Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wahrnehmung und Präferenzen für tierische Öko-Lebensmittel produziert mit regionalen Futtermitteln

Die Nachfrage nach Oko-Lebensmitteln war in den letzten Jahren in Deutschland durch zwei parallele Entwicklungen gekennzeichnet: eine stark gestiegene Nachfrage nach Oko- Lebensmitteln aus tierischer Erzeugung und durch den zunehmenden Wunsch vieler Oko- Verbraucher nach Lebensmitteln aus der Region. Die deutschen Oko-Landwirte konnten zwar ihre tierische Erzeugung stark steigern, doch mussten hierfur zunehmend Futtermittel aus dem Ausland zugekauft werden. Ungeklart ist bislang, ob die Konsumenten die zunehmenden Importe von Oko-Futtermitteln als Problem ansehen, das ihrem Wunsch nach einer starkeren Regionalversorgung mit Oko-Lebensmitteln entgegensteht. Ziel der hier vorgestellten Studie war es, die Wahrnehmung und Bedeutung der Futtermittelherkunft beim Kauf von tierischen Oko-Lebensmitteln zu analysieren. Ein Discrete-Choice Experiment und eine computergestutzte Befragung wurde mit 597 Oko-Konsumenten vor Einkaufsstatten durchgefuhrt und mithilfe eines multinomialen Logitmodells ausgewertet. Demnach bevorzugen Oko-Konsumenten eine regionale Futtermittelherkunft gegenuber einer deutschen oder nicht gekennzeichneten Futtermittelherkunft. Die Bereitstellung von Informationen zum Oko-Futtermittelimport nach Deutschland hat zudem einen positiven Einfluss auf den Kauf von Oko-Lebensmitteln, die aus regionalen oder deutschen Futtermitteln produziert wurden.
Re-Evaluating Gender Reforms in Non-Western Nations: A Case Study of Women’s Empowerment in Japan

This paper focuses on Japan, a socioeconomically advanced, developed democracy which has relatively low women’s representation within the national parliament. This case demonstrates the lack of systematic relationships between human development and women’s political participation. Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, since resuming office in 2012, has recognized the underrepresentation of women in the labor market and has subsequently promoted “Womenomics” as one of the three structural reform policies for reviving the Japanese economy. This study will examine the impact that the prime minister’s Womenomics strategies have had on the representation of women in the national parliament. The author collected and compared Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s English translated speeches between 2012 and 2016 (the timeframe during which she conducted her master's dissertation). The contents were analyzed to identify the usage of the term “women” in relation to “Womenomics” and the actualization of the government’s target to increase the number of women in all leadership positions to 30% by 2020. This case study also gives an insight into understanding the impact that heads of state and governments can have on women’s representation in politics as well as identifying the most effective top-down gender reforms for culturally and politically conservative societies. This article outlines the historical context of the Womenomics policy in Japan, provides a critical analysis of the implementation strategies, and analyzes the contents of speeches and statements given by Prime Minister Abe since resuming office in 2012. It concludes with an assessment of the viability of Womenomics for Japan considering findings, progress and socio-structural obstacles thus far.
Omalizumab in the Therapy of Pediatric Asthma.

BACKGROUND Eosinophilic asthma is driven by Th2 immune response and is usually characterized by the increase of total serum IgE levels and/or specific IgE that express single or multiple allergen sensitization. In such an immuno-pathological background, the anti-IgE therapy, namely omalizumab, found its main clinical utility and recommendation to treat severe asthma. OBJECTIVE In this mini-review, we summarized the most relevant immuno-pathological and clinical evidences supporting the use of omalizumab in the therapy of pediatric asthma. Furthermore, we provided the main practical points for its use in the therapeutic management of asthmatic children. METHOD Through the binding of serum free IgE, omalizumab impairs not only the effector phase of IgE-mediated asthma, but also affects the IgE biology and the related immune response, globally. Here, the history of omalizaumab has been shortly reviewed from its preclinical development to its clinical validation in pediatric asthma. Thus, recent patents regarding anti-IgE therapy have been discussed. CONCLUSION Omalizumab significantly improved the clinical management of severe and uncontrolled pediatric asthma; however, pre-treament IgE levels limited the use of omalizumab in some patients and the cost of the therapy is still relevant. Moreover, the optimal duration of the treatment with omalizumab in children has to be determined. Finally, the recent generation of a mutant IgE-Fc fragment being resistant to omalizumab binding might open further therapeutic applications, in addition to second generation anti-IgE antibodies.
Wide Angle of Incidence-Insensitive Polarization-Independent THz Metamaterial Absorber for Both TE and TM Mode Based on Plasmon Hybridizations

