Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of home delivery in a semi urban setting of Nepal

Aim: To study the effect of various determinants of home delivery in Nepal. Methods: Prospective descriptive study among women who after being delivered at home were admitted in Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital (NMCTH), a tertiary care hospital situated at suburban area of Kathmandu Results: Of 114 women, majority were between the ages of 20-24 yrs. Most of the women were multipara (64%). Majority had no formal education accounting for 68.4 %. Lasheta (Lama, Sherpa , Tamang) was the most common ethnic group. Most (30.1%) of their spouses also were illiterate or had only primary level education. Majority of the husbands of the respondents were laborers (63.2%). Regarding attendance of antenatal care (ANC); at least 84 (73.7%) women had attended ANC once and half of the women had attended 4 more visits. Home delivery was planned by 67 (58.8%) women; whereas only 47 (41.2%) had chosen hospital delivery and delivered at home due to various reasons. Financial problem was the most common reason followed by ignorance and transportation problem. Among all the women, only 5.3% were attended to by a professionally trained provider (doctor, nurse, and midwife). A disturbingly high proportion of women (87.6%) were attended by an untrained family member, friend or neighbor, and 7% of women delivered completely unattended. Women were brought to the hospital by family member 59.6% other than husband and 8.8% were accompanied by neighbors/friends. Most of these women were brought with retained placenta, primary post partum hemorrhage. Conclusion: In this study area, usage of the antenatal care was high, but the opportunity to deliver at hospital was not fully utilized. This study has highlighted some of the factors affecting the choice of place of delivery among mothers in a semi urban settlement in Nepal namely mothers educational level, husband's education and occupation, financial constraints, lack of transportation and ignorance. Majority of the deliveries took place at home and unsupervised by a skilled attendant thus aggravating the risk of the high perinatal and maternal morbidities and mortalities in the study area. Key words: Home delivery; determinants; antenatal care; delivery attendance DOI: 10.3126/njog.v4i1. 3329 Nepal Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology June-July 2009; 4(1): 30-37
Relationship between weather conditions and admissions for ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage

Aim To assess impacts of different weather conditions on hospitalizations of patients with ischemic strokes and subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH) in South Florida. Methods Diagnostic data of patients with spontaneous SAH and strokes were recorded between June 2010 and July 2013. Daily synchronous forecast charts were collected from the National Weather Service and the whole data were matched prospectively. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was calculated. Results Increased incidence rate of ischemic stroke was consistent with the daily lowest and highest air pressure (IRR 1.03, P = 0.128 and IRR 0.98, P = 0.380, respectively), highest air temperature (IRR 0.99, P = 0.375), and presence of hurricanes or storms (IRR 0.65, P = 0.054). Increased incidence of SAH cases was consistent with daily lowest and highest air pressure (IRR 0.87, P < 0.001 and IRR 1.08, P = 0.019, respectively) and highest air temperature (IRR 0.98, P < 0.001). Presence of hurricanes and/or tropical storms did not influence the frequency of SAH. We found no relationship between the presence of fronts and the admissions for ischemic stroke or SAH. Conclusion Higher number of ischemic stroke and SAH cases can be expected with the daily lowest and highest air pressure, highest air temperature. Presence of hurricanes or tropical storms increased the risk of ischemic stroke but not the SAH. These findings can help to develop preventive health plans for cerebrovascular diseases.
Anxiety at the Time of the Final Exam: Relationships with Expectations and Performance.

