HIV, WMH, and cognitive deficits share a common cause. This supports the importance of optimizing cardiovascular risk management, and early, effective treatment of HIV infection.
World Heritage cultural landscapes: A UNESCO flagship programme 1992 – 2006

Abstract This paper reviews one of the most important evolutions in the history of the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention), namely, the interaction between culture and nature and the development of the cultural landscape categories. The World Heritage Convention currently covers 812 sites in 137 countries and is with 181 States Parties the most universal international legal instrument in heritage conservation. Among the properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, 53 sites are recognized cultural landscapes focusing on the outstanding interaction between people and their environment. The paper further explains key case studies from World Heritage cultural landscapes from all regions of the world and highlights the innovations in the Convention's implementation through the landscape approach, particularly focusing on the management of complex properties involving local communities and indigenous people. The paper also outlines links to other international and regional Conventions and concludes with a future outlook of the landscape programme.
Analysis of the mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate in the nontumorigenic, Pretumorigenic and tumorigenic keratinocytic hyperproliferative lesions of the skin

BACKGROUND: The keratinocytic hyperproliferative lesions include non-tumorigenic, pretumorigenic (actinic keratoses, AK), and tumorigenic (squamous cell carcinomas, SCC) conditions. Although mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate (MICs) is a constant feature in these lesions, their immunophenotypic characterization is still incomplete. We hypothesized that the development of non-tumorigenic, pretumorigenic, and tumorigenic keratinocytic hyperproliferative lesions is associated with alterations in the mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate in response to altered antigenicity of the lesional cells. This study tries to test this hypothesis and to characterize MICs in these lesions. METHODS: Fifty lesions (nontumorigenic lesions, 29; AK, 9 and SCC, 12) were examined using immunoperoxidase staining methods and antibodies targeting histiocytes (CD68), T (CD3), B cells (CD20), and T cells with cytotoxic potential (TIA-1). RESULTS: As compared to the normal skin, the development of the keratinocytic hyperproliferative lesions (normal skin; non-tumorigenic; AK and SCC) was associated with a statistically significant increase( p=
Forgotten, encrusted ureteral stents: a challenging problem with an endourologic solution.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Forgotten, encrusted ureteral stents represent a difficult problem for urologists, and a consensus on the best therapeutic approach is lacking. We present our experience with endoscopic management of this challenging problem and discuss the chosen treatment combinations. PATIENTS AND METHODS Five women and four men aged 31 to 71 years (mean 50.2 years) with 10 stents indwelling for 6 to 85 months (mean 24.1 months) were treated in our department. Stent encrustation and the associated stone burden were evaluated by plain radiographs and intravenous urography. Treatment decisions were based on the clinical presentation and imaging findings. Three stents in two patients had minimal or slight encrustations. RESULTS The mean number of procedures per patient was 2.1 (range 1-4). Percutaneous nephrolithotomy was performed in eight patients and retrograde ureteroscopy with or without intracorporeal lithotripsy in seven cases. Cystolitholapaxy or percutaneous cystolithotripsy was used to manage the distal portion of the encrusted stent in two cases. Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy was performed in only two patients. All stents and the associated stones were eventually removed without any complications. CONCLUSIONS Combined endourologic techniques can achieve safe removal of forgotten stents if treatment is tailored to the volume of encrustation and associated stone. Imaging evaluation and documentation of negative urine culture are imperative prior to any attempt to remove the stent.
Would You Ask Someone Else to Do This Task? Parents' and Children's Ideas about Household Work Requests.

This article describes 2 studies, both concerned with the extent to which various household tasks are seen as easy or difficult to move from one family member to another. In Study 1, the informants, mothers and fathers, rated the ease of requests to a partner, teenaged son, or teenaged daughter. In Study 2, the informants, children aged 8, 11, and 14 years, commented on the feasibility of requests to a mother, father, sister, or brother. The studies were part of a general concern with the way work is understood, with particular attention given to distinctions drawn among tasks and among family members, and to variations among family members in the ideas heald about work and its possible distribution
Review: Animal Models as a Tool to Dissect Pivotal Pathways Driving Spondyloarthritis

