Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of biomass allocation in the growth response of plants to different levels of light, CO2, nutrients and water : a quantitative review

The allocation of biomass to different plant organs depends on species, ontogeny and on the environment experienced by the plant. In this paper we first discuss some methodological tools to describe and analyse the allocation of biomass. Rather than the use of shoot:root ratios, we plead strongly for a subdivision of biomass into at least three compartments: leaves, stems and roots. Attention is drawn to some of the disadvantages of allometry as a tool to correct for size differences between plants. Second, we tested the extent to which biomass allocation of plants follows the model of a ‘functional equilibrium’. According to this model, plants respond to a decrease in above-ground resources with increased allocation to shoots (leaves), whereas they respond to a decrease in below-ground resources with increased allocation to roots. We carried out a meta-analysis of the literature, analysing the effect of various environmental variables on the fraction of total plant biomass allocated to leaves (leaf mass fraction), stem (stem mass fraction) and roots (root mass fraction). The responses to light, nutrients and water agreed with the (qualitative) prediction of the ‘functional equilibrium’ theory. The notable exception was atmospheric CO2, which did not affect allocation when the concentration was doubled. Third, we analysed the quantitative importance of the changes in allocation compared to changes in other growth parameters, such as unit leaf rate (the net difference between carbon gain and carbon losses per unit time and leaf area), and specific leaf area (leaf area: leaf biomass). The effects of light, CO2 and water on leaf mass fractions were small compared to their effects on relative growth rate. The effects of nutrients, however, were large, suggesting that only in the case of nutrients, biomass allocation is a major factor in the response of plants to limiting resource supply.
An Overview of Nanogel –Novel Drug Delivery System

Nanogels are innovative drug delivery system that can play an integral part in pointing out many issues related to old and modern courses of treatment such as nonspecific effects and poor stability. Biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of Nanogels have been explored for tissue regeneration, wound healing, surgical device, implantation, and peroral, rectal, vaginal, ocular, and transdermal drug delivery. Nanogels are proficiently internalized by the target cells, avoid accumulating in nontarget tissues thereby lower the therapeutic dosage and minimize harmful side effects. Nanogels may be defined as highly cross linked nano-sized hydrogels ranges from 20-200 nm. They can be administered through various routes, including oral, pulmonary, nasal, parenteral, intra-ocular etc. They have a high degree of drug loading capacity and it shows better permeation capabilities due to smaller size. Nanogels are the novel drug delivery systems for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.
This or that?: Object individuation in domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)

Functioning in our everyday lives requires that humans rely on organizing and categorizing our world. This ability to categorize rests on object individuation, the ability to track the identity of objects when they leave and reenter sight. Objects can be individuated using three types of information: spatiotemporal, object property and object kind. Surprisingly, noun comprehension may affect infants’ use of object kind information (Xu 1999; Xu 2002). However, research using a comparative approach suggests that the ability to use kind information to aid in object individuation may not be unique to humans: great apes, rhesus monkeys and dogs all successfully individuate objects using spatiotemporal and property/kind information (Brauer & Call 2011; Phillips & Santos 2005; Uller 1997). Little is known about non-linguistic animals’ ability to individuate objects using kind information alone. Here we explore the effect of a language cue on dogs’ ability to use kind information for object individuation. We recruited 24 dogs to participate in a violation of expectation paradigm and subsequently analyzed mean looking times in expected versus unexpected outcomes. Results did not support our predictions: dogs looked equally long at expected and unexpected outcomes for all individuation cues. However, our methodology may have lacked appropriate controls, thus future research into this topic is warranted.
A Descriptive Study of the Design Influences and Role of Students' Needs on the Selection of Course Content In Higher Education

College faculty are recognized as experts in their academic disciplines with a wide range of knowledge about their disciplines. As a manifestation of their academic freedom, they have assumed responsibility for folding that discipline knowledge into course design. Generally untrained as teachers, however, they have followed circuitous routes into the realm of course design. While scholars, peers, administrators, legislators, and the public have examined their delivery strategies in the classroom, little consideration has been given to the processes faculty use to select appropriate course content for their students. Focusing on those selection processes, this study sought to describe (1) how faculty learn to choose content, (2) the place of students among the influences on their content selection, and (3) the processes they undertake in their decision-making about course content. The study involved a questionnaire and interviews. The results of this study indicate that some faculty, albeit a minority, do focus on students as they choose content. They consider students to be a primary influence, and they collect data in an informal, intuitive manner about students. They may not know current principles of learning theory, but they seem to have a sense of what works for students. This sense has led to a practice of course design which is unique to individual professors, fluid, and isolated. The majority of faculty are concerned with students, but are discipline-centered in their content selection. Across types of institutions and disciplines, their first loyalty is to the furtherance of the academic discipline. They do report an interest in learning about topics related to students, especially learning theory. Faculty and administrators who are interested in enhancing the focus on students in higher education should find the study useful. They will want to search out those student-centered planners and begin to document their processes as a first step in identifying and transmitting effective steps in the content selection practice. They will want to plan development activities, perhaps rooted in the disciplines, and find ways to support faculty as they learn and practice relating needs assessments to content selection for their courses. To Edward, Channing, Kate and Patton
Effects Of An Online Sports Nutrition Curriculum On Biomarkers Of Iron Status In Youth Athletes

