Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment strategies for childhood steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a common childhood kidney disease caused by impaired glomerular function, characterized by protein leakage from the blood to the urine through the glomeruli, resulting in proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia and generalized edema. NS is descriptively classified upon the patients’ response to steroid treatment as steroid-sensitive NS (SSNS) or steroidresistant NS (SRNS). Aim: describe and compare different management strategies for SRNS. Methods: This retrospective study included 53 SRNS who were attending the Nephrology Outpatient Clinic, Children's Hospital, and Cairo University for follow-up. Results: out of 53 SRNS patients, 29 (54.72%) patients showed complete response to immunosuppressive therapy, while 14 (25.42%) showed partial response and the remaining 10 (18.87%) showed no response. Conclusion: Partial response to steroids or to first line of immunosuppressive therapy predicts better response to further immunosuppressives in SRNS patient. Cyclophosphamide is a preferable line in MCNS as it gives good results (50% complete response) with the advantage of lower cost and shorter duration of use. In patients with
Summer habitat use of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in a small Arctic lake, monitored by acoustic telemetry

– Acoustic technologies were applied to describe how landlocked Arctic char from Iqalugaajuruluit Lake, Baffin Island, interact with its lacustrine habitat. Acoustic data from the lake bottom was collected using sonar equipment and substrate types were verified with benthic grabs and mapped in a geographic information system. Arctic char movements during the open water period were recorded from char fitted with acoustic tags. The distribution of the tagged Arctic char in Iqalugaajuruluit Lake was dependent on fish size and related to abiotic factors such as depth, substrate type and depth/temperature, temporally. The volume of water with temperatures below 6 °C during the open water period may be a limiting factor for large char (>400 mm) in small Arctic lakes. The large piscivorous char are found most often in the deepest water over soft substrates and the smaller char which feed on varying proportions of invertebrates and fish were found most often over the more complex substrates such as boulders, pebbles and gravel.
Encouraging and Evaluating Class Participation

Many faculty interpret student responses to faculty questions as evidence of an actively engaged classroom. Because of this conviction, class participation, whether graded or ungraded, appears in many course syllabi in colleges and universities and is often promoted as the responsibility of students to contribute to the learning environment. Class participation provides faculty with some confidence that learning is taking place during a course and that students are reading assignments. While faculty may debate that attendance should not be used as a stand-in for class participation, this may not be a universally held belief or practice. Some faculty create rubrics which structure student participation and often delineate the tasks students should perform. Rubrics often list points, percents, and scales indicating levels of performance. This scoping review of the literature identifies themes encouraging and grading class participation and provides examples to increase class participation.
Forest fire management, climate change and the risk of catastrophic carbon losses

Approaches to management of fireprone forests are undergoing rapid change, driven by recognition that technological attempts to subdue fire at large scales (fire suppression) are ecologically and economically unsustainable. However, our current framework for intervention excludes the full scope of the fire management problem within the broader context of fire−vegetation−climate interactions. Climate change may already be causing unprecedented fire activity, and even if current fires are within the historical range of variability, models predict that current fire management problems will be compounded by more frequent extreme fire-conducive weather conditions (eg Fried et al. 2004). Concern about climate change has also made the mitigation of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and increased carbon (C) storage a priority for forest managers.
A Procedural Roadblock to Mechanistic Understanding of Neural Circuits

