Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in nutrient concentrations of leaves and roots in response to global change factors

Global change impacts on biogeochemical cycles have been widely studied, but our understanding of whether the responses of plant elemental composition to global change drivers differ between above‐ and belowground plant organs remains incomplete. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 201 reports including 1,687 observations of studies that have analyzed simultaneously N and P concentrations changes in leaves and roots in the same plants in response to drought, elevated [CO2], and N and P fertilization around the world, and contrasted the results within those obtained with a general database (838 reports and 14,772 observations) that analyzed the changes in N and P concentrations in leaves and/or roots of plants submitted to the commented global change drivers. At global level, elevated [CO2] decreased N concentrations in leaves and roots and decreased N:P ratio in roots but no in leaves, but was not related to P concentration changes. However, the response differed among vegetation types. In temperate forests, elevated [CO2] was related with lower N concentrations in leaves but not in roots, whereas in crops, the contrary patterns were observed. Elevated [CO2] decreased N concentrations in leaves and roots in tundra plants, whereas not clear relationships were observed in temperate grasslands. However, when elevated [CO2] and N fertilization coincided, leaves had lower N concentrations, whereas root had higher N concentrations suggesting that more nutrients will be allocated to roots to improve uptake of the soil resources not directly provided by the global change drivers. N fertilization and drought increased foliar and root N concentrations while the effects on P concentrations were less clear. The changes in N and P allocation to leaves and root, especially those occurring in opposite direction between them have the capacity to differentially affect above‐ and belowground ecosystem functions, such as litter mineralization and above‐ and belowground food webs.
Neonatal Jaundice is a Risk Factor for Childhood Allergic Rhinitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background This study evaluates the association between neonatal jaundice and childhood allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods Eleven thousand three hundred twenty-eight children were collected from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Their claims data were evaluated from birth to 10 years of age, and they were assigned to either the study (with neonatal jaundice) or the control (without neonatal jaundice) group. The diagnostic criteria for AR were at least three diagnoses of AR at outpatient services, one diagnosis of AR during an admission, or one diagnosis of AR in an emergency department. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (ORs) were calculated after adjustment for the following confounders: preterm/low birth weight, neonatal infection, other respiratory conditions, other birth conditions, and gender. AR rate, AR onset time, the use of oral antihistamines/nasal corticosteroids, outpatient visit frequency for AR, lower respiratory infection (LRI) rates, sinusitis/otitis media/conjunctivitis rates, and the effect of phototherapy were evaluated. Results After adjustment for the confounding factors, the rate of AR was higher in icteric children (OR, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.24~1.72). There was a higher incidence of AR in children <4 years old with icterus. The use of oral antihistamines, LRI rates, sinusitis rates, and otitis media rates were higher in the icteric children. There was no association between phototherapy and childhood AR. Conclusion Neonatal jaundice increased the rate and complications of childhood AR in subjects aged up to 10 years and may be a risk factor for childhood AR.
Comparison of Midazolam and Diazepam for Sedation During Plastic Surgery

A randomized double-blind study was designed to compare midazolam, a rapid-acting water-soluble benzodiazepine, with diazepam for sedation when administered as an adjuvant to ketamine during local anesthesia. In the preliminary dose-ranging study, midazolam (0.05 to 0.15 mg/kg IV) was found to produce a spectrum of central nervous system activity (e.g., sedation, amnesia) that was similar to diazepam (0.1 to 0.3 mg/kg IV). However, the slope of midazolam's dose-response curve for sedation appeared to be steeper (i.e., a narrower therapeutic dosage range). In a comparative evaluation of their relative sedative-amnestic properties and recovery characteristics, the median effective doses of the two benzodiazepines were compared. Midazolam (0.1 mg/kg IV) was found to produce more profound sedation and amnesia than diazepam (0.2 mg/kg IV). Midazolam was associated with significantly less pain on injection and a lower incidence of postoperative venoirritation. Overall patient acceptance was higher with midazolam compared to diazepam. Finally, recovery characteristics were similar for the two benzodiazepines in our outpatient setting.
[Precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix in cameroonian women. Cytological and epidemiological aspects of 946 cases].

