Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Addressing inequities in child health and development: towards social justice

Inequities have a profound impact on the health and development of children globally. While inequities are greatest in the world’s poorest countries, even in rich nations poorer children have poorer health and developmental outcomes. From birth through childhood to adolescence, morbidity, mortality, growth and development are socially determined, resulting in the most disadvantaged having the highest risk of poor health outcomes. Inequities in childhood impact across the life course. We consider four categories of actions to promote equity: strengthening individuals, strengthening communities, improving living and working conditions, and promoting healthy macropolicies. Inequities can be reduced but action to reduce inequities requires political will. The International Society for Social Paediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP) calls on governments, policy makers, paediatricians and professionals working with children and their organisations to act to reduce child health inequity as a priority. ISSOP recommends the following: governments act to reduce child poverty; ensure rights of all children to healthcare, education and welfare are protected; basic health determinants such as adequate nutrition, clean water and sanitation are available to all children. Paediatric and child health organisations ensure that their members are informed of the impact of inequities on children’s well-being and across the life course; include child health inequities in curricula for professionals in training; publish policy statements relevant to their country on child health inequities; advocate for evidence-based pro-equity interventions using a child rights perspective; advocate for affordable, accessible and quality healthcare for all children; promote research to monitor inequity as well as results of interventions in their child populations. Paediatricians and child health professionals be aware of the impact of social determinants of health on children under their care; ensure their clinical services are accessible and acceptable to all children and families within the constraints of their country’s health services; engage in advocacy at community and national level.
Effects of lighting schedule during incubation of broiler chicken embryos on leg bone development at hatch and related physiological characteristics

Providing a broiler chicken embryo with a lighting schedule during incubation may stimulate leg bone development. Bone development may be stimulated through melatonin, a hormone released in darkness that stimulates bone development, or increased activity in embryos exposed to a light-dark rhythm. Aim was to investigate lighting conditions during incubation and leg bone development in broiler embryos, and to reveal the involved mechanisms. Embryos were incubated under continuous cool white 500 lux LED light (24L), continuous darkness (24D), or 16h of light, followed by 8h of darkness (16L:8D) from the start of incubation until hatching. Embryonic bone development largely takes place through cartilage formation (of which collagen is an important component) and ossification. Expression of genes involved in cartilage formation (col1α2, col2α1, and col10α1) and ossification (spp1, sparc, bglap, and alpl) in the tibia on embryonic day (ED)13, ED17, and at hatching were measured through qPCR. Femur and tibia dimensions were determined at hatch. Plasma growth hormone and corticosterone and pineal melatonin concentrations were determined every 4h between ED18.75 and ED19.5. Embryonic heart rate was measured twice daily from ED12 till ED19 as a reflection of activity. No difference between lighting treatments on gene expression was found. 24D resulted in higher femur length and higher femur and tibia weight, width, and depth at hatch than 16L:8D. 24D furthermore resulted in higher femur length and width and tibia depth than 24L. Embryonic heart rate was higher for 24D and 16L:8D in both its light and dark period than for 24L, suggesting that 24L embryos may have been less active. Melatonin and growth hormone showed different release patterns between treatments, but the biological significance was hard to interpret. To conclude, 24D resulted in larger leg bones at hatch than light during incubation, but the underlying pathways were not clear from present data.
Clinical predictors of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Mexico

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) remains a major global health problem. Early treatment of TB is critical; in the absence of rapid- susceptibility testing, the empiric selection of drugs should be guided by clinical data. This study aimed to determine the clinical predictors of DR-TB. From September 2010 to August 2017, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected from 144 patients with tuberculosis at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara, Mexico. Isolates were subjected to drug-susceptibility testing. Clinical predictors of DR-TB were determined using univariate and multivariate analysis. Any drug, isoniazid, and rifampin resistance rates were 47.7, 23.0, and 11.6%, respectively. The visualization of cavities and nodules through either chest radiography or computed tomography were independent predictors of DR-TB. In conclusion, early detection of DR-TB in this population could be based on multiple cavities being observed using chest imaging. This study’s results can be applied to future patients with TB in our community to optimize the DR-TB diagnostic process.
Is the discopathy associated with Modic changes an infectious process? Results from a prospective monocenter study

