Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavior change communication activities improve infant and young child nutrition knowledge and practice of neighboring non-participants in a cluster-randomized trial in rural Bangladesh

Objective To examine the impact on infant and young child nutrition knowledge and practice of mothers who were neighbors of mothers participating in a nutrition Behavior Change Communication (BCC) intervention in rural Bangladesh. Methods We analyzed data from 300 mothers whose neighbor participated in a nutrition BCC intervention and 600 mothers whose neighbor participated in an intervention that did not include BCC. We constructed measures capturing mothers’ knowledge of infant and young child nutrition (IYCN) and measures of food consumption by children 6-24m. The effect on these outcomes of exposure to a neighbor receiving a nutrition BCC intervention was estimated using ordinary least squares and probit regressions. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Study ID: NCT02237144). Results Having a neighboring mother participate in a nutrition BCC intervention increased non-participant mothers’ IYCN knowledge by 0.17 SD (translating to 0.3 more correct answers). They were 14.1 percentage points more likely to feed their 6-24m children legumes and nuts; 11.6 percentage points more likely to feed these children vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables; and 10.0 percentage points more likely to feed these children eggs. Children of non-participant mothers who had a neighboring mother participate in a nutrition BCC intervention were 13.8 percentage points more likely to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for minimum diet diversity, 11.9 percentage points more likely to meet WHO guidelines for minimum acceptable diet, and 10.3 percentage points more likely to meet WHO guidelines for minimum meal frequency for children who continue to be breastfed after age 6m. Children aged 0-6m of non-participant mothers who are neighbors of mothers receiving BCC were 7.1 percentage points less likely to have ever consumed water-based liquids. Conclusions Studies of nutrition BCC that do not account for information spillovers to non-participants may underestimate its benefits in terms of IYCN knowledge and practice.
Glutathione S-TransferaseM 1 ( GSTM 1 ) and Glutathione S-Transferase T 1 ( GSTT 1 ) Null Polymorphisms , Smoking , and Their Interaction in Oral Cancer : A HuGE Review and Meta-Analysis

The association between glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) null polymorphisms and oral cancer is not consistent across studies, and data on their interaction with smoking in oral cancer are lacking. The authors systematically searched PubMed and SciVerse Scopus for case-control studies examining the association between null genotypes of theGSTM1 andGSTT1 genes and oral cancer. Twenty-eight case-control studies published in English were identified. Summary odds ratios were derived via random-effects models. The summary odds ratio for the GSTM1 null genotype was 1.43 in Asians (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 1.78; P< 0.01, I 1⁄4 73%) and 0.98 in Caucasians (95%CI: 0.76, 1.28; P1⁄4 0.91, I 1⁄4 0%). Case-only analysis of 6 studies (552 cases) showed an inverse multiplicative interaction between GSTM1 null polymorphisms and smoking (ever/high levels of smoking vs. never/low levels) (odds ratio (OR) 1⁄4 0.51, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.82; P 1⁄4 0.01, I 1⁄4 34%). TheGSTT1 null genotypewas not significantly associated with oral cancer in Asians (OR1⁄4 1.07, 95%CI: 0.82, 1.38; P1⁄4 0.63, I 2 1⁄4 65%) or Caucasians (OR1⁄4 1.04, 95%CI: 0.41, 2.65; P1⁄4 0.93, I 2 1⁄4 55%). In conclusion, the GSTM1 null genotype may be associated with a higher risk of oral cancer in Asians but not in Caucasians, and this effect may be modified by smoking status. The GSTT1 null genotype may not be associated with oral cancer.
Making Sense of the Performance (Dis)advantage for Immigrant Students Across Canada

International achievement measures such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have traditionally reported a significant gap between non-migrant and immigrant student groups—a result that is often referred to as the immigrant performance disadvantage . This article examines first- and second-generation immigrant student achievement results in greater detail across Canada. Overall, Canadian achieve ment results are atypical in relation to the international community in that immigrant student groups significantly outperform non-migrants in some provincial jurisdictions, and also significantly underperform in other provincial jurisdictions, in relation to reading, mathematics, and scientific literacy. This article examines these diverse results in relation to the available literature and offers a conceptual framework that explains the unique case of Canada. The framework highlights the importance of assessing immigrant student achievement by taking into account the level of individual characteristics, provincial policies, as well as sociocultural and demographic contexts across Canada.
Developed and Developing Economies: A Synthesis of First and Second Natures

