Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suicide in the U.S. Army: epidemiological and periodic aspects.

An overview of suicide in the U.S. Army is presented in two sections: (1) the epidemiology of U.S. Army suicides, based on biennium reports, and (2) the temporal aspects of those suicides compared with the data for the United States as a whole. A brief historical review documents some of the changes in contemporary military suicide rates compared to those of the past century. The cycles in the number of suicides by day of the week, day of the month, and the month of the year for the U.S. Army are computed and contrasted with those reported for the U.S. resident population.
Removal of heavy metal from polluted river water using aquatic macrophytes Salvinia sp

Concentrations of trace metallic element as well as macronutrients were measured in water and plants from pond water. The aquatic macrophyte Salvinia sp. was evaluated for its trace metals removal potential in river water under laboratory conditions. The experiment were performed using several healthy acclimatized plants Salvinia sp. The water and grown plants were collected from ponds. For the trace element removals test, 30-35 grams of fresh aquatic plants were grown in river water into a greenhouse for ten weeks. Control plants were also grown during the experiment. Every two weeks, both plants and water samples were collected. After the end of each experiment, the growth rate was calculated. Trace element concentrations in plants and pond water were obtained using TXRF techniques. Values for the elements (K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn and Sr) concentrations in plant dry weight have been obtained after deducting metal contents of control plants. For each trace element, the aquatic Salvinia sp. plant showed to possess different affinity for the incorporation of the metals in its biomass. Results suggest the use of aquatic macrophytes Salvinia sp. for metal abatement in dilute wastewaters.
The effects of dietary fat or fiber addition on energy and nitrogen digestibility in lactating, primiparous sows housed in a warm or hot environment.

Thirty primiparous sows were individually penned in a thermoneutral (20 degrees C) or hyperthermal (32 degrees C) environment and fed a high-starch (corn-soybean meal basal), high-fiber (48.5% wheat bran) or high-fat (10.6% choice white grease) diet from d 100 of gestation through a 22-d lactation to determine the effects of thermal environment and dietary energy source on energy and N digestibility in lactating sows. Voluntary feed intake and total feces and urine output were determined from d 12 through d 14 postpartum. Heat exposure (32 degrees C) depressed (P less than .05) voluntary feed, ME and N intake and lowered (P less than .05) apparent daily N retention. Heat exposure did not alter (P greater than .15) digestibility, expressed as percentage of intake, of dietary energy or N. Dietary additions of wheat bran depressed (P less than .05) the proportion of gross energy retained as ME by 12 and 14 percentage units and the apparent digestibility of N by 2.5 and 4.5 percentage units at 20 and 32 degrees C, respectively, compared with those of the basal diet. Dietary additions of choice white grease did not alter (P greater than .15) energy digestibility but increased (P less than .05) the proportion of N digested and retained in both environments. Apparent ME of the wheat bran, corn-soybean meal mix and choice white grease (determined by difference) was 2.72, 3.70 and 8.43 Mcal/kg DM and was independent of thermal environment. Digestibility of fibrous and starchy feedstuffs was similar in lactating sows and growing pigs allowed to consume feed ad libitum, whereas fat was more digestible in the sows.
Excessive alcohol consumption and dependence on amphetamine are associated with parallel increases in subjective ratings of both 'wanting' and 'liking'.

AIM One of the tenets of the incentive sensitization theory of drug addiction is that 'as drugs come to be wanted more and more, they often come to be liked less and less'. The aim of this study was to test whether this assumption holds true. Specifically, the study aimed to test the hypothesis that in non-clinical samples, dependence on amphetamines and excessive alcohol use are associated with increased 'wanting' but decreased 'liking' for the drug. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS In two studies, the Desires for Alcohol Questionnaire (DAQ) was administered to 380 recreational drinkers, and the Desires for Speed Questionnaire (DSQ) and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ) were administered to 174 amphetamine users. Scales were derived from the DAQ and DSQ representing craving, on one hand, and positive and negative reinforcement on the other hand. Craving and positive reinforcement were taken as measures of alcohol or amphetamine 'wanting' and 'liking', respectively. FINDINGS Scores on all three DAQ scales increased monotonically as a function of the extent of alcohol consumption. Scores on all three DSQ scales increased monotonically as a function of dependence, as measured by the LDQ. 'Liking' for amphetamine was unrelated to time since the drug was last taken. (These data were not available for alcohol.) CONCLUSIONS The finding that 'wanting' increased as a function of dependence on amphetamine or level of consumption in the case of alcohol is as predicted by the incentive sensitization theory, but the finding that 'liking' also increased as a function of dependence or excess is the opposite of the predicted effects While not refuting the incentive sensitization theory directly, the study questions the validity of one of the tenets of the theory.
Relative continuous-time SLAM

