Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Profile and Outcome of Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a Tertiary Care Centre in Eastern Nepal

Introduction : Neonatal period is the most susceptible period of life due to different causes, which in most cases are preventable. Every year millions of neonates are born and a large proportion of them are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for various indications. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to reduce under five mortality by two thirds by 2015. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the clinical profile, pattern of diseases and common causes of mortality and morbidity in neonates admitted to NICU. Materials and Methods : A retrospective study was conducted at level III Neonatal NICU of a tertiary -care teaching hospital from January, 2012 to December, 2012. Results : Total of 361 neonates were admitted in NICU. Eighty six neonates (23.8%) were admitted due to prematurity and 73 (20.2%) with birth asphyxia. Among birth asphyxia, 40(54.8%)were in HIE III, 27.4% and 17.8% in HIE II and HIE I, respectively. One hundred eighteen (32.6%) cases were diagnosed as sepsis. The overall mortality was 20.2% during hospital stay. Conclusions : Sepsis, prematurity and birth asphyxia were major causes for admission in NICU. All these etiologies are preventable up to some extent and, if detected earlier, can be effectively treated in order to reduce morbidity and mortality. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/jnps.v33i3. 8447 J. Nepal Paediatr. Soc. 2013;33(3):177-181
Enhanced longevity in tau mutant

The single-gene mutation tau in the Syrian hamster shortens the circadian period by about 20% in the homozygous mutant and simultaneously increases the mass-specific metabolic rate by about 20%. Both effects might be expected to lead to a change in longevity. To test such expectations, the life span of male and female hamsters from three genotypes (wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous tau mutants, all derived from heterozygote crosses to randomize the genetic background) was recorded in constant darkness. Male hamsters lived significantly longer than females: the overall average life span was 96.9 weeks (SE = 2.5, n = 118) for males and 82.0 weeks (SE = 2.1, n = 99) for females. To our surprise, male and female homozygous mutant hamsters lived significantly longer rather than shorter compared to wild-types. For males, the difference between the two genotypes was on average 14%; for females, the difference was 16%. The mortality rate of wild-type males was significantly different from that of homozygous tau males but not different from that of heterozygotes. Overall, survival of wild-type females was statistically distinguishable from both heterozygous and homozygous mutant females. Male and female wild-type hamsters were heavier than homozygote mutants throughout the entire life span, and heterozygous mutants had intermediate weights. There was no correlation between body mass and life span, and the causes of the extended life span in tau mutant hamsters remain unresolved.
Investigation of Nucleate Boiling Mechanisms Under Microgravity Conditions

The present work is aimed at the experimental studies and numerical modeling of the bubble growth mechanisms of a single bubble attached to a heating surface and of a bubble sliding along an inclined heated plate. Single artificial cavity of 10 microns in diameter was made on the polished Silicon wafer which was electrically heated at the back side in order to control the surface nucleation superheat. Experiments with a sliding bubble were conducted at different inclination angles of the downward facing heated surface for the purpose of studying the effect of magnitude of components of gravity acting parallel to and normal to the heat transfer surface. Information on the bubble shape and size, the bubble induced liquid velocities as well as the surface temperature were obtained using the high speed imaging and hydrogen bubble techniques. Analytical/numerical models were developed to describe the heat transfer through the micro-macro layer underneath and around a bubble formed at a nucleation site. In the micro layer model the capillary and disjoining pressures were included. Evolution of the bubble-liquid interface along with induced liquid motion was modeled. As a follow-up to the studies at normal gravity, experiments are being conducted in the KC-135 aircraft to understand the bubble growth/detachment under low gravity conditions. Experiments have been defined to be performed under long duration of microgravity conditions in the space shuttle. The experiment in the space shuttle will provide bubble growth and detachment data at microgravity and will lead to validation of the nucleate boiling heat transfer model developed from the preceding studies conducted at normal and low gravity (KC-135) conditions.
Author Identification Using a Tensor Space Representation

Author identification is a text categorization task with applications in intelligence, criminal law, computer forensics, etc. Usually, in such cases there is shortage of training texts. In this paper, we propose the use of second order tensors for representing texts for this problem, in contrast to the traditional vector space model. Based on a generalization of the SVM algorithm that can handle tensors, we explore various methods for filling the matrix of features taking into account that similar features should be placed in the same neighborhood. To this end, we propose a frequency-based metric. Experiments on a corpus controlled for genre and topic and variable amount of training texts show that the proposed approach is more effective than traditional vector-based SVM when only limited amount of training texts is used.
Cationic pullulan nanogel as a safe and effective nasal vaccine delivery system for respiratory infectious diseases