Background The local infectious origin and the putative role of Cutibacterium acnes (CA) of a particular subtype of discopathy (Modic 1) are still debated. Purpose To establish the association of CA in intervertebral disc (IVD) and Modic 1 discopathy in patients with low back pain. Methods The prevalence of bacteria in IVD samples obtained by anterior approach in patient with chronic low back pain harboring Modic type 1, 2 or no Modic changes was compared to that measured in IVD samples obtained by posterior approach for sciatica. From 45 patients included in the study, 77 discs samples were obtained: 58 by anterior approach (32 Modic 1/2 changes, 26 without Modic change) and 19 by posterior approach. Conventional microbial cultures, universal 16S rRNA molecular detection and a CA specific PCR were performed. Results 12 /77 (15.6%) disc samples were culture positive. Among the 10 CA positive cultures, 5 out of 58 (8.6%) were identified from specimens obtained by anterior approach and 5/19 (26.3%) from posterior approach (p = 0.046). Moreover, the percentage of CA culture positive sample was statistically no different between the patient with or without Modic changes. The CA prevalence was lower through molecular, culture—free approaches: the universal 16S rRNA PCR was positive for 6 specimens, including one CA positive sample and the CA specific PCR was positive for one specimen obtained by posterior approach. Conclusions In spine surgery the prevalence of CA in culture was significantly higher in IVD samples collected through a posterior approach compared to an anterior approach, suggesting a contamination process. This study did not support the CA related local infectious origin of Modic 1 discopathy.
Further study of two Chinese cave spiders (Araneae, Mysmenidae), with description of a new genus

Abstract The current paper expands knowledge of two Chinese cave spider species originally described in the genus Maymena Gertsch, 1960: M. paquini Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 and M. kehen Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009. With the exception of these two species, the genus Maymena is endemic to the western hemisphere, and new evidence presented here supports the creation of a new genus for the Chinese species, which we name Yamanetagen. nov. The male of Y. kehen is described for the first time. Detailed illustrations of the habitus, male palps and epigyne are provided for these two species, as well as descriptions of their webs. DNA sequences are provided for both Yamaneta species. We build on a previously published phylogenetic analysis of Mysmenidae to assess the phylogenetic position of Yamaneta and its relationship to true Maymena.
Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation response to light stimuli of Symbiodinium proteins: specific light-induced dephosphorylation of an HSP-like 75 kDa protein from S. microadriaticum

Background Some genera of the family Symbiodiniaceae establish mutualistic endosymbioses with various marine invertebrates, with coral being the most important ecologically. Little is known about the biochemical communication of this association and the perception and translation of signals from the environment in the symbiont. However, specific phosphorylation/dephosphorylation processes are fundamental for the transmission of external signals to activate physiological responses. In this work, we searched phosphorylatable proteins in amino acids of Ser, Thr and Tyr from three species of the family Symbiodiniaceae, Symbiodinium kawagutii, Symbiodinium sp. Mf11 and Symbiodinium microadriaticum. Methods We used specific antibodies to the phosphorylated aminoacids pSer, pThr and pTyr to identify proteins harboring them in total extracts from three species of Symbiodinium in culture. Extractions were carried out on logarithmic phase growing cultures under a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Various light/dark, nutritional and other stimuli were applied to the cultures prior to the extractions, and proteins were subjected to SDS-PAGE and western immunoblotting. Partial peptide sequencing was carried out by MALDI-TOF on specific protein spots separated by 2D electrophoresis. Results At 4 h of the light cycle, several Thr-phosphorylated proteins were consistently detected in the three species suggesting a genus-dependent expression; however, most Ser- and Tyr-phosphorylated proteins were species-specific. Analysis of protein extracts of S. microadriaticum cultures demonstrated that the level of phosphorylation of two Thr-phosphorylated proteins with molecular weights of 43 and 75 kDa, responded inversely to a light stimulus. The 43 kDa protein, originally weakly Thr-phosphorylated when the cells were previously adapted to their 12 h dark cycle, underwent an increase in Thr phosphorylation when stimulated for 30 min with light. On the other hand, the 75 kDa protein, which was significantly Thr-phosphorylated in the dark, underwent dephosphorylation in Thr after 30 min of the light stimulus. The phosphorylation response of the 43 kDa protein only occurred in S. microadriaticum, whereas the dephosphorylation of the 75 kDa protein occurred in the three species studied suggesting a general response. The 75 kDa protein was separated on 2D gels as two isoforms and the sequenced spots corresponded to a BiP-like protein of the HSP70 protein family. The presence of differential phosphorylations on these proteins after a light stimulus imply important light-regulated physiological processes in these organisms.
Specialized cutaneous Schwann cells initiate pain sensation

