Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Children orphaned by AIDS: a global perspective.

Internationally, the orphan crisis caused by the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic remains a serious issue with long-term social consequences. At the end of 2001, an estimated 14 million children worldwide had lost their mother or both parents to AIDS or related causes. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected, accounting for more than 80 percent of those orphaned as a result of AIDS. Without the care of parents or an appointed caregiver, children are likely to face extraordinary risks of malnutrition, poor health, inadequate schooling, migration, homelessness, and abuse. Strengthening existing family and community capacity to assist orphans in Africa should be the first priority. Community support must be coupled with support for education for orphans. Combining local and international responses to deliver protection and services to all orphans and vulnerable children is critical. In addition, saving the lives of parents through access to antiretroviral therapies in resource-poor countries in conjunction with bold support for alleviation of poverty and education must be an integral part of the global response to the orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.
Comparative Efficacy of Transfemoral Prosthetic Interfaces: Analysis of Gait and Perceived Disability

Introduction The High-Fidelity (HiFi) interface is an emerging transfemoral interface technology. However, no comparison of this interface to traditional transfemoral interface designs is currently available. The purpose of this study is to measure the effects of the HiFi system on gait and perceived disability compared with a traditional socket design in a subject with transfemoral amputation. Methods The subject was first tested with a traditional ischial containment socket, then fit with the HiFi system, and tested again after a 30-day accommodation period. Three-dimensional motion analysis was performed using an 8-camera Vicon Motion Capture system. The Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire v2.0 and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis index were administered at initial and secondary testing to evaluate perceived disability. A one-way analysis of variance and Fischer's least significant difference were used to determine statistical difference between conditions. The level of significance for all tests was set at P ⩽ 0.05. Results Notable results included an increase in self-selected gait velocity, prosthetic hip adduction, and hip extension. Reductions in lateral center of mass deviation during gait and in perceived disability was also shown with use of the HiFi condition. Discussion This study analyzed the effects of the HiFi Interface System on biomechanical parameters of gait and perceived disability compared with a baseline IRC condition in this elderly subject with history of TF amputation. Several improvements and markers of increased stability with use of the HiFi were noted. Perceived disability was also greatly improved comparatively. Conclusions The HiFi Interface System presented some biomechanical advantages to traditional IRC socket designs in this case, which may allow for increased stability in patients utilizing a TF prosthesis. Further research with larger samples is warranted.
The native mind and the cultural construction of nature.

Surveys show that our growing concern over protecting the environment is accompanied by a diminishing sense of human contact with nature. Many people have little commonsense knowledge about nature -- are unable, for example, to identify local plants and trees or describe how these plants and animals interact. Researchers report dwindling knowledge of nature even in smaller, nonindustrialized societies. In The Native Mind and the Cultural Construction of Nature, Scott Atran and Douglas Medin trace the cognitive consequences of this loss of knowledge. Drawing on nearly two decades of cross-cultural and developmental research, they examine the relationship between how people think about the natural world and how they act on it and how these are affected by cultural differences. These studies, which involve a series of targeted comparisons among cultural groups living in the same environment and engaged in the same activities, reveal critical universal aspects of mind as well as equally critical cultural differences. Atran and Medin find that, despite a base of universal processes, the cultural differences in understandings of nature are associated with significant differences in environmental decision making as well as intergroup conflict and stereotyping stemming from these differences. The book includes two intensive case studies, one focusing on agro-forestry among Maya Indians and Spanish speakers in Mexico and Guatemala and the other on resource conflict between Native-American and European-American fishermen in Wisconsin. The Native Mind and the Cultural Construction of Nature offers new perspectives on general theories of human categorization, reasoning, decision making, and cognitive development.
Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding vitamin D deficiency among female students in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative exploration

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes type 1 and 2. It is currently estimated that one billion people suffer from vitamin D deficiency worldwide. A major cause is lack of sun exposure, and this is evident even in countries at mid and low latitudes. Although a high prevalence has been found in Saudi Arabia, little is known to date about the reasons for this and, consequently about, reduction methodologies. The study’s aim was to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards vitamin D deficiency, sun exposure, supplementation and fortification in a sample of female Saudi Arabian students.
A Clinical Study of Cholelithiasis in Rural Population

