Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reaching the global target to reduce stunting: an investment framework

Childhood stunting, being short for one's age, has life-long consequences for health, human capital and economic growth. Being stunted in early childhood is associated with slower cognitive development, reduced schooling attainment and adult incomes decreased by 5-53%. The World Health Assembly has endorsed global nutrition targets including one to reduce the number of stunted children under five by 40% by 2025. The target has been included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG target 2.2). This paper estimates the cost of achieving this target and develops scenarios for generating the necessary financing. We focus on a key intervention package for stunting (KIPS) with strong evidence of effectiveness. Annual scale-up costs for the period of 2016-25 were estimated for a sample of 37 high burden countries and extrapolated to all low and middle income countries. The Lives Saved Tool was used to model the impact of the scale-up on stunting prevalence. We analysed data on KIPS budget allocations and expenditure by governments, donors and households to derive a global baseline financing estimate. We modelled two financing scenarios, a 'business as usual', which extends the current trends in domestic and international financing for nutrition through 2025, and another that proposes increases in financing from all sources under a set of burden-sharing rules. The 10-year financial need to scale up KIPS is US$49.5 billion. Under 'business as usual', this financial need is not met and the global stunting target is not reached. To reach the target, current financing will have to increase from US$2.6 billion to US$7.4 billion a year on average. Reaching the stunting target is feasible but will require large coordinated investments in KIPS and a supportive enabling environment. The example of HIV scale-up over 2001-11 is instructive in identifying the factors that could drive such a global response to childhood stunting.
Team vs. Team: Success Factors in a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Game

There is a small but growing body of research investigating how teams form and how that affects how they perform. Much of that research focuses on teams that seek to accomplish certain tasks such as writing an article or perform a Broadway musical. There has been much less investigation of the relative performance of teams that form to directly compete against another team. In this study, we report on team-vs-team competitions in the multiplayer online game Dota 2. Here, the teams’ overall goal is to beat the opponent. We use this unique setting to observe multi-level factors influence the relative performance of the teams. Those factors include compositional factors or attributes of the individuals comprising a team, relational factors or prior relations among individuals within a team and ecosystem factors or overlapping prior membership of team members with others within the ecosystem of teams. We also study how these multilevel factors affect the duration of a match. Our results show that advantages a.
Prognostic Significance of p27kip1 Protein Expression and Spontaneous Apoptosis in Patients with Colorectal Adenocarcinomas

Tumor cell apoptosis, proliferation and p27 expression using an in situ apoptosis detection kit, anti-Ki67 antibody and anti-p27 antibody were investigated in 171 colorectal adenocarcinoma specimens, together with the assessment of mutated p53 expression. No apparent association was observed among p27 expression, mutated p53 accumulation, the Ki67 labeling index and the apoptotic index (AI). In the multivariate analysis using the median values as the cut-off points (46.8% for p27 expression and 0.89% for AI), p27 expression was identified as an independent and significant predictor for overall survival. When the present series of patients were dichotomized by these cut-off points to categorize the cases into 4 subgroups, the patients in the group with low p27 expression and a low AI had the poorest prognosis. The assessment of p27 expression and AI therefore may prove valuable in identifying patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma who may have a poor prognosis.
Use of loop‐mediated isothermal amplification to detect six groups of pathogens causing secondary lower respiratory bacterial infections in horses

Microbial substitution occasionally occurs following the administration of antimicrobials to horses that have pneumonia or pleuropneumonia. Four specific loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays were developed to detect some equine respiratory pathogens, namely strains of the Bacteroides–Prevotella group, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Staphylococcus aureus. These four LAMP assays and two previously published LAMP assays targeting Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used on clinical respiratory specimens and a high accordance found between the results of the LAMP assays and bacterial culture. Use of these LAMP assays could enable rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria and swift administration of the appropriate antimicrobials.
Exploring the multitude of risk factors associated with early childhood caries