Online nutrition education curricula framed around concepts of sports nutrition may improve accessibility as well as engagement, awareness, and adherence for active high school athletes. PURPOSE: Examine the effects of an online sports nutrition curriculum on ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and hemoglobin (Hb) biomarkers of iron status in high school athletes. METHODS: One hundred twenty-three male (n=56, age: 17 ± 1 y, stature: 76 ± 20 kg, mass: 176 ± 6 cm) and female (n=67, 16 ± 1 y, 67 ± 16 kg, 164 ± 6 cm) high school athletes were tested for ferritin, sTfR, and Hb concentrations before and after participating in seven online sports nutrition modules (~1 module per week) focused on macronutrients, micronutrients, performance plate, energy balance, nutrient timing, and supplements. Preand post-education prevalence of poor iron status for each biomarker was calculated, while individual subject’s iron status classification was tracked. Mixed factorial ANOVAs (time x sex) compared mean biomarker concentrations. RESULTS: Prevalence of iron depletion (ferritin cutoffs) increased from 48 to 52% and decreased from 79 to 75%, low iron levels (sTfR cutoffs) decreased from 38 to 30% and increased from 29 to 33%, and anemia (Hb cutoffs) decreased from 20 to 14% and 29 to 23% in males and females, respectively. Subjects classified as iron depleted (n=65) did not change, one subject improved iron levels, while six subjects (6%) improved their classification from anemic (n=25) to non-anemic (n=19) from preto post-education. There were no interactions (p>0.05) or main effect for time (p>0.05) for ferritin (pre 28.4 ± 15.1 to post 28.0 ± 14.2), sTfR (19.0 ± 8.2 to 20.1 ± 7.4), or Hb (13.5 ± 2.2 to 13.9 ± 1.8). There was no main effect for sex (p>0.05) for sTfR (m: 19.2 ± 6.4, f: 19.8 ± 6.4), but males exhibited higher (p≤0.05) concentrations of ferritin (m: 32.5 ± 18.2, f: 23.8 ± 18.2) and Hb (m: 14.3 ± 1.7, f: 13.2 ± 1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Females present a greater risk of poor iron status, suggesting a need to focus on dietary iron in young female athletes. Participating in the online sports nutrition curriculum did not improve mean concentrations of ferritin, sTfR, or Hb, but did improve anemia classifications for six subjects (n=3 males, n=3 females). Acknowledgments: This study was funded by the Nebraska Beef Council.
Effect of Self-Management Program on Quality of Life for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a serious medical and public health problem whose prevalence is increasing worldwide. Patients with CKD must cope with life changes and stresses to improve their quality of life (QoL). It is suggested that self-management is key to the effective care of chronic diseases, a process in which individuals carry out the daily functions of health care to manage chronic diseases. Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of self-management program on QoL among patients with CKD. Subjects and Method: A quasi-experimental research design [pretest -posttest] was conducted at Out-Patient Clinics of the New Mansoura General Hospital. The instruments used for data collection were Socio-demographic and Clinical Data Structured Interview Schedule and The 36-item Short-Form Questionnaire (SF-36). A convenience sampling of sixty nine patients with CKD completed the study after implementing the self-management program with 6 weekly sessions. Results: The present study findings revealed that there was highly statistically significant difference of all dimensions of QoL except pain and vitality/ energy dimensions between before and after implementing the self-management program. Conclusion: The current study revealed that the CKD self-management program had a positive effect on preventing QoL deterioration in patients with CKD. Recommendation: Self- management programs will be useful if it is accompanied by other therapeutic and welfare actions and comprehensive supports of public and private charity organizations.
Effect of septoplasty on quality of voice