Introduction: cholelithiasis is a chronic recurrent disease of the hepatobiliary system. The impaired metabolism of cholesterol, bile acids, bilirubin charcterised by gallstone formation. the prevalence of cholelithiasis varies and has been reported as 229% in india, and increased in recent years. Aims: In the present study we are studying the incidences of cholethiasis in rural hospital, various modes of presentation, to evaluate the feasibility of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in rural hospital and cost effectiveness of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in rural population and to study the post operative complications cholecystectomy in rural hospital. Materials and methods: A study includes 50 patients of cholelithiasis, admitted to surgical wards between jan 2014 to jun 2014, in Adichuchanagiri hospital, B G Nagar. The patients were selected by signs and symptoms of cholelithiasis, acute cholecystitis, and chronic cholecystitis. Results and Discussion: In this study, the incidences of cholelithiasis more in females compared to males. Also it is more with arpit bansal et all study, which shows cholelithiasis is more common in females and in the age group of 30-50years. In table 3&4, majority of the patients presented with biliary colic, these symptoms are more common in females with obesity and lactating mothers as a risk factors. Angelico F et all, study shows that obesity and parity are risk factors for cholelithiasis. Those patients who have diabetes mellitus as risk factors, are mainly male patients and presented with signs and symptoms of chronic cholecystitis. Conclusion : In this study the incidence of cholelithiasis in rural population is increasing due to change in dietary habits and lifestyle modification.
Exploring SL Writing and SL Sensitivity during Writing Tasks: Poor and Advanced Writing in a Context of Second Language Other than English

This study integrates a larger research empirical project that examines second language (SL) learners’ profiles and valid procedures to perform complete and diagnostic assessment in schools. 102 learners of Portuguese as a SL aged 7 and 17 years speakers of distinct home languages were assessed in several linguistic tasks. In this article, we focused on writing performance in the specific task of narrative essay composition. The written outputs were measured using the score in six components adapted from an English SL assessment context (Alberta Education): linguistic vocabulary, grammar, syntax, strategy, socio-linguistic, and discourse. The writing processes and strategies in Portuguese language used by different immigrant students were analysed to determine features and diversity of deficits on authentic texts performed by SL writers. Differentiated performance was based on the diversity of the following variables: grades, previous schooling, home language, instruction in first language, and exposure to Portuguese as Second Language. Indo-Aryan languages speakers showed low writing scores compared to their peers and the type of language and respective cognitive mapping (such as Mandarin and Arabic) was the predictor, not linguistic distance. Home language instruction should also be prominently considered in further research to understand specificities of cognitive academic profile in a Romance languages learning context. Additionally, this study also examined the teachers’ representations that will be here addressed to understand educational implications of second language teaching in psychological distress of different minorities in schools of specific host countries. Keywords—Second language, writing assessment, home language, immigrant students, Portuguese language.
Oligomerization-dependent folding of the membrane fusion protein of Semliki Forest virus

The spikes of alphaviruses are composed of three copies of an E2-E1 heterodimer. The E1 protein possesses membrane fusion activity, and the E2 protein, or its precursor form, p62 (sometimes called PE2), controls this function. Both proteins are, together with the viral capsid protein, translated from a common C-p62-E1 coding unit. In an earlier study, we showed that the p62 protein of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) dimerizes rapidly and efficiently in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with the E1 protein originating from the same translation product (so-called heterodimerization in cis) (B.-U. Barth, J. M. Wahlberg, and H. Garoff, J. Cell Biol. 128:283-291, 1995). In the present work, we analyzed the ER translocation and folding efficiencies of the p62 and E1 proteins of SFV expressed from separate coding units versus a common one. We found that the separately expressed p62 protein translocated and folded almost as efficiently as when it was expressed from a common coding unit, whereas the independently expressed E1 protein was inefficient in both processes. In particular, we found that the majority of the translocated E1 chains were engaged in disulfide-linked aggregates. This result suggests that the E1 protein needs to form a complex with p62 to avoid aggregation. Further analyses of the E1 aggregation showed that it occurred very rapidly after E1 synthesis and could not be avoided significantly by the coexpression of an excess of p62 from a separate coding unit. These latter results suggest that the p62-E1 heterodimerization has to occur very soon after E1 synthesis and that this is possible only in a cis-directed reaction which follows the synthesis of p62 and E1 from a common coding unit. We propose that the p62 protein, whose synthesis precedes that of the E1 protein, remains in the translocon of the ER and awaits the completion of E1. This strategy enables the p62 protein to complex with the E1 protein immediately after the latter has been made and thereby to control (suppress) its fusion activity.
Traditional Uses of Animal and Animal Products in Medicine and Rituals by the Shoka Tribes of District Pithoragarh, Uttaranchal, India

