Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of performance review and clinical mentoring meetings (PRCMM) on recording of community case management by health extension workers in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND The Performance Review and Clinical Mentoring Meeting (PRCMM) is an approach to improve and sustain Health Extension Worker (HEW) skills and performance in integrated Community Case Management (iCCM). OBJECTIVE To compare HEW performance in recording case management before and after they participated in PRCMM. METHODS We conducted a historical cohort analysis of iCCM case records between September 2010 and December 2012 from 622 randomly selected health posts representing 31 intervention woredas (districts) of Amhara, Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples' Regions. We used longitudinal regression analysis comparing the trend in the consistency of the classification with the assessment, treatment and follow-up date as well as caseload in the periods before and after PRCMM, with 5511 and 7901 case records, respectively. RESULTS Overall consistency improved after PRCMM for all common classifications as follows: pneumonia (54.1% [95% CI: 47.7%-60.5%] vs. 78.2% [73.9%-82.5%]), malaria (50.8% [42.9%-58.7%] vs. 78.9% [73.4%- 84.4%]), and diarrhea (33.7% [27.9%-39.5%] vs. 70.0% [64.7%-75.3%]). This improvement was consistently observed comparing the six months before and the six months after PRCMM in all the common classifications except for malaria where the improvement observed during the first three post-PRCMM months disappeared during the fifth and sixth months. Caseload increased significantly after PRCMM (6.6 [95% CI: 5.9-7.3] vs. 9.2 [8.5-9.9] cases/health post/month). CONCLUSION PRCMM seemed to improve iCCM performance of HEWs and should be integrated within the PHC system and given about every six months, at least at first, to sustain improvement.
Body Mass Index–Mortality Relationship in Severe Hypoglycemic Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Background:Hypoglycemia is associated with a higher risk of death. This study analyzed various body mass index (BMI) categories and mortalities of severe hypoglycemic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in a hospital emergency department. Methods:The study included 566 adults with type 2 diabetes who were admitted to 1 medical center in Taiwan between 2008 and 2009 with a diagnosis of severe hypoglycemia. Mortality data, demographics, clinical characteristics and the Charlson's Comorbidity Index were obtained from the electronic medical records. Patients were stratified into 4 study groups as determined by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization classification for BMI, and the demographics were compared using the analysis of variance and &khgr;2 test. Kaplan-Meier's analysis and the Cox proportional-hazards regression model were used for mortality, and adjusted hazard ratios were adjusted for each BMI category among participants. Results:After controlling for other possible confounding variables, BMI <18.5 kg/m2 was independently associated with low survival rates in the Cox regression analysis of the entire cohort of type 2 DM patients who encountered a hypoglycemic event. Compared to patients with normal BMI, the mortality risk was higher (adjusted hazard ratios = 4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.4–9.9) in underweight patients. Infection-related causes of death were observed in 101 cases (69.2%) and were the leading cause of death. Conclusions:An independent association was observed between BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2 and mortality among type 2 DM patient with severe hypoglycemic episode. Deaths were predominantly infection related.
Antigen-Specific T-Cell Responses of Leprosy Patients

ABSTRACT The identification of human T-cell antigens of Mycobacterium leprae could improve treatment and help to disrupt the transmission of leprosy by directing diagnosis and vaccine programs. This study screened a panel of M. leprae recombinant proteins for T-cell recall responses, measured by gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production, among leprosy patients. After initial studies using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from leprosy patients, we transitioned our studies to simple whole-blood assays (WBA), which are more applicable in field or clinical settings. T-cell responses generated in WBA using blood from individuals in Goiânia, Brazil, demonstrated that several M. leprae antigens (ML0276, ML0840, ML1623, ML2044, and 46f) elicited >0.5 IU/ml IFN-γ, and these proteins were classified as immunogenic and leprosy specific. Several of these individual antigens were recognized by cells from >60% of Brazilian paucibacillary (PB) leprosy patients, and ML0276, ML0840, ML1623, and 46f complemented each other such that 82% of PB patients had strong (>1.25 IU/ml IFN-γ) responses to at least one of these proteins. These proteins were also recognized by cells from a significant proportion of the household contacts of multibacillary leprosy patients, but in contrast, few responses were observed in active tuberculosis patients or healthy control groups from areas of endemicity. Our results indicate several potential candidate antigens which may be useful for either leprosy diagnosis or vaccination and demonstrate the utility of leprosy WBA that can be applied broadly in clinical or field settings.
Children at high altitude have less nocturnal periodic breathing than adults