An ultra-wide-angle THz metamaterial absorber (MA) utilizing sixteen-circular-sector (SCR) resonator for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) mode is designed and investigated numerically. At normal incidence, the absorptivity of the proposed MA is higher than 93.7% at 9.05 THz for different polarization angles, due to the rotational symmetry structure of the unit cell. Under oblique incidence, the absorptivity can still exceed 90%, even when the incident angle is up to 70° for both TE and TM mode. Especially, the frequency variation in TE mode is less than 0.25% for different incident angles from 0° to 70°. The electric field (Ez) distributions are used to explain the absorption mechanism. Numerical simulation results show that the high absorption with wide-angle independence stems from fundamental dipole resonance and gap surface plasmons. The broadband deep-infrared MA is also obtained by stacking three metal-dielectric layers. The designed MA has great potential in bolometric pixel elements, biomedical sensors, THz imaging, and solar cells.
Governance and Social Protection: A Case of the Constitution Kenya 2010 as an Instrument for Social Protection

Has the Constitution of Kenya 2010 expanded opportunities for social protection in Kenya? This question hinges on the fact that struggles for a new constitution was vicious and protracted all in the name of the welfare of Kenyans. This paper examines the new constitutional structures by interrogating their significance for social protection. The new structures examined include the bill of rights, devolution, ombudsman and competitive party politics. The new structures deliver opportunities for delivering a variety of social protection schemes not possible in a different setting. Several social protection policies and programs have sprung from constitutional provisions and changed the social policy landscape in the country. It is concluded that the new constitution holds the best promise yet for Kenya‟s governance transformation resulting in enhanced social protection and social justice. However, for this promise to be fully realized civil society and the citizenry should work harder to hold all government arms and levels to account for their respective roles in enhancing social service delivery to Kenyans.
Synchronizability for distributed systems

Context. Most of the distributed systems we use nowadays are based on the message-passing paradigm where systems are structured into parties that interact only by sending/receiving messages. Message-passing programming is largely employed in high performance computing (MPI, OpenMP, etc), event-driven applications built on top of actor-based languages (Scala, Erlang,etc), service-oriented architectures, peer-to-peer applications, etc. Unfortunately, because of the variety of communication models (peer to peer, mailbox, etc.), of the ambiguities of the speci cations of the communication primitives, and of the di culty of running representative tests, etc., it is error prone and therefore often reserved to experts. The majority of the issues above stem from the asynchronous nature of messages exchange. Indeed, the conception and the analysis of message-passing programs is greatly simpli ed if one can assume that all communications occur synchronously, i.e., that each message is received exactly at the same time it has been sent. As a matter of fact, some properties (e.g., reachability) becomes decidable if the underlying communication model is synchronous. We are thus interested in understanding under which conditions we could avoid using asynchronous models and being able to design and prove correct simpler but equally powerful systems. This is a property that goes under the name of synchronizability. Synchronizability of a distributed system is the property that the observable behaviour of the system is the same whether or not the communications are synchronous. There are several notions in literature of synchronizability (sometimes also referred to as slack elasticity) : for hardware design [1], with the goal of ensuring that some code transformations are semanticpreserving, for parallel programming in MPI [2, 3], for ensuring the absence of deadlocks and other bugs, for existentially bounded communicating machines [4], or more recently for web services and choreographies [5, 6], for verifying various properties, among which choreography realisability [7]. An algorithm for checking whether a distributed system is synchronizable has been proposed; it is now implemented in some veri cation tools like Verchor [10]. This algorithm has been applied to various communication models, including mailbox communications and peer-to-peer communications. Recently, Finkel and Lozes observed that this algorithm contains an important aw [8], and they proved that this aw cannot be xed for peer-to-peer communications, because the problem is undecidable in general. They also observed that the algorithm and its justi cation are correct under the extra assumption that the topology of communication channels is restricted to a ring.
Multiple interactions among the competence proteins of Bacillus subtilis

Proteins required for transformation of Bacillus subtilis and other competent bacteria are associated with the membrane or reside in the cytosol. Previous work has shown that RecA, ComGA, ComFA and SsbB are directed to the cell poles in competent cells, and that the uptake of transforming DNA occurs preferentially at the poles. We show that ComGA, ComFA, DprA (Smf), SsbB (YwpH), RecA and YjbF (CoiA) are located at the cell poles, where they appear to colocalize. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we have shown that these six competent (Com) proteins reside in close proximity to one another. This conclusion was supported by the effects of com gene knockouts on the stabilities of Com proteins. Data obtained from the com gene knockout studies, as well as information from other sources, extend the list of proteins in the transformation complex to include ComEC and ComEA. Because ComGA and ComFA are membrane‐associated, while DprA, SsbB, RecA and YjbF are soluble, a picture emerges of a large multiprotein polar complex, involving both cytosolic and membrane proteins. This complex mediates the binding and uptake of single‐stranded DNA, the protection of this DNA from cellular nucleases and its recombination with the recipient chromosome.
Effects of adjustable gastric banding on gastroesophageal reflux and esophageal motility: a systematic review

