Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the potential role of bird baths in the transmission of Trichomonas gallinae in wild birds

Trichomonas gallinae is a protozoan parasite commonly found in columbids, passerines, and several raptor species. It is suspected that T. gallinae is spread between individuals and across species through shared water sources. However, little research has been conducted regarding the persistence of T. gallinae in the environment. To determine the persistence of T. gallinae in various communal water sources, we inoculated 1 x 106 trichomonads into 500 mL samples of distilled water, quarry water, bird bath water, and rain barrel water in two replicates. Aliquots of 0.5 mL were collected from each source at -1, 0, 15, 30, and 60 min; aliquots were incubated at 37oC and examined for trichomonads by light microscopy for five consecutive days. Live trichomonads were observed in all samples and at all sampling times except prior to inoculation (-1 min). The pH of water sources ranged from an average of 5.9 to 7.4 post sampling. Our findings indicate that T. gallinae can persist for up to 60 min in various water treatments and thus be infectious for birds drinking T. gallinae-
The influence of migration and natural reproduction of labor force upon economic growth in the countries of the world

Long-term economic growth models for the world countries (1970–2012) are presented in the article. The dynamics of the ratio of GDP to the size of age-group 15–64 is used as a dependent variable. The study shows that the influence of migration and demographic indicators upon economic growth depends on the level of natural reproduction of labor force in the countries of destination and of origin. The model for Russia (1998–2013) takes into account the quarterly dynamics and oil prices.
[Prevalence and risk factors of obesity in adults].

INTRODUCTION A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Pelotas, Southern Brazil, with the objective of determining the prevalence of obesity and identify associated, variables as this condition increased markedly in the country between 1974 and 1989. MATERIAL AND METHODS One thousand and thirty-five adults between 20 and 69 years of age were studied. Obesity was defined as a Body Mass Index--BMI--equal to or over 30 Kg/square meter). The multivariate analyses took into account the hierarchical model of the variables associated with obesity for both men and women. RESULTS The prevalence for the overall population was of 21% (CI 18-23). It was higher among women--25% (CI 22-29) than for men--15% (CI 12-18). Socioeconomic status was positively associated with obesity among men, whereas the opposite situation was reported for women, with those belonging to the poorest social strata presenting increased BMI. Reported obesity in their parents was associated with increased BMI in the subjects, and this association remained statistically significant even after compensating for the effect of possible confounding variables. Self-reported diabetes and arterial hypertension doubled the risk of obesity, whereas non-smoking was associated with obesity only among women. Variables which were not associated with obesity after adjusting for confounders were alcohol consumption, marital status and parity. Women having more daily meals were less prone to obesity, even after controlling for confounders, and this association was not quite significant for men (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of obesity was higher among women, and important differences in risk factors were noticed when the population was considered by sex.
Growth stage sensitivity of wheat to irrigation water salinity

The effects of irrigation water salinity (12 dS m−1 ), imposed at maximum tillering (35−40 days after sowing, DAS) or booting (50−60 DAS) or grain filling (75−85 DAS) stage of wheat, on growth and yield of the crop was demonstrated. The experiment comprised four treatments – I1: irrigation by fresh water (FW) at all three growth stages (control), I2: irrigation by saline water (SW) at maximum tillering stage and by FW at other stages, I3: irrigation by SW at booting stage and by FW at other stages, and I4: irrigation by SW at grain filling stage and by FW at other stages. The experiment was set in a randomized complete block with three replications. Wheat was grown under three irrigations (each of 3 cm) and recommended fertilizer doses (120 kg N, 32 kg P, 62 kg K, 20 kg S, 3 kg Zn and 1 kg B ha−1 ). Salinity of irrigation water imposed, separately, at the three growth stages did not impart significant (p = 0.05) negative influence on plant height, spike density, spike length, spikelets and grains per spike and 1000-grain weight. It, however, significantly hindered leaf area index (LAI), above ground dry matter (ADM), grain and straw yields, grain-straw ratio and water productivity of the crop. The least grain (3.622 t ha−1 ) and straw (5.772 t ha−1 ) yields, LAI (1.24 and 2.18 at 50 and 70 DAS, respectively), ADM (0.80, 4.78 and 7.66 t ha−1 ) and water productivity (186.5 and 297.3 kg ha−1 cm−1 ) obtained under I3 implied that salinity of irrigation water imposed at booting stage exerted the maximum retarding effects on the growth and yield of wheat. Grain yield decreased by 13.4% in I3 over the control, I1. An increase in grain and biomass yields by 14.3 and 11.9%, respectively under I2 over I1 demonstrated a positive contribution of irrigation water salinity imposed at maximum tillering stage of wheat.
Examining social-cognitive predictors of parenting skills among mothers with preschool and early elementary school-aged children