Testing is a primary tool for measuring students' comprehen- sion of course material in many colle- giate business courses. Test anxiety experienced by students may adversely affect the ability of testing to measure students' comprehension of course material. In this study, the author specifically examined the relationships between test anxiety experienced by students at the time of the final exam and students' (a) performance expecta- tions, (b) actual performances, and (c) level of preparation for the final exam. Results support the relationship hypothesized between test anxiety and performance expectations at the time of the final exam. The author discusses the study's implications for testing.
Building Domain Ontologies from Text for Educational Purposes

This paper presents a semi-automatic framework that aims to produce domain concept maps from text and then to derive domain ontologies from these concept maps. This methodology particularly targets the e-learning and AIED (artificial intelligence in education) communities as they need such structures to sustain the production of e-learning resources tailored to learners' needs. This paper details the steps to transform textual resources, particularly textual learning objects (LOs), into domain concept maps and it explains how this abstract structure is transformed into a formal domain ontology. A methodology is also presented to evaluate the results of ontology learning. The paper shows how such structures (domain concept maps and formal ontologies) make it possible to bridge the gap between eLearning and intelligent tutoring systems by providing a common domain model.
The Role of Wnt Signaling in Oligodendrocyte Development

Abstract The Role of Wnt Signaling in Oligodendrocyte Development Keith Feigenson Judith Grinspan, Ph.D. The developmental regulation of the central nervous system is established through a complex network of signaling factors that control the timing of cell generation, specification, migration, and differentiation. Oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the central nervous system, originate during embryonic stages in ventricular zones and are responsive to many of these inductive and inhibitory signals as they migrate, mature, and interact with axons. The specific timing and regulation of these actions are critical to axonal conductance. Many signals that promote oligodendrocyte specification and differentiation are active ventrally, and more recent studies have examined the less well known actions of several inhibitory dorsal signaling factors, among these the Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and Wnt signaling factors. I investigated the role of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in oligodendrocyte development, both in vivo and in vitro. In primary oligodendrocyte precursor culture systems, canonical Wnt activity inhibits the differentiation of precursors, maintaining them in the precursor stage without causing a change in proliferation, cell death, or cell fate determination. Following these studies, I generated mice with a gain of function Wnt signaling mutation targeted to cells of oligodendroglial lineage. These mice had significant delays in myelin forming cell development early in development, but seemed to recover upon reaching adulthood. Together, these findings indicate that Wnt activity is sufficient to delay oligodendrocyte maturation in vivo and in vivo. I also investigated the interaction between the Wnt and BMP signaling pathways during oligodendrocyte development. Using pharmacological and genetic paradigms, I found that when the canonical BMP signaling pathway is abrogated, neither BMP nor Wnt manipulation has any effect on oligodendrocyte differentiation in culture. In contrast, blocking the canonical Wnt signaling pathway does not limit the activities of BMP, suggesting that the effect of Wnt signaling on oligodendrocyte development is dependent on BMP signaling, but not vice versa. These two facets of my thesis offer insight into the signaling mechanisms regulating the timing of oligodendrocyte development, and could have implications for the treatment of demyelinating disorders and central nervous system injury. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Neuroscience This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/1544 First Advisor Judith Grinspan
Lower Bounds on the Capacity of the Relay Channel with States at the Source

We consider a state-dependent three-terminal full-duplex relay channel with the channel states noncausally available at only the source, that is, neither at the relay nor at the destination. This model has application to cooperation over certain wireless channels with asymmetric cognition capabilities and cognitive interference relay channels. We establish lower bounds on the channel capacity for both discrete memoryless (DM) and Gaussian cases. For the DM case, the coding scheme for the lower bound uses techniques of rate-splitting at the source, decode-and-forward (DF) relaying, and a Gel'fand-Pinsker-like binning scheme. In this coding scheme, the relay decodes only partially the information sent by the source. Due to the rate-splitting, this lower bound is better than the one obtained by assuming that the relay decodes all the information from the source, that is, full-DF. For the Gaussian case, we consider channel models in which each of the relay node and the destination node experiences on its link an additive Gaussian outside interference. We first focus on the case in which the links to the relay and to the destination are corrupted by the same interference; and then we focus on the case of independent interferences. We also discuss a model with correlated interferences. For each of the first two models, we establish a lower bound on the channel capacity. The coding schemes for the lower bounds use techniques of dirty paper coding or carbon copying onto dirty paper, interference reduction at the source and decode-and-forward relaying. The results reveal that, by opposition to carbon copying onto dirty paper and its root Costa's initial dirty paper coding (DPC), it may be beneficial in our setup that the informed source uses a part of its power to partially cancel the effect of the interference so that the uninformed relay benefits from this cancellation, and so the source benefits in turn.
The Brauer–Manin obstruction for integral points on curves