Neuroscience is witnessing impressive progress in techniques for observing and interrogating neural circuits. Advances include optical readout of neural circuit activity, capability to optogenetically stimulate/silence sub-sets of neurons in-vivo and ascertaining exact anatomical connectivity, for increasingly larger neural circuits. It is thought that progress in such technologies holds promise in ultimately enabling us to understand mechanistic computation in neural circuits leading to behavior. Here, using techniques from Theoretical Computer Science, we examine how many experiments are needed to establish an empirical understanding of mechanistic circuit computation, for a ﬁxed behavior. It is proved, math-ematically, that establishing the most extensive notions of understanding needs exponentially-many experiments in the number of neurons, in general, unless a widely-posited hypothesis about computation is false. To make matters worse, the feasible experimental regime is one where the number of experiments scales sub-linearly in the number of neurons. Together, this suggests that such a comprehensive understanding is de facto unknowable, in general. Determining which notions of understanding are algorithmically tractable, thus, becomes an important direction for investigation. A similar roadblock may exist in our quest to comprehensively understand contemporary deep neural networks as well.
EFFECT OF WEANING AGE AND SEX ON BONE DEVELOPMENT OF PIGS RAISED UNDER INTENSIVE SYSTEM AND SLAUGHTERED AT 70 KG BODY WEIGHT

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of weaning age and sex on bone development of pigs raised under intensive system and slaughtered at 70 kg body weight. A total of 24 piglets were randomly assigned to 3 weaning ages: treatment 1 (21 days of age), treatment 2 (28 days of age) and treatment 3 (35 days of age). Feed and water were given ad libitum up to slaughter weight of 70 kg. Data were analysed as completely randomized design (CRD) using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of statistical analysis system, version 9.3. Weaning age did not have significant (P > 0.05) effect on bone length and width of pigs. However, pigs weaned at 35 days of age tended to have longer femur (17.4 ± 0.17 cm), tibia (16.0 ± 0.19 cm) and humerus (15.6 ± 0.17 cm) than those weaned at 21 and 28 days of age. A 28 days weaning age resulted in significantly heavier femur (239.0 ± 6.19 g vs. 216.8 ± 6.19 g), tibia (145.8 ± 4.02 g vs. 132.0 ± 4.02 g) and humerus (211.7 ± 4.91 g vs. 195.9 ± 4.91 g) compared to 21 day weaning age. Tibia ash percentage was significantly higher (52.3 ± 0.65 % in pigs weaned at 35 days of age compared to those weaned at 28 (47.6 ± 0.65 %) and 21 days (46.8 ± 0.65 %). Pigs weaned at 35 days had significantly higher tibia Ca content (38.4 ± 0.36 %) compared to those weaned at 28 (37.2 ± 0.36 %) and 21 days (36.9 ± 0.36%). Phosphorus content of the tibia bone was significantly affected by weaning age while Mg content was not affected. Males had significantly heavier femurs (226.4 ± 3.89 g) than females (207.2 ± 3.89 g) pigs weaned at 21 days while tibia and humerus fresh weight of pigs weaned at 21 days was not affected by sex. Sex did not affect tibia mineral content at 21, 28 and 35 days weaning ages. Piglets can be weaned at 21 or 35 days of age without negatively affecting bone development. Twenty one days weaning age is recommended
Pronunciation errors by Spanish learners of Dutch: a data-driven study for ASR-based pronunciation training

In this paper we report on a study on pronunciation errors by Spanish learners of Dutch, which was aimed at obtaining information to develop a dedicated Computer Assisted Pronunciation Training (CAPT) program for this fixed language pair (Spanish L1, Dutch L2). The results of our study indicate, that, first, vowel errors are more frequent and variable than consonant mispronunciations. Second, Spanish natives appear to have problems with vowel length, vowel height, and front rounded vowels. Third, they tend to fall back on the pronunciation of their L1 vowels.
Tea Consumption and Health Beneficences of Green Tea Drinking- A Community-based Cross-sectional Study in Urban Chinese Men.

