Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PERFORMANCE DISORDERS AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALBANIAN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

It has been noticed that the interest in the Quality of Life (QOL) of children and adolescent with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Albania is increasing rapidly. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of performance disorders and to evaluate the Health-Related QOL (HRQOL) in 130 patients with CKD. To appraise the prevalence of performance disorders and analyze HRQOL, we used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Pediatric Inventory of Quality of Life (PedsQL) Core scales as the measuring instruments for both the children and their parents. The CKD group has lower results in nearly all areas of PedsQL. Only the lack of religion was related in a significant way with a lower global HRQOL result (OR= 5.8; P= 0.07). Furthermore, only two factors were related with a lower HRQOL result between the parents: children’s age >10 years (OR = 4.9, P=0.026) and the lack of religion (OR= 2.8, P= 0.025). The CKD group showed a higher ratio of performance and emotional disorders in all SDQ fields. Therefore, our results recommend the significance of assessing performance and social impacts of CKD in order to improve the life quality of this pediatric population.
A process‐based, climate‐sensitive model to derive methane emissions from natural wetlands: Application to five wetland sites, sensitivity to model parameters, and climate

Methane emissions from natural wetlands constitute the largest methane source at present and depend highly on the climate. In order to investigate the response of methane emissions from natural wetlands to climate variations, a one‐dimensional process‐based climate‐sensitive model to derive methane emissions from natural wetlands is developed. In the model the processes leading to methane emission are simulated within a one‐dimensional soil column and the three different transport mechanisms, diffusion, plant‐mediated transport, and ebullition, are modeled explicitly. The model forcing consists of daily values of soil temperature, water table, and net primary productivity, and at permafrost sites the thaw depth is included. The methane model is tested using observational data obtained at five wetland sites located in North America, Europe, and Central America, representing a large variety of environmental conditions. It can be shown that in most cases seasonal variations in methane emissions can be explained by the combined effect of changes in soil temperature and the position of the water table. Our results also show that a process‐based approach is needed because there is no simple relationship between these controlling factors and methane emissions that applies to a variety of wetland sites. The sensitivity of the model to the choice of key model parameters is tested and further sensitivity tests are performed to demonstrate how methane emissions from wetlands respond to longer‐term climate variations.
EVOLUTION OF SCOUR DEPTH AT CIRCULAR BRIDGE PIERS

Experiments of bridge pier scour are carried out under steady and unsteady clear-water scour conditions with uniform and nonuniform sediments. Around the pier nose, the sediment size variation of surface bed materials is investigated, and a regressed formula is obtained for estimating the mixing layer thickness in terms of median sediment size and geometric standard deviation of grain size distribution. A method based on the mixing layer concept is developed for calculating the equilibrium scour depth in nonuniform sediment. Based on the experimental data of scour rate, a model simulating the scour-depth evolution under steady flow in nonuniform sediment is presented. By analyzing experimental data, a scheme is proposed for computing the scour-depth evolution under unsteady flow.
Pre‐ and post‐impoundment nitrogen in the lower Missouri River

Large water‐sample sets collected from 1899 through 1902, 1907, and in the early 1950s allow comparisons of pre‐impoundment and post‐impoundment (1969 through 2008) nitrogen concentrations in the lower Missouri River. Although urban wastes were not large enough to detectably increase annual loads of total nitrogen at the beginning of the 20th century, carcass waste, stock‐yard manure, and untreated human wastes measurably increased ammonia and organic‐nitrogen concentrations during low flows. Average total‐nitrogen concentrations in both periods were about 2.5 mg/l, but much of the particulate‐organic nitrogen, which was the dominant form of nitrogen around 1900, has been replaced by nitrate. This change in speciation was caused by the nearly 80% decrease in suspended‐sediment concentrations that occurred after impoundment, modern agriculture, drainage of riparian wetlands, and sewage treatment. Nevertheless, bioavailable nitrogen has not been low enough to limit primary production in the Missouri River since the beginning of the 20th century. Nitrate concentrations have increased more rapidly from 2000 through 2008 (5 to 12% per year), thus increasing bioavailable nitrogen delivered to the Mississippi River and affecting Gulf Coast hypoxia. The increase in nitrate concentrations with distance downstream is much greater during the post‐impoundment period. If strategies to decrease total‐nitrogen loads focus on particulate N, substantial decreases will be difficult because particulate nitrogen is now only 23% of total nitrogen in the Missouri River. A strategy aimed at decreasing particulates also could further exacerbate land loss along the Gulf of Mexico, which has been sediment starved since Missouri River impoundment. In contrast, strategies or benchmarks aimed at decreasing nitrate loads could substantially decrease nitrogen loadings because nitrates now constitute over half of the Missouri's nitrogen input to the Mississippi. Ongoing restoration and creation of wetlands along the Missouri River could be part of such a nitrate‐reduction strategy. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Language as an agent of integration: the case study of Romanian immigrants in Belgium