Context: Despite efforts in restorative therapy, children who experience Early Childhood Caries (ECC) continue to be at a higher risk for new lesions in both the primary and the permanent dentition. Early interventions which disrupt the pathobiology of caries need identification of all the causative or risk factors. Aims and Objectives: This study dealt with the prevalence and associated risk factors of ECC among preschool children aged 3 to 5 years in Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: Information regarding risk factors was obtained through a structured questionnaire among a random sample of 1152 children. Clinical examination was performed by a trained dental professional using the modified WHO oral health survey format. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, correlation, multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of ECC among preschool children was 24.39% (P < 0.05), whereas the mean deft was 5.80 ± 8.90. The prevalence of ECC among males and females was 24.92% and 23.81%, respectively. 4.27% of children with ECC showed a history of prolonged breastfeeding beyond 2.5 years (P < 0.05). 50.18% of children had a history of using medications during bedtime/night. History of low birth weight was reported among 23.84% of ECC children. Only 13.52% of mothers claimed of getting a prenatal oral health care/counseling (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of ECC was seen in almost a quarter of the population with a high deft. A significant relation was associated only with the feeding duration and lack of prenatal oral health counseling provided to parents.
Incivility in Controversies: The Influence of Presumed Media Influence and Perceived Media Hostility on the Antagonists in the German Conflict Over Aircraft Noise

Previous research suggests that the antagonists in conflicts are influenced by their perceptions of hostile media coverage and presumptions of media effects. Research so far has concentrated on presumed media influences on the general public. This study concentrates on presumed media influences on the conflicting parties. It tests how hostile media perceptions and presumptions of media effects on the conflicting parties affect the antagonists’ acceptance of an uncivil and uncompromising style of public communication. In the context of the German controversy over aircraft noise, online surveys of 82 (47%) opponents of aircraft noise and 48 (33%) proponents of air traffic were conducted. Hostile media perceptions have no direct but an indirect effect on antagonists’ intentions to communicate. They strengthen both parties’ beliefs that the media make the protesters against aircraft noise more extreme. This, in turn, increases both parties’ acceptance of incivility in the public dispute.
Voltage‐dependent ionic channels in differentiating neural precursor cells collected from adult mouse brains six hours post‐mortem

A novel type of adult neural precursor cells (NPCs) has been isolated from the subventricular zone of the mouse 6 hr after animal death (T6‐NPCs). This condition is supposed to select hypoxia‐resistant cells of scientific and clinical interest. Ionic channels are ultimately the expression of the functional maturation of neurons, so the aim of this research was to characterize the pattern of the main voltage‐dependent ionic channels in T6‐NPCs differentiating to a neuronal phenotype, comparing it with NPCs isolated soon after death (T0‐NPCs). T6‐ and T0‐NPCs grow in medium containing epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Differentiation was performed in small wells without the addition of growth factors, in the presence of adhesion molecules, fetal bovine serum, and leukemia inhibitory factor. Ionic currents, recorded by means of whole‐cell patch‐clamp, namely, ICa2+ HVA, both L‐ and non‐L‐type, IK+ delayed rectifying, IK+ inward rectifier, transient IK+A, and TTX‐sensitive INa+ have been found, although Na+ currents were found in only a small percentage of cells and after the fifth week of differentiation. No significant differences in current types, density, orcell capacitance were observed between T6‐NPCs and T0‐NPCs. The sequence in which the markers appear in new neural cells is not necessarily a fixed program, but the discrepancies in morphological, biochemical, and electrophysiological maturation of mouse NPCs to neurons, possibly different in vivo, suggest that the various steps of the differentiation are independently regulated. Therefore, in addition to morphological and biochemical data, functional tests should be considered for characterizing the maturation of neurons. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On vertical advection truncation errors in terrain‐following numerical models: Comparison to a laboratory model for upwelling over submarine canyons