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to present the cytological and epidemiological aspects of precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix of women living in the two first cameroonian cities (Yaounde and Doubla). MATERIAL AND METHODS The material was made of pap smears registrar of the Yaounde Central Hospital pathological laboratory and the reports of cervical cancer screening from Douala and Yaounde within a period of five years (1st January 1994 to 31st December 1998). We recruited all cases showing a precancerous lesion of the uterine cervix. For each case, we noted: the type of lesion, the age of the patient, the age at the first sexual intercourse, the age at the first delivery, the number of pregnancies, the parity, the marital status, the socioeconomical class. RESULTS From a total of 13524 pap smears done, 946 (7%) have shown precancerous lesions. 70% of these were high grade while 30% were low grade. These lesions were observed at all age from the range of 11 to 15 years. All women showing these lesions had had sexual intercourse. 30% of these lesions were noted among women who have had their first sexual intercourses between 10 and 15 years. 40% were observed among women who have had their first sexual intercourses between 16 and 18 years. 66% among women who have had their first delivery between 13 and 21 years. 92% are observed among women who have had more than five pregnancies, more than five parities; 54% among women who are married and 76% among bachelors and widows; 64% among women with low socioeconomical status; 9% among women with high socioeconomical status. CONCLUSION Many cameroonian women are prone to cervical cancer.
What Should Be the Future of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program?

ABSTRACT This research examines the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments in metropolitan areas nationwide. The results indicate that the LIHTC program contributes to the spatial concentration of poverty as well as of racial and ethnic minorities. The program is not promoting mixed-income housing. The program is serving an income category with very little need for additional units and is not serving those with a need. Finally, the program is increasing the rental housing stock in soft markets and failing to increase the supply in tight ones. It is recommended that states adopt allocation standards that would deconcentrate poverty and affirmatively further fair housing. The benefits of the program should be reconfigured to promote mixed-income housing. The LIHTC program should permit states to exchange tax-credit authority for vouchers, to better serve the poorest households. The program should exercise greater rigor in market analysis so that new units are added only in tight markets and deteriorated units are rehabilitated elsewhere.
Gastric emptying in hypothyreosis.

The purpose of this study was to compare the solid phase gastric emptying (GE) in hypothyreotic patients before treatment and after euthyreosis has been reached. Ten female patients (aged 44.8 +/- 9.5[SD] y) with recently diagnosed hypothyroidism were included in the study. Their thyrometabolic state and GE were examined before treatment and after a median of 5 1/2 months (range 2 1/2-12 1/2), i.e., when euthyreosis was achieved. The control group consisted of 12 healthy women (aged 34.5 +/- 8.1y). GE of a 390-kcal 99mTc-labelled solid meal was continuously recorded under a gamma camera during 90 min. A power-exponential model was used for the analysis of the GE course. Compared to the controls, the solid phase GE of the hypothyreotics was characterized by a significantly lower curve shape parameter S (0.745 +/- 0.217 vs. 1.032 +/- 0.223, p < 0.01) and slope of the curve K (4.8 +/- 2.2 min-1.10(-3) vs. 7.6 +/- 1.3 min-1.10(-3), p < 0.01). Restoration of euthyreosis resulted in an increase of both parameters, making the GE pattern no longer statistically significantly different from that encountered in healthy subjects. The treatment did not affect the gastric half emptying time T1/2 (median: 125 min and 130 min before and after the treatment, respectively; healthy controls: 94 min). A wide variation of individual GE data was found either before or after the treatment, and in a few cases delayed GE persisted despite an effective substitutive treatment. The GE kinetics was, however, in no way related to the severity of the disease. Further research on the pathogenesis of this phenomenon is warranted.
Liquid chromatographic determination of caffeine and adrenergic stimulants in food supplements sold in Brazilian e-commerce for weight loss and physical fitness

Abstract Methyl-xanthines and adrenergic stimulants, such as caffeine and synephrine, are commonly added to food supplements due to their stimulating and thermogenic effects. In addition, the abusive consumption of food supplements with ergogenic and aesthetic purposes has been observed worldwide. This work describes the study of caffeine, p-synephrine, hordenine, octopamine, tyramine, ephedrine and salicin as stimulants in dietary supplements marketed in Brazil for weight loss and physical fitness claims. A total of 94 different products were acquired from 30 Brazilian websites. Thus, the sampling of marketed supplements was performed in virtual commerce (e-commerce) with claims of weight loss, appetite reduction, fat burning and metabolism acceleration. The developed analytical method involved the separation of the stimulants by HPLC with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) by using a gradient elution of flow rate (0.7–2.5 ml min−1) and mobile phase composition (0.1% H3PO4/methanol). The validated method was applied to the study of 46 dietary supplements. Caffeine, p-synephrine and ephedrine were found to be present as stimulants in 52% of the studied samples marketed as encapsulated or bulk forms. Caffeine was found to be present in concentrations that represent doses from 25.0 to 1476.7 mg day–1. Synephrine was found in concentrations that represent doses from 59.1 to 127.0 mg day–1. Ephedrine was found to be associated with caffeine in one formulation at a concentration representing a 26.1 mg day–1 dosage. Graphical Abstract
Aluminum doping of poly(vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene) copolymer