ABSTRACT Among the most important sociocultural phenomena of contemporary global societies, immigration brings significant changes to all areas of immigrants’ life (family, profession, and quality of life), impacting their cultural identities, including identity associated with their language use. As migrants need to be understood in the languages they are proficient in, receive instruction in the destination language, and access essential services understandable to them, language becomes an indispensable agent of migration. In this context, our paper examines the impact of migration on the linguistic behaviour of immigrants, and recognising the pivotal role of language in facilitating the integration of immigrants into host societies. The study focuses on the circumstances Romanian immigrants within Belgium’s multilingual milieu, illustrating the dimensions of the identity crisis they grapple with. Data analysis has shown that migration generates consistent changes regarding the immigrants’ linguistic behaviour, driven, on the one hand, by their desire to be integrated in the host country and, on the other hand, by their attachment to the cultural heritage values of their country of origin.
Implementation of Nutritional Assessment and Counseling in Physical Therapy Treatment: An Anonymous Cross-Sectional Survey

In the context of the evolving role of Physical Therapists (PTs) in health promotion, this study explored the incorporation of nutritional assessment and counseling into PTs’ professional practice in Israel. Using an anonymous cross-sectional survey design, the research gauged PTs’ professional background, nutritional knowledge, lifestyle habits, and the extent of nutritional care integration. Our survey gathered data from 409 certified PTs in Israel, revealing inadequate nutritional knowledge, commendable nutritional lifestyles, and limited nutritional care integration. Participants with over 13 years of clinical experience demonstrated significantly higher levels of nutritional assessment and counseling integration within their physical therapy practices. Workplace setting, nutritional lifestyle, and nutritional knowledge emerged as significant predictors for nutritional care integration. Specifically, working in outpatient clinics and possessing better nutritional lifestyles and knowledge were associated with the increased integration of nutritional assessment and counseling within physical therapy practice. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and formal nutrition education to bridge the knowledge gaps and optimize patient care. These results advocate for comprehensive nutrition education in physical therapy curricula and the fostering of PTs as role models. Integrating nutrition care could empower PTs to enhance patient outcomes and fulfill their role in preventive healthcare.
Independent effects of temperature and precipitation on modeled runoff in the conterminous United States

A water‐balance model is used to simulate time series of water‐year runoff for 4 km × 4 km grid cells for the conterminous United States during the 1900–2008 period. Model outputs are used to examine the separate effects of precipitation and temperature on runoff variability. Overall, water‐year runoff has increased in the conterminous United States and precipitation has accounted for almost all of the variability in water‐year runoff during the past century. In contrast, temperature effects on runoff have been small for most locations in the United States even during periods when temperatures for most of the United States increased significantly.
Papel de la vía endocítica en la infección del virus de la peste porcina africana

Here we analyzed the dependence of African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection on the integrity of the endosomal pathway. Using confocal immunofluorescence with antibodies against viral capsid proteins, we found colocalization of incoming viral particles with early endosomes (EE) during the first minutes of infection. Conversely, viral capsid protein was not detected in acidic late endosomal compartments, multivesicular bodies (MVBs), late endosomes (LEs) or lysosomes (LY). Using an antibody against a viral inner core protein, we found colocalization of viral cores with late compartments from 30 to 60 minutes postinfection. The absence of capsid protein staining in LEs and LYs suggested that virus desencapsidation would take place at the acid pH of these organelles. In fact, inhibitors of intraluminal acidification of endosomes caused retention of viral capsid staining virions in Rab7 expressing endosomes and more importantly, severely impaired subsequent viral protein production. Endosomal acidification in the first hour after virus entry was essential for successful infection but not thereafter. In addition, altering the balance of phosphoinositides (PIs) which are responsible of the maintenance of the endocytic pathway impaired ASFV infection. Early infection steps were dependent on the production of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) which is involved in EE maturation and multivesicular body (MVB) biogenesis and on the interconversion of PtdIns3P to phosphatidylinositol 3, 5-biphosphate (PtdIns(3,5)P2). Likewise, GTPase Rab7 activity should remain intact, as well as processes related to LE compartment physiology, which are crucial during early infection. Our data demonstrate that the EE and LE compartments and the integrity of the endosomal maturation pathway orchestrated by Rab proteins and PIs play a central role during early stages of ASFV infection. Citation: Cuesta-Geijo MA, Galindo I, Hernáez B, Quetglas JI, Dalmau-Mena I, et al. (2012) Endosomal Maturation, Rab7 GTPase and Phosphoinositides in African Swine Fever Virus Entry. PLoS ONE 7(11): e48853. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0048853 Editor: Jieru Wang, National Jewish Health, United States of America Received May 5, 2012; Accepted October 2, 2012; Published November 1, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Cuesta-Geijo et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: The present work was supported by grants from the Welcome Trust Foundation WT075813, UE EPIZONE FOOD-CT2006-016236 and from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain Consolider CSD2006-00007, AGL2009-09209 and AGL2012-34533. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: calonso@inia.es
Buddhism in America