[1] Submarine canyons which indent the continental shelf are frequently regions of steep (up to 45°), three-dimensional topography. Recent observations have delineated the flow over several submarine canyons during 2-4 day long upwelling episodes. Thus upwelling episodes over submarine canyons provide an excellent flow regime for evaluating numerical and physical models. Here we compare a physical and numerical model simulation of an upwelling event over a simplified submarine canyon. The numerical model being evaluated is a version of the S-Coordinate Rutgers University Model (SCRUM). Careful matching between the models is necessary for a stringent comparison. Results show a poor comparison for the homogeneous case due to nonhydrostatic effects in the laboratory model. Results for the stratified case are better but show a systematic difference between the numerical results and laboratory results. This difference is shown not to be due to nonhydrostatic effects. Rather, the difference is due to truncation errors in the calculation of the vertical advection of density in the numerical model. The calculation is inaccurate due to the terrain-following coordinates combined with a strong vertical gradient in density, vertical shear in the horizontal velocity and topography with strong curvature.
Differential Effects of Volatile Anesthetics on M3 Muscarinic Receptor Coupling to the G&agr;q Heterotrimeric G Protein

Background:Halothane inhibits airway smooth muscle contraction in part by inhibiting the functional coupling between muscarinic receptors and one of its cognate heterotrimeric G proteins, G&agr;q. Based on previous studies indicating a more potent effect of halothane and sevoflurane on airway smooth muscle contraction compared with isoflurane, the current study hypothesized that at anesthetic concentrations of 2 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) or less, halothane and sevoflurane but not isoflurane inhibit acetylcholine-promoted G&agr;q guanosine nucleotide exchange. Methods:G&agr;q guanosine nucleotide exchange was measured in crude membranes prepared from COS-7 cells transiently coexpressing the human M3 muscarinic receptor and human G&agr;q. A radioactive, nonhydrolyzable analog of guanosine-5′-triphosphate, [35S]GTP&ggr;S, was used as a reporter for nucleotide exchange at G&agr;q. Results:Acetylcholine caused a concentration-dependent increase in G&agr;q [35S]GTP&ggr;S–GDP exchange. Neither anesthetic affected constitutive G&agr;q [35S]GTP&ggr;S–GDP exchange in the absence of acetylcholine. Conversely, each anesthetic caused a concentration-dependent and reversible inhibition of G&agr;q [35S]GTP&ggr;S–GDP exchange when promoted by acetylcholine. At concentrations of 3 MAC or less, the effect of halothane and sevoflurane were significantly greater than that of isoflurane, with only a minimal inhibition by isoflurane observed at 2 MAC. Conclusion:The differential effects of volatile anesthetics on acetylcholine-promoted guanosine nucleotide exchange at G&agr;q are consistent with the apparent more potent direct effect of halothane and sevoflurane compared with isoflurane on muscarinic receptor–mediated contraction of isolated airway smooth muscle. These differential effects also suggest a mode of anesthetic action that could be due to anesthetic–protein interactions and not simply anesthetic accumulation in the lipid membrane.
Polymorphonuclear Granulocyte Stimulation by Cellulose-Based Hemodialysis Membranes

Abstract Hemodialyis with cellulose-based membranes is associated with an array of adverse reactions, including leukopenia, pulmonary sequestration and dysfunction of leukocytes. Activation of the alternative pathway of complement due to direct contact of plasma with dialysis membrane is considered to be responsible for the induction of these side effects. In recent years, evidence has accumulated that other neutrophil effector functions such as reactive oxygen intermediate production play an important role as well. Here the importance of burst formation in cooperation with other inflammatory effector functions in the mechanisms of hemodialysis-related adverse effects will be discussed.
Syndecan-3-Deficient Mice Exhibit Enhanced LTP and Impaired Hippocampus-Dependent Memory