A newly discovered cell type for pain perception Pain has been thought to be initiated by activation of free nerve endings without end organs in the skin. In contrast to this paradigm, Abdo et al. discovered a previously unknown meshlike organ covering the skin that senses dangerous environmental stimuli (see the Perspective by Doan and Monk). This organ is built from specialized glial cells located in the epidermal-dermal border and is sufficient and required for initiation of mechanical pain transduction. Science, this issue p. 695; see also p. 641 A specialized glial cell type forms a sensory organ in the skin to sense noxious stimuli. An essential prerequisite for the survival of an organism is the ability to detect and respond to aversive stimuli. Current belief is that noxious stimuli directly activate nociceptive sensory nerve endings in the skin. We discovered a specialized cutaneous glial cell type with extensive processes forming a mesh-like network in the subepidermal border of the skin that conveys noxious thermal and mechanical sensitivity. We demonstrate a direct excitatory functional connection to sensory neurons and provide evidence of a previously unknown organ that has an essential physiological role in sensing noxious stimuli. Thus, these glial cells, which are intimately associated with unmyelinated nociceptive nerves, are inherently mechanosensitive and transmit nociceptive information to the nerve.
Elevated intracellular levels of iron in host cells promotes Burkholderia pseudomallei infection

Abstract Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis. The disease is endemic in northeast Thailand. Several studies have reported the effect of iron-overloaded environment in promoting bacterial infection. However, little is known about the effect of host cell iron elevation on melioidosis. Objective: We investigated the impact of increased host cell iron levels on B. pseudomallei infection. Methods: HeLa and A549 cell monolayers were supplemented with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and ascorbic acid to increase intracellular iron levels. The iron elevated host cells were infected with B. pseudomallei and examined for plaque formation, cell invasion, intracellular survival and multinucleated giant cell (MNGC) formation and compared to bacteria infecting control cells. Results: The ability of B. pseudomallei to form plaques in iron supplemented HeLa cells and to invade iron supplemented A549 cells was significantly higher. Furthermore, the intracellular survival of B. pseudomallei and the ability to induce MNGC formation in iron-supplemented host cells was greater than in infected control cells. Conclusion: Elevation of iron levels in host cells promotes B. pseudomallei infection.
Sector-Specific Capital, Labor Market Distortions and Cross-Country Income Differences: A Two-Sector General Equilibrium Approach

This paper highlights the significance of labor market distortions in explaining cross-country income differences using a two-sector general equilibrium model that incorporates modern intermediate inputs used in agriculture together with sector-specific human and physical capital. Using the best available information, I construct new sectoral data on quality-adjusted human capital and PPP-adjusted physical capital. Although both types of capital physical capital in particular play important roles, using a sample of 43 countries, I find that in terms of capturing the observed disparities, either in relative labor productivity in agriculture or aggregate output per worker between the rich and the poor countries, the role of labor market distortions outweighs the role of either sectoral human or physical capital.
Demand-Based Cost-of-Children Estimates and Child Poverty

This paper compares alternative demand-based equivalence scales for the cost of children to assess child poverty in Mexico. The models estimated here range from single-equation models, such as those of Engel and Rothbarth, to a complete demand system approach with fixed price effects. The results found in this study favor the generalization of the complete demand system equivalence scales over the other models. Despite the differences in the alternative models, the ranking of households with children and overall populations is insensitive to different equivalence scales and poverty lines used. However, variation in the composition of poor households with children has a different effect depending on the particular choice of equivalence scale. We found that, for households with more than the country’s average number of children, poverty incidence is considerably higher than in the population as a whole.
Human Capital Formation and Criminal Behavior: The Role of Early Childhood Education

This paper develops an overlapping generations model of criminal behavior, which extends prior research on crime by taking into account parental decisions about their children’s education and about sending them to school when they become adolescents. Additionally, it is also assumed that acquired ability in childhood and school resources interplay to determine the student’s probability of leaving school before graduation. Therefore, considering that dropping out of school and criminality are endogenously determined by the quality of early childhood education, school inputs and law enforcement parameters, this paper offers a framework to study the effects of interventions in early education on criminality and human capital accumulation vis-à-vis enhancing school resources and public spending on enforcement. Numerical simulations show that stimuli to increase investments in the education of children from disadvantaged families are much more cost-effective as a crime-prevention policy than expenditures on school resources and police protection.
Evolutionary Theories in Law and Economics and Their Use for Comparative Legal Theory

Abstract Evolutionary Law and Economics explains how law evolves in possibly path dependent ways. The theory therefore seems apt to help comparative legal theory in understanding and evaluating legal variation across jurisdictions. This paper reviews evolutionary approaches in Law and Economics to study in a more precise way whether and how different strands of the approach may be useful for the comparative lawyer.
Health-related quality of life of patients living with ostomy in Thailand and cost implications