IntroductionOne: BackgroundIntroduction1. The American Buddhist Landscape2. Very Basic Buddhism3. The Three Vehicles4. The American SettingTwo: Major TraditionsIntroduction5. Jodo Shinshu: America's Old-Line Buddhists6. Soka Gakkai and Its Nichiren Humanism7. Zen and Its Flagship Institutions8. The Tibetan Milieu9. The Theravada Spectrum10. Other Pacific Rim MigrationsThree: Selected IssuesIntroduction11. Gender Equity12. Socially Engaged Buddhism13. Intra-Buddhist and Interreligious Dialogue14. Making Some Sense of Americanization
Indigenous Peoples, Poverty, and Development

This book documents poverty systematically for the world's indigenous peoples in developing regions in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The volume compiles results for roughly 85 percent of the world's indigenous peoples. It draws on nationally representative data to compare trends in countries' poverty rates and other social indicators with those for indigenous sub-populations and provides comparable data for a wide range of countries all over the world. It estimates global poverty numbers and analyzes other important development indicators, such as schooling, health and social protection. Provocatively, the results show a marked difference in results across regions, with rapid poverty reduction among indigenous (and non-indigenous) populations in Asia contrasting with relative stagnation - and in some cases falling back - in Latin America and Africa.
Automated Identification of Martian Craters Using Image Processing

Introduction: We have developed methods for detecting craters automatically, focusing specifically on complex Martian landscapes. Mars exploration is planned as the highest priority element of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Program for the next two decades. Much of this interest in Mars is based on geological evidence for running water on, or just below, the surface of Mars, especially several billion years ago when the planet’s climate might have been warmer, with implications for past or present life. Numerous impact craters on the southern highlands, among which the ancient river valleys weave, provide witness to the evolving surface processes on Mars. Automation of crater detection is an important initial step toward making more efficient the work of human analysts, who face large volumes of images that are being archived by missions such as Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. Our ongoing work (collaborating with J.P.L., funded by NASA's Applied Information System Program), had developed techniques for automated recognition of craters on planetary surfaces, chiefly the simpler craters on the lunar maria. To address the more complicated terrains of Mars, including varying states of degradation, Southwest Research Institute is supporting an Internal Research and Development Project, described here. Several automated methods, based on local intensity values, intensity gradients, and geometric traits have been developed and applied to detection of Martian craters. We have found that, collectively, these methods can successfully locate most craters in typical images by enforcing relatively high confidence measures. Image Processing Algorithmic Approaches: So far, our image processing research has focused on locating craters using four separate methods. These include (1) cross-correlation based template matching, (2) applying edge detection operations whose response is greatest in the direction of the sun, (3) applying an annular crater convolution kernel whose response is greatest in the direction of the sun, and (4) detecting circular patterns in edges using a circular Hough transform. We briefly describe these methods here. Cross-Correlation Based Template matching. For relatively small craters, a method based on crosscorrelating a template of a typical crater extracted from the image proved to be relatively effective. In this case (Figure 1) a template is derived from the image and its normalized cross-correlation is computed at each location in the image. A set of scaled templates provides detection of a range of crater sizes. At those locations where the cross-correlation is sufficiently high and is a local maximum, a crater is detected, as shown by the red circles. Multiple templates may be used to increase sensitivity to different crater mophologies (e.g., bowl-shaped vs. flat-floored). In practice this method – which seemed promising on bowlshaped lunar craters in our previous work – worked best for small craters while other methods, below, were more sensitive and efficient in detecting larger craters.
The Influence of the Genotype and Planting Density on the Structure and Composition of Root and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities in Maize