Background: Septoplasty is one the most commonly performed surgery in ENT. The aim of this study was to evaluate change in voice after septoplasty using voice handicap index (VHI). Methods: The current study was conducted at Department of ENT, SMGS Hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu, from October 2017 to November 2018. The study population was the patients who had come to the department with deviated nasal septum admitted for septoplasty. Voice assessment was done by Subjective Voice evaluation using VHI. It was done at three times i.e. preoperatively, postoperatively at 1 week and then postoperatively at 1 month. Results: Out of 50 cases operated, 84% patients of present study were in the age group of 18-30 years. The mean age was 25 years. The eldest patient in our study was 55 years old. 40 patients were males and 10 were females with male: female ratio of 4:1. Mean VHI score at preoperative, postoperative 1 week and postoperative 1 month were 23.2, 22 and 21.5 respectively. No statistical difference was obtained while comparing the mean VHI score at different time intervals. The scores between 0-30 are in the mild category i.e. minimal amount of handicap.Conclusions: According to our experience a widened nasal cavity has no effect on voice quality and procedures about nasal obstruction like septoplasty can be performed safely. However, professional voice users, in particular, should be informed about the possible minor postoperative changes, before the septoplasty procedure.
Explaining variation of implementation outcomes of centralized waiting lists for unattached patients

Purpose Centralized waiting lists (CWLs) for patient attachment to a primary care provider have been implemented across Canada, including Quebec. Little is known about the implementation of CWLs and the factors that influence implementation outcomes of such primary care innovations. The purpose of this paper is to explain variations in the outcomes of implementation by analyzing the characteristics of CWLs and contextual factors that influence their implementation. Design/methodology/approach A multiple qualitative case study was conducted. Four contrasting CWLs were purposefully selected: two relatively high-performing and two relatively low-performing cases with regard to process indicators. Data collected between 2015 and 2016 drew on three sources: 26 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, 22 documents and field notes. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to identify, through a cross-case comparison of ratings, constructs that distinguish high from low-performing cases. Findings Five constructs distinguished high from low-performing cases: three related to the inner setting: network and communications; leadership engagement; available resources; one from innovation characteristics: adaptability with regard to registration, evaluation of priority and attachment to a family physician; and, one associated with process domain: engaging. Other constructs exerted influence on implementation (e.g. outer setting, individual characteristics), but did not distinguish high and low-performing cases. Originality/value This is the first in-depth analysis of CWL implementation. Results suggest important factors that might be useful in efforts to continuously improve implementation performance of CWLs and similar innovations.
APGAR SCORE RELATED TO MATERNAL/OBSTETRICAL AND NEONATAL FACTORS

Objective: To analyze the influence of maternal/obstetric and neonatal factors on the results of the Apgar Index evaluation. Method: Documentary, retrospective study with Declarations of Live Births of a hospital and maternity hospital in Sobral/CE in 2015. The variables analyzed were: maternal age, number of prenatal consultations performed by the pregnant woman, type of delivery, gestational age and weight at born. Result: The best indices were related to the maternal age of 21 to 30 (38.42%) years. Cesarean delivery concentrated the highest percentages (46.43%) in the score of 8-10. Observing the prenatal consultations performed, the best index was represented by the pregnant women who performed 7 more consultations (58.03%). The gestations of 37 to 41 weeks' gestation were concentrated at the best indices (68.99%). Children weighing 2,500 g or more presented the best indices (8-10) with 69.8%. Conclusion: The maternal/obstetric factors analyzed are important for a good evaluation of the Apgar Index.
Analysis of dietary patterns and cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with hypertension, high BMI and type 2 diabetes in Peru

Abstract Objective: To determine if specific dietary patterns are associated with risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and high BMI in four sites in Peru. Design: We analysed dietary patterns from a cohort of Peruvian adults in four geographical settings using latent class analysis. Associations with prevalence and incidence of hypertension, T2DM and high BMI were assessed using Poisson regression and generalised linear models, adjusted for potential confounders. Setting: Four sites in Peru varying in degree of urbanisation. Participants: Adults aged ≥35 years (n 3280). Results: We identified four distinct dietary patterns corresponding to different stages of the Peruvian nutrition transition, reflected by the foods frequently consumed in each pattern. Participants consuming the ‘stage 3’ diet, characterised by high proportional consumption of processed foods, animal products and low consumption of vegetables, mostly consumed in the semi-urban setting, showed the highest prevalence of all health outcomes (hypertension 32·1 %; T2DM 10·7 %; high BMI 75·1 %). Those with a more traditional ‘stage 1’ diet characterised by potato and vegetables, mostly consumed in the rural setting, had lower prevalence of hypertension (prevalence ratio; 95 CI: 0·57; 0·43, 0·75), T2DM (0·36; 0·16, 0·86) and high BMI (0·55; 0·48, 0·63) compared with the ‘stage 3’ diet. Incidence of hypertension was highest among individuals consuming the ‘stage 3’ diet (63·75 per 1000 person-years; 95 % CI 52·40, 77·55). Conclusions: The study found more traditional diets were associated with a lower prevalence of three common chronic diseases, while prevalence of these diseases was higher with a diet high in processed foods and low in vegetables.
Reed's Syndrome - A Rare Case of Multiple Cutaneous and Uterine Leiomyomatosis With Renal Cyst