Bearing in mind that developing countries have less capital and less advanced technologies, this paper investigates the joint impact of two different kinds of first-nature forces, Ricardian comparative advantage and the Heckscher-Ohlin advantage, and the second-nature forces on economic activity and spatial income inequality. We extend a new economic geography model without a traditional sector so that the wage is endogenous in our framework. We find that, interacting with the second nature, the impact of the first nature related to technology and that related to capital endowment are unequal and nonuniform along with the integration process. Moreover, by combining these three kinds of trade causes, we generate various patterns of relationship between spatial income inequality and trade integration, providing a better explanation for the diverse empirical studies.
One pot synthesis of GDP‐mannose by a multi‐enzyme cascade for enzymatic assembly of lipid‐linked oligosaccharides

Glycosylation of proteins is a key function of the biosynthetic‐secretory pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus. Glycosylated proteins play a crucial role in cell trafficking and signaling, cell‐cell adhesion, blood‐group antigenicity, and immune response. In addition, the glycosylation of proteins is an important parameter in the optimization of many glycoprotein‐based drugs such as monoclonal antibodies. In vitro glycoengineering of proteins requires glycosyltransferases as well as expensive nucleotide sugars. Here, we present a designed pathway consisting of five enzymes, glucokinase (Glk), phosphomannomutase (ManB), mannose‐1‐phosphate‐guanyltransferase (ManC), inorganic pyrophosphatase (PmPpA), and 1‐domain polyphosphate kinase 2 (1D‐Ppk2) expressed in E. coli for the cell‐free production and regeneration of GDP‐mannose from mannose and polyphosphate with catalytic amounts of GDP and ADP. It was shown that GDP‐mannose is produced at various conditions, that is pH 7–8, temperature 25–35°C and co‐factor concentrations of 5–20 mM MgCl2. The maximum reaction rate of GDP‐mannose achieved was 2.7 μM/min at 30°C and 10 mM MgCl2 producing 566 nmol GDP‐mannose after a reaction time of 240 min. With respect to the initial GDP concentration (0.8 mM) this is equivalent to a yield of 71%. Additionally, the cascade was coupled to purified, transmembrane‐deleted Alg1 (ALG1ΔTM), the first mannosyltransferase in the ER‐associated lipid‐linked oligosaccharide (LLO) assembly. Thereby, in a one‐pot reaction, phytanyl‐PP‐(GlcNAc)2‐Man1 was produced with efficient nucleotide sugar regeneration for the first time. Phytanyl‐PP‐(GlcNAc)2‐Man1 can serve as a substrate for the synthesis of LLO for the cell‐free in vitro glycosylation of proteins. A high‐performance anion exchange chromatography method with UV and conductivity detection (HPAEC‐UV/CD) assay was optimized and validated to determine the enzyme kinetics. The established kinetic model enabled the optimization of the GDP‐mannose regenerating cascade and can further be used to study coupling of the GDP‐mannose cascade with glycosyltransferases. Overall, the study envisages a first step towards the development of a platform for the cell‐free production of LLOs as precursors for in vitro glycoengineering of proteins.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Divergent personality structures of brown and white-faced capuchins

One way to gain insights into personality evolution is by comparing the personality structures of related species. We compared the personality structure of 240 wild white-faced capuchin monkeys to the personality structure of 100 captive brown capuchin monkeys. An ancillary goal was to test the degree to which different personality questionnaires yielded similar personality dimensions. Both species were rated on a common set of 26 antonym pairs. The brown capuchin monkeys were also rated on the 54-item Hominoid Personality Questionnaire. Our cross-species comparisons revealed three personality dimensions---Assertiveness, Openness, and Neuroticism---shared by brown and white-faced capuchins, suggesting that these dimensions were present in the common ancestor of these species. Our comparison of the dimensions derived from the antonym pairs and the Hominoid Personality Questionnaire revealed that three common dimensions were identified by both questionnaires. In addition, the dimension Attentiveness was only identified using the Hominoid Personality Questionnaire. These results indicate that major features of capuchin personality are conserved and that the structure of some traits, such as those related to focus, persistence, and attention, diverged. Further work is needed to identify the evolutionary bases that led to the conservation of some dimensions but not others.
Importance of Smolt Size and Early Ocean Growth to Interannual Variability in Marine Survival of Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

The importance of smolt size and early ocean growth to the marine survival of coho salmon was examined over a 17-yr period at Carnation Creek, British Columbia. Comparisons of overall marine survival were made both between-years, using two smolt age-groups of different mean sizes, and within-years using observed smolt size distributions and smolt size distributions back-calculated from the scales of returning adults. Large size did not confer a consistent survival advantage but large smolts did survive better in years when marine survival was relatively poor. Marine survivals were strongly correlated with early ocean growth as estimated by the spacing of the first five ocean circuli on the scales of returning adults. Marine survival and early ocean growth were positively correlated with ocean conditions indicative of strong upwelling along the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Neither smolt survival nor early ocean growth were correlated with regional coho smolt production. Our observations suggest tha.
Efficient Way of Determining the Number of Clusters Using Hadoop Architecture

