Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Has the incidence of end-stage renal disease in the USA and other countries stabilized?

Purpose of reviewRecent trends in incident rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the USA suggest that ESRD incidence may be leveling off after decades of increases. This article examines recent worldwide ESRD incidence trends as well as population dynamics for their implications on ESRD treatment. Recent findingsThere is some evidence that ESRD rates have stabilized in countries with relatively high gross domestic product and where renal replacement therapy has been widely available for many years. However, population dynamics, particularly the aging of populations, as well as increases in diabetes prevalence will exert pressure to increase the absolute numbers of people on renal replacement therapy (RRT). In developing countries, the population dynamics are similar, if not more dramatic. Heretofore, access to RRT in developing countries has been limited due to economic limitations. To the extent that these nations approach the economic prosperity of Westernized countries, access to RRT will also increase and the total ESRD population will continue to increase. SummaryIt is likely that the absolute numbers of incident ESRD patients will continue to increase in westernized countries due to the aging of those populations. In developing countries, ESRD incidence will increase to the extent that economic development allows.
Retrieval performance of color descriptors derived from DC components of protected JPEG images

In a content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system, retrieval performance depends on the selected feature. Features extracted from images will be compared during the matching process. In this paper, we evaluate the retrieval performance of color-based descriptors derived from DC images. A DC image is a downscaled image generated by extracting the DC components of a JPEG-compressed image. DC images contain very rich information and can be utilized for various retrieval purposes. In this study, we consider a visually protected image database in which images have been protected by scrambling or encrypting their AC coefficients, while keeping the DC coefficients intact. This framework reduces computational cost and memory usage; therefore, it can be further implemented in a wide range of CBIR systems. We assessed this framework with three common color descriptors: the color layout descriptor (CLD), the dominant color descriptor (DCD), and the dominant color correlogram descriptor (DCCD). The results show that color-based descriptors are suitable for extraction from a DC image. DCD is one of the most powerful descriptors for this framework. In addition, descriptors extracted from a DC image demonstrated different retrieval performance than descriptors extracted from an original image. The effect of image sizes on retrieval performance of color-based descriptors was also investigated. We confirm that image size affects the ranks of retrieved images for some descriptors.
The diagnosis and management of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a consensus approach.

BACKGROUND Recurrent aphthous stomatitis, or RAS, is a common oral disorder of uncertain etiopathogenesis for which symptomatic therapy only is available. This article reviews the current data on the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and management of RAS in a primary care setting. METHODS The authors reviewed publications on Medline from 1995 through 2000, the period since the last major reviews were published. RESULTS RAS may have an immunogenetic background owing to cross-reactivity with Streptococcus sanguis or heat shock protein. Predisposing factors seen in a minority include haematinic (iron, folate or vitamin B12) deficiency, stress, food allergies and HIV infection. While topical corticosteroids remain the mainstay for therapy, a number of other immunomodulatory modalities now are available. CONCLUSIONS There is still no conclusive evidence relevant to the etiopathogenesis of RAS, and therefore therapy can attempt only to suppress symptoms rather than to address the basic issues of susceptibility and prevention. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS In the majority of patients, symptomatic relief of RAS can be achieved with topical corticosteroids alone, with other immunomodulatory topical agents or by combination therapy.
Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict

The Middle East and Palestine to 1914 - an overview Ottoman society, Palestine and the origins of Zionism, 1800-1914 World War I, Great Britain and the peace settlements Palestine between the wars - Zionism, the Palestinian Arabs and the British Mandate World War II and the creation of the State of Israel, 1939-1948 the beginning of the Arab-Israeli conflict - the search for security, 1949-1957 from Suez to the six-day war, 1957-1967 war and the search for peace in the Middle East, 1967-1976 Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Camp David accords, 1977-1985 - the Palestinian equation in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Blood chromium levels of children working in gem-polishing industries in India