Abstract Inter-linkages between cultural diversity and the environmental ethics or traditional conservation, has been very less understood, lest studied (Negi 2003). Traditional mode of living or sustenance, invariably relates to the immediate nature and the resources that reside therein. Traditional people, thus have been using the myriad resourcesbe that the timber, fibres, medicinal plants, edible plants and others, but more importantly have been engaged in bringing forth the subtle and innovative uses of the same so that the maximum benefit is accrued. One such innovation is the use of wild fauna or their parts in the traditional medicine and rituals. The present paper thus attempts to inventorize this little left out resource base among the Shoka tribes of Darma and Johaar valleys, in Pithoragarh district in the state of Uttaranchal, India, with an aim that this knowledge bank could be put to more efficacious use through sustainable harvest. A total of 38 species (mammals-20, birds-6, reptiles-5, insects-4, fish-2, and a lone amphibian), belonging to 16 families, led by bovidae (6), equidae, felidae and leporidae (2 each), and the rest being constituted by a single species, were either being used by the common-folks in the treatment of different diseases or were in possession of the knowledge base of the usage of the same. A total of 19 different diseases or disorders were being treated using the animal products. Out of the total 38 species, only a minuscule 3 species had multiple uses, as regards the treatment of different diseases.
Scientific Knowledge Engineering: a conceptual delineation and overview of the state of the art

Abstract As a community work, scientific contributions are usually built incrementally, involving some transformation, expansion or refutation of existing conceptual and propositional networks. As the body of knowledge increases, scientists concentrate more effort on ensuring that new hypotheses and observations are needed and consistent with previous findings. In this paper, we will characterize Knowledge Engineering as an important groundwork for structuring scientific knowledge. We argue that knowledge-based computational infrastructures can support researchers in organizing and making explicit the main aspects needed to make inferences or extract conclusions from an existing body of knowledge. This view is also comparatively built, contrasting it with alternatives for manipulating scientific knowledge, namely data-intensive approaches and the computational discovery of scientific knowledge. The current state of the art is presented with 22 knowledge representations and computational infrastructure implementations, with their main relevant properties analyzed and compared. Based on this review and on the theoretical foundations of Knowledge Engineering, a high level step-by-step approach for specifying and constructing scientific computational environments is described. The paper concludes by indicating paths for further development of the view initiated here, especially related to the technical specificities that originates from applying Knowledge Engineering to scientific knowledge.
Effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 on fluid-phase permeability and ammonia diffusion in CNS-derived endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND Proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) play an important role in the blood-brain barrier breakdown present in several neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis and AIDS. However, the specific effects of these cytokines on central nervous system-derived endothelial cells (CNS-EC) is not fully understood. In this study the effects of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were tested on different permeability mechanisms of CNS-EC. METHODS Central nervous system endothelial cells were isolated from human brain and retina and cultured in vitro in a transwell system. Fluid-phase endocytosis and transcytosis, absorptive-mediated endocytosis, and ammonia diffusion were measured with specific methods. Endothelial cells were studied with electron microscopy for the ultrastructural effects of cytokine stimulation. RESULTS Fluid-phase endocytosis and transcytosis were significantly increased by TNF-alpha and IL-6. This effect was dose dependent and reversible. The ammonia diffusion rate was also significantly increased by TNF-alpha. Absorptive-mediated endocytosis was not enhanced by TNF-alpha. Ultrastructural analysis of cytokine-treated CNS-EC confirmed the alterations in permeability showing an increase in endocytotic activity and a decrease in tight junctions. CONCLUSIONS The proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha induce specific changes in the morphology and permeability of CNS-EC. These alterations can be important in many diseases characterized by increased cytokine production.
The impact of malocclusion on adolescents' dissatisfaction with dental appearance and oral functions.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of malocclusion on adolescents' dissatisfaction with dental appearance and oral functions and to identify components of malocclusion that may contribute to these outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample comprised 704 secondary school adolescents aged 12 to 13 years from Balneário Camboriú, Brazil. A trained and calibrated orthodontist examined the severity of malocclusion using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). A pretested questionnaire was used to assess reported dental appearance, self-perception of speech, and self-perception of masticatory function using a 5-point scale of oral health status. The outcomes of the present study were dissatisfaction with dental appearance and dissatisfaction with oral functions. Simple and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between DAI and outcomes and to quantify the effect of DAI components on dissatisfaction with dental appearance. RESULTS Each DAI unit increase led to a significant increase of 5% in the likelihood of dissatisfaction with dental appearance (OR: 1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.08). DAI components that exerted influence on dissatisfaction with dental appearance were: missing teeth (P = .010), largest maxillary anterior irregularity ≥3 mm (P = .013), and largest mandibular anterior irregularity ≥2 mm (P = .008). There was no association between severity of malocclusion and dissatisfaction with oral functions. CONCLUSIONS Severity of malocclusion interfered with satisfaction of dental appearance in this population. Missing teeth and anterior irregularity were identified as factors influencing this outcome.
A Statistical Approach for Real-time Robust Background Subtrac tion and Shadow Detection