Animal models have strongly contributed to an understanding of the disease mechanisms relevant to human arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis, and spondyloarthritis (SpA). Nevertheless, animal models rarely replicate human rheumatic diseases that develop spontaneously, and they fail to encompass the complexity of their human counterparts. Indeed, many animal models, either those that are genetically modified or those that are experimentally induced, will mirror the activation of only a single pathway of interest or only certain disease manifestations. They should thus be considered “pathway models” or “mechanism of disease models” rather than “disease equivalent models. ” Moreover, not only activation of the pathways but also the tissue and immunologic context in which they are operating determine the pathologic outcome and phenotype that may also contribute to major differences between rodent models and human diseases (1). Therefore, it is crucial to define which model is relevant for which aspect of the corresponding human disease in order to increase the relevance and predictive value of preclinical work in animals. This is particularly pertinent to a field in which the diversity of SpA phenotypes sharing peripheral, axial, and extraarticular manifestations (e.g., psoriasis, uveitis, and inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]) with different degrees of severity precludes the validity of using a single animal model for the study of human SpA. Additional factors that deserve consideration are 1) the uncertainty regarding whether the pathogenesis of SpA involves activation of a single unifying pathway or several distinct pathways driving heterogeneous disease manifestations; 2) the complex and incompletely understood picture of structural damage in SpA, involving a combination of bone and cartilage destruction and pathologic new bone formation; and 3) the fact that many new models mimicking aspects of human SpA have recently been developed. Therefore, we sought to provide a review of the most commonly used animal models of SpA. By systematically describing the clinical features, histopathology (Tables 1 and 2), and pathophysiology of animal models, we provide practical guidelines for selecting the most appropriate model with which to study a specific research question in the field of SpA.
Rapid Defervescence After Doxycycline Treatment of Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae–Associated Community-acquired Pneumonia in Children

We did a retrospective review of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection hospitalized from March 2010 to March 2013. Mycoplasma-resistant M. pneumoniae constituted 70% of the total M. pneumoniae–associated community-acquired pneumonia. Doxycycline was significantly more effective than macrolide for treatment of Mycoplasma-resistant M. pneumoniae–associated community-acquired pneumonia in terms of achievement of rapid defervescence within 24 hours.
4 Towards a “Fairer” Conception of Process Fairness: Why, When and How More may not Always be Better than Less

Abstract Process fairness refers to people’s perceptions of how fairly they are treated in the course of interacting with another party. Conceptually distinct from outcome fairness, it subsumes procedural fairness, interpersonal fairness, and the like. As recipients of decisions, we generally want to be treated with more rather than with less process fairness. As agents of decisions, we often would rather plan and implement them with more rather than with less process fairness. Whereas the organizational justice literature generally extols the virtues of high process fairness, recent theory and research suggest that when it comes to process fairness, more is not always better than less. We discuss why, when, and how people’s general tendency to desire higher process fairness over lower process fairness may be attenuated, eliminated, or even reversed. Our analysis is organized by the notion that under some conditions, receiving or acting with high process fairness prevents people from satisfying some of th.
The vascular endothelial growth factor family in adverse pregnancy outcomes.

BACKGROUND Pre-eclampsia, small-for-gestational-age infants, preterm birth and recurrent miscarriage complicate a significant number of pregnancies. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of angiogenic growth factors is implicated in the pathophysiology of these complications. We aimed to elucidate the role of these angiogenic factors in placentation and to evaluate the predictive value of their protein concentrations and genetic variations in pregnancy complications. METHODS We performed a systematic search of PubMed, and retrieved original articles. The search included a combination of terms such as VEGF-A, placental growth factor (PlGF), kinase insert domain receptor, fms-like-tyrosine-kinase receptor 1, soluble fms-like-tyrosine-kinase receptor 1, pre-eclampsia, small-for-gestational-age infants, preterm birth, recurrent miscarriage, placenta, prediction and polymorphisms. RESULTS This review summarizes the current knowledge of the roles of the VEGF family in early placentation and of the abnormalities in maternal plasma and placental expression of angiogenic proteins in adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with normal pregnancy. PlGF and sFLT-1 in combination with other clinical and biochemical markers in late first or second trimester appear to predict early-onset pre-eclampsia with a high sensitivity and specificity. However, VEGF family proteins do not have sufficient power to accurately predict late-onset pre-eclampsia, small-for-gestational age pregnancies or preterm birth. Functional polymorphisms in these angiogenic genes are implicated in pregnancy complications, but their contribution appears to be minor. CONCLUSIONS Although the VEGF family has important roles in normal and complicated pregnancy, the current predictive value of the VEGF family as biomarkers appears to be limited to early-onset pre-eclampsia.
HIV Prevalence and Impact on Renutrition in Children Hospitalised for Severe Malnutrition in Niger: An Argument for More Systematic Screening