The gem-polishing industry in Jaipur, India employs a substantial proportion of children. The process of polishing may result in exposure to chromium in working children. Thus, this study aims to find out the levels of chromium in these working children and the associated factors. Blood samples were analysed for chromium using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean blood chromium levels were 2.51 ± 1.11 mg/100 ml and 2.33 ± 1.10 mg/100 ml in working and school children, respectively, which is well within the permissible levels. However, the practice of employing children should be totally curbed.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids enhance cytokine production and oxidative stress in a mouse model of preterm labor

Abstract Objective: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation during pregnancy remains controversial. We sought to examine the effects of ω-3 PUFA on inflammation and oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo using a model of preterm labor. Methods: In vivo. Female Swiss Webster mice were fed a normal diet or a 5% fish oil (FO) diet for 3 weeks then mated with normal-fed males. On gestational day 15, dams were injected with either saline (n=10 per group) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, intrauterine) (n=10 per group). Maternal plasma, amniotic fluid, placentas, and uteri were collected 4 h later and assessed for cytokines; maternal plasma and amniotic fluids were analyzed for oxidative stress. In vitro. RAW264.7 mouse macrophage-like cells were treated with either: vehicle, H2O2, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (0, 0.1–100 μM) and analyzed for oxidative stress. Results: In vivo. Administration of the 5% FO diet enhanced LPS-induced cytokines in the placenta (P<0.05–0.01) and increased tumor necrosis factor-α in the uterus (P<0.05) and amniotic fluid (P<0.01) when compared to LPS-treated normal-fed animals. Maternal plasma obtained from FO-fed dams showed higher LPS-induced oxidative stress than control-fed animals (P<0.035). However, no differences in oxidative stress were observed in the amniotic fluid. In vitro. Treatment of macrophage-like cells with ω-3 PUFA significantly and dose-dependently increased oxidative stress (P<0.001–0.0001). Conclusions: Supplementation with FO for prior to and during pregnancy significantly increased LPS-induced inflammation in the amniotic fluid, uterus, and placenta and significantly increased maternal systemic oxidative stress in vivo. Likewise, DHA and EPA induced oxidative stress in macrophage-like cells in vitro.
Les Lumières de l'archéologie des media

Depuis une dizaine d’annees, le philosophe et historien de l’art Georges Didi-Huberman a mis au cœur de ses analyses la notion de survivance (Nachleben), qu’il situe « entre fantome et symptome ». La survivance « ouvre une breche dans les modeles usuels de l’evolution » qui raisonnent en termes de commencements et de fins, de naissances et de morts, d’avants et d’apres, nous empechant de saisir la dynamique propre qui constitue la vie ‒ profondement « anachronique » ‒ des images, des textes et des œuvres d’art. Commentant Aby Warburg et Walter Benjamin, Georges Didi-Huberman promeut a la fois « l’humilite d’une archeologie materielle » invitant l’historien a « se faire le "chiffonnier" de l’histoire des choses » et « l’audace d’une archeologie psychique, car c’est au rythme des reves, des symptomes ou des fantasmes, c’est au rythme des refoulements et des retours du refoule, des latences et des crises, que le travail de la memoire s’accorde avant tout ». Ces deux formes d’archeologie respectent un meme principe directeur : « la tenacite des survivances, leur « puissance » meme […] vient au jour dans la tenuite des choses minuscules, superflues, derisoires ou anormales ». Cet article s’inspire d’un tel projet archeologique qu’illustre une discipline emergente, principalement localisee en Allemagne, en Hollande, en Italie, au Canada et dans les pays anglo-saxons, qui, sous l’appellation d’« archeologie des media », propose une facon tres particuliere et tres prometteuse de revisiter le long 18e siecle. Il s’agit a la fois d’en decouvrir des aspects jusqu’ici negliges, qui constituent les « chiffons » de l’epoque des Lumieres, et d’eclairer la survivance de reves, de symptomes et de fantasmes, aussi tenus que tenaces, qui se retrouvent au coeur de nos problemes contemporains les plus urgents. Apres avoir presente sommairement en quoi consiste le nouage temporel et methodologique propose par l’archeologie des media, j’y distinguerai deux versants (une archeologie psychique et une archeologie materielle), que j’illustrerai de quelques exemples concrets afin de montrer comment ils peuvent s’interpenetrer et s’entre-feconder au sein de chaque etude particuliere.
A partially linear regression model for data from an outcome‐dependent sampling design

