Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Food Intake, Obesity, and Health Risk among the Homeless in Rhode Island.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the nutritional status, incidence of food insecurity, and health risk among the homeless population in Rhode Island. DESIGN AND SAMPLE This correlational study utilized a convenience sample of 319 homeless adults from Rhode Island's largest service agency for the homeless. Information on use of services such as access to emergency foods, shelters, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was requested. MEASURES Food security was measured by the six-item subset of the USDA Food Security Core Module. Anthropometric measures included height, weight, and waist circumference. A 24-hr dietary recall was collected to determine the food intake for a subset of participants who agreed to supply this information (n = 197). CONCLUSION Average dietary recall data indicated insufficient intake of vegetables, fruit, dairy, and meats/beans. It also indicated excessive intake of fats. Of the 313 participants, 29.4% were overweight and 39% were obese. Over 94% of the participants were food insecure, with 64% of this subset experiencing hunger. Fifty-five percent of the participants were currently receiving SNAP benefits. The majority of the sample was found to be food insecure with hunger.
HAEMATOLOGY AND CLINICAL CHEMISTRY OF HAIRY-NOSED WOMBATS (Lasiorhinus latifrons)

The report summarises an investigation into the health of wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in the field during the breeding season of a drought year. Health was assessed by morphometry, haematology and clinical chemistry and the findings were compared with those obtained for apparently healthy captive wombats. The erythrocyte count was lower and the erythrocyte size greater in free-ranging wombats than in captive wombats. Plasma values for potassium, urea, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate transaminase were greater in free-ranging wombats than captive wombats. Plasma values for creatinine, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase were lower in the free-ranging group.
Cell wall composition and penetration resistance against the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum are affected by impaired starch turnover in Arabidopsis mutants

Penetration resistance represents the first level of plant defense against phytopathogenic fungi. Here, we report that the starch-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana phosphoglucomutase (pgm) mutant has impaired penetration resistance against the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum. We could not determine any changes in leaf cutin and epicuticular wax composition or indolic glucosinolate levels, but detected complex alterations in the cell wall monosaccharide composition of pgm Notably, other mutants deficient in starch biosynthesis (adg1) or mobilization (sex1) had similarly affected cell wall composition and penetration resistance. Glycome profiling analysis showed that both overall cell wall polysaccharide extractability and relative extractability of specific pectin and xylan epitopes were affected in pgm, suggesting extensive structural changes in pgm cell walls. Screening of mutants with alterations in content or modification of specific cell wall monosaccharides indicated an important function of pectic polymers for penetration resistance and hyphal growth of C. higginsianum during the biotrophic interaction phase. While mutants with affected pectic rhamnogalacturonan-I (mur8) were hypersusceptible, penetration frequency and morphology of fungal hyphae were impaired on pmr5 pmr6 mutants with increased pectin levels. Our results reveal a strong impact of starch metabolism on cell wall composition and suggest a link between carbohydrate availability, cell wall pectin and penetration resistance.
Aalborg Universitet Path cost distribution estimation using trajectory data

With the growing volumes of vehicle trajectory data, it becomes increasingly possible to capture time-varying and uncertain travel costs in a road network, including travel time and fuel consumption. The current paradigm represents a road network as a weighted graph; it blasts trajectories into small fragments that fit the underlying edges to assign weights to edges; and it then applies a routing algorithm to the resulting graph. We propose a new paradigm, the hybrid graph, that targets more accurate and more efficient path cost distribution estimation. The new paradigm avoids blasting trajectories into small fragments and instead assigns weights to paths rather than simply to the edges. We show how to compute path weights using trajectory data while taking into account the travel cost dependencies among the edges in the paths. Given a departure time and a query path, we show how to select an optimal set of weights with associated paths that cover the query path and such that the weights enable the most accurate joint cost distribution estimation for the query path. The cost distribution of the query path is then computed accurately using the joint distribution. Finally, we show how the resulting method for computing cost distributions of paths can be integrated into existing routing algorithms. Empirical studies with substantial trajectory data from two different cities offer insight into the design properties of the proposed method and confirm that the method is effective in real-world settings.
Photosynthesis, water use efficiency and stable carbon isotope composition are associated with anatomical properties of leaf and xylem in six poplar species.