Background In developing countries, malnutrition is a contributing factor in over 50% of child deaths. Mortality rates are higher in underweight children, and HIV-infection is known to increase underweight. Our goals were to evaluate the prevalence of HIV among children hospitalised for severe malnutrition (SM) at the Niamey national hospital (Niger), and to compare renutrition and mortality by HIV-status. Methods Retrospective study based on all children <5 years hospitalised for SM between January 1st 2008 and July 1st 2009. HIV-prevalence was the ratio of HIV+ children on the number of children tested. Duration of renutrition and mortality were described using survival curves. Results During the study period, 477 children were hospitalised for SM. HIV testing was accepted in 470 (98.5%), of which 40 were HIV+ (HIV prevalence (95% confidence interval) of 8.6% (6.2–11.5)). Duration of renutrition was longer in HIV+ than HIV− children (mean: 22 vs. 15 days; p = 0.003). During renutrition, 8 (20%) and 61 (14%) HIV+ and HIV− children died, respectively (p = 0.81). Conclusion Around 9% of children hospitalised for severe malnutrition were HIV infected, while in Niger HIV prevalence in adults is estimated at 0.8%. This pleads for wider access to HIV testing in this population.
Reciprocal scaffolding: A context for communication treatment in aphasia

Background: The goal of social approaches to aphasia treatment is to improve life quality. This study explored the potential therapeutic value of increasing participation in life through natural language use with communicative partners during shared learning activities. Reciprocal Scaffolding Treatment (RST), based on an apprenticeship model of learning where novices are taught skills by a more skilled partner, was developed to provide an individual with aphasia an opportunity to use pre-stroke knowledge and vocabulary during teaching interactions. Aims: The purposes of the study were to determine whether an individual with aphasia in the role as a teacher would improve language production and whether changes in quality of life were evident as a result of the experience. Methods & Procedures: A descriptive case study approach was used to compare RST and peer discourse group treatment. The participant was a former physicist with moderate aphasia. He was placed in a preschool classroom to teach science to 4- and 5-year-old children. Correct information unit (CIU) analysis and type-token ratio (TTR) scores were used to compare language samples. Journal entries were used to document psychosocial and quality of life changes. Outcomes & Results: Results indicated better verbal word retrieval skills within the classroom (RST) as compared to discourse group treatment. While involved in the teaching experience, the participant's lesson plans improved in detail and clarity. Journal entries showed improvements in quality of life. Conclusions: These findings show how the re-application of prestroke vocational skills can enhance quality of life and improve language performance. While these results support a social approach to aphasia treatment, additional research is needed. I believe that people identify things only in context. --John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley (1962)
Crystal Structure of a Laccase from the FungusTrametes versicolor at 1.90-Å Resolution Containing a Full Complement of Coppers*

Laccase is a polyphenol oxidase, which belongs to the family of blue multicopper oxidases. These enzymes catalyze the one-electron oxidation of four reducing-substrate molecules concomitant with the four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen to water. Laccases oxidize a broad range of substrates, preferably phenolic compounds. In the presence of mediators, fungal laccases exhibit an enlarged substrate range and are then able to oxidize compounds with a redox potential exceeding their own. Until now, only one crystal structure of a laccase in an inactive, type-2 copper-depleted form has been reported. We present here the first crystal structure of an active laccase containing a full complement of coppers, the complete polypeptide chain together with seven carbohydrate moieties. Despite the presence of all coppers in the new structure, the folds of the two laccases are quite similar. The coordination of the type-3 coppers, however, is distinctly different. The geometry of the trinuclear copper cluster in the Trametes versicolor laccase is similar to that found in the ascorbate oxidase and that of mammalian ceruloplasmin structures, suggesting a common reaction mechanism for the copper oxidation and the O2 reduction. In contrast to most blue copper proteins, the type-1 copper in the T. versicolorlaccase has no axial ligand and is only 3-fold coordinated. Previously, a modest elevation of the redox potential was attributed to the lack of an axial ligand. Based on the present structural data and sequence comparisons, a mechanism is presented to explain how laccases could tune their redox potential by as much as 200 mV.
In vitro models for analysis of the hepatitis C virus life cycle

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects approximately 170 million people worldwide. HCV infection is a major global health problem as it can be complicated with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. So far, there is no vaccine available and the non‐specific, interferon (IFN)‐based treatments now in use have significant side‐effects and are frequently ineffective, as only approximately 50% of treated patients with genotypes 1 and 4 demonstrate HCV clearance. The lack of suitable in vitro and in vivo models for the analysis of HCV infection has hampered elucidation of the HCV life cycle and the development of both protective and therapeutic strategies against HCV infection. The present review focuses on the progress made towards the establishment of such models.
Using Technology in Early Childhood Environments to Strengthen Cultural Connections

This application-oriented article describes the use of technology in the early childhood environment to support the development of cultural competence. Four objectives are identified and specific examples are described to aid practitioners in developing media presentations that serve to reinforce multicultural theory through the integration of technology in a manner that is suitable for young children. All of this information is shared with an eye toward methods of developmentally appropriate practice and the incorporation of technology as deemed valuable in regard to the licensure, certification, and accreditation standards of early childhood professionals.