Syndecan-3 (N-syndecan) is a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan expressed predominantly in the nervous system in a developmentally regulated manner. Syndecan-3 has been suggested to play a role in the development and plasticity of neuronal connections by linking extracellular signals to the regulation of the cytoskeleton. To study its physiological functions, we produced mice deficient in syndecan-3 by gene targeting. The mutant animals are healthy, are fertile, and have no apparent defects in the structure of the brain. We focused on characterizing the functions of the hippocampus, a brain area where expression of syndecan-3 is prominent in adults. Mice lacking syndecan-3 exhibited an enhanced level of long-term potentiation (LTP) in area CA1, while basal synaptic transmission and short-term plasticity were similar to those in wild-type animals. Further, the mutant mice were not responsive to the syndecan-3 ligand heparin-binding growth-associated molecule, which inhibits LTP in area CA1 in wild-type animals. Behavioral testing of the syndecan-3-deficient mice revealed impaired performance in tasks assessing hippocampal functioning. We suggest that syndecan-3 acts as an important modulator of synaptic plasticity that influences hippocampus-dependent memory.
Test and treat: the early experiences in a clinic serving women at high risk of HIV infection in Kampala

ABSTRACT At the end of 2013, the Government of Uganda issued guidance recommending provision of Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) to HIV-positive people in key populations, including female sex workers, regardless of CD4 cell count. We describe the implementation of this new guidance in a clinic serving women at high risk of HIV infection in Kampala. Between July and December 2015, we conducted repeat in-depth interviews with 15 women attending the clinic after the change in guidelines, to explore their perceptions regarding prompt ART initiation. The sample included some women who were HIV-negative and women who had both started and deferred ART. We conducted a data-led thematic analysis of the material from the interviews. A total of 257 of 445 eligible women had started ART; others were undecided or had not returned to the clinic after receiving the new information. Participants recounted varying experiences with the provision of prompt treatment. At an individual level, a history of treatment for opportunistic infections and other illnesses, coupled with relatively poor health, encouraged some to initiate ART promptly. However, knowledge of friends/relatives already on ART who had experienced side effects caused others to delay starting, fearing the same experience for themselves. A number of women questioned why they should start treatment when they were not sick. Situational factors such as work and residence (with many sharing single rooms) caused discomfort among newly diagnosed women who feared disclosure and stigma that would result from taking ART when they were not ill. Alcohol consumption and irregular working hours affected perceptions of future adherence, making prompt ART harder to embrace for some. Our findings show the challenges that influence the delay of treatment initiation, and/or the decision to defer receiving information on ART, with implications for the success of the test and treat programmes and guidelines.
Compact groups in theory and practice – IV. The connection to large-scale structure

We investigate the properties of photometrically-selected compact groups (CGs) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. In this paper, the fourth in a series, we focus on understanding the characteristics of our observed CG sample with particular attention paid to quantifying and removing contamination from projected foreground or background galaxies. Based on a simple comparison of pairwise redshift likelihoods, we nd that approximately half of compact groups in the parent sample contain one or more projected (interloping) members; our nal clean sample contains 4566 galaxies in 1086 compact groups. We show that half of the remaining CGs are associated with rich groups (or clusters), i.e. they are embedded sub-structure. The other half have spatial distributions and number-density proles consistent with the interpretation that they are either independently distributed structures within the eld (i.e. they are isolated) or associated with relatively poor structures. Comparisons of late-type and red-sequence fractions in radial annuli show that galaxies around apparently isolated compact groups resemble the eld population by 300 to 500 kpc from the group centre. In contrast, the galaxy population surrounding embedded compact groups appears to remain distinct from the eld out beyond 1 to 2 Mpc, consistent with results for rich groups. We take this as additional evidence that the observed distinction between compact groups, i.e. isolated vs. embedded, is a separation between dierent host environments.
Control of Postharvest Bacterial Soft Rot by Gamma Irradiation and its Potential Modes of Action