Although fast-growing Populus species consume a large amount of water for biomass production, there are considerable variations in water use efficiency (WUE) across different poplar species. To compare differences in growth, WUE and anatomical properties of leaf and xylem and to examine the relationship between photosynthesis/WUE and anatomical properties of leaf and xylem, cuttings of six poplar species were grown in a botanical garden. The growth performance, photosynthesis, intrinsic WUE (WUE(i) ), stable carbon isotope composition (δ(13) C) and anatomical properties of leaf and xylem were analysed in these poplar plants. Significant differences were found in growth, photosynthesis, WUE(i) and anatomical properties among the examined species. Populus cathayana was the clone with the fastest growth and the lowest WUE(i) /δ(13) C, whereas P. × euramericana had a considerable growth increment and the highest WUE(i) /δ(13) C. Among the analysed poplar species, the highest total stomatal density in P. cathayana was correlated with its highest stomatal conductance (g(s) ) and lowest WUE(i) /δ(13) C. Moreover, significant correlations were observed between WUE(i) and abaxial stomatal density and stem vessel lumen area. These data suggest that photosynthesis, WUE(i) and δ(13) C are associated with leaf and xylem anatomy and there are tradeoffs between growth and WUE(i) . It is anticipated that some poplar species, e.g. P. × euramericana, are better candidates for water-limited regions and others, e.g. P. cathayana, may be better for water-abundant areas.
Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of exogenous human beta interferon gene in simian cells defective in interferon synthesis

We determined that the defect in beta interferon induction in Vero cells is due to the absence of the simian beta interferon (IFN-beta) gene. Nevertheless, the human IFN-beta gene or a hybrid gene, in which the human IFN-beta promoter-regulatory region directs expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (pIFN-CAT), could be induced in transfected Vero cells, and these cells also regulated IFN-beta mRNA (but not pIFN-CAT mRNA) posttranscriptionally. These results indicate that the instability in the human IFN-beta gene is coded for by the coding or 3'-end region of IFN-beta mRNA and that the human IFN-beta gene is regulated in Vero and human cells in an identical manner.
[Epidemiological investigation of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in children and exposed population in Hangzhou city].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the epidemic characteristics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) in children and exposed population in Hangzhou city. METHODS The throat swab or stool samples from children with HFMD admitted in Hangzhou Children's Hospital were collected. The HFMD pathogens were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The distribution of different HFMD pathogens in HFMD patients was subsequently determined. Human enteric virus type-71 (HEV71) in stool samples from subjects, who had close or general contact to 54 severe HFMD children with positive HEV71, was detected, and these contact persons were followed-up for one month. The diversity of predominant pathogens of HFMD in the area during 2011-2013 was investigated. RESULTS In 641 HFMD children, the male/female ratio was 1.4:1 and 80.3% was 1-3 years old. HEV71 was detected in 24.3% HFMD children (156/641), while coxsackievirus group-A type-16 (CVA16) and other enteroviruses were detected in 4.7% (30/641) and 71.0% (455/641) of the cases, respectively. 75.6% (118/156) of HEV71-infected cases were diagnosed as severe HFMD cases, while those for CVA16-infected and other HFMD viruses-infected were 13.3% (4/30) and 6.2% (28/455) respectively (Χ(2)=43.28, P<0.05). HEV71 was the predominant HFMD pathogens during 2011-2012, while the predominant HFMD pathogens in 2013 were the other HFMD viruses. In the 54 close contact persons or 54 general contact persons, 9 or 10 persons were detectable for HEV71, but no clinical symptoms of HFMD were presented. CONCLUSION There are no marked changes of epidemic seasons, favorable age and gender ratio of HFMD in Hangzhou area in 2013. The infection of HEV71 tends to cause the severe HFMD but the other enteroviruses have substituted HEV71 as the predominant pathogens of HFMD.
Modeling of Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Multilayer Conducting Composites in the Microwave Band

In this paper, the characteristic matrix model is used to simulate the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (SE) of multilayer electromagnetic shielding of polyaniline-polyurethane (Pani/PU) conducting composites in the microwave band. Electric and electromagnetic properties of freestanding and three-layered Pani/PU films are measured in X and Ku band by using two rectangular waveguides. The measured SE of these films agrees with theoretical values obtained from matrix model, is increases from some dB to 55dB depending the mass concentration of Pani in the blend with only about 150 mum thickness. The model permits to analyse the role of Pani in the blend and the effects of multilayer structure of Pani/PU.
Specific Inhibition of the Plasmodial Surface Anion Channel by Dantrolene