Abstract We discuss the question of whether the Brauer–Manin obstruction is the only obstruction to the Hasse principle for integral points on affine hyperbolic curves. In the case of rational curves we conjecture a positive answer, we prove that this conjecture can be given several equivalent formulations and we relate it to an old conjecture of Skolem. Finally, we show that for elliptic curves minus one point a strong version of the question (describing the set of integral points by local conditions) has a negative answer.
Autologous Fat Graft for the Treatment of Sighted Posttraumatic Enophthalmos and Sunken Upper Eyelid.

PURPOSE The treatment of enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid is challenging. Although autologous fat graft has been widely used in breast augmentation, buttock contouring, and facial rejuvenation, its application in enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid is not yet widely utilized. The clinical safety and value of autologous fat graft in sighted patients with enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid are unclear. This study retrospectively analyzed the cosmetic results and safety of autologous fat graft in the correction of sighted traumatic enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid. METHODS Autologous fat graft was performed in 9 patients with posttraumatic enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid. The visual acuity, orbital swelling, eye movement, enophthalmos, and sunken upper eyelid were observed. RESULTS Eight to 24 months after autologous fat graft, enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid in 9 patients improved significantly. Although orbital swelling occurred in the early postoperative period, no vision loss, eye movement limitation, or fat embolism had occurred. CONCLUSION Autologous fat graft is an effective, predictable, scarless, and minimally invasive surgery for the correction of the sighted posttraumatic enophthalmos and sunken upper eyelid. The possible risk of fat embolization and blindness from the compression of the optic nerve should not be neglected. Further studies and more cases must be performed.
National Validation Study of a Cellulose Sponge Wipe-Processing Method for Use after Sampling Bacillus anthracis Spores from Surfaces

ABSTRACT This work was initiated to address the gaps identified by Congress regarding validated biothreat environmental sampling and processing methods. Nine Laboratory Response Network-affiliated laboratories participated in a validation study of a cellulose sponge wipe-processing protocol for the recovery, detection, and quantification of viable Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores from steel surfaces. Steel coupons (645.16 cm2) were inoculated with 1 to 4 log10 spores and then sampled with cellulose sponges (Sponge-Stick; 3M, St. Paul, MN). Surrogate dust and background organisms were added to the sponges to mimic environmental conditions. Labs processed the sponges according to the provided protocol. Sensitivity, specificity, and mean percent recovery (%R), between-lab variability, within-lab variability, and total percent coefficient of variation were calculated. The mean %R (standard error) of spores from the surface was 32.4 (4.4), 24.4 (2.8), and 30.1 (2.3) for the 1-, 2-, and 4-log10 inoculum levels, respectively. Sensitivities for colony counts were 84.1%, 100%, and 100% for the 1-, 2-, and 4-log10 inocula, respectively. These data help to characterize the variability of the processing method and thereby enhance confidence in the interpretation of the results of environmental sampling conducted during a B. anthracis contamination investigation.
Molecular Profiling of Breast Cancer Cell Lines Defines Relevant Tumor Models and Provides a Resource for Cancer Gene Discovery