Aims: To understand the exposure experiences of tea consumption in community male adult population of urban China and its potential beneficences in cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Communities in Shanghai, Chengdu and Hangzhou, China between July to September, 2006. Methodology: Face-to-face questionnaire interviews through household visit were carried out to collect information on tea consumption and health conditions in Chinese men. The amount of tea-leaves consumed per time was weighed in grams using identical balances. Results: In this study, 73.7% (2156/2927) subjects met the criteria of present tea Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 3(4): 1407-1417, 2013 1408 drinkers (PTDRs) at the time of interview, and the age-gender standardized proportion was 66.4%. Most of PTDRs drank tea every day and amounts of tea consumption did not vary over seasons. The average weekly amounts of tea consumption in grams for PTDRs varied from 55.2 grams green tea per week to 71.7 grams oolong tea per week. Also, green tea drinking was significantly inversely associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Conclusion: This study provides an informative and comprehensive description of tea drinking in urban Chinese male population. Findings from this study also present the possibility of health benefits of green tea for male Chinese population.
Effectiveness of Tera Gymnastics and Healthy Heart Gymnastics on Blood Pressure Among Elderly With Hipertension in Sinomwidodo Village, Tambakromo Subdistrict, Pati District

The elderly are at high risk for degenerative diseases. Hypertension occupies the largest proportion of all degenerative diseases reported. Gymnastics Tera and Healthy Gymnastics are one of the nonpharmacology efforts to suppress Hypertension. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Gymnastics Tera and Healthy Gymnastics Against Blood Pressure on Hypertensive Elderly. This research uses a quasi experiment method with Nonequivalent control group design. The population in this study is all elderly who suffer from Hypertension in Sinomwidodo Village Tambakromo Subdistrict, Pati Regency which according to criteria amounting to 35 elderly. Sampling with Purposive Sampling technique and sample size is determined by Slovin formula. The sample is 32 respondents with the provision of 11 people tera gymnastics group, 11 people healthy heart gymnastic group and 1o people control group. The results showed that after the intervention there was a significant effect between the group of Gymnastics Tera and Healthy Gymnastics compared with the control group with the measurement of mercury p-value ( 0.05). Conclusion Gymnastics Tera and Healthy Gymnastic Gym are effective in lowering blood pressure in hypertensive elderly. The effectiveness of gymnastics Tera and Healthy Heart gymnastics are the same.
Systematics and Biogeography of Scaled Woodcreepers (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae)

The geographical variation of three qualitative plumage characters and three body measurements of populations of the Scaled Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes squamatus), a species whose range is centered in eastern Brazil, is analyzed. Three distinctive populations are recognized (wagleri, squamatus, and falcinellus). Under the biological species concept (BSC), two species are recognized (L. squamatus, including squamatus and wagleri as subspecies; and L. falcinellus). Under either the phylogenetic species concept (PSC) or under the evolutionary species concept (ESC), the three distinctive populations should be regarded as independent species. Based on plumage similarities, we suggest that squamatus and wagleri form a monophyletic group, with falcinellus as its sister-group. Geological changes (tectonism and formation of river courses) are suggested as causal factors that promoted speciation in Scaled Woodcreepers.
Migratory connectivity and differential patterns of decline in Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) in North America: Potential effects of factors on breeding and wintering grounds

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . v LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1. Potential factors of decline for aerial insectivores . 1 1.1.1. Habitat loss . 2 1.1.2. Habitat degradation . 3 1.1.3. Change in weather . 7 1.1.4. Environmental contaminants . 8 1.1.5. Human persecution . 10 1.2. Migratory connectivity and seasonal interactions . 10 1.3. Stable isotope techniques . 13 1.3. 1. Hydrogen isotopes . 13 1.3. 2. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes . 14 1.4. Studied species . 16 1.5. Thesis outline . 21 CHAPTER 2. ESTIMATING WINTERING ORIGINS AND MIGRATORY CONNECTIVITY OF BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica) IN NORTH AMERICA: A MULTI-ISOTOPE APPROACH . 24 2.
Patterns and consequences of stigma height variation in a natural population of a distylous plant, Primula sieboldii