Context: Identification of parenting skills determinants among mothers is an ongoing field of research. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the social cognitive predictors of parenting skills among mothers. Settings and Design: Previous studies have demonstrated the health action process approach (HAPA) as a credible frame for predicting behavior, but the number of studies considering the predictive value of parenting skills determinants among mothers is rare. Subjects and Methods: An 8 months prospective design was applied. Participants were mothers with preschool and early elementary school-aged children. At the 1st time, 120 participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding their risk perception, outcome expectancies, task self-efficacy, and intentions toward parenting skills. At the 2nd time, they returned a follow-up questionnaire, which measured planning, coping self-efficacy, and recovery self-efficacy and finally, 8 months later as the 3rd time, parenting skills were measured. Path analysis was used for analysis. Results: Path analysis indicated that, in the motivational phase, there was no relationship between parenting skills intention and risk perception, outcome expectancies, and task self-efficacy. Furthermore, no relationship was found between parenting skills intention and planning. In the volitional phase, coping self-efficacy, recovery self-efficacy, and planning were statistically significant predictors of parenting skills. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm that volitional phase of the HAPA model is useful in determining parenting skills. However, the role motivational variables seem to be unimportant in performing these behaviors. It was concluded that everybody intended to apply parenting skills, in nature, and intervention strategies should be focused on turning intentions into behavior.
Determinants of Scale Response: Label versus Position

Two determinants of scale response—the denotative meaning of the adjective labels used and the location of the labels in relation to scale endpoints—were investigated. On the basis of the procedures used, both label and location were found to have an impact on subject response. Estimation of a mixing parameter for the two factors permits comparison of their relative effects across different scales.
Defined Inactive FecA Derivatives Mutated in Functional Domains of the Outer Membrane Transport and Signaling Protein of Escherichia coli K-12

ABSTRACT The FecA outer membrane protein of Escherichia coli functions as a transporter of ferric citrate and as a signal receiver and signal transmitter for transcription initiation of the fec transport genes. Three FecA regions for which functional roles have been predicted from the crystal structures were mutagenized: (i) loops 7 and 8, which move upon binding of ferric citrate and close the entrance to the ferric citrate binding site; (ii) the dinuclear ferric citrate binding site; and (iii) the interface between the globular domain and the β-barrel. Deletion of loops 7 and 8 abolished FecA transport and induction activities. Deletion of loops 3 and 11 also inactivated FecA, whereas deletion of loops 9 and 10 largely retained FecA activities. The replacement of arginine residue R365 or R380 and glutamine Q570, which are predicted to serve as binding sites for the negatively charged dinuclear ferric citrate, with alanine resulted in inactive FecA, whereas the binding site mutant R438A retained approximately 50% of the FecA induction and transport activities. Residues R150, E541, and E587, conserved among energy-coupled outer membrane transporters, are predicted to form salt bridges between the globular domain and the β-barrel and to contribute to the fixation of the globular domain inside the β-barrel. Mutations E541A and E541R affected FecA induction and transport activity slightly, whereas mutations E587A and E587R more strongly reduced FecA activity. The double mutations R150A E541R and R150A E587R nearly abolished FecA activity. Apparently, the salt bridges are less important than the individual functions these residues seem to have for FecA activity. Comparison of the properties of the FecA, FhuA, FepA, and BtuB transporters indicates that although they have very similar crystal structures, the details of their functional mechanisms differ.
Activation of JAK kinases and STAT proteins by interleukin‐2 and interferon alpha, but not the T cell antigen receptor, in human T lymphocytes.