Appearance-based techniques for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) have been highly successful in assisting robot-motion estimation; however, these vision-based technologies have long assumed the use of imaging sensors with a global shutter, which are well suited to the traditional, discrete-time formulation of visual problems. In order to adapt these technologies to use scanning sensors, we propose novel methods for both outlier rejection and batch nonlinear estimation. Traditionally, the SLAM problem has been formulated in a single-privileged coordinate frame, which can become computationally expensive over long distances, particularly when a loop closure requires the adjustment of many pose variables. Recent discrete-time estimators have shown that a completely relative coordinate framework can be used to incrementally find a close approximation of the full maximum-likelihood solution in constant time. In order to use scanning sensors, we propose moving the relative coordinate formulation of SLAM into continuous time by estimating the velocity profile of the robot. We derive the relative formulation of the continuous-time robot trajectory and formulate an estimator using temporal basis functions. A motion-compensated outlier rejection scheme is proposed by using a constant-velocity model for the random sample consensus algorithm. Our experimental results use intensity imagery from a two-axis scanning lidar; due to the sensors’ scanning nature, it behaves similarly to a slow rolling-shutter camera. Both algorithms are validated using a sequence of 6880 lidar frames acquired over a 1.1 km traversal.
Bio-Oil Steam Reforming over a Mining Residue Functionalized with Ni as Catalyst: Ni-UGSO

Bio-oil reforming is considered for syngas or H2 production. In this work, we studied the steam reforming (SR) of two raw bio-oils without adding external steam, using a recently-developed catalyst, Ni-UGSO. Experiments were performed at temperature (T) = 750–850 °C and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) = 1.7–7.1 g/gcat/h to assess C conversion (XC) and product yields. The results show that, in all conditions and with both bio-oils tested, the catalyst is stable for the entire duration of the tests (~500 min) even when some C deposition occurred and that only at the highest WHSV tested there is a slight deactivation. In all tests, catalytic activity remained constant after a first, short, transient state, which corresponded to catalyst activation. The highest yields and conversions, with Y H 2 , Y CO and XC of 94%, 84% and 100%, respectively, were observed at temperatures above 800 °C and WHSV = 1.7 g/gcat/h. The amount of H2O in the bio-oils had a non-negligible effect on catalyst activity, impacting Y H 2 , Y CO and XC values. It was observed that, above a critical amount of H2O, the catalyst was not fully activated. However, higher H2O content led to the reduction of C deposits as well as lower Y H 2 and Y CO and, through the water-gas-shift reaction, to higher Y CO 2 (CO2 selectivity). Fresh and spent catalysts were analyzed by physisorption (BET), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis: the results reveal that, during the oils’ SR reaction, the initial spinel (Ni-Fe-Mg-Al) structures decreased over time-on-stream (TOS), while metallic Ni, Fe and their alloy phases appeared. Although significant sintering was observed in used catalysts, especially at high H2O/C ratio, the catalyst’s specific surface generally increased; the latter was attributed to the presence of nanometric metallic Ni and Ni-Fe alloy particles formed by reduction reactions. A small amount of C (4%) was formed at low H2O/C.
Niveles de alfabetización en la España del siglo XVIII. Primeros resultados de una encuesta en curso

Este articulo se propone presentar el metodo puesto a punto y los primeros resultados alcanzados en una encuesta en curso sobre la alfabetizacion en la Espana del XVIII, que forma parte de un programa de investigacion mas amplio sobre la sociedad espanola del siglo XVIII, que dirijo en la Universidad de Montpellier desde 1979, y que vamos desarrollando a partir de encuestas llevadas a cabo en diferentes provincias de Espana, sobre todo en los archivos de protocolos. Estas encuestas tratan de estudiar conjuntamente los niveles de riqueza a partir de los inventarios de bienes, y los niveles de alfabetizacion y cultura, cuyas fuentes principales son los testamentos.
Effect of home telemonitoring on glycemic and blood pressure control in primary care clinic patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Patient self-management support may be augmented by using home-based technologies that generate data points that providers can potentially use to make more timely changes in the patients' care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term targeted use of remote data transmission on treatment outcomes in patients with diabetes who had either out-of-range hemoglobin A1c (A1c) and/or blood pressure (BP) measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS A single-center randomized controlled clinical trial design compared in-home monitoring (n=55) and usual care (n=53) in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension being treated in primary care clinics. Primary outcomes were A1c and systolic BP after a 12-week intervention. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups on either A1c or systolic BP following the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The addition of technology alone is unlikely to lead to improvements in outcomes. Practices need to be selective in their use of telemonitoring with patients, limiting it to patients who have motivation or a significant change in care, such as starting insulin. Attention to the need for effective and responsive clinic processes to optimize the use of the additional data is also important when implementing these types of technology.
Synthèse des espèces des domaines sahélien et soudanien qui se multiplient naturellement par voie végétative