1. In order to reveal the direction and magnitude of phenotypic selection on the stigma height of heterostylous morphs in a natural population of Primula sieboldii E. Morren (Primulaceae), morphological traits including stigma and anther heights, flowering phenology, local density of potential mating partners, size of ramet, number of pollen grains deposited from the opposite morph and seed set were measured in two flowering seasons. 2. Both components of female reproductive success, pollen receipt and seed set, were significantly larger in the long-styled than in the short-styled morph in both years. 3. Selection analyses based on bivariate correlation and path-analysis models revealed positive relationships between stigma height and pollination or seed set in the short-styled morph only, although the effect was statistically significant only in one year. In contrast, seed set in the long-styled morph was correlated with ramet size. 4. Morph difference in reproductive success and the natural selection revealed for higher stigmas in the short-styled morph should be ascribed to the narrow corolla tube of the species that strictly restrict the path of the proboscis of the pollinators.
Effects of elemental sulfur and sulfur-containing waste on nutrient concentrations and growth of bean and corn plants grown on a calcareous soil

-1 were applied to pots. Each plant was grown twice on the same soils to determine initial and residual effects of applied S. Results showed that applications of elemental S and S-containing waste resulted in a decrease of soil pH, but general increase in nutrient concentrations for both plants and increase in residual available nutrient concentration in the experimental soils. In addition, it was found that S-containing waste could be used as an alternative to elemental S for improvement of plant nutrition in calcareous soils.
Latitudinal shift in thermal niche breadth results from thermal release during a climate‐mediated range expansion

Climate change is currently altering the geographical distribution of species, but how this process contributes to biogeographical variation in ecological traits is unknown. Range‐shifting species are predicted to encounter and respond to new selective regimes during their expansion phase, but also carry historical adaptations to their ancestral range. We sought to identify how historical and novel components of the environment interact to shape latitudinal trends in thermal tolerance, thermal tolerance breadth and phenotypic plasticity of a range‐shifting species.
Training Needs of Community-based Rehabilitation Workers for the
 Effective Implementation of CBR Programmes

Purpose : This review investigates the training needs of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) workers that would enable them to effectively facilitate CBR programmes. Emphasis was placed on identifying: (a) the skills that CBR workers require (b) the training currently available for them, and (c) the gaps in current training. Method : A scoping review was conducted using on-line database searches (Medline, Embase, Cinahl, PsycInfo, Global Health) for English articles from 2006 onwards. A combination of keywords related to CBR, personnel, and training were applied. Hand searches of reference lists and the DCID journal were also conducted. Grey literature related to training, from the World Health Organisation (WHO), CBR Regional Networks and organisations affiliated with CBR were included as secondary data. Thirty-three articles and thirty-five sources from the grey literature were included. Data was organised under the three objectives outlined above – i.e., required skills, available training and training gaps. Results : CBR workers represent a diverse group requiring a broad range of skills. A new cadre of mid-level workers is also necessary to effectively implement the CBR guidelines. There is currently no standardised training for CBR workers and training varies widely, depending on context. CBR workers require further training in various clinical, social, management, communication, and cultural competence skills across the spectrum of the CBR Matrix, and specifically in empowering persons with disabilities and facilitating community development. They also need to develop critical reasoning, creativity, and compassion. Conclusion : A standardised approach to training CBR workers would be beneficial to ensure basic standards and quality services, to allow meaningful comparison and evaluation across contexts, to recognise the role of mid-level CBR workers, and to strengthen the workforce. Further research is required to determine minimal competencies, define the roles of various CBR workers, and evaluate the effectiveness of training.
Heterosis in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Eight parental lines and their 28 F1 hybrids of bitter gourd obtained from half diallel were studied to investigate the extent of heterosis for yield and its contributing traits. The parents P-7 (Hirakani), P-6 (DVBTG-7) and P-1 (Phule Green Gold) were observed to be three top performing parents for the fruit yield per plant. The negative heterosis which is desirable for days to appearance of first female flower, node number of first flower and days to first harvest were common in most of the crosses. Significant heterosis was recorded over better and best parents. In order of merit F1 hybrids P1 (Phule Green Gold) x P4 (DVBTG-5), P3 (MC-84) x P5 (Co. White Long) and P1 (Phule Green Gold) x P3 (MC-84)were recorded to be three best performing F1 hybrids for fruit yield per plant. The higher yield recorded by these hybrids could be due to increased number of fruits per plant. The best performing F1 hybrid P1 x P4 which recorded 41.48 per cent higher yield over best parent may be exploited for commercial cultivation.
The Greek Debt Exchange: An Autopsy

