Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary intake of folate by adolescents and the potential effect of flour fortification with folic acid

The UK Department of Health recently recommended that flour be fortified with folic acid, at 2400 μg/kg. The objectives of the present paper were: to determine the consequence of this on folic acid intake of adolescents; to determine the level of fortification necessary to achieve an intake of 400 μg/d in adolescent girls (the amount recommended periconceptionally); to estimate the consequence of fortification on folic acid intake of high flour consumers; and to report on folate intake of adolescents. Dietary intake of folate and flour were determined by analysis of an existing database of the diets of 379 English adolescents. The folic acid intake that would result from white flour fortification with folic acid at 2400 μg/kg was determined and the level of folic acid fortification necessary to achieve an intake of 400 μg/d in girls from this source was also calculated. Without flour fortification, 6·9 % of girls failed to reach the UK lower reference nutrient intake for total folate. Fortification of white flour with folic acid at 2400 μg/kg would result in an additional folic acid intake of 191(SEM 6) μg/d in girls. To ensure 97 % of girls received 400 μg/d from white flour, white flour would need to be fortified at a level of 10 430 μg/kg, resulting in intakes of 1260 μg/d from flour in the highest (97·5 centile) female white flour consumers and 1422 μg/d from flour in the highest (97·5 centile) male white flour consumers.
Early life family disadvantages and major depression in adulthood

Background There is evidence that exposure to social and family disadvantages in childhood are a risk factor for adult depression. Aims To explore the effects of multiple adversity in early childhood on adult depression, and the relative effects of the different adversities. Method This study utilises data from the Newcastle Thousand Family Study. Information on childhood disadvantages was collected when the participants were 5 years old, and information on mental health was gathered when they were 33 years old. Mental health data were scrutinised blind to the evidence of early disadvantage, and best-estimate diagnoses of major depressive disorder were made according to DSM–III–R criteria. Results Multiple family disadvantages in childhood substantially increase the risk of suffering a major depressive disorder in adulthood. Such disadvantages include family or marital relationship instability, a combination of poor mothering and poor physical care, and a combination of dependence on social welfare and overcrowding. For females major depression was linked in particular to the quality of parenting in early life. Conclusions Social and family (especially multiple family) disadvantages during childhood predispose individuals to an increased risk of major depression in adulthood.
Nurses' Role and Experiences as Group-Leaders in a Group Intervention for Women after Gynecological Cancer

Aim: The aim of this study is to provide insight into nurses’ role and their experiences of leading an education and counselling group intervention for women after gynecological cancer. Methods: A qualitative study, based on focus group interview and logs from nurses who led the intervention, was conducted. Findings: The group leaders were touched by the women’s community and were given a deeper understanding of lived experiences after cancer. These insights raised the group-leaders’ understanding of nursing and influenced them to sharpen focus on patient care and priorities in cancer care and follow-up. Being a group-leader meant creating a trusting and secure atmosphere in which the individual woman’s own coping resources was strengthened and empowered. Equally important, the nurses worked continuously and substantially on themselves to build strength and endurance related to situations that called for competent leadership. Conclusion: Being competent in group leadership and having knowledge in the field of cancer are important qualifications for group leaders. Practice Implications: The study shows that nurses gain valuable insight and knowledge about women’s lived experiences of going through gynecological cancer, cancer treatment and rehabilitation. As such, this intervention seems to be educational for nurses, as well as for participants.
Supporting Information ( SI ) for “ Toward link predictability of complex networks ”

If the adjacency matrix contains degenerate eigenvalues, we must modify the approach using non-degenerate eigenvalues. We denote the eigenvalues as λki, where the index k runs over different eigenvalues and the index i runs over M associated eigenvectors of the same eigenvalue. Note that there is no unique way of choosing a basis for the eigenvectors of the unperturbed network since any linear combination of the eigenvectors belonging to the same eigenvalue is still an eigenvector. Repeated eigenvalues have been shown to be related to the symmetric motifs and graph automorphisms in networks [1]. After a perturbation is added to the network, the symmetry of the nodes will be lifted either partly or completely, so the degenerate eigenvalues must be chosen such that they can be transformed continuously into the perturbed non-degenerate eigenvalues. If we define the chosen eigenvectors to be x̄ki = ∑M j=1 βkjxkj , the eigenfunction becomes ( A +∆A ) x̄ki = ( λki +∆λ̄ki ) x̄ki, (1)
Immunoserology of infectious diseases