The activation of Janus protein tyrosine kinases (JAKs) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins by interleukin (IL)‐2, the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and interferon (IFN) alpha was explored in human peripheral blood‐derived T cells and the leukemic T cell line Kit225. An IL‐2‐induced increase in JAK1 and JAK3, but not JAK2 or Tyk2, tyrosine phosphorylation was observed. In contrast, no induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of JAKs was detected upon stimulation of the TCR. IFN alpha induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK1 and Tyk2, but not JAK2 or JAK3. IFN alpha activated STAT1, STAT2 and STAT3 in T cells, but no detectable activation of these STATs was induced by IL‐2. However, IL‐2 regulates the DNA binding and tyrosine phosphorylation of two STAT‐like protein complexes which do not include STAT1, STAT2 or STAT3. STAT4 is not activated by IL‐2. The activation of STAT5 cannot be excluded, so the IL‐2‐activated complexes most probably include at least one novel STAT. No STAT activity was detected in TCR‐stimulated lymphocytes, indicating that the JAK/STAT pathway defined in this study constitutes an IL‐2R‐mediated signaling event which is not shared by the TCR. Finally, in other cell types the correlation between JAK1 activation and the induction of STAT1 has suggested that JAK1 may activate STAT1. The observation that IL‐2 and IFN alpha activate JAK1 to a comparable degree, but only IFN alpha activates STAT1, indicates that JAK1 activation is not the only determining factor for STAT1 activation. Moreover, the data show that JAK1 stimulation is also not sufficient for STAT3 activation.
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool

Abstract Purpose: To estimate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT-Sv). Method: One hundred and seventy-one subjects participated. The psychometric properties tested for CAIT-Sv were internal consistency with Cronbach’s α (n = 171) in the first measurement; test–retest reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) (n = 171) in two measurements separated by one week; criterion validity by ICC2,1 between the original CAIT and CAIT-Sv in two measurements separated by two weeks for a subgroup of 54 bilingual subjects; ceiling and floor effects (n = 78 subjects with a history of at least one ankle sprain), and responsiveness using Cohen’s d in a subgroup of 25 subjects with a history of at least one ankle sprain and a score ≤24 points on the CAIT-Sv and treated with a rehabilitation program during four weeks. Results: Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach’s α: 0.8–0.84). Test–retest reliability was high (ICC2,1: 0.95). Criterion validity was high (ICC2,1: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84–0.94; p < 0.001 for dominant ankle). There were no ceiling (9%) and floor (0%) effects. Responsiveness was moderate (Cohen’s d: 0.6995; CI: 0.11–1.27). Conclusions: CAIT-Sv is a reliable instrument with high criterion validity to measure the presence and severity of chronic ankle instability (CAI) in the Spanish population. Implications for Rehabilitation Chronic ankle instability is the most prevalent complication after ankle injuries. CAIT is a widely used tool for clinical detection of subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI). In this study, CAIT-Sv has shown good phsychometric properties for using with Spanish speaking individuals.
The Relevance Of Poultry And Pig Droppings As Nematode Suppressants On Okra And Tomato In Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