Controversial opinions exist concerning the effect of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding on gastroesophageal reflux. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant studies on patients undergoing adjustable gastric banding. Data are expressed in mean (range). Twenty studies were identified with a total of 3307 patients. The prevalence of reflux symptoms decreased postoperatively from 32.9% (16–57) to 7.7% (0–26.9) and medication use from 27.5% (16–38.5) to 9.5% (3.1–19.2). Newly developed reflux symptoms were found in 15% (6.1–20) of the patients. The percentage of esophagitis decreased postoperatively from 33.3% (19.4–61.6) to 27% (2.3–60.8). Newly developed esophagitis was observed in 22.9% (0–38.4). Pathological reflux was found in 55.8% (34.9–77.4) preoperatively and postoperatively in 29.4% (0–41.7) of the patients. Lower esophageal sphincter pressures increased from 12.9 to 16.9 mmHg (11.3–21.4). Lower esophageal sphincter relaxation decreased from 100% to 79.7% (58–86). The percentage of dysmotility increased from 3.5% (0–10) to 12.6% (0–25). Adjustable gastric banding has anti‐reflux properties resulting in resolution or improvement of reflux symptoms, normalized pH monitoring results and a decrease of esophagitis on short term. However, worsening or newly developed reflux symptoms and esophagitis are found in a subset of patients during longer follow‐up.
Oncologists' attitudes toward and practices in giving bad news: an exploratory study.

PURPOSE To examine the attitudes and practices of oncologists in disclosure of unfavorable medical information to cancer patients. METHODS A questionnaire was administered to a group of physicians who attended the 1999 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The questionnaire assessed demographic and practice-related information and the frequency of patient encounters in which unfavorable cancer-related information was disclosed. Participants were also asked about difficulties they had when approaching stressful discussions and communication strategies used in giving unfavorable information. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by 167 oncologists. Sixty-four percent were medical oncologists. Thirty-eight percent practiced in North America, 26% practiced in Europe, 13% practiced in South America, and 13% practiced in Asia. Participants gave bad news to patients an average of 35 times per month. Discussing no further curative treatment and hospice was reported as most difficult. In disclosing the cancer diagnosis and prognosis, physicians from Western countries were less likely to withhold unfavorable information from the patient at the family's request, avoid the discussion entirely, use euphemisms, and give treatments known not to be effective so as not to destroy hope than physicians from other countries. There was significant variability in opinions regarding the best time to discuss resuscitation, with 18% of respondents believing that it should be done close to the end of life. CONCLUSION There was significant variability in how physicians approach information disclosure to cancer patients. Factors such as geographical region and cultural and family variables may be important influences in this process.
Obstructive Jaundice Results in Increased Liver Expression of Uncoupling Protein 2 and Intact Skeletal Muscle Glucose Metabolism in the Rat

Background: A majority of patients with pancreatic cancer have obstructive jaundice and diabetes with skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Surgery for these patients is associated with significant morbidity. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) has been proposed to regulate energy expenditure and promote liver vulnerability. The effects of obstructive jaundice on muscle glucose metabolism and expression of UCP2 in liver and muscle are unknown. Methods: Rats were operated with bile duct ligation (BDL). After 7 days, UCP2 mRNA levels were determined in liver and muscle. Simultaneously, insulin-stimulated glucose transport and glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle were analyzed in vitro. Results: The jaundiced rats lost more weight than pair-fed controls. UCP2 mRNA levels were increased 5-fold in liver but not in muscle in jaundiced rats compared to pair-fed controls. The jaundiced rats were hypoglycemic and hypoinsulinemic but demonstrated intact or enhanced insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose transport and glycogen synthesis in vitro. Muscle glycogen content was increased in the jaundiced rats. Conclusions: Experimental obstructive jaundice in the rat is associated with increased liver expression of UCP2, rapid weight loss, and intact insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose metabolism. Obstructive jaundice, by upregulated liver UCP2, may contribute to the cachexia and high surgical morbidity observed in these patients, but not to skeletal muscle insulin resistance in pancreatic cancer patients.
What We Know About Decision Making Under Uncertainty And Why We Do Not Use What We Know

This paper reviews two major approaches used in the past for risk analysis-the expected utility approach and the use of safety rules-and endeavors to reconcile their applicability and use in light of the recent nonexpected utility risk literature. This leads to the identification of several "reduced form" hypotheses that hold under a variety of theoretical structures and to a discussion of some empirical evidence that we have in view of these hypothesis. We conclude that, in spite of the conceptual confusion, we have identified several "down to earth" relationships that allow prediction of outcome and choices under uncertain conditions. Economic studies of choices under uncertainty also established that the expected utility approach is an appropriate normative tool for risk management, especially in cases· where variability associated with risk affects income but may not lead to disastrous situations such as bankruptcy. The major lesson of recent research of individual behavior under uncertainty is that it is not always consistent with the expected utility approach; in short, there is not a generic model for evaluating behavior under uncertainty.
Committee Selection with Intraclass and Interclass Synergies