L'absence de connaissances relatives a la multiplication vegetative naturelle par rejets, drageons ou marcottes est flagrante : aucune synthese n'existe pour les domaines sahelien et soudanien. L'amenagiste sylvo-pastoral se doit de connaitre le mode de regeneration des essences forestieres. Cet article fait le point a partir de cent treize especes originaires de ces deux domaines (dont plus de la moitie que l'on rencontre dans les brousses tigrees) en citant pour chaque cas les references bibliographiques. La definition, l'origine et les principaux avantages des rejets proventifs et adventifs, drageons et marcottes sont rappeles ainsi que les principaux axes de recherche a developper. (Resume d'auteur)
Real-Time Binary Descriptor Based Background Modeling

In this paper, we propose a new binary descriptor based background modeling approach which is robust to lighting changes and dynamic backgrounds in the environment. Instead of using traditional parametric models, our background models are constructed by background instances using binary descriptors computed from observed backgrounds. As shown in the experiments, our method can achieve better foreground detection results and fewer false alarms compared to the state-of-the-art methods.
Fimbria–Fornix Lesion Does Not Affect APP Levels and Amyloid Deposition in the Hippocampus of APP+PS1 Double Transgenic Mice

The deposition of amyloid beta peptides (Abeta) and cholinergic dysfunction are two characteristic features of Alzheimer's disease. Several studies have suggested that a compromised cholinergic transmission can increase the amount of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the denervated cortex (or hippocampus); however, whether this will increase Abeta production is unknown. To investigate the relation between cholinergic neurotransmission and APP metabolism, and the possible role of cholinergic dysfunction in the development of amyloid neuropathology, we lesioned the fimbria-fornix pathway in APP+PS1 double transgenic mice, at 5 and 7 months of age. Three months and 11 months postlesion, the mice were sacrificed for biochemical and histopathological analyses. The fimbria-fornix transection resulted in a substantial depletion of cholinergic markers in the hippocampus at both time points. Three months postlesion, hippocampal APP and Abeta levels were not significantly changed. At 11 months postlesion, the fimbria-fornix lesion did not result in an alteration in either the hippocampal Abeta levels or the extent of Abeta deposition, as assessed by amyloid plaque counts and image analysis of Abeta load in the 18-month-old APP+PS1 mice. Our findings indicate that APP metabolism in mice may be dissociated from cholinergic neurotransmission rather than related as previously suggested in other mammalian species.
Lethal effect of cytokine-induced nitric oxide and peroxynitrite on cultured rat cardiac myocytes.

We examined the cytotoxic effect of iNOS-generated NO in cultured cardiac myocytes treated with IL-1 beta, IFN- gamma and LPS. Treatment of the myocytes with cytokines for 48 h resulted in a marked NO production, a significant decline in cellular ATP content, and a significant increase in myocyte death with morphological characteristics of necrosis. Moreover, immunohistochemical examination showed that the cytokines caused nitrotyrosine formation in the injured myocytes. Uric acid and L-cysteine which have the ability to quench peroxynitrite significantly attenuated these cytokine-induced effects, although they did not alter NO production or the decline in cellular ATP. These data suggest that NO production induced by cytokines can not only cause deleterious effects in the myocardial energy balance but also induce myocytes necrosis, through the formation of peroxynitrite.
Effective dosing of lipid A analogue E5564 in rats depends on the timing of treatment and the route of Escherichia coli infection.

BACKGROUND E5564, a competitive lipid A antagonist, inhibits endotoxin-stimulated inflammation and is under study in patients with sepsis. METHODS We tested whether clinically relevant variables, including the timing of treatment and the route of infection, influenced the effective dosing of E5564 in Escherichia coli-challenged rats. RESULTS All E5564 doses (0.3, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mg/kg intravascular bolus followed by 10% of the bolus dose infused hourly for 24 h) administered 1 h before intravascular E. coli challenge similarly reduced the risk of death. Delaying the start of E5564 to 1 or 3 h after intravascular E. coli challenge significantly reduced the beneficial effect of the doses tested. However, increasing the dose of E5564 reversed some loss of efficacy for delayed treatment (P=.004, for increasing benefit with increasing dose at 1 h). During intrabronchial or intraperitoneal (extravascular) E. coli challenge, the pattern of effective E5564 dosing was the inverse of that for intravascular E. coli challenge (P=.001, for the interaction)--lower doses of E5564 were beneficial and higher doses were not (0.03, 0.3, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mg/kg bolus followed by infusion) (P=.05, for decreasing benefit with increasing dose at 1 h). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that, for maximal clinical benefit, E5564 should be given early and that dosing should be adjusted upward for intravascular infection and downward for extravascular infection.
Mining the Leishmania genome for novel antigens and vaccine candidates