Summary. The outcome‐dependent sampling scheme has been gaining attention in both the statistical literature and applied fields. Epidemiological and environmental researchers have been using it to select the observations for more powerful and cost‐effective studies. Motivated by a study of the effect of in utero exposure to poly‐chlorinated biphenyls on children's intelligence quotient at age 7 years, in which the effect of an important confounding variable is non‐linear, we consider a semiparametric regression model for data from an outcome‐dependent sampling scheme where the relationship between the response and covariates is only partially parameterized. We propose a penalized spline maximum likelihood estimation for inference on both the parametric and the non‐parametric components and develop their asymptotic properties. Through simulation studies and an analysis of the intelligence study, we compare the proposed estimator with several competing estimators. Practical considerations of implementing those estimators are discussed.
Do resource value and ownership status affect intensity and resolution of contests in a parasitoid wasp?

Biological control of bruchid beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), infesting cowpea seeds, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers (Fabaceae), can be performed via augmentative releases of Dinarmus basalis Rondani (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) parasitoid wasps. Females of the latter species are therefore likely to experience intense intraspecific competition: they should encounter numerous previously parasitized hosts but also conspecific competitors, with which they may fight to secure hosts on which to lay their eggs. Such contests might therefore disrupt biological control programs. Here, we studied aggressive behavior that D. basalis females show toward conspecific competitors and subsequent host exploitation strategies. We further investigated factors that classically affect contest intensity and outcomes in animals, such as the effect of ownership status, by manipulating the residency period before the intruder's arrival. In addition, we tested the effect of the size of female reproductive tissue (measured in terms of egg load) and the quality of the habitat previously experienced by females (either rich or poor in hosts). These two factors are expected to influence the value that females place on the host and therefore the costs they are willing to pay to win it. Finally, we discussed the consequences of agonistic behaviors on females' host exploitation strategies. Our results suggest that contest competition may actually enhance host control by favoring parasitoid dispersion, rather than disrupting it.
Energy and protein requirements for maximum growth and maintenance of bodyweight of yellowtail

SUMMARY: Six feeding experiments were conducted to determine energy and protein requirements of different sized yellowtail seriola quinqueradiata (8–280 g) for maximum growth and maintenance of bodyweight under different water temperatures (21.7–27.1°C) in 500 L polycarbonate tanks. For each experiment, fish were fed to satiation or fed at levels between 0 and 80% of the satiation level twice a day. The experimental diets were extruded dry pellets with known digestible energy (DE) and protein (DP) values. The growth rate was highest for the satiation group and decreased proportional to the feeding levels. The DE (kcal/kgBW per day)and DP (g/kgBW per day) requirements for maximum growth, calculated on the basis of the daily feeding rate of the satiation group, were 225 and 21.7, 136 and 14.8, 125 and 11.2, 111 and 10.7, and 92 and 8.2, respectively, for fish with an average initial bodyweight of 8, 63, 160, 237, and 280 g. The requirements for maintenance of bodyweight, based on when the growth rate was zero for the above sizes, were 61 and 5.9, 15 and 1.7, 15 and 1.3, 24 and 2.3, and 12 and 1.0, respectively. The requirements for maintenance of body energy content, estimated on the basis of the relationship between the DE intake and energy retention, were significantly higher than those for maintenance of bodyweight.
Targeted gene addition into a specified location in the human genome using designed zinc finger nucleases