Gamma irradiation was evaluated for its in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity against a postharvest bacterial pathogen, Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc). Gamma irradiation in a bacteria cell suspension resulted in a dramatic reduction of the viable counts as well as an increase in the amounts of DNA and protein released from the cells. Gamma irradiation showed complete inactivation of Ecc, especially at a dose of 0.6 kGy. In addition, scanning electron microscopy of irradiated cells revealed severe damage on the surface of most bacterial cells. Along with the morphological changes of cells by gamma irradiation, it also affected the membrane integrity in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanisms by which the gamma irradiation decreased the bacterial soft rot can be directly associated with the disruption of the cell membrane of the bacterial pathogen, along with DNA fragmentation, results in dose-dependent cell inactivation. These findings suggest that gamma irradiation has potential as an antibacterial approach to reduce the severity of the soft rot of paprika.
Chronic methamphetamine exposure produces a delayed, long‐lasting memory deficit

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive and neurotoxic psychostimulant. Its use in humans is often associated with neurocognitive impairment. Whether this is due to long‐term deficits in short‐term memory and/or hippocampal plasticity remains unclear. Recently, we reported that METH increases baseline synaptic transmission and reduces LTP in an ex vivo preparation of the hippocampal CA1 region from young mice. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that a repeated neurotoxic regimen of METH exposure in adolescent mice decreases hippocampal synaptic plasticity and produces a deficit in short‐term memory. Contrary to our prediction, there was no change in the hippocampal plasticity or short‐term memory when measured after 14 days of METH exposure. However, we found that at 7, 14, and 21 days of drug abstinence, METH‐exposed mice exhibited a deficit in spatial memory, which was accompanied by a decrease in hippocampal plasticity. Our results support the interpretation that the deleterious cognitive consequences of neurotoxic levels of METH exposure may manifest and persist after drug abstinence. Therefore, therapeutic strategies should consider short‐term as well as long‐term consequences of methamphetamine exposure. Synapse 67:245–257, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regulation of Bad Phosphorylation and Association with Bcl-xL by the MAPK/Erk Kinase*

Phosphorylation of the Bcl-2 family protein Bad may represent an important bridge between survival signaling by growth factor receptors and the prevention of apoptosis. Bad phosphorylation was examined following cytokine stimulation, which revealed phosphorylation on a critical residue, serine 112, in a MEK-dependent manner. Furthermore, Bad phosphorylation also increased on several sites distinct from serine 112 but could not be detected on serine 136, previously thought to be a protein kinase B/Akt-targeted residue. Serine 112 phosphorylation was shown to be absolutely required for dissociation of Bad from Bcl-xL. These results demonstrate for the first time in mammalian cells the involvement of the Ras-MAPK pathway in the phosphorylation of Bad and the regulation of its function.
Framework of barrier reefs threatened by ocean acidification

To date, studies of ocean acidification (OA) on coral reefs have focused on organisms rather than communities, and the few community effects that have been addressed have focused on shallow back reef habitats. The effects of OA on outer barrier reefs, which are the most striking of coral reef habitats and are functionally and physically different from back reefs, are unknown. Using 5‐m long outdoor flumes to create treatment conditions, we constructed coral reef communities comprised of calcified algae, corals, and reef pavement that were assembled to match the community structure at 17 m depth on the outer barrier reef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Communities were maintained under ambient and 1200 μatm pCO2 for 7 weeks, and net calcification rates were measured at different flow speeds. Community net calcification was significantly affected by OA, especially at night when net calcification was depressed ~78% compared to ambient pCO2. Flow speed (2–14 cm s−1) enhanced net calcification only at night under elevated pCO2. Reef pavement also was affected by OA, with dissolution ~86% higher under elevated pCO2 compared to ambient pCO2. These results suggest that net accretion of outer barrier reef communities will decline under OA conditions predicted within the next 100 years, largely because of increased dissolution of reef pavement. Such extensive dissolution poses a threat to the carbonate foundation of barrier reef communities.