This paper analyses the Greek debt restructurings of 2012 and puts them into the context of the broader Greek crisis and the history of sovereign defaults. We describe how a crisis management approach that initially focused on avoiding a debt restructuring at almost any cost morphed into the largest sovereign debt exchange operation in history, followed only 9 months later by a buyback of over half of the newly issued bonds. We analyse the distributional consequences of the exchange for creditors and the Greek government and the legal techniques that were used to achieve high creditor participations, and distil lessons for future restructurings in Europe. Our main finding is that the aggregate creditor haircut of the March/April exchange was 58-65 per cent, considerably lower than the numbers reported in the press, but still enough to warrant considerable debt relief for Greece, in the order of 44 to 53 per cent of GDP. By offering the same package for all bonds regardless of maturity, the exchange resulted in a very unequal distribution of losses, ranging from close to 80 per cent on very short term bonds to no haircut at all on Greece’s longest dated bond. Further novelties were the legal technique used (retroactive collective action clauses and a seniority upgrade), and the very high portion of cash transferred to creditors (financed by the EFSF). We find that although Greece could have done better by negotiating the terms of the December 2012 buyback rather than conducting it at market prices, the buyback was no “boondoggle”, achieving debt relief of 6-11 per cent of GDP. We conclude that although the restructurings were successful in achieving deep debt relief in an orderly manner – no small feat – their timing and design left money on the table and raise questions about crisis management in Europe. Looking forward, the techniques used in Greece are unlikely to work as a template, indicating the need for a more systematic approach to future sovereign debt restructurings. * EBRD and CEPR, University of Munich and CESifo, and Duke University, and respectively. We are grateful to Charlie Blitzer, Marcos Chamon, Bill Cline, Juan Cruces, Henrik Enderlein, Anna Gelpern, Federic Holm-Hadullah, Christian Kopf, Sergi Lanau, Philip Lane, James Roaf, Shahin Vallee, Mark Weidemaier, two anonymous referees, and seminar participants at London Business School, the ECB, the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the IMF for comments and conversations about the topic. Keegan Drake, Marina Kaloumenou, Yevgeniya Korniyenko and Tori Simmons provided excellent research assistance. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily of the institutions they are affiliated with.
Survival by time of day of hemodialysis in Korean patients: a single center study.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) typically undergo hemodialysis (HD) during the morning or afternoon, with time of treatment generally based on space availability or patient preference. No studies have investigated variation in patient survival as a function of the time of day of dialysis in Korean HD patients. We investigated the association of patient HD treatment shift with continued survival, controlling for well-established HD-related mortality risk factors. Method: A 10-year (from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2010) follow-up retrospective cohort study was conducted among 120 ESRD patients who underwent HD at Kosin University Gospel Hospital either during a morning shift (n = 60) or an afternoon shift (n = 60). A variable comparison was conducted using a Chi-square test and t-test for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Life table analysis was used to compare survival rates in the two treatment groups. Results: The mean survival rate of the morning-shift HD patients and afternoon-shift HD patients were not statistically different (mean survival, 61.1 months vs. 48.2 months; P = 0.139). The unadjusted 5-year survival rate for patients on morning shift hemodialysis was 87.3% versus 86.4% for patients on afternoon shift hemodialysis (P = 0.704 by Wilcoxon test). Conclusions: The survival rates of morning-shift HD patients and afternoon-shift HD Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 3(1): 108-115, 2013 109 patients were not different. Results from this cohort study may warrant prospective observational studies and randomized clinical trials in Korean HD patients for whom the time of day at which HD is administered is systemically varied.