Background Breast cancer cell lines have been used widely to investigate breast cancer pathobiology and new therapies. Breast cancer is a molecularly heterogeneous disease, and it is important to understand how well and which cell lines best model that diversity. In particular, microarray studies have identified molecular subtypes–luminal A, luminal B, ERBB2-associated, basal-like and normal-like–with characteristic gene-expression patterns and underlying DNA copy number alterations (CNAs). Here, we studied a collection of breast cancer cell lines to catalog molecular profiles and to assess their relation to breast cancer subtypes. Methods Whole-genome DNA microarrays were used to profile gene expression and CNAs in a collection of 52 widely-used breast cancer cell lines, and comparisons were made to existing profiles of primary breast tumors. Hierarchical clustering was used to identify gene-expression subtypes, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to discover biological features of those subtypes. Genomic and transcriptional profiles were integrated to discover within high-amplitude CNAs candidate cancer genes with coordinately altered gene copy number and expression. Findings Transcriptional profiling of breast cancer cell lines identified one luminal and two basal-like (A and B) subtypes. Luminal lines displayed an estrogen receptor (ER) signature and resembled luminal-A/B tumors, basal-A lines were associated with ETS-pathway and BRCA1 signatures and resembled basal-like tumors, and basal-B lines displayed mesenchymal and stem/progenitor-cell characteristics. Compared to tumors, cell lines exhibited similar patterns of CNA, but an overall higher complexity of CNA (genetically simple luminal-A tumors were not represented), and only partial conservation of subtype-specific CNAs. We identified 80 high-level DNA amplifications and 13 multi-copy deletions, and the resident genes with concomitantly altered gene-expression, highlighting known and novel candidate breast cancer genes. Conclusions Overall, breast cancer cell lines were genetically more complex than tumors, but retained expression patterns with relevance to the luminal-basal subtype distinction. The compendium of molecular profiles defines cell lines suitable for investigations of subtype-specific pathobiology, cancer stem cell biology, biomarkers and therapies, and provides a resource for discovery of new breast cancer genes.
Computational Study of the Effect of Cortical Porosity on Ultrasound Wave Propagation in Healthy and Osteoporotic Long Bones

Computational studies on the evaluation of bone status in cases of pathologies have gained significant interest in recent years. This work presents a parametric and systematic numerical study on ultrasound propagation in cortical bone models to investigate the effect of changes in cortical porosity and the occurrence of large basic multicellular units, simply called non-refilled resorption lacunae (RL), on the velocity of the first arriving signal (FAS). Two-dimensional geometries of cortical bone are established for various microstructural models mimicking normal and pathological tissue states. Emphasis is given on the detection of RL formation which may provoke the thinning of the cortical cortex and the increase of porosity at a later stage of the disease. The central excitation frequencies 0.5 and 1 MHz are examined. The proposed configuration consists of one point source and multiple successive receivers in order to calculate the FAS velocity in small propagation paths (local velocity) and derive a variation profile along the cortical surface. It was shown that: (a) the local FAS velocity can capture porosity changes including the occurrence of RL with different number, size and depth of formation; and (b) the excitation frequency 0.5 MHz is more sensitive for the assessment of cortical microstructure.
Toward Scalable and Parallel Inductive Learning: A Case Study in Splice Junction Prediction

Much of the research in inductive learning concentrates on problems with relatively small amounts of training data With the steady progress of the Human Genome Project it is likely that orders of magnitude more data in sequence databases will be available in the near future for various learning problems of biological importance Thus techniques that provide the means of scaling machine learning algorithms requires considerable attention Meta learning is proposed as a general technique to integrate a number of distinct learning processes that aims to provide a means of scaling to large problems This paper details several meta learning strategies for integrating independently learned classi ers on subsets of training data by the same learner in a parallel and distributed computing environment Our strategies are particularly suited for massive amounts of data that main memory based learning algo rithms cannot handle e ciently The strategies are also independent of the particular learning algorithm used and the underlying parallel and distributed platform Preliminary experiments using di erent learning algorithms in a simulated parallel environment demonstrate encouraging results parallel learning by meta learning can achieve comparable prediction accuracy in less space and time than serial learning Presented at the ML Workshop on Machine Learning and Molecular Biology
Combinatorial Latency Reactivation for HIV-1 Subtypes and Variants