Although children commonly travel to high altitudes, their respiratory adaptation to hypoxia remains elusive. Therefore, in the present study respiratory inductive plethysmography, pulse oximetry (Sp,O2) and end-tidal CO2 tension (PET,CO2) were recorded in 20 pre-pubertal children (aged 9–12 yrs) and their fathers during 1 night in Zurich (490 m) and 2 nights at the Swiss Jungfrau-Joch research station (3,450 m) following ascent by train within <3 h. In children, mean±sd nocturnal Sp,O2 fell from 98±1% at 490 m to 85±4 and 86±4% at 3,450 m (nights 1 and 2, respectively); PET,CO2 decreased significantly from 37±6 to 32±3 and 33±4 mmHg (3,450 versus 490 m). In adults, changes in nocturnal Sp,O2 and PET,CO2 at 3,450 m were similar to those in children. Children spent less time in periodic breathing at 3,450 m during night 1 and 2 (8±11 and 9±13%, respectively) than adults (34±24 and 22±17%, respectively), and their apnoea threshold for CO2 was lower compared with adults (27±2 and 30±2 mmHg, respectively, both nights). Sp,O2, PET,CO2 and time in periodic breathing at altitude were not correlated between children and their fathers. In conclusion, children revealed a similarly reduced nocturnal O2 saturation and associated hyperventilation at high altitude as adults but their breathing pattern was more stable, possibly related to a lower apnoea threshold for CO2.
Detection of DNA adducts in the white blood cells of B6C3F1 mice treated with benzene.

We have employed the P1-enhanced 32P-postlabeling procedure to detect the formation DNA of adducts in the white blood cells (WBC) of B6C3F1 mice treated by i.p. injection with benzene. Treatment twice a day with 440 mg/kg benzene for 1-7 days resulted in the formation of one major (adduct 1) and one minor (adduct 2) DNA adduct in the WBCs of mice. The same DNA adduct pattern was also found in the bone marrow (BM) of benzene treated mice. The relative adduct levels were dependent upon both benzene dose from 100-440 mg/kg and treatment time from 1 to 7 days. The relative adduct levels ranged between 0.11 and 1.33 adducts in 10(7) nucleotides for WBCs and 0.16-1.21 adducts in 10(7) nucleotides for BM. Following treatment with benzene, the levels of DNA adducts formed in WBCs were significantly correlated with the levels of DNA adducts formed in BM (r2 = 0.97, P < 0.001). Our results suggest that measurement of DNA adducts in WBCs may be an indicator of DNA adduct formation in BM following BZ exposure.
Dynamic Performance of a PEM Fuel Cell System

viii Effects of these controls and other components on overall performance of the system were also investigated in this work. System analyses were conducted for start–up sequence and transitory load changes. Issues related to thermal and water management were addressed with considerable focus on species crossover mechanisms across the fuel cell. Finally, study on nitrogen crossover was conducted and associated purging strategies are discussed. Different purging techniques were simulated to further gain insight into hydrogen dilution issues caused by nitrogen accumulation in the fuel cell anode. The research conducted here could be helpful in understanding intricate transient processes within the fuel cell and system model could be used as a thorough tool for predicting PEMFC dynamics and to contribute as a basis for the design and optimization of system controls and purging strategies.
Current laboratory practices in the diagnosis and management of haemophilia: a global assessment