The Efficacy Of Poultry And Pig Manure As Root-Knot Nematode Suppressants On Okra And Tomato Were Studied. The Organic Wastes Were Respectively Worked Into The Soil At The Rate Of 16tha-1 just before sowing Of Okra Seeds Or Transplanting Tomato Seedlings. Their Combination Was Applied Into The Plot In Equal Proportion Of 8tha-1. Mocap (Nematicide) Was Applied At The Rate Of 9kg A.I. Per Hectare. The Unamended Plots Served As The Control. The Field Layout Was A Randomized Complete Block Design In Four Replications. The Nematicide Effect On Meloidogyne Incognita Populations Was Not Different From The Corresponding Effect Of Poultry Manure. However The Suppressive Effect Of Mocap And Poultry On The Pest Populations Were Significantly Higher When Compare With Other Manure Types. Similarly, Plant Treated With Poultry Manure Recorded Significant Vegetative And Reproductive Growth When Compared With Other Tested Variables. Key Words: Organic Manure, Root-Knot, Meloidogyne Incognita; Lycopersicon, Lycopersicon, Abelmoschus Esculentus.
Cómo realizar e interpretar un análisis factorial exploratorio utilizando SPSS.

En investigacio educativa es frequent que es reculli informacio sobre moltes variables en una mostra d’individus i es pretengui estudiar-les conjuntament. En aquests casos s’ha d’utilitzar una tecnica analitica multivariant. Hi ha dues grans tipologies d’analisi multivariant; els metodes de la dependencia (quan l’objectiu es explicar una o diverses variables –VD– en funcio d’altres –VI–) i els metodes de la interdependencia (quan l’objectiu es analitzar les relacions que s’estableixen entre totes les variables al mateix nivell). L’analisi factorial exploratoria es un tipus d’analisi multivariant de la interdependencia. Te com a objectiu descobrir un nombre mes petit de dimensions latents (factors) no observables, que, perdent el minim d’informacio, expliquin les relacions que s’estableixen entre les variables observades, suficientment i de la manera mes senzilla possible. En aquest article es descriu com dur a terme una analisi factorial amb SPSS i com interpretar els resultats que ens ofereix aquesta eina.
Social Complexity and Social Inequality in the Prehistoric Mediterranean

The complex urban polities developed in the Old World (5500–3500 BP) had several structural features in common, particularly their scale, their cereal agrarianism, and their environmental patterning. Accordingly, the demographic weight borne by agrarian subsistence in these environments is causally associated with emergent social complexity. Yet other Old World contexts also witness the Mid-Late Holocene emergence of socially complex societies, contexts that differ radically from those of the pristine states in their environmental organization. How can we account for this? I suggest that the model developed by Thomas Piketty, in his analysis of emergent wealth inequality in late modernity, has an unappreciated applicability in explaining the development of unequal social systems at larger time scales. I argue that Mediterranean environments are equivalent to the low-growth environments that he demonstrates exaggerate the speed at which wealth inequality grows. This has explanatory potential in the context of the otherwise problematic appearance of social complexity in low-growth environments, which, on the basis of current models orbiting around surplus, we might expect to discourage such emergence. Recognizing that highly varied ecological and economic pathways can lead to ostensibly very similar outcomes poses challenges to how we model emergent complexity in comparative perspective.
Impact of untreated dental caries on the daily activities of children

OBJECTIVES Untreated dental caries can compromise oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). However, it is not clear which specific daily activities related to OHRQoL are compromised by the presence of this problem. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify which specific daily activities are affected by the presence of untreated dental caries using a representative sample of Brazilian children. METHODS A cross-sectional study using a representative sample of Brazilian children (12 years of age) was conducted. The presence of untreated dental caries was assessed using the "decayed - D" component of the DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) index. Clinical exams were conducted by trained and calibrated dentists. The daily activities were evaluated using the survey Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP), considering items and domains. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple analyses were conducted (α = 0.05). RESULTS A total of 7,247 children were included, and 39.9 percent had at least one tooth with untreated dental caries, with 33.5 percent experiencing an impact on at least one of the OIDP activities. This study identified a greater chance of the presence of untreated dental caries in children having an impact on the psychological domain (P = 0.006), as well as on the "difficulty eating" (P = 0.007), and "difficulty sleeping" (P = 0.023) items. CONCLUSION The presence of untreated dental caries among Brazilian children was associated with an impact on specific daily activities (difficulty eating and sleeping) and the psychological domain of OHRQoL.
Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in France: attitudes and practices among a representative sample of general practitioners.