Abstract Background: Ostomy surgery profoundly affects life of the patient, both physically and psychologically. Health- Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) is an important evaluation of health outcome that has not been studied in Thai patients with ostomy. Objectives: We determined HRQOL of patients living with ostomy, correlated factors, and average cost of ostomy supplies per month. Methods: Cross-sectional study with questionnaires was carried out given to 107 patients with ostomy at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Self-administered individual factors questionnaire, WHOQOL-BREFTHAI questionnaire, and ostomy appliances satisfaction questionnaire surveys were employed. Results: Response rate was 75.9%. Cronbach’s alpha of the WHOQOL-BREF-THAI questionnaire was 0.883. The mean of overall HRQOL scores was 82.5 (SD = 11.0) out of 130. It reveals that most participants had moderate HRQOL levels and were satisfied with ostomy appliances. Social relationships domain of WHOQOL-BREF-THAI had the highest number of participants who had poor HRQOL level. Significant factors related to HRQOL were gender, age groups, obesity, marital status, payment scheme, financial status, skin disorders, and underlying diseases. The mean cost of ostomy supplies per month per stoma was 1,770 Thai Baht (SD = 858.9). One-piece ostomy appliance system had lower cost with better HRQOL scores and better ostomy appliances satisfaction scores. However, the sample size was limited for the one-piece system. Conclusion: Most Thai patients living with ostomy have moderate quality of life, and they adjust well. The social relationships compromises are major issues that healthcare professionals should address with this group of patients. Ostomy supplies can be an important expense for patients.
Growth and Innovation Policy in a Small, Open Economy: Should You Stimulate Domestic R&D or Exports?

Abstract In small and open economies, absorption of foreign knowledge through international trade often plays a more important role for domestic innovation and growth than investment in domestic R&D. This suggests that trade policies can increase knowledge spillovers from abroad. Public support to R&D can be motivated both by positive internal knowledge externalities and by its ability to expand absorptive capacity. This dynamic, empirical, general equilibrium analysis models these interplays between R&D, trade and productivity. It compares public R&D support and export promotion of R&D based products with respect to long term growth and welfare impacts. We find that export promotion is inferior to R&D support in spurring R&D. However, it is not outperformed in terms of welfare generation. The reason is that existing and politically persistent policy interventions create inefficiencies that can be counteracted by R&D-based export promotion as a second-best policy.
Slow-Moving Traps

This paper studies the link between productivity and technological change in both the real and financial sectors and its effect on growth. The financial system affects technological change in the real sector by providing the funds that firms in the real sector need to implement more advanced technologies. In turn, the widespread use of advanced technologies in the real sector facilitates technological innovation in the financial sector, reducing financial intermediation costs. Thus, technological change in both sectors is mutually reinforcing and may generate multiple balanced growth paths with different financial intermediation costs, interest spreads and technological gaps.
Original article. Work-related quality of life scale among Singaporean nurses

Xu Zenga, Naesinee Chaieara, Piyanee Klaininb, Jiraporn Khiewyooc, David Kohb, Peter Wong Horng Hiend, Siu Yin Leed aDepartment of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, bYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117574, Singapore, cDepartment of Biostatistics and Demography, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, dNursing Department, National University Hospital, 117597, Singapore
The Sturm-Liouville Hierarchy of Evolution Equations II

Abstract In a previous paper [15] we introduced the Sturm-Liouville (SL) hierarchy of evolution equations. This hierarchy includes the Korteveg-de Vries (K-dV) and the Camassa-Holm (CH) hierarchies. We also defined and discussed in detail the algebro-geometric solutions of the SL-hierarchy. In this paper, we broaden the class of algebro-geometric solutions in a substantial way. Namely, we define and discuss solutions of the SL-hierarchy lying in an isospectral class of the Sturm-Liouville problem −(pφ′)′ + qφ = λyφ, which is determined by data related to a Riemann surface of “infinite genus”.
Optimal Control of a Two-Item Inventory System with Different Types of Item Deterioration

The present paper provides a new approach to study the problem of optimal control of a two-item inventory system with different types of deterioration. The total cost, which includes the sum of the holding costs of inventory levels, the holding costs of one item due to the presence of the other and the production costs, is minimized. The optimal solution is obtained based on Pontryagin’s principle. The system is modeled by a system of non-linear differential equations and its solution is discussed numerically. It is also used for illustrating the system performance as function of the monetary and nonmonetary input parameters.