Haemophilia management is complicated by the extreme variability in laboratory practices. Lack of consistency or comparability in testing makes it difficult to establish diagnostic criteria or disease severity, and complicates response assessment. A global survey was conducted to document current practices. A 35‐min survey was completed by 30 laboratory scientists in each of seven countries (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK, USA; 210 in total); results were weighted by average country testing volume in haemophilia. Eighty‐three per cent of participants reported participation in a Quality Assurance scheme. Ninety per cent reported using clotting tests in haemophilia A and 88% in haemophilia B (55% and 53% frequent use respectively). Sixty‐eight per cent reported chromogenic assays were used in haemophilia A, with only 23% reporting frequent use, compared to only 11% reporting any use in haemophilia B. Twenty‐nine separate activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) reagents were reported for haemophilia A and 27 aPTT reagents were reported for haemophilia B, with one‐quarter or less obtaining reagents or kits from any single manufacturer. Fifty‐four per cent run a calibration curve with every factor VIII (FVIII) assay. The mean number of plasma dilutions varied from 2 to 4 for FVIII assays and from 1 to 3 for FIX assays. Results indicate very low consistency in materials and practices used to test for factor activity in haemophilia. A number of responses suggest that some laboratory scientists' understanding of best practices or guidelines in haemophilia could be improved. More education and broader understanding is recommended regarding assay types, assay components, test material and instrument features and capabilities.
HIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: how much do we know?

Cancer was associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) even before the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was identified. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) as AIDS-defining cancers in 1987. [1] HIV-infected patients are at an increased risk for developing both Hodgkin lymphoma and NHL when compared with the general population. The excess of high-grade NHL was first reported in 1984 following the description of NHL in 90 homosexual men with AIDS. [2] The relative risk of NHL among HIV-infected patients is 150–250-fold higher than in the general population. [3]
Effect of Sympathetic Denervation on Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation in the Growing Rabbit Ear Artery

The effect of sympathetic denervation on the uptake of 3H-thymidine (3H-Tdr) into the ear artery of a growing rabbit was studied in vitro and in vivo. Uptake into the right artery was compared with that into the left 2 and 3 weeks after left superior cervical ganglionectomy in 4-week-old rabbits. Denervation was confirmed by the absence of catecholamine fluorescence. The total uptake of 3H-Tdr was determined by scintillation spectrometry, and its distribution in the artery wall was studied by light microscope autoradiography. The denervated ear artery took up significantly less DNA precursor and exhibited fewer labeled vascular smooth muscle cell nuclei in the tunica media than did the control artery. These findings suggest that sympathetic innervation influences the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle in growing rabbits.
Novel Concept of Motor Functional Analysis for Spinal Cord Injury in Adult Mice

In basic research on spinal cord injury (SCI), behavioral evaluation of the SCI animal model is critical. However, it is difficult to accurately evaluate function in the mouse SCI model due to the small size of mice. Although the open-field scoring scale is an outstanding appraisal method, supplementary objective tests are required. Using a compact SCANET system, in which a mouse carries out free movement for 5 min, we developed a novel method to detect locomotor ability. A SCANET system samples the horizontal coordinates of a mouse every 0.1 s, and both the speed and acceleration of its motion are calculated at each moment. It was found that the maximum speed and acceleration of motion over 5 min varied by injury severity. Moreover, these values were significantly correlated with open-field scores. The maximum speed and acceleration of SCI model mice using a SCANET system are objective, easy to obtain, and reproducible for evaluating locomotive function.
Solidification Front of Oriented Ledeburite

Directional solidification of the Fe - 4,3 wt % C alloy was performed with the pulling rate equal to v =83 μm/s. Sample was frozen during solidification to reveal the shape of the solid/liquid interface. Structures eutectic pyramid and spherolitic eutectic were observed. The solidification front of ledeburite eutectic was revealed. The leading phase was identified and defined.
Debond Buckling of Woven E-glass/Balsa Sandwich Composites Exposed to One-sided Heating