Efficient incorporation of novel DNA sequences into a specific site in the genome of living human cells remains a challenge despite its potential utility to genetic medicine, biotechnology, and basic research. We find that a precisely placed double-strand break induced by engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) can stimulate integration of long DNA stretches into a predetermined genomic location, resulting in high-efficiency site-specific gene addition. Using an extrachromosomal DNA donor carrying a 12-bp tag, a 900-bp ORF, or a 1.5-kb promoter-transcription unit flanked by locus-specific homology arms, we find targeted integration frequencies of 15%, 6%, and 5%, respectively, within 72 h of treatment, and with no selection for the desired event. Importantly, we find that the integration event occurs in a homology-directed manner and leads to the accurate reconstruction of the donor-specified genotype at the endogenous chromosomal locus, and hence presumably results from synthesis-dependent strand annealing repair of the break using the donor DNA as a template. This site-specific gene addition occurs with no measurable increase in the rate of random integration. Remarkably, we also find that ZFNs can drive the addition of an 8-kb sequence carrying three distinct promoter-transcription units into an endogenous locus at a frequency of 6%, also in the absence of any selection. These data reveal the surprising versatility of the specialized polymerase machinery involved in double-strand break repair, illuminate a powerful approach to mammalian cell engineering, and open the possibility of ZFN-driven gene addition therapy for human genetic disease.
Physical and Psychosocial Effects of Wii Fit Exergames Use in Assisted Living Residents

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical and psychosocial effects of the Wii Fit exergames incorporating self-efficacy theory on assisted living residents. The study was a quasi-experimental pre/post-test design. Thirty-two participants were recruited from two assisted living facilities. Sixteen participants received the Wii Fit exergames incorporating self-efficacy theory twice a week for 4 weeks. The other participants received a health education program. Physical function, fear of falling, depression, and quality of life were evaluated. T tests were used for data analysis. After the 4-week intervention, the Wii Fit group showed significant improvements in balance (p < .01), mobility (p < .01), and depression (p < .05). The education group showed no significant improvement in any of the outcomes. Integrating concepts of self-efficacy theory with the exergames show promise as a potential tool to improve and maintain physical and psychosocial health for older adults.
Diffraction-Grating-Coupled High Quantum Efficiency InP/InGaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector Focal Plane Array

Quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) is still the sole field proven low-cost long-wavelength infrared photon sensor. We report an impressively high quantum efficiency of 31% in the pixels of a large format (640 × 512) grating-coupled InP/In0.48Ga0. 52As QWIP focal plane array (FPA). The InP/InGaAs QWIP FPA with a cut-off wavelength of ~ 9 μm provided desirable characteristics at a temperature as high as 78 K. The noise-equivalent temperature difference of the FPA with f/2 optics is ~ 30 mK with an integration time as low as 1 ms at 67 K. We also present a thorough comparison of InP and GaAs-based QWIPs for long-wavelength infrared thermal imaging and shed light on the characteristic differences between these devices to be used as a guide for improving the performance of this important sensor technology. The results clearly indicate that the main limitations of the standard QWIP technology can be overcome through the utilization of alternative material systems and proper FPA processing techniques.
A model for web services discovery with QoS

Web services technology has generated a lot interest, but its adoption rate has been slow. This paper discusses issues related to this slow take up and argues that quality of services is one of the contributing factors. The paper proposes a new Web services discovery model in which the functional and non-functional requirements (i.e. quality of services) are taken into account for the service discovery. The proposed model should give Web services consumers some confidence about the quality of service of the discovered Web services.
Explorer LKB 1 is an essential regulator of spermatozoa release during spermiation in the mammalian testis