The interface between aluminum and crystalline copolymer thin film of vinylidene fluoride (70%) with trifluoroethylene (30%) [PVDF-TrFE] has been studied. The ratio of carbon 1s and aluminum 2p core level photoemission peak intensities changes little with increasing emission angle after deposition of 5 A aluminum on the surface of PVDF-TrFE. This indicates that the distribution of aluminum atoms in the copolymer film is quite uniform in the near surface region and that the interface between PVDF-TrFE and aluminum is not abrupt. There is evidence for changes in photohole screening with aluminum doping within the polymer film.
Assessment of pyridoxine and folate intake in migraine patients

Background: Migraine is a highly prevalent disorder worldwide. It affects 10–20% of the population during their lifetime. Recent studies have indicated that supplementation with folate and pyridoxine improves migraine symptoms. This study was undertaken to evaluate dietary intake of folate and pyridoxine in migraine patients and assessed their association with the frequency of migraine attacks. Materials and Methods: This is a case–control study performed on 124 migraine patients and 130 non-migraine subjects. Individuals' common dietary intake was determined by using a valid semi-quantitative 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Data had been analyzed using independent t-test using SPSS software (version 18). Results: In this study, we found that migraine patients had lower intake of dietary folate compared with control group, but energy and pyridoxine intake were not different between the two groups. Further analysis among men and women revealed no statistically significant changes in these relationships. In addition, we found no significant association between dietary intake of pyridoxine and folate with the frequency of migraine attacks. Conclusion: Migraine patients had lower dietary intake of folate, compared with non-migraine group subjects. There was no significant association between folate and pyridoxine intake with the frequency of migraine attacks. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Learning from Europe and for Europe with David Raffe - insights into early years of European cooperation in vocational education and training research

Abstract This article provides a picture on the contribution of David Raffe to European cooperation in the field of vocational education and training (VET). It is based on the experiences of the author and his colleagues on European events and projects in which David participated from the early 1990s until 2009. The Section 2 gives impressions of David’s contribution to the theme ‘Modularisation’ during the early years of European educational cooperation. The Section 3 gives insights into David’s role in the founding phase of the VETNET network (the European Vocational Education and Training Research Network) of the European Educational Research Association (EERA). The Section 4 takes a closer look at David’s contribution to the European cooperation project ‘Finding new strategies for post-16 education’ and to the theme ‘parity of esteem between general and vocational education’. The Section 5 discusses David’s role as a policy advisor and policy analyst at the level of European VET policies. The final section presents some concluding remarks on the way that David worked as a colleague and as policy analyst at the national and European level.
Literacy Events and Practices That Position Hmong Women to Meet Academic Success in Community Colleges.

This study examined the literacy events and practices of Hmong women achieving academic success at a community college. Three women participants were interviewed regarding their past and present literacy events and practices. In addition, each participant took photographs of their own literacy events for five weeks. The photographs provided additional material for further discussion during the interviews. The study was designed as a collective case study in order to explore each participant's literacy practices and compare across cases. Coding was first conducted deductively, separating literacy events from literacy practices. Then each primary code was subjected to a second around of coding. Literacy events were also deductively coded, according to the narrative methods of situation, continuity, and place. Literacy practices were inductively coded to draw forth themes within each case. Findings indicate participants used literacy to meet school objectives, aid in learning, facilitate verbal interactions, affirm identity, and achieve goals. A combination of these literacy practices and cultural wealth helped these participants achieve academic success at the community college level. Implications for culturally responsive teaching are discussed.
The scaling of crime concentration in cities

Crime is a major threat to society’s well-being but lacks a statistical characterization that could lead to uncovering some of its underlying mechanisms. Evidence of nonlinear scaling of urban indicators in cities, such as wages and serious crime, has motivated the understanding of cities as complex systems—a perspective that offers insights into resources limits and sustainability, but that usually neglects details of the indicators themselves. Notably, since the nineteenth century, criminal activities have been known to occur unevenly within a city; crime concentrates in such way that most of the offenses take place in few regions of the city. Though confirmed by different studies, this concentration lacks broad analyses on its characteristics, which hinders not only the comprehension of crime dynamics but also the proposal of sounding counter-measures. Here, we developed a framework to characterize crime concentration which divides cities into regions with the same population size. We used disaggregated criminal data from 25 locations in the U.S. and the U.K., spanning from 2 to 15 years of longitudinal data. Our results confirmed that crime concentrates regardless of city and revealed that the level of concentration does not scale with city size. We found that the distribution of crime in a city can be approximated by a power-law distribution with exponent α that depends on the type of crime. In particular, our results showed that thefts tend to concentrate more than robberies, and robberies more than burglaries. Though criminal activities present regularities of concentration, we found that criminal ranks have the tendency to change continuously over time—features that support the perspective of crime as a complex system and demand analyses and evolving urban policies covering the city as a whole.
Through the looking glass and into the classroom: A narrative inquiry into student-to-teacher experiences of becoming and in-betweenness