The immune response to microorganisms not only participates in the elimination of unwanted organisms from the body, but also assists in diagnosis of infectious diseases. The nonspecific immune response is the first line of defense, assisting the body until the specific immune response can be mobilized to provide protective mechanisms. The specific immune response involves humoral or cell-mediated immunity or both, dependent on the nature of the organism and its site of sequestration. A variety of test systems have been developed to identify the causative organisms of infectious diseases. Test systems used in immunoserology have classically included methods of detecting antigen-antibody reactions which range from complement fixation to immunoassay methods. Relevant test systems for detecting antigens and antibodies are described. With numerous test systems available to detect antigens and antibodies, there can be confusion regarding selection of the appropriate system for each application. Methods for detecting antibody to verify immunity differ from immunologic methods to diagnose disease. Techniques to detect soluble antigens present in active infectious states may appear similar to those used to detect antibody, but their differences should be appreciated.
Modifying the Beck Depression Inventory: A Rejoinder to Steer and Beck

Regarding our recent paper in this journal, Steer and Beck agree that it is inadvisable to use the short version of the Beck Depression Inventory as a substitute for the standard version. They take issue, however, with our recommendations for making the standard scale more compatible with DSM-III and Research Diagnostic Criteria. The present paper provides further clarification and justification for these proposed modifications.
Platform design for social Internet of Things

Due to the advance of Internet of Things (IoT) and the support of cloud computing and big data technologies, people start enjoying smart services. These services extend from smart homes, smart factories, to smart grids, etc. Taking the smart home as an example, there are some commercial products with integrated hardware and software to make living space more automated and smart. However, these products are diverse and hard to be integrated together. In this paper, we show a platform design that can manage various IoT devices (sensors and actuators) operating with different protocols such as MQTT, CoAP, and HTTP. Moreover, this platform provides data visualization and analysis of sensed data. The social network is also connected to the platform such that users can be informed with any data anomalies from sensed environments.
A Broadcast Scheme for MIMO Systems with Channel State Information at the Transmitter

We propose a new broadcast strategy for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with N transmit antennas at the transmitter and M≤N single antenna receivers. The proposed method, based on dirty-paper coding (DPC), spatially separates the M users but does not suffer from the power loss of classical spatial division multiple access (SDMA). For the special case of M=N=2 and when the two single antenna receivers are assumed to be co-located, the proposed scheme produces a 2 transmit, 2 receiver antenna MIMO transmission system that doubles the symbol rate of MIMO space-time block code (STBC) systems from one to two symbol per transmission time. It is proved theoretically and experimentally that the proposed scheme provides the same performance level as that of MIMO STBC systems (i. e., the Alamouti scheme) for the first symbol, and the same performance as the Bell labs layered space-time (BLAST) system for the second symbol. When compared to the BLAST system, the proposed scheme has the same symbol rate, but achieves significantly better performance, since it provides 2 level diversity per symbol on the first symbol while the BLAST system does not provide any diversity.
Facilitating grade 11 students' conceptual understanding of fundamental acid-base models