(57) ABSTRACT The system and method obscures descriptive image informa tion about one or more images. The system comprises a selector for selecting the descriptive image information from one or more of the images, a transformer that transforms the descriptive information into a transformed state, and an authorizer that provides authorization criteria With the image. In a preferred embodiment, the transformed state is the respective image encoded With the descriptive information. The descriptive information can be obscured so that the descriptive information in the transformed state can be decoded only if one or more authorization inputs satisfy the authorization criteria.
Influence of Enzymes and Surfactants on the Disintegration Behavior of Cross-Linked Hard Gelatin Capsules During Dissolution

ABSTRACT Gelatin exhibits cross-linking upon storage at stress conditions. Capsules stored at these conditions fail to show appropriate in vitro dissolution. The aim of this study is to show the effect of surfactants in the medium on the disintegration of the gelatin capsule. This is demonstrated in the presence and absence of the enzymes pancreatin and pepsin, the function of which is to improve the dissolution. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Tween 80 are tested as surfactants. When SLS is used in the medium, dissolution is significantly hampered due to the formation of a less soluble precipitate of gelatin. Compared to SLS, Tween 80 shows far better disintegration and solubility results in dissolution media with neutral or low pH. Therefore, it is concluded in this study that Tween 80 is preferred when a surfactant is necessary to comply with sink condition requirements.
A spatio-temporal data model for analysing personal biographies

Analysing the dynamics of urban and regional systems require methodologies for aggregating, in space and time, the consequences of the decisions of individuals and households. The life courses of most individuals are built around three interlocking successions of events: household history, residential trajectory and occupational career. As a result of societal evolution, these patterns of events became more complex during last decades, creating new challenges for urban and regional planners. Therefore, in-depth understanding of these intertwined sequences of events and decisions should provide useful information aimed at improving planning. The paper develops a modelling framework capable of handling complex life trajectories, by using standard database principles. A conceptual model describes successive or simultaneous events and statuses forming each of the three trajectories, as well as their intersections. This model is mapped into the MapInfo GIS, to handle successive and/or simultaneous home and workplace location changes. Example queries use data coming from a detailed retrospective survey of a spatially stratified random sample of professional workers living in the Quebec Metropolitan Area. The georelational database describes successions of events forming their biographies. The model produces data structures serving as input to "spatial" event history analyses, performed by regression techniques which consider "censoring" as well as time-varying and space-varying explanatory variables. A summary is given of this application issue, followed by an evaluation of relational GIS and database capabilities to handle such a project.
Self-Reported Aggression and the Perception of Anger in Facial Expression Photos

The author's purpose in this study was to assess the relationship between self-reported aggression and "seeing" anger in others. Eighty-four undergraduate participants completed a self-report questionnaire about their own aggression (i.e., aggressive attitude, verbal aggression, and physical aggression), as well as measures of resiliency and locus of control. They also responded to a series of photographs depicting facial expressions of happy, sad, angry, and fearful emotions. The results indicated that individuals reporting higher levels of overall aggression also misidentified anger from the facial expressions when this was not the emotion presented (errors of commission). No significant differences appeared among individuals reporting high and low levels of aggression in terms of underreporting anger (errors of omission). The author also found significant correlations among identification of anger from photographs, resiliency, and locus of control. The findings of the study have important implications for understanding the relationship between aggression and one's perception of anger in others.
Prognostic Value of Signal‐Averaged Electrocardiogram in Chagas Disease

Background: The value of signal‐averaged ECG (SAECG) in the risk stratification of Chagas disease (ChD), a potentially lethal illness prevalent in Latin America, remains controversial. The aim of this prospective longitudinal study was to determine the prognostic value of SAECG in ChD, using multivariate models with other established prognostic predictors, and to develop a simple prediction risk score.