The purpose of the present study is to inquire into the experience and knowledge of preservice teachers in a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program using a narrative inquiry research methodology. This study explores experiences of two B.Ed. student participants, Tom and Carly, in addition to references to my own experience in the teacher education program. Through a narrative inquiry approach, each participant shares their stories in semi-structured interviews involving open-ended and guided questions on their experiences in deciding and becoming a teacher. The main research question asks about stories of in-betweenness of participants’ experiences as they are educating themselves to become teachers. Subsequent questions explore experiences in the decision to teach and to enter teacher education; whether significant others influenced their decision or their continuous pursuit, and who these people are; and, how the image of a teacher and their role change after a practicum experience. The significance of this study may help inform those who are influential and engaged in the education of these individuals who decide to teach. STUDENT-TO-TEACHER EXPERIENCES 5 Table of
Exchange rates of oil exporting countries and global oil price shocks: a nonlinear smooth-transition approach

ABSTRACT This paper models logistic and exponential smooth transition adjustments of real exchange rates for six major oil-exporting countries in response to different shocks affecting oil prices. The logistic form captures asymmetric and the exponential form symmetric adjustments in regards to positive and negative oil price shocks. We chose oil-exporting countries that do not peg their exchange rates. For most countries, we detect no statistically significant non-linearities for the adjustment process of real exchange rate returns, be they asymmetric or symmetric, in response to oil supply shocks, idiosyncratic oil-market-specific shocks, and speculative oil-market shocks. Exceptions are oil supply shocks in the UK and possibly Brazil, where exchange rates respond nonlinearly, though the effects are symmetric for both countries. On the other hand, global aggregate demand shocks, which are shocks not originating directly in the oil market, have nonlinear asymmetric effects on real exchange rate returns for Canada, Mexico, Norway and Russia, and nonlinear symmetric effects for Brazil and the UK.
Levetiracetam in patients with impulsive aggression: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE There are few controlled studies evaluating drug treatment for impulsive aggression. The objective of this study was to evaluate levetiracetam in patients with impulsive aggression, and whether diagnosis or other baseline characteristics predict response. METHOD Outpatients with clinically significant impulsive aggression (meeting Coccaro et al. revised criteria for intermittent explosive disorder), without other psychiatric symptomatology clearly requiring treatment, were randomly assigned to levetiracetam or placebo, double-blind, for 10 weeks, at a variable dose with a maximum dose of 3000 mg/day. The primary efficacy measure was change in the total aggression score from the revised Overt Aggression Scale-Modified. The study was conducted from September 2005 to July 2006. RESULTS Of 40 patients (20 in each treatment group), 34 completed at least 4 weeks of treatment with double-blind medication. There was no overall statistical evidence of levetiracetam benefit, and no subgroup more responsive to levetiracetam could be identified. CONCLUSIONS Levetiracetam was not as efficacious as oxcarbazepine was in a prior similar study. Additional studies of medications for impulsive aggression seem warranted.
ZVS investigation of llc converters based on FHA assumptions

While resonant converters have been gaining much attention within the recent years, their exact mathematical description is rather complicated. Thus, simplified calculation methods are very attractive, e.g. the First Harmonic Approximation (FHA). Although the steady state solution of these simplified methods is usually quite acceptable and close to the exact solution, the prediction of the ZVS characteristic is either neglected or treated to simple. The ZVS characteristic is typically directly related to the voltage transfer function resulting in a too optimistic estimation of the operation range obtaining ZVS. Therefore, this paper focuses on a more accurate investigation of the resonant LLC converter's ZVS behavior and proposes two approximation methods, which are also based on simplified FHA assumptions allowing a fast estimation of different converter designs.
Northward genetic penetration across the Himalayas viewed from Sherpa people

Abstract The Himalayas have been suggested as a natural barrier for human migrations, especially the northward dispersals from the Indian Subcontinent to Tibetan Plateau. However, although the majority of Sherpa have a Tibeto-Burman origin, considerable genetic components from Indian Subcontinent have been observed in Sherpa people living in Tibet. The western Y chromosomal haplogroups R1a1a-M17, J-M304, and F*-M89 comprise almost 17% of Sherpa paternal gene pool. In the maternal side, M5c2, M21d, and U from the west also count up to 8% of Sherpa people. Those lineages with South Asian origin indicate that the Himalayas have been permeable to bidirectional gene flow.
An improved method of analysis of observer variation between pathologists

An improved method of analysing interobserver variation in histopathological studies is described and illustrated, by use of data from a congruence survey of malignant melanoma. The method provides, between any number of pathologists, an assessment of overall agreement and of agreement on each individual category of a classification system. Adjustment for differences in chance agreement due to varying numbers of categories or an altered composition of cases is included in the analysis. A generalization of the procedure designed to measure the strength of associations between different categories is formulated and explained with the use of an example.