ABSTRACT The eradication of HIV-1 will likely require novel clinical approaches to purge the reservoir of latently infected cells from a patient. We hypothesize that this therapy should target a wide range of latent integration sites, act effectively against viral variants that have acquired mutations in their promoter regions, and function across multiple HIV-1 subtypes. By using primary CD4+ and Jurkat cell-based in vitro HIV-1 latency models, we observe that single-agent latency reactivation therapy is ineffective against most HIV-1 subtypes. However, we demonstrate that the combination of two clinically promising drugs—namely, prostratin and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA)—overcomes the limitations of single-agent approaches and can act synergistically for many HIV-1 subtypes, including A, B, C, D, and F. Finally, by identifying the proviral integration position of latent Jurkat cell clones, we demonstrate that this drug combination does not significantly enhance the expression of endogenous genes nearest to the proviral integration site, indicating that its effects may be selective.
Regulated site‐specific recombination of the she pathogenicity island of Shigella flexneri

Summary The she pathogenicity island (PAI) is a chromosomal, laterally acquired, integrative element of Shigella flexneri that carries genes with established or putative roles in virulence. We demonstrate that spontaneous, precise excision of the element from its integration site in the 3′ terminus of the pheV tRNA gene is mediated by an integrase gene (int) and a gene designated rox (regulator of excision), both of which are carried on the she PAI. Integrase‐mediated excision occurs via recombination between a 22 bp sequence at the 3′ terminus of pheV and an imperfect direct repeat at the pheV‐distal boundary of the PAI. Excision leads to the formation of a circular episomal form of the PAI, reminiscent of circular excision intermediates of other mobile elements that are substrates for lateral transfer processes such as conjugation, packaging into phage particles and recombinase‐mediated integration into the chromosome. The circle junction consists of the pheV‐proximal and pheV‐distal boundaries of the PAI converging on a sequence identical to 22 bp at the 3′ terminus of pheV. The isolated circle was transferred to Escherichia coli where it integrated specifically into phe tRNA genes, as it does in S. flexneri, independently of recA. We also demonstrate that Rox stimulates, but is not essential for, excision of the she PAI in an integrase‐dependent manner. However, Rox does not stimulate excision by activating the transcription of the she PAI integrase gene, suggesting that it has an excisionase function similar to that of a related protein from the P4 satellite element of phage P2.
Are Crossed Actions of Reticulospinal and Vestibulospinal Neurons on Feline Motoneurons Mediated by the Same or Separate Commissural Neurons?

Both reticulo- and vestibulospinal neurons coordinate the activity of ipsilateral and contralateral limb muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate whether their actions on contralateral motoneurons are mediated via common interneurons. Two series of experiments were made on deeply anesthetized cats. First, the effects of stimuli applied within the lateral vestibular nucleus and to reticulospinal tract fibers within or close to the medial longitudinal fascicle in the medulla were tested on midlumbar commissural interneurons that projected to contralateral motor nuclei. EPSPs of vestibular origin were found in 16 of 20 (80%) of the interneurons, all of which were excited monosynaptically by reticulospinal fibers. These EPSPs were evoked either monosynaptically or disynaptically. Second, the effects of stimuli applied at the same two locations were tested on contralateral motoneurons, selecting motoneurons in which large disynaptic EPSPs or IPSPs were evoked by reticulospinal fibers. When stimuli that were too weak to evoke any PSPs by themselves were applied together, similar EPSPs or IPSPs were evoked in all 26 motoneurons that were tested, indicating that spatial facilitation occurred premotoneuronally. Facilitation was strongest at those intervals optimal for summation of monosynaptic and/or disynaptic EPSPs evoked in commissural neurons by the earliest reticulospinal and vestibulospinal volleys. The same interneurons thus may be used by reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons to influence the activity of contralateral hindlimb muscles. Separate modulation of commands from these two descending neuronal systems may occur at the level of the interneurons that mediate disynaptic excitation of commissural neurons by reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons, thereby increasing their flexibility.