Bu calisma, 11. sinif ogrencilerinin temel asit-baz modelleriyle ilgili kavramsal anlamalarini Tahmin-Gozlem-Aciklama temelli animasyon filmleriyle (TGA-AF) artirmayi amaclamaktadir. Calismaya 12 onbirinci sinif ogrencisi katilmistir. Veri toplamak icin ogrencilerin TGA-AF etkinliklerine ve mulakat protokollerine verdikleri cevaplar kullanilmistir. Elde edilen bulgular, TGA-AF etkinliklerinin ogrencilerin temel asit-baz modelleriyle ilgili kavramsal anlamalarini pozitif olarak gelistirdigini ve on mulakatlarda ve/veya TGA stratejisinin tahmin asamasinda belirlenen eksiklikleri giderdigini gostermistir. Ogrenciler uygulamadan once asit ve bazlarin temel bolumlerinin sirasiyla H + ve OH - iyonlari oldugunu ifade etmistir. Uygulamadan sonra ise ogrenciler asit ve bazlarin ozelliklerini ve davranislarini aciklamak icin Arrhenius modelinin en az ve Lewis modelinin ise en cok yeterli aciklamaya sahip oldugunu belirtmislerdir. Ayrica, ogrencilerin cogunlugunun TGA’nin “tahmin” asamasinda alternatif ya da kismi anlamaya sahip oldugu; ancak, “gozlem” ve “aciklama” asamalarinda belli bir dereceye kadar tam anlamayi gosterdikleri ortaya cikmistir. Bu calisma, kimya ogretmenlerinin ogrencinin ogrenmesini etkili olarak tesvik etmek icin TGA-AF’yi kendi siniflarina entegre etmelerini onermektedir.
How should nephrologists approach gadolinium-based contrast imaging in patients with kidney disease?

Since the initial description in early 2006 (1), a firm epidemiologic link has been established between gadolinium-based contrast (GBC) exposure and development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). When looking back in time, it is interesting to recall that GBC-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) garnered increased use in patients with kidney disease in the early to mid-1990s based on a perceived safe renal profile (2). Also, higher than approved doses were being used to study renal and other arterial beds with MR angiography. Recognition of NSF in 1997 as a new disease of patients with kidney disease fits nicely as an entity that developed due to a “new exposure,” in this case from GBC. Notably, use of GBC MR studies in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) increased significantly over a 6-yr period (January 2000 to June 2006), which also parallels the increased recognition of NSF (3). When one surveys the literature, multiple publications (40 case series; 8 case-control studies) strongly argue for an important role of GBC in increasing NSF risk in patients with advanced kidney disease. Greater than 80% had ESRD on dialysis, whereas no clear-cut cases have been described in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages I to III. All of these studies show a temporal association of GBC exposure and occurrence of NSF, most within weeks to months of exposure. The odds ratio for development of NSF in exposed ESRD patients compared with those not exposed ranges from 20 to 46 (3–6). The prevalence of biopsy-proven NSF in exposed ESRD patients ranges between 1.5% and 5% (3–6), which …
Egg consumption and the risk of cancer: a multisite case-control study in Uruguay.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have suggested that egg consumption may increase the risk of colorectal cancer and some other cancers. However, the evidence is still limited. To further explore the association between egg intake and cancer risk we conducted a case-control study of 11 cancer sites in Uruguay between 1996 and 2004, including 3,539 cancer cases and 2,032 hospital controls. RESULTS In the multivariable model with adjustment for age, sex (when applicable), residence, education, income, interviewer, smoking, alcohol intake, intake of fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy products, fatty foods, meat, energy intake and BMI, there was a significant increase in the odds of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (OR= 2.02, 95% CI: 1.19-3.44), upper aerodigestive tract (OR= 1.67, 95% CI: 1.17-2.37), colorectum (OR= 1.64, 95% CI: 1.02-2.63), lung (OR= 1.59, 95% CI: 1.10-2.29), breast (OR= 2.86, 95% CI: 1.66-4.92), prostate (OR= 1.89, 95% CI: 1.15-3.10), bladder (OR= 2.23, 95% CI: 1.30-3.83) and all cancer sites combined (OR= 1.71, 95% CI: 1.35-2.17) with a high vs low egg intake. CONCLUSIONS We found an association between higher intake of eggs and increased risk of several cancers. Further prospective studies of these associations are warranted.
Image Schemas as Families of Theories