LKB1 acts as a master upstream protein kinase regulating a number of kinases involved in diverse cellular functions. Recent studies have suggested a role for LKB1 in male fertility. Male mice with reduced total LKB1 expression, including the complete absence of the major splice variant in testis (LKB1S), are completely infertile. We sought to further characterise these mice and determine the mechanism underlying this infertility. This involved expression studies of LKB1 in developing germ cells, morphological analysis of mature spermatozoa and histological studies of both the testis and epididymis using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We conclude that a defect in the release of mature spermatids from the seminiferous epithelium (spermiation) during spermatozoan development is a major cause of the infertility phenotype. We also present evidence that this is due, at least in part, to defects in the breakdown of the junctions, known as ectoplasmic specialisations, between the sertoli cells of the testis epithelium and the heads of the maturing spermatids. Overall this study uncovers a critical role for LKB1 in spermiation, a highly regulated, but poorly understood process vital for male fertility. Citation: Denison FC, Smith LB, Muckett PJ, O’Hara L, Carling D, et al. (2011) LKB1 Is an Essential Regulator of Spermatozoa Release during Spermiation in the Mammalian Testis. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28306. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0028306 Editor: Jean-Marc A. Lobaccaro, Clermont Université, France Received August 2, 2011; Accepted November 5, 2011; Published December 1, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Denison 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: This research was funded by the UK Medical Research Council. FCD was the recipient of a BBSRC-CASE PhD studentship with Unilever Discover. 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 read the journal’s policy and have the following conflicts: FCD was funded by a studentship from Unilever Discover, UK. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. * E-mail: angela.woods@csc.mrc. ac.uk
The occurrence of Listeria species in pâté: the Cardiff experience 1989

SUMMARY Samples of 216 pâatés were examined for the presence of Listeria spp. Between May and August 1989; 35% were contaminated with L. monocytogenes, 5% of samples having counts of > 104/g. L. innocua was recovered from 2% of samples but no other species was isolated. Five serotypes of L. monocytogenes were represented (1/2, 4b, 4b(X), 4 not 4b or 4b(X), and NT). 4b was the predominant serotype and multiple serotypes were found in eight pâatés. The incidence of contamination with L. monocytogenes was greater in stored pâté (46%) than display pâté (30%). Sampling over a 21-day period showed an apparent increase in numbers of L. monocytogenes in 6 of 7 samples with multiple serotypes represented. There was no correlation between contamination of pâté by L.monocytogenes and the presence of coliforms. Comparisons are made between the contamination of soft cheese and pˇaté.
Mitochondrial genome of a flashwing demoiselle, Vestalis melania from the Philippine Archipelago

Abstract This study determined the first complete mitochondrial genome of a demoiselle, Vestalis melania (Odonata, Zygoptera, Calopterygidae) using long-range PCR and a primer walking approach. This mitogenome is 16,685 bp long and contains the entire set of 37 genes and an A + T-rich control region typically found in insects. Presently, this mitogenome is the largest mitogenome of all available odonates, mainly because of its long A + T-rich region (2036 bp). The gene arrangement of the V. melania mitogenome is identical to that of other known odonates. The inter-genic spacer s5 shared by the Anisoptera is absent in V. melania, which supports the view that the absence of the s5 spacer is a synapomorphy of the Zygoptera.
Betriebliche Determinanten des Überstundeneinsatzes

Auswertungen reprasentativer Daten des IAB-Betriebspanels fur Westdeutschland von 1993 bis 1998 zeigen, dass nur zwischen 20 und 30 Prozent aller Betriebe bezahlte Uberstunden einsetzten. In diesen Betrieben fielen im Durchschnitt 1,6 bezahlte Uberstunden pro abhangig Beschaftigten und Woche an. Weniger als 7 Prozent der Betriebe griffen in jedem Jahr auf Uberstunden zuruck, wozu vor allem Grosbetriebe zahlten. Auch generell stieg der Anteil der Uberstunden einsetzenden Betriebe mit der Betriebsgrose. Eine okonometrische Analyse der betrieblichen Einflussfaktoren des Uberstundeneinsatzes deutet darauf hin, dass Uberstunden als Instrument zur vorubergehenden Anpassung an Nachfrageschwankungen eingesetzt werden. Existenz und Ausmas von Uberstunden hangen positiv vom Umsatz ab, und der Einsatz von Leiharbeitern variiert parallel zur Zahl der Uberstunden. Ferner steigt die Wahrscheinlichkeit des Einsatzes von Uberstunden mit der Quote gesuchter Arbeitskrafte und geht mit dem Anteil an Auszubildenden zuruck.