PURPOSE Medical knowledge regarding chronic illness has increased in recent years. Critical gaps in our understanding of the educational factors necessary to change the clinical aspects of most diseases remain. The role of the general practitioner, the primary care provider, in the delivery of educational interventions has not been clearly defined. METHODS For the first phase in the educational diagnosis of Type 2 diabetic patients treated by general practitioners in France, a stratified random sample of 8% of general practitioners was drawn; 70% agreed to be interviewed. RESULTS Demographic characteristics of physicians were comparable with previous studies. Physicians accepted the seriousness of the disease. 75.9% devoted at least as much time to the psychological as to the somatic aspects of the disease. 74.7% reported using a co-active approach with patients, permitting the use of more innovative educational strategies. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the ages of the physicians and patients, inclusion of the family, the number of patients seen, and the perception of patients as compliant were predictive of the co-active approach. CONCLUSIONS The overwhelming proportion of physicians who use the co-active approach was the single most important factor in the development of an educational intervention where the general practitioner serves as the primary, continuous reinforcer for long-term behavior change. This program is currently being tested in a randomized clinical trial among general practitioners in France.
Justice seems not to be for all: Exploring the scope of justice

The idea that “justice is for everyone” seems to be over. A justice perception can have unfair consequences for those who are perceived not to be included within the boundaries of fairness. This is what the scope of justice is all about: who is within and who is outside of the “justice boundaries”. This paper intends to clarify the concept and explain how social psychologists work with it in real-life contexts. We argue that the scope of justice is a key concept that helps us to understand a broad range of intergroup conflicts, besides being an understudied phenomenon that motivates a variety of justice-related issues such as deservingness, animal rights, discrimination and environmental conflict. We also discuss and review the relevant literature concerning the psychological and social functions of the scope of justice, highlighting its possible antecedents and consequences. Finally, we outline the current applied research into the role played by processes used to legitimize damaging behaviors against people who are perceived to be outside of the scope of justice. In light of this concept, the “justice is for everyone” maxim should probably be changed to “justice is for those who are not excluded from our boundaries of fairness”.
Patient information in Graves' disease and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: readability assessment of online resources.

BACKGROUND The Internet is a vital source of information for patients hoping to learn more about their disease. Health literacy of the general population is known to be poor, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) recommending that patient-oriented literature be written at a fourth- to sixth-grade reading level to optimize comprehensibility. In this study we assessed the readability of online literature specifically for Graves' disease (GD) and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). METHODS Readability of the content of the top 20 English-language GD patient-oriented online resources and top 30 of the equivalent TAO resources returned by Google search was analyzed. Web pages were identified using the Google search terms "Graves' disease" and "Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy," respectively. Extraneous text (e.g., hyperlinks, affiliations, disclaimers) was removed. Relevant text proceeded to readability analysis using four validated measures: Flesch Reading Ease Score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Gunning-Fog Index. Readability was compared with USDHHS standards. RESULTS Overall, median word count (with interquartile range [IQR] and range) was 990 (IQR 846, 195-3867), with a median of 18 words per sentence (IQR 4.0, 7.5-28). Median Flesch Reading Ease Score was 46 (IQR 13, 24-64), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 11 (IQR 3.0, 7.2-17), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook 13 (IQR 2.0, 9.6-17), and Gunning-Fog Index 13 (IQR 3.0, 9.2-19), each equivalent to a reading level of >11th grade and "difficult" on the USDHHS classification. None of the web pages evaluated had readability scores in accordance with published guidelines. There was no significant difference with the country of origin of each web page, website commercial status, or with pages predominantly focused on GD or TAO. CONCLUSIONS Readability scores for online GD and TAO patient-focused materials are inferior to those recommended. Screening of this online material, as well as subsequent revision, is crucial to increase future patient knowledge, satisfaction, and compliance.