An experimental investigation was undertaken to analyze the behavior of sandwich composite structures exposed to one-sided heating where a debond exists between the unexposed facesheet and core material. Sandwich composites of plain weave E-glass/epoxy facesheets and an end-grain balsa wood core manufactured using the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) technique were the only materials analyzed. These were selected due to their current use in naval vessels and the heightened interest in the fire response properties of balsa wood and its utility as a core material. In order to better understand the interfacial behavior, Mode I Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) fracture tests were performed at ambient, 60°C, and 80°C to determine the influence of the decreased Mode I fracture toughness. While ambient testing showed that stable crack growth could be obtained, high temperature tests resulted in considerable damage occurring to the core at the crack-front preventing stable crack growth. This can be attributed to the significant decrease in the balsa core strength and material properties even for small increases in temperature. Additionally, Mode II Cracked Split Beam (CSB) tests were performed at ambient temperature to examine the sliding dominant crack-growth. Again, the occurrence of balsa core damage prevented stable crack-growth and an accurate measurement of Mode II fracture toughness was not obtained. Intermediate-scale compression testing with one-sided heating at two heat flux levels was performed with a custom designed load frame on sandwich composite columns. This enabled the influence of the debond to be measured using a 3D-Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique spatially linked with a thermographic camera. The DIC allowed for a detailed observation of debond growth and buckling prior to global failure of the test article. A behavior similar to that observed in the Mode I DCB fracture tests occurred: as the interfacial temperature increased, the amount of crack growth decreased. This crack growth was followed by a core failure at the crack-
Generating Application-Specific Benchmark Models for Complex Systems

Automated generators for synthetic models and data can playa crucial role in designing new algorithms/model-frameworks, given the sparsity of benchmark models for empirical analysis and the cost of generating models by hand. We describe an automated generator for benchmark models that is based on using a compositional modeling framework and employs random-graph models for the system topology. We choose the system topology that best matches the topology of the real-world system using a domain-analysis algorithm. To show the range of models for which this approach is applicable, we demonstrate our model-generation process using two examples of model generation optimized for a specific domain: (1) model-based diagnosis for discrete Boolean circuits, and (2) E.coli TRN networks for simulating gene expression.
Characterization of the RF plasma in ISHTAR

R. D’Inca1, A. Kostic1,2, R. Ochoukov1, K. Crombe2,3, M. Usoltseva1, J. Moreno2, A. Nikiforov2, J. Jacquot1, F. Louche3, D. Van Eester3, S. Heuraux4, S. Devaux4, J. Moritz4, E. Faudot4, F. Fischer1, G. Siegl1, H. Fünfgelder1, H. Faugel1, J-M. Noterdaeme1,2 1 Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching, Germany 2 Department of Applied Physics, Ghent University, Belgium 3 LPP-ERM-KMS, TEC partner, Brussels, Belgium 4 Institut Jean Lamour UMR 7198 CNRS-Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
Uniqueness logic represented via decimal numbers with WASD neural network

A novel concept, uniqueness logic represented via decimal numbers (UL-D), is proposed and defined in this paper. Aiming at achieving the UL-D, we construct a neural network (i.e., NN) based on weights-and-structure-determination algorithm (i.e., the resultant WASD-NN). Differing from the back-propagation neural network (BP-NN) adjusting weights by lengthy iterative process and being unable to acquire the optimal structure adaptively, the WASD-NN can determine the optimal weights directly and the optimal structure automatically. Note that the UL-D is a nonlinear discontinuous mapping, of which the approximation has rarely been investigated before. In this paper, we firstly investigate the WASD-NN activated by commonly used continuous power functions, with corresponding numerical experiment results less satisfactory. By understanding the nature of the UL-D, the WASD-NN activated by discontinuous signum function is thus creatively built up, and the numerical experiment studies demonstrate well the efficient and superior approximating ability of the signum-function activated WASD-NN in achieving the UL-D.
Common Determinants of Single Channel Conductance within the Large Cytoplasmic Loop of 5-Hydroxytryptamine Type 3 and α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors*