: The process of data mining is to extract information from a data set and transform it into an understandable structure. The clustering task plays a very important role in many areas such as exploratory data analysis, pattern recognition, computer vision, and information retrieval. The key idea is to view clustering as a supervised classification problem, in which we estimate the “true” class labels. The problem of determining the valid number of clusters is not easy. To overcome this problem many well known methods are used to find a correct number of clusters i.e. Gap statistic, Path based clustering and Figure of Merit (FOM) but these methods could not solve the problem of finding number of clusters efficiently. This paper focuses on “Average Intracluster Distance” index to validate the estimated number of arbitrary shaped clusters. In hadoop the proposed technique is based on the local relations between patterns and their clustering labels which makes use of Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) algorithm based on the multiplicity property of MST to get accurate results in efficient manner .
Pheomelanin-Based Plumage Coloration Predicts Survival Rates in Birds

Higher vertebrates synthesize two forms of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. While the adaptive functions of eumelanin are diverse, those of pheomelanin, which is phototoxic and whose production consumes a key intracellular antioxidant (glutathione), are not clear apart from being involved in color patterns that confer concealment. The factors that have favored the evolution of pheomelanin thus remain a mystery, causing this pigment even to have been considered an “accident of nature. ” A recent hypothesis posits that pheomelanin has evolved because it represents an alternative mechanism to remove excess dietary cysteine, which can be toxic because of its oxidation. We tested for links between pheomelanin-based color and survival in both an intraspecific study of barn swallows Hirundo rustica and an interspecific study of 58 species of birds from North and Central America. As predicted on the basis that birds degrade excess dietary amino acids by transferring their amino group to uric acid synthesis, we found that under equal levels of uric acid in plasma, individuals or species with a higher intensity or greater proportion of plumage colored by pheomelanin (brown and chestnut coloration) had higher relative annual survival rates while controlling for the potentially confounding effects of age, sex, body size, and phylogenetic descent. Likewise, barn swallows with more intense pheomelanin-based coloration had higher prospects to survive the winter after controlling statistically for age, sex, body size, and level of uric acid. This supports the idea that pheomelanic traits evolve because of the removal of excess cysteine in nonstressful conditions, thus avoiding its toxic effects.
The Intersection of Race and Gender Among Black American Adolescents.

This study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to examine the intersection of race and gender among Black American adolescents, aged 11-19. The quantitative component (n = 344) used survey data to examine gender differences in peer-perpetrated and adult-perpetrated racial discrimination experiences, and no gender differences were evident. Qualitative data (n = 42) probed how males and females interpret discrimination experiences given the intersection of race and gender. Although the majority of participants believed that Black males and females have similar experiences, some believed that Black males face more racial discrimination. However, analyses revealed social disadvantages for Black females given that they report inappropriate comments and unwelcome hair touching and limited opportunities for interracial dating compared with Black males.
A qualitative meta-synthesis of patients' experiences of intra- and inter-hospital transitions.

AIM To aggregate, interpret and synthesize findings from qualitative studies of patients' experiences on being transferred/in transition from one hospital to another or from one ward to another. BACKGROUND Studies about patients' experiences of transfer focused on concepts such as transfer stress, transfer anxiety, and translocation syndrome; however, a meta-synthesis on experiences of transition across different patient populations was lacking. DESIGN The meta-synthesis approach was based on the guidelines by Sandelowski and Barroso. DATA SOURCE Six electronic databases were searched for articles published between the years 1999-2011, based on the target phenomenon: patients' experiences of transition after transfer between hospitals or units. Reference lists of included articles were screened for eligible papers. REVIEW METHODS Data were analysed into meta-summary and meta-synthesis. The qualitative content analysis process started with a search for common themes, concepts, and metaphors. RESULTS Fourteen qualitative studies were included. Three main categories were identified: transfer as unpredictable, scary and stressful; transfer as recovery and relief; and transfer as sliding into insignificance. The meta-synthesis showed patients' experiences of transitions as critical events where nurses need to focus on patient outcome of transfer as safe, predictable, and individual. CONCLUSION It was difficult for patients to leave their experiences behind when feeling unimportant. Evidence existed for clinical nurses to continue the development of care quality and safety for patients in transfer/transition. Intervention studies and policy development to improve transfers and transitions for patients are recommended.
Attenuated sex steroid receptor expression in fallopian tube of women with ectopic pregnancy.