Image schemas are recognised as a fundamental ingredient in human cognition and creative thought. They have been studied extensively in areas such as cognitive linguistics. However, the very notion of image schemas is still ill-defined, with varying terminology and definitions throughout the literature. For the purpose of formalising image schemas in order to exploit their role in computational creative systems, we here study the viability of the idea to formalise image schemas as graphs of interlinked theories. We discuss in particular a selection of image schemas related to the notion of ‘path’ and show how they can be mapped to a formalised family of micro theories reflecting the di erent aspects of path following.
Echinoid regulates tracheal morphology and fusion cell fate in Drosophila

Morphogenesis of the Drosophila embryonic trachea involves a stereotyped pattern of epithelial tube branching and fusion. Here, we report unexpected phenotypes resulting from maternal and zygotic (M/Z) loss of the homophilic cell adhesion molecule Echinoid (Ed), as well as the subcellular localization of Ed in the trachea. edM/Z embryos have convoluted trachea reminiscent of septate junction (SJ) and luminal matrix mutants. However, Ed does not localize to SJs, and edM/Z embryos have intact SJs and show normal luminal accumulation of the matrix‐modifying protein Vermiform. Surprisingly, tracheal length is not increased in edM/Z mutants, but a previously undescribed combination of reduced intersegmental spacing and deep epidermal grooves produces a convoluted tracheal phenotype. In addition, edM/Z mutants have unique fusion defects involving supernumerary fusion cells, ectopic fusion events and atypical branch breaks. Tracheal‐specific expression of Ed rescues these fusion defects, indicating that Ed acts in trachea to control fusion cell fate. Developmental Dynamics 239:2509–2519, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of rhBMP-2 on the Healing Patterns Associated With Allograft Interbody Constructs in Comparison With Autograft

Study Design. A prospective, nonblinded, multicenter study. Objective. To determine the patterns of allograft incorporation and new bone formation after ALIF using stand-alone threaded cortical allograft dowels with either autograft or rhBMP-2. Summary of Background Data. Accelerated healing patterns of allograft dowels have been reported in an animal study and a small human study of ALIF with rhBMP-2 and bone dowels. Methods. We enrolled and randomly assigned 131 patients with lumbar spondylosis who were undergoing single-level ALIF with allograft dowels to either the investigational group who received rhBMP-2 (79 patients) or the control group who received autologous bone graft (52 patients). Independent radiologists used plain radiographs and computed tomography scans to evaluate fusion. Allograft incorporation was assessed using a modified Bridwell-Lenke scale, and changes in bone density within the adjacent vertebral bodies were monitored. Results. At 12 months, all investigational patients had radiographic evidence of new bone formation and incorporation of the allografts into the adjacent vertebral endplates; there were no changes in fusion status at 24 months. Fusions were documented in 89% of patients in the control group at 12 months. The percentage declined to 81.5% at 24 months with 10% of the patients in the autograft group showing incomplete healing and 11% having no healing of the allograft dowels. On CT scans, 14 of the investigational patients (14 of 79; 18%) developed a transient, localized area of bone remodeling within the vertebral body adjacent to the allograft dowel. All were healed by 24 months. The transient appearance of these zones had no effect on clinical outcomes. No patient in the control group developed bone remodeling zones. Conclusion. We think that the use of rhBMP-2 is a promising method of facilitating allograft dowel incorporation and new bone formation in patients undergoing ALIF with allograft dowels.
Electrostatic Contributions to Colchicine Binding within Tubulin Isotypes

Tubulin, the structural subunit of microtubules, is the target of some highly successful anti-tumor drugs. Most of these drugs bind to the β-tubulin resulting in the inhibition of microtubule dynamics and eventually cell death. The varied cellular distribution of several human isotypes of β -tubulin provides a platform upon which to construct novel chemotherapeutic agents that are able to differentiate between these types of cells. To test this hypothesis, we have previously created homology models of the nine most frequently observed human β -tubulin isotypes and analyzed them for differences in the colchicine-binding site. Here, we describe the electrostatic properties of the colchicine binding site and how this may affect calculated drug binding affinities between the β -tubulin isotypes.
Differential flatness of sliding mode nonlinear systems