Voting is almost never done in void, as usually there are some relations between the alternatives on which the voters vote on. These relations shall be taken into consideration when selecting a winning committee of some given multiwinner election. As taking into account all possible relations between the alternatives is generally computationally intractable, in this paper we consider classes of alternatives; intuitively, the number of classes is significantly smaller than the number of alternatives, and thus there is some hope in reaching computational tractability. We model both intraclass relations and interclass relations by functions, which we refer to as synergy functions, and study the computational complexity of identifying the best committee, taking into account those synergy functions. Our model accommodates both positive and negative relations between alternatives; further, our efficient algorithms can also deal with a rich class of diversity wishes, which we show how to model using synergy functions.
Heterologous expression of a serine carboxypeptidase‐like acyltransferase and characterization of the kinetic mechanism

In plant secondary metabolism, β‐acetal ester‐dependent acyltransferases, such as the 1‐O‐sinapoyl‐β‐glucose:l‐malate sinapoyltransferase (SMT; EC 2.3.1.92), are homologous to serine carboxypeptidases. Mutant analyses and modeling of Arabidopsis SMT (AtSMT) have predicted amino acid residues involved in substrate recognition and catalysis, confirming the main functional elements conserved within the serine carboxypeptidase protein family. However, the functional shift from hydrolytic to acyltransferase activity and structure–function relationship of AtSMT remain obscure. To address these questions, a heterologous expression system for AtSMT has been developed that relies on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and an episomal leu2‐d vector. Codon usage adaptation of AtSMT cDNA raised the produced SMT activity by a factor of approximately three. N‐terminal fusion to the leader peptide from yeast proteinase A and transfer of this expression cassette to a high copy vector led to further increase in SMT expression by factors of 12 and 42, respectively. Finally, upscaling the biomass production by fermenter cultivation lead to another 90‐fold increase, resulting in an overall 3900‐fold activity compared to the AtSMT cDNA of plant origin. Detailed kinetic analyses of the recombinant protein indicated a random sequential bi‐bi mechanism for the SMT‐catalyzed transacylation, in contrast to a double displacement (ping‐pong) mechanism, characteristic of serine carboxypeptidases.
Improving the Robustness of Dominance and Selection Inference

Factors such as genetic drift and natural selection shape genetic variation between populations. To understand this variation, population geneticists study the populations’ demographic history, Distribution of Fitness E↵ects of new mutations (DFE), and dominance coe cient. While current demographic analyses can incorporate two populations, DFE and dominance studies are largely limited to one. The single-population approach assumes independence between populations, though this is not biologically accurate. We hypothesized that two populations would have high, though not perfect, correlation between fitness e↵ects for the same mutations. We developed a Mixture Model for the 2D DFE that is robust to demographic changes, dominance conditions, and sample size. We applied it to human and Drosophila melanogaster genome data, finding that the correlation parameter between Drosophila populations varies widely among functional gene groups. In contrast, human gene groups have extremely high correlation values, indicating that selection acts very similarly in both populations. We also conducted simulation studies to infer the dominance coe cient between two populations, ultimately identifying some situations where the method is robust to errors. Overall, these tools will allow other researchers to better understand genetic variation between two populations of the same species.
Infections due to the human herpesviruses in southern India: a seroepidemiological survey.

We studied the prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies to the human herpesviruses in a hospital-based population of 181 individuals aged 0 to 25 years, who were resident in Vellore, south India or surrounding rural areas. Antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral capsid antigen were determined by indirect immunofluorescence, while antibodies to the remaining herpesviruses were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The age-specific prevalence rates of IgG antibodies to EBV and cytomegalovirus (CMV) rose rapidly after birth to reach a value of over 90% by the fourth year of life. High age-specific IgM prevalence rates and geometric mean titres (GMT) of IgG antibody in children 6 months to 2 years of age, and the early median age of virus infection (1.4 years for EBV and less than 1 year for CMV) indicate that primary infection with these viruses occurs early in life. In contrast, age-specific prevalence rates of IgG antibodies to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) rose gradually after birth to attain maximal values of only 72% (VZV) and 83% (HSV) in the 15-25 year age group, and the median ages of infection were delayed (12.25 years for VZV and 8.2 years for HSV). The age-specific IgG prevalence rates of VZV and HSV, and of EBV and HSV showed statistically significant positive correlations, suggesting that common epidemiological factors may underlie the pattern of infections due to these groups of viruses. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)