CONTEXT Sex steroid hormone receptor (SHR) dynamics are well-documented in human endometrium but have not been comprehensively studied in Fallopian tube (FT). OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to compare expression patterns and hormonal regulation of SHR in FT with that described in endometrium and to determine whether SHR expression is altered in FT of women with ectopic pregnancy (EP). DESIGN Tissue was analyzed and cultured. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Women undergoing surgery for benign gynecological conditions (n = 14) and EP (n = 6) participated in the study. INTERVENTIONS Quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to determine SHR mRNA expression and protein localization, respectively. SHR levels were measured in tubal explant cultures stimulated with estrogen and progestogen. RESULTS ERalpha and ERbeta mRNAs were constitutively expressed in FT during the menstrual cycle. PR-AB and PR-B mRNAs were decreased in midluteal phase compared to follicular phase. ERalpha, PR-AB, and PR-B mRNAs were down-regulated in human FT in vitro by treatment with progestogen. ERalpha, ERbeta1, ERbeta2, PR, and AR proteins localized to cell nuclei of epithelium, stroma, and smooth muscle of nonpregnant FT. In FT from women with EP, PR-B mRNA was decreased when compared to midluteal FT, and ERalpha protein was not detected. CONCLUSIONS SHR expression in FT is different from that observed in endometrium recovered at similar stages of the menstrual cycle, and expression in FT from women with EP is also altered compared with normal FT. These data are an important benchmark for furthering the understanding of normal human FT physiology, changes in expression of SHR in FT in response to progesterone, and disorders of FT function, such as EP.
Systemic low-frequency oscillations observed in the periphery of healthy human subjects

Abstract. This study investigated the relationships of systemic low-frequency oscillations (sLFOs) measured at different peripheral sites in resting state, during passive leg raising (PLR), and during a paced breathing (PB) test. Twenty-five healthy subjects (21 to 57 years old; males: 13 and females: 12) were recruited for these experiments. During the experiments, the fluctuations of oxyhemoglobin concentration were measured at six peripheral sites (left and right toes, fingertips, and earlobes) using a multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy instrument developed by our group. We applied cross-correlation and frequency component analyses on the data. The results showed that the sLFO signals in the symmetric peripheral sites were highly correlated, with time delays close to zero, whereas the correlation coefficients decreased between the sLFO signals of asymmetric sites, with delays up to several seconds. Furthermore, in PLR/PB tests, we found that PB caused wider and more robust changes in hemoglobin concentrations at peripheral sites compared to PLR. Among six peripheral sites, earlobes were the most sensitive to these perturbations, followed by fingertips, and then toes. Lastly, we showed that the perturbation signals may have different coupling mechanisms than the sLFO signals. The study deepened our understanding of the sLFO signals and establishes baseline measures for developing perfusion biomarkers to assess peripheral vascular integrity.
SPINAL AND PERIPHERAL DRY NEEDLING VERSUS PERIPHERAL DRY NEEDLING ALONE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH A HISTORY OF LATERAL ANKLE SPRAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

Background In addition to established interventions, dry needling may reduce impairments leading to greater functional abilities for individuals following ankle sprain. Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare effects of spinal and peripheral dry needling (DN) with peripheral DN alone on impairments and functional performance among individuals with a history of lateral ankle sprain. Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Methods Twenty individuals with a history of lateral ankle sprain (18 bilateral, 2 unilateral) participated in this study (4 males, 16 females; mean age 28.9 + /- 9.2 years). During the first of two sessions, participants completed the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) and the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) and their strength, unilateral balance, and unilateral hop test performance was assessed. Participants were randomly assigned to a spinal and peripheral DN group (SPDN), or a peripheral only DN group (PDN). Participants in the SPDN site group received DN to bilateral L5 multifidi and fibularis longus and brevis muscles on the involved lower extremity. Participants in the PDN group received DN to the fibularis muscles alone. Participants' strength, balance and hop test performance were reassessed immediately following the intervention, and at follow-up 6-7 days later, all outcome measures were reassessed. Three-way mixed model ANOVAs and Mann-Whitney U tests assessed between group differences for outcome variables with normal distributions and non-normal distributions, respectively. Results ANOVAs showed significant group by time interaction (p<0.05) for invertor strength, significant side by group and time by group interactions (p<0.05) for plantarflexor-evertor strength, no significant findings for dorsiflexor-invertor strength, significant side by time interaction (p<0.05) for unilateral balance, significant main effect of time (p<0.05) for triple hop for distance test, and significant main effect of side (p<0.05) for the CAIT. Mann-Whitney U tests showed no significance (p>0.05) for the side hop test or FADI. Conclusion The results suggest that DN of the multifidi in addition to fibularis muscles does not result in improvements in strength, unilateral balance or unilateral hop test performance, compared to DN the fibularis muscles alone among individuals with a history of ankle sprain.