A system is differentially flat if there exists an output (possibly artificial) such that the states and the control of the dynamical system can be expressed as functions of the output and a finite number of its derivatives. If a dynamical system is not flat but there is an artificial (fictitious) output such that the system is minimum phase, the system is called partially flat. To achieve system stability the minimum phase condition is necessary. This paper addresses (nonlinear) sliding mode control for multivariable nonlinear flat or partially flat systems. The method of sliding mode control design is based upon a set of sliding surfaces whenever the relative degree of system is definable. In this case the number of the designed sliding surfaces coincides with the number of system outputs. Sliding mode control can be applied to stabilize minimum phase systems. A system may be only locally flat, which means that there exists an open set so that the system is flat inside the set.
Natural epigenetic variation within and among six subspecies of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus

ABSTRACT Epigenetic modifications can respond rapidly to environmental changes and can shape phenotypic variation in accordance with environmental stimuli. One of the most studied epigenetic marks is DNA methylation. In the present study, we used the methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique to investigate the natural variation in DNA methylation within and among subspecies of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus. We focused on five subspecies from the Middle East because they show great variation in many ecological traits and because this region is the probable origin for the house sparrow's commensal relationship with humans. We analysed house sparrows from Spain as an outgroup. The level of variation in DNA methylation was similar among the five house sparrow subspecies from the Middle East despite high phenotypic and environmental variation, but the non-commensal subspecies was differentiated from the other four (commensal) Middle Eastern subspecies. Further, the European subspecies was differentiated from all other subspecies in DNA methylation. Our results indicate that variation in DNA methylation does not strictly follow subspecies designations. We detected a correlation between methylation level and some morphological traits, such as standardized bill length, and we suggest that part of the high morphological variation in the native populations of the house sparrow is influenced by differentially methylated regions in specific loci throughout the genome. We also detected 10 differentially methylated loci among subspecies and three loci that differentiated between commensal or non-commensal status. Therefore, the MSAP technique detected larger scale differences among the European and non-commensal subspecies, but did not detect finer scale differences among the other Middle Eastern subspecies. Summary: Genome-wide DNA methylation variation in subspecies of house sparrow is largely independent of subspecies designation and does not follow differences in habitat, but is associated with several other biological phenomena such as morphology, sex and commensalism.
Lead Toxicity in Older Adults

Recent studies have shown that lead, even at relatively low levels of exposure, has the potential to harm not only the young and the occupationally‐exposed, but also older people. Because they have been alive for a longer period of time, older adults have had more potential exposures to lead. They may have been exposed to lead while working in unregulated occupations, or they may have encountered more lead in the environment on a daily basis. Several large epidemiological studies have found that older people have higher blood and bone lead levels than younger adults. Additionally, sporadic clusters of acute lead exposure among older adults as a result of activities such as ceramic glaze hobby work and consumption of moonshine whiskey continue to be reported.
New micro thermoelectric devices based on bismuth telluride-type thin solid films

The sputtering technology for deposition of thermoelectric effective bismuth telluride-type material thin films on foils including pattern generation by photolithography was developed by D.T. S. The properties as electrical conductivity, thermoelectric power and the power factor of such p- and n-type films are presented and the advantages of the thin film technology are explained in relation to the bulk material manufacturing. Based on thin films the cost saving production of new micro thermoelectric devices as Low Power Thermoelectric Generators (LPTG) and infrared sensors (IRS) is possible. The LPTG are energy sources with a power output of a few 10 /spl mu/W for self-sufficient micro and sensor systems and the IRS are fast infrared detectors working after the thermopile principle. The technical parameters of the LPTG as output voltage and power in dependence on the temperature difference, internal resistance, integration density and of IRS, e.g. detectivity and time constant are given in detail. Especially with the LPTG the possibility for the construction of new autonomous sensor and micro systems is now opened. Numerous examples for the applications of the devices are indicated. Improvements for the technology and the output parameters of the devices are suggested.