Maize has the largest cultivation area of any crop in the world and plays an important role in ensuring food security. High-density planting is essential for maintaining high maize yields in modern intensive agriculture. Nonetheless, how high-density planting and the tolerance of individual genotypes to such planting shape the root-associated microbiome of maize is still unknown. In this study, we analyzed the root and rhizosphere bacterial communities of two maize accessions with contrasting shoot architectures grown under high- and low-density planting conditions. Our results suggested that maize hosted specific, distinct bacterial communities in the root endocompartment and that the maize genotype had a significant effect on the selection of specific microbes from the rhizosphere. High-density planting also had significant effects on root-associated bacterial communities. Specifically, genotype and high-density planting coordinated to shape the structure, composition, and function of root and rhizosphere bacterial communities. Taken together, our results provide insights into how aboveground plant architecture and density may alter the belowground bacterial community in root-associated compartments of maize.
A new toothed pteranodontoid (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from the Jiufotang Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian) of China and comments on Liaoningopterus gui Wang and Zhou, 2003

Pteranodontoids consist of a diverse and cosmopolitan clade of Cretaceous pterodactyloid pterosaurs. In the Jiufotang Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian) of northeastern China, pterodactyloids are represented by azhdarchoids and pteranodontoids, including istiodactylids and anhanguerians. Here, we describe a new pterosaur from this unit that represents a new species of toothed pteranodontoid. Its overall morphology is consistent with other toothed pteranodontoids but shows some interesting features such as the orbit being more ventrally positioned than in all other species from this clade. It differs markedly from all other pterosaurs from this unit, including Liaoningopterus, Guidraco and Ikrandraco, with which the new taxon is possibly related. In addition to the description of the new taxon, we also describe the anhanguerid Liaoningopterus gui in more detail. The new species, Liaoningopterus gui, Guidraco venator and Ikrandraco avatar, are large pterosaurs with very distinct tooth morphologies, suggesting that they had different prey preferences, partially explaining how the Jiufotang Formation could bear such a high diversity of pterosaur species.
Epidemiology and survival factors for sarcoma patients in minority populations: a SEER-retrospective study

Background Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated race as a predictor of worse oncological outcomes. To better understand the effect of race on oncological outcomes, we utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine what treatment courses are provided to minority patients and how this impacts survival. Materials and methods A retrospective review of bone and soft tissue sarcoma cases was performed using the SEER database for a minimum 5-year survival rate (SR) using Kaplan-Meier curves. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson’s χ2 test and Cramer V. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine survival rates (SR) and Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratios (HRs). Results Races that had an increased risk of death included Native American/Alaska Native (NA/AN) [hazard ratio (HR): 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.049–1.761, p = 0.020) and Black (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.091–1.256, p < 0.001). NA/AN individuals had the lowest SR (5-year SR = 70.9%, 95% CI: 63.8–78.0%, p < 0.001). The rate of metastasis at diagnosis for each race was 13.07% — Hispanic, 10.62% — NA/AN, 12.77% — Black, 10.61% — Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI), and 9.02% — White individuals (p < 0.001). There were increases in the rate of metastasis at diagnosis and decreases in rates of surgical excision for Hispanic and Black patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion Race is determined to be an independent risk factor for death in NA/AN and Black patients with sarcomas of the extremities. Access to healthcare and delay in seeking treatment may contribute to higher rates of metastasis upon diagnosis for minority patients, and decreased rates of surgical excision could be associated with poor follow up and lack of resources.
Fluctuations of sea water temperature based on nannofloral changes during the Middle to Late Miocene, Adana Basin, Turkey

Some nannoplankton species are sensitive to water temperatures. While Coccolithus pelagicus and Reticulofenestra gelida indicate cooler water conditions, the genera Discoaster and Sphenolithus and Calcidiscus leptoporus are indicative of warmer water environments. This paper focuses on relative fluctuation of sea water temperatures during the Middle and Late Miocene, emphasised by cold and warm nannofossil changes in abundance in 2 wells. At the A-1 well in the Middle Miocene, the total abundance of cooler water species is 45%, while that of the warmer species is 3%. During the Late Miocene, the total abundance for cooler water species decreases to 34%; in contrast, the total abundance of warmer species increases up to 7%. Thus, the cooler sea water temperature during the Middle Miocene becomes warmer in the Late Miocene. From the A-2 well, the total abundance of Middle Miocene cooler water species is 46%, but that of the warmer species is 11%. The total abundance of cooler water species decreases to 41%, and the total abundance of warmer species increases to 18% in the Late Miocene. Based on nannofloral fluctuation, we may thus deduce that water surface temperature increased from the Middle to the Late Miocene. Data on nannofossil abundance from the Miocene Adana Basin show that sea water temperature was cooler in the Middle Miocene, and water temperatures increased in the Late Miocene.
On positive periodic solutions to third-order integro-differential equations with distributed delays

: In this paper, we investigate the existence of positive periodic solutions of a third-order nonlinear integro-differential equation with distributed delays, by using the Green function and the Krasnosel’skii fixed point theorem in cones of Banach spaces, providing new results on this field. Three examples are analyzed to illustrate the effectiveness of the abstract results.