Homomeric 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3A receptors (5-HT3ARs) have a single channel conductance (γ) below the resolution of single channel recording (966 ± 75 fS, estimated by variance analysis). By contrast, heteromeric 5-HT3A/B and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have picosiemen range γ values. In this study, single channel recordings revealed that replacement of cytoplasmic membrane-associated (MA) helix arginine 432 (-4′), 436 (0′), and 440 (4′) residues by 5-HT3B (-4′Gln, 0′Asp, and 4′Ala) residues increases γ to 36.5 ± 1.0 pS. The 0′ residue makes the most substantial contribution to γ of the 5-HT3AR. Replacement of 0′Arg by aspartate, glutamate (α7 nAChR subunit MA 0′), or glutamine (β2 subunit MA 0′) increases γ to the resolvable range (>6 pS). By contrast, replacement of 0′Arg by phenylalanine (α4 subunit MA 0′) reduced γ to 416 ± 107 fS. In reciprocal experiments with α4β2 nAChRs (γ = 31.3 ± 0.8 pS), replacement of MA 0′ residues by arginine in α4β2(Q443R) and α4(F588R)β2 reduced γ slightly. By contrast, the γ of double mutant α4(F588R)β2(Q443R) was halved. The MA -4′ and 4′ residues also influenced γ of 5-HT3ARs. Replacement of nAChR α4 or β2 MA 4′ residues by arginine made current density negligible. By contrast, replacement of both -4′ residues by arginine produced functional nAChRs with substantially reduced γ (11.4 ± 0.5 pS). Homology models of the 5-HT3A and α4β2 nAChRs against Torpedo nAChR revealed MA -4′, 0′, and 4′ residues within five intracellular portals. This locus may be a common determinant of ion conduction throughout the Cys loop receptor family.
Evaluation of Antiviral Potential of Different Cholistani Plants against Infectious Bursal Disease and Infectious Bronchitis Virus

Received: Revised: Accepted: Online available: January 08, 2015 November 20, 2015 February 07, 2016 March 11, 2016 The present study was conducted to determine the antiviral activity of different Cholistani plants growing in the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan. Methanolic extracts of plants were prepared by dissolving air-dried, powdered plants in methanol and later concentrated in a rotary evaporator. The concentrated extracts were dissolved in distilled water and sterilized through filtration. To asses antiviral potential plant extracts were mixed with an equal concentration of a live virus and propagated for 7-11 days in embryonated eggs with appropriate controls. After 48 hours, the allantoic fluids were harvested and hemagglutination assay (HA) was performed for infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) for infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) to determine both virus titer, as well as evaluation of the inhibitory effects of various plant extracts. Almost all selected plant extracts exhibited an antiviral effect varying from plant to plant and manifested through controlling growth of IBV except Solanum surattense. The methanolic extracts of two plants Ochthochloa compressa and Sporobolos icolados, showed a 100% inhibitory effect demonstrated through no viral growth determined by HA assays. Similarly, other plant extracts also showed antiviral activity in the order of HA titer at 8 in case of three plants Haloxylon salicornicum, Neurada procumbens and Salsola baryosma, 16 for Achyranthes aspera, Haloxylon recurvum and Panicum antidotale. The HA values 32 and 64, respectively, for Oxystelma esculentum and Suaeda fruticosa were revealed. In case of anti-IBDV activity, the methanolic extracts of Achyranthes aspera, Haloxylon recurvum, Haloxylon salicornicum, Panicum antidotale, Salsola baryosma, Sporobolos icolados were shown to have the optimal antiviral potential (IHA titer 0). Similarly, extract of Neurada procumbens kept the IHA titer at 2 and Solanum surattense at 4. The extracts of Oxystelma esculentum and Ochthochloa compressa were least effective in controlling multiplication of IBDV and their IHA titer was equal to virus control. Overall, our studies open up new avenues in the development of much needed antivirals, utilizing indigenous resources. ©2016 PVJ. All rights reserved