ABSTRACT The plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC), induced on human erythrocytes by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, is an important target for antimalarial drug development because it may contribute to parasite nutrient acquisition. However, known antagonists of this channel are quite nonspecific, inhibiting many other channels and carriers. This lack of specificity not only complicates drug development but also raises doubts about the exact role of PSAC in the well-known parasite-induced permeability changes. We recently identified a family of new PSAC antagonists structurally related to dantrolene, an antagonist of muscle Ca++ release channels. Here, we explored the mechanism of dantrolene's actions on parasite-induced permeability changes. We found that dantrolene inhibits the increased permeabilities of sorbitol, two amino acids, an organic cation, and hypoxanthine, suggesting a common pathway shared by these diverse solutes. It also produced parallel reductions in PSAC single-channel and whole-cell Cl− currents. In contrast to its effect on parasite-induced permeabilities, dantrolene had no measurable effect on five other classes of anion channels, allaying concerns of poor specificity inherent to other known antagonists. Our studies indicate that dantrolene binds PSAC at an extracellular site distinct from the pore, where it inhibits the conformational changes required for channel gating. Its affinity for this site depends on ionic strength, implicating electrostatic interactions in dantrolene binding. In addition to the potential therapeutic applications of its derivatives, dantrolene's specificity and its defined mechanism of action on PSAC make it a useful tool for transport studies of infected erythrocytes.
Causal dynamics of poverty reproduction in EU countries

This study investigated causal mechanisms of poverty reproduction in EU countries by placing emphasis on the parental background effect on sons’ poverty risk after having controlled for endogeneity among observable and nonobservable effects of the involved mechanisms. The countries under investigation were old EU member states representing the four welfare regimes in the EU. Having employed path models and utilised EU-SILC 2005 data, the analysis yielded no statistically significant direct effect of parental background on sons’ poverty risk in Denmark. Greece, however, exhibited a statistically significant and quite strong direct effect. Germany and the United Kingdom stood in-between. Moreover, the analysis found indirect channels through which parental background affects sons’ poverty risk. These findings are expected to enrich the academic discourse and inform the policy-making process on poverty reproduction and social protection in the EU. Stefanos Papanastasiou, Christos Papatheodorou 1 Democritus University of Thrace, Greece 2 Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece
The bovine bone protein lyophilisate Colloss improves fixation of allografted implants—an experimental study in dogs

Background Impacted morselized bone allograft is a well-established way of giving joint arthroplasties additional support in situations where there is insufficient bone stock. For long-term survival of the implant, early implant fixation is important. We hypothesized that Col-loss, a bone protein lyophilisate, might improve early implant fixation of allografted implants. Method We inserted 4 porous-coated Ti implants in the distal femurs of 16 dogs. All implants were surrounded by a 2.5-mm gap, which was impacted with morselized allograft with or without Colloss. In each dog, the implants were treated with no Collos or low-, middle- or high-dose (0, 10, 20 and 40 mg) Colloss per cm3 allograft. The observation time was 4 weeks. Results Mechanical implant fixation was improved for all 3 groups with Colloss-treated implants (p < 0.05). The best anchorage was seen in the middle-dose group, where fixation was improved by 100%. We saw a dramatic reduction in fibrous tissue on the surface of the Colloss-treated implants (p < 0.001). The Colloss groups showed increased ongrowth of new bone (p < 0.01) and accelerated gap remodeling (p < 0.05). Interpretation Colloss can improve early osseointegration and fixation of allografted implants.
Response-Conflict Moderates the Cognitive Control of Episodic and Contextual Load in Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES Decline in cognitive control is one of the primary cognitive changes in normal aging. Reaching a consensus regarding the nature of these age-related changes, however, is complicated by the complexity of cognitive control as a construct. METHODS Healthy older and younger adults participated in a multifactorial test of cognitive control. Within participants, the procedure varied as a function of the amount contextual load, episodic load, and response-conflict load present. RESULTS We found that older adults showed impaired performance relative to younger adults. We also found, however, that the response selection process underlying the response-conflict manipulation was a major moderator of age-related differences in both the contextual and episodic load conditions-suggesting a hierarchical organization. DISCUSSION These findings are consistent with previous findings, suggesting that deficits in cognitive control in older adults are directly related to the resolution of response-conflict and that other apparent deficits may be derivative upon the more basic response-conflict related deficit.
Channeling Xining: Tibetan Place-Making in Western China during the Era of Commodity Housing

Through an analysis of Tibetan place-making in China's Xining City, I argue that a focus on channeling in place-making provides a way to move beyond typical accounts of resistance and domination in urban spaces. In China's frontier cities, an ethno-territorial institutional framework has resulted in the curtailment of how and where Tibetans and other ethnic minority groups may construct places. Furthermore, a nationwide urbanization project centered around the privatization of commodity housing and resulting in the hanification of the urban environment is producing a hegemonic urbanism that appears to be reducing urban difference. Yet Tibetans in Xining are channeling their place-making efforts to not simply fit in with or fight against urbanization but to assert their own meanings and rhythms and satisfy their own place-making desires. In doing so, they are learning how to navigate urban regulations and sensibilities while creating a rhizomatic network of urban places. The result is a piecemeal approach that has allowed a minority ethnic identity to thrive in the city through the creation of a diffuse but connected urbanism. Channeling highlights the careful path that marginal place-makers must tread as they find their way through territorial regulations and commercialism in the city. This research is based on seventeen months of ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with forty-five Xining urbanites.
Population Structure of Enterococcus faecium Causing Bacteremia in a Spanish University Hospital: Setting the Scene for a Future Increase in Vancomycin Resistance?