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease with an estimated 12 million infected people. The recent completion of the sequencing of the Leishmania major genome has opened opportunities for the identification of targets for vaccine development. We present here the first attempt at identifying novel vaccine candidates by whole genome analysis. We predicted CD8+ T cell epitopes from the L. major proteome and validated in vivo in mice the immunogenicity of some of the best predicted epitopes. Consensus epitope predictions from 8272 annotated protein sequences with 5–8 different algorithms allowed the identification of 78 class I CD8+ epitopes. BALB/c mice were immunized with 26 synthetic peptides corresponding to the most likely epitopes. Fourteen (54%) resulted immunogenic, with eight being strong inducers of T cell IFNγ production. None of the proteins from which the epitopes are derived are differentially expressed, only two may be surface proteins, eight have putative enzymatic, and metabolic activities. These epitopes and proteins represent new antigen candidates for further studies. While pathogen genomes have not yet delivered their full promise in terms of human health applications, our study opens the way for extensive genome mining for antigen identification and vaccine development against Leishmania and other pathogens.
Evaluation of 15 Motility Media and a Direct Microscopic Method for Detection of Motility in Enterococci

ABSTRACT Isolation of motile, vanC enterococci has yet to be a major infection control concern; however, rapid detection still is important. We evaluated 15 motility media from three manufacturers and a 2-h direct microscopic method for accurate detection of 89 enterococcal strains, including 72 vanC enterococcal strains. Resistance genes were confirmed by a multiplex PCR method with the vanC gene detected in all motile enterococci. Motility in the 72 vanC enterococci was detected at 30°C within 72 h in BD Biosciences motility nitrate medium and in Remel motility B medium, motility B medium supplemented with methyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (investigational), motility S medium, motility test medium, and motility test medium with tetrazolium indicator. Motility was also observed for all vanC enterococci with the 2-h direct (30°C incubation) microscopic detection method. All Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates were observed to be nonmotile in all media and by the direct microscopic method. Since differences between the various motility media tested were observed, the medium used for detection of enterococcal motility must be selected carefully.
Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the posttraumatic growth inventory among cancer patients

In the current study, we investigated the psychometric properties of a Dutch translation of the posttraumatic growth inventory in a heterogeneous group of cancer patients. Its original five‐factor structure was maintained. The internal consistency of the total scale, as well as its subdimensions, was satisfactory. As expected, the experience of posttraumatic growth was positively related to: emotional expression about the illness, openness to experience, and feelings of innerness. Furthermore, the scale appeared to be sensitive for the demographics age and gender. The experience of posttraumatic growth was not related to negative feelings such as avoidance, anxiety, depression, and neuroticism. Our Dutch translation of the instrument appeared to be a sound measure for the experience of posttraumatic growth in cancer patients. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acholeplasma axanthum, sp. n.: a New Sterol-Nonrequiring Member of the Mycoplasmatales

Mycoplasmas recovered from tissue cultures and previously shown to belong to the sterol-nonrequiring group of mycoplasmas have been further characterized. The biological and serological properties of these strains show them to be clearly distinct from Acholeplasma laidlawii and A. granularum, two species of sterol-nonrequiring mycoplasmas recently reclassified. It is proposed that the newly described mycoplasmas be designated Acholeplasma axanthum, sp. n.
Neuromuscular coordination of squat lifting, II: Individual differences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This article reports individual differences in the coordination (ie, the relative timing of joint movements and muscle activity) of squat lifting identified by extended analysis of data reported in the authors' companion article in this issue. SUBJECTS Two post hoc groups of 6 subjects each were identified from the original sample of 15 subjects based on qualitative differences in knee-lumbar spine relative motion plots during load acceleration. METHODS Subjects lifted a crate containing 15% to 75% of their maximum lifting capacity using a symmetrical squat-lift technique. Movement kinematic data were obtained with videography, and the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the vastus lateralis and erector spinae muscles was recorded with surface EMG. Measurements of coordination derived both kinematically and via EMG and the kinematic data were examined for group differences. RESULTS Subjects in group 2 limited lumbar spine motion during load acceleration for all loads lifted, whereas those in group 1 limited lumbar spine motion more when lifting the heaviest loads. These differences were obvious both qualitatively, via knee-lumbar spine relative motion plots, and quantitatively, via measures of the relative timing of joint motions early in the lift. The effect of load on the coordination of these joints was the same for both post hoc groups after initial load acceleration. Significant differences in other kinematic measurements were also found between these groups. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION Despite specific instructions about how to lift the load, individual subjects coordinated their joints differently during the initial, accelerative phase of squat lifting. Individual differences in coordination in response to load increases could be categorized into two patterns, although the data of 2 subjects were difficult to categorize and thus not included in these analyses. Whether the two dominant patterns have consequences for stress to the joints during lifting remains to be determined.