© 2019 Indian Dermatology Online Journal | Published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow Sir, Reed’s syndrome is characterized by coexistence of benign smooth muscle growths of skin and uterus, first described by Reed et al. in 1973. [1] Cutaneous leiomyomas are benign smooth muscle tumour, classified into three types namely piloleiomyomas, genital leiomyomas, and angioleiomyomas that originate from the arrector pilli muscles, dartos muscle, and smooth muscle vasculatures, respectively. [1] Herediatary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) is a variant of Reed’s syndrome associated with renal cell carcinoma. [2] Reed’s syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused due to heterozygous mutation in the fumarate hydratase gene located on chromosome 1q42.3‐q43. [2] However, sporadic cases of Reed’s syndrome have been reported only rarely in India. [3,4]
Upadki pacjentów geriatrycznych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym — ocena ryzyka dokonywana po roku od upadku

Summary Background Falls in the elderly population are a major geriatric problem and they may be more often in the presence of cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension. The study aimed to assess potential risk of fall among elderly hypertensives within one year of sustaining one. Materials and methods Throughout 2000–2004 the study covered 88 patients (62 F, 26 M; age range: 78–95 years). Potential risk of falls was assessed twice using the Tinetti test, initially — within a week of sustaining a fall and then again — within one year. Results In 30% of subjects potential risk of fall increased (p = 0.002) within a year. Getting up into a fully upright position and maintaining an immediate standing balance proved the most risky postural shifts, adversely affecting 27% (p = 0.004) and 36% (p = 0.001) of the subjects, respectively. Within one year potential risk of fall also manifestly increased in 25% of subjects (p = 0.002) who were nudged when standing fully upright, or who attempted to turn around by 360°. Conclusions In a significant proportion of hypertensive geriatic subjects potential risk of fall was found to have increased within one year of sustaining one, whereas maintaining a fully upright position carried by far greater risk.
Testing the limits of in vitro sublingual macromolecular drug delivery: dextrans and albumin with nanofiber mats

Sublingual drug delivery allows systemic delivery of drug without difficulties connected with the gastrointestinal pathway. However, it is restricted by a short duration of the drug in situ before salivary washout, which limits the controlled release of macromolecular drugs. We developed a new simple protocol for easy-to-use processing and storage of porcine sublingual mucosal membrane for in vitro studies using “flash freezing” in liquid nitrogen. All the tested dextrans slowly permeated through sublingual mucosa illustrating usability of both the “fresh” and “flash frozen” sublingual membranes whereas conventional cold storage “frozen” membranes have shown significantly higher permeabilities for macromolecules due to the sustained damage. The permeability rates were too slow to use dextrans as carriers for systemic drug administration. To increase time of absorption and to enhance transmucosal permeation, we manufactured nanofiber mats loaded with fluorescently marked albumin using well-scalable electrospinning technology. Nanofiber mats allowed albumin passage through the sublingual membrane in similar amounts as from the pure artificial saliva solution, however, they in principle allow to avoid salivary washout and thus to permit more efficient and prolonged permeation. Easy-to-use nanofiber product demonstrated that it could deliver a predetermined dose of the protein through the sublingual route.
Effects of Plyometric Training Program on Speed and Explosive Strength of Lower Limbs in Young Athletes

Plyometric training can improve jumping performance and running velocity in both pubertal and prepubertal populations. It has been shown that jumps of various kinds can also precede the specific session of one's sport, with clear improvements on the various performances of jumping or running. However, it is unclear whether the resulting improvement in explosive performance is because of introduction of a new training regimen or whether it merely reflected the response to an additional training load. Thus, this randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the effect of a combined plyometric and traditional athletics training on speed and explosive strength of the lower limbs. Participant (22 boys, 13-14 yr) were randomly assigned to an 8-wk experimental group (EG, n = 10) who performed plyometric training or a control group (CG, n = 12) who continued their traditional training. The EG performed twice weekly sessions of plyometrics (15 min.), in addition to their standard training without increasing the total training time (90 min.). At baseline and after training all participants were tested on the 20-m sprint (time) and Squat Jump (power, velocity, force and height). The EG group showed significantly (p < 0.05) improvement than CG in the 20-m sprint time (-0.1 vs. 0.1 sec) and Squat Jump (160.8 vs. -31.9 W; 0.3 vs. -0.2 m·s -1 ; 45.3 vs. -6.3 N; 10.9 vs. -2.2 cm) following training. Eight weeks of plyometric training added to the standard program of athletics was highly likely to improve the lower limbs speed and explosive strength in young athletes. Our findings highlight the potential value of combined training methods in a conditioning program aimed at maximizing power performance in youth.