ABSTRACT Over an 8-year period (1995 to 2002), 86 Enterococcus faecium blood isolates from 84 patients, of which 54 were ampicillin resistant (AREF) and 32 were ampicillin susceptible (ASEF), were studied in a university hospital (1,200 beds; serving a population of 600,000) in Spain, a country characterized by a near-absence of resistance to vancomycin and very high rates of ampicillin resistance among enterococci. Clonal relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), antibiotic susceptibility, presence of the virulence/epidemicity genes espEfm and hylEfm, and identification of purK alleles were studied. A group of isolates was also analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and multilocus sequence typing. Medical charts (30 variables collected) were reviewed for 60/84 patients. ASEF showed high clonal diversity (32 PFGE types, 11 purK alleles, 4 AFLP genogroups), did not harbor putative virulence genes, and had no specific association with hospital acquisition. AREF isolates belonged to a clonal complex (CC) of genetically related strains (purK-1, AFLP genogroup C), occasionally harboring putative virulence traits, and were from patients with particular risk factors. Within this CC, previously associated with vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolates causing outbreaks worldwide (W. L. Homan et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:1963-1971, 2002), a great genetic diversity of antibiotic resistance and virulence/epidemicity profiles was found. Associations between esp and a >7-day hospital stay and between purK-1, hospital location, and nosocomial acquisition were noted (P < 0.001). These findings reflect the importance of local environmental differences in the evolution of this CC, suggesting that the emergence of vancomycin resistance among AREF strains in Spain may be a question of time.
Adaptability of pullets from cages to a large cage aviary unit system during the initial settling-in period

Pullets often raised in cage system from week 1 to week 13 in China, when transferred to aviary system after, there will be a problem with adapt. A large cage aviary unit (LCAU) system was developed, which allocated with facilities such as ramps to help cage reared hens to adapt to the multi-tier space. To investigate hens’ adaptability to the new system, space use over time in the LCAU system during the first 10 days after hens transferred were recorded, instantaneous scan sampling and continuous focal sampling were used to assess the behavior difference of hens between the LCAU and conventional cage (CC) systems. On the first day of arrival, 10.03% of hens reached the second tier (S2) and the third tier (S3) of the aviary. During the observation period, an average of 2.42% of hens climbed and stayed at the upper tiers every day. Space allowance on floor of the first tier (S1) increased from 444.62 cm2/hen (91 d) to 586.32 cm2/hen (100 d), which was more than 540 cm2/hen in the CC system. Comfort behaviors in the LCAU system were significantly more than in the CC system (p 0.05) on the last 5 days of the whole observing period. The results indicated that hens gradually learned to use the 3-dimensional space in the initial settling-in period and, gained a good welfare condition in LCAU system. Further studies are needed to investigate the three-dimensional preferences and behavior expression in difference period to bridge the gap in knowledge of space use capacity among adult laying hens. Keywords: large cage aviary unit, laying hen, welfare, comfort behaviors, adaptability DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe. 20181105.3216 Citation: Yang L, Tong Q, Shi H P, Chen G, Shi Z X, Zheng W C, et al. Adaptability of pullets from cages to a large cage aviary unit system during the initial settling-in period. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(5): 70–76.
A ±36-A Integrated Current-Sensing System With a 0.3% Gain Error and a 400- $\mu \text{A}$ Offset From −55 °C to +85 °C

This paper presents an integrated shunt-based current-sensing system (CSS) capable of handling ±36-A currents, the highest ever reported. It also achieves a 0.3% gain error and a 400-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> offset, which is significantly better than the state-of-the-art systems. The heart of the system is a robust 260-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> shunt resistor made from the lead frame of a standard HVQFN plastic package. The resulting voltage drop is then digitized by a precision <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta \Sigma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> ADC and a bandgap reference (BGR). At the expense of current handling capability, a ±5-A version of the CSS uses a 10-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{m}\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> on-chip metal shunt to achieve just a 4-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> offset. Both designs are realized in a standard 0.13-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> CMOS process and draw 13 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> from a 1.5-V supply. Compensation of the spread and nonlinear temperature dependency of the shunt resistor <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\mathrm {shunt}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is accomplished by the use of a fixed polynomial master curve and a single room temperature calibration. This procedure also effectively compensates for the residual spread and nonlinearity of the ADC and the BGR.