ABSTRACT The mucosal surfaces of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts are continuously exposed to countless beneficial and pathologic antigens. These mucosal surfaces are thus equipped with an immune system that is unique from those elsewhere in the body; this unique system provides the first line of immune surveillance and defense against pathogen invasion. The sophisticated immune induction machinery in the aero–digestive tract involves mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues, including nasopharyngeal- and gut-associated lymphoid tissues, for the generation of antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Consequently, nasal or oral immunization with an appropriate vaccine delivery vehicle prompts the induction of protective immunity in both the mucosal and systemic compartments, leading to a double layer of protection against pathogens. To harness the benefits of mucosal vaccines, various mucosal antigen delivery vehicles are under development, and a cationic cholesteryl-group-bearing pullulan nanogel (cCHP nanogel) has emerged as a potent nasal vaccine delivery system for the induction of protective immunity against respiratory infections.
Electron microscopic observations of stomata, epicuticular waxes, and papillae in Chamaecyparis obtusa: Reconsidering the traditional concept of Y‐shaped white stomatal bands

The foliar morphological characters of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) were revisited using optical and scanning electron microscopy. In C. obtusa, typical Y‐shaped white stomatal bands were evident on the abaxial leaf surfaces. Two facial leaves and two lateral leaves were observed at the same node. Waxy papillae and oval stomata were arranged in two or three rows with protuberant rims on the abaxial leaf surfaces. Higher magnifications revealed the deposition of epicuticular waxes (tubules) on the Y‐shaped white stomatal bands. Given the absence of stomatal bands after dewaxing with organic solvents, the white stomatal bands in C. obtusa were related to the epicuticular waxes rather than the presence of aggregated stomata alone. In contrast to C. obtusa, a single median leaf and two lateral leaves were observed at the same node of oriental arborvitae (Platycladus koraiensis). Neither stomatal bands nor papillae were observed on P. koraiensis leaves. The stomatal density and epicuticular waxes in the stomatal regions of C. obtusa were higher than those of P. koraiensis. This study suggests that the traditional concept of Y‐shaped white stomatal bands in C. obtusa should be revised to describe the arrangement of the aggregated waxy stomata that occur in rows.
Genetic polymorphism of glutathion S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) Ile105Val and susceptibility to atherogenesis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

One of the characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the state of persistent oxidative stress (OS) that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases such is atherosclerosis mainly through chronic hyperglycemia that stimulates production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases OS. Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) is a member of the cytosolic GST superfamily. It plays an important role in neutralizing OS as an enzyme. Also, it participates in regulation of stress signaling and protects cells against apoptosis via its noncatalytic ligand-binding activity. GSTP1 Ile105Val functional polymorphism influences protein catalytic activity and stability and the aim of this study was to determine whether this gene variation influences susceptibility to atherogenesis in T2DM patients. A total of 240 individuals (140 patients with T2DM, accompanied with clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis, and 100 healthy controls) were included in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood cells and genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. We obtained no statistically significant differences in the distribution of alleles and genotypes between cases and controls (P>0.05) but association between Ile/Val (OR=0.6, 95%CI=0.35-1.05, P=0.08) and Val/Val (OR=0.45, 95%CI=0.18-1.11, P=0.08) genotypes and disease approached significance (P=0.08). Our results indicated that a larger study group is needed to establish the true relationship between potentialiy protective allele Val and the disease, and to determine the influence of other GSTP1 polymorphisms on atherogenesis in T2DM patients. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175075]
Flat inputs in the MIMO case

Abstract We extend the notion of flat inputs, which we previously introduced in the SISO case, towards non-linear MIMO systems. For MIMO systems, we have to distinguish two cases for differential flatness, corresponding to feedback-linearizability either by a static or a quasi-static feedback. For the first case, the construction of flat inputs can be solved easily by means of the observability codistribution and indices. The second case remains an open problem, and we illustrate with an example that flat inputs can even be constructed for non-observable systems. In addition, we also discuss the problem of realizing flat inputs as physical actuators in mechanical systems. Copyright © 2010 IFAC.
Process Model for Simultaneous Interpreting and Working Memory

This paper attempts to combine interpreting studies with working memory research and propose a theoretical framework for the process model of simultaneous interpreting. First, the embedded model of working memory by Cowan is introduced as the most promising model to account for various phenomena of simultaneous interpreting. This is followed by a description of the functions of components of the model and the nature of information maintained in the working memory. The model then is applied to a small corpus of simultaneous interpreting in an attempt to explain the load-reduction strategies employed by interpreters who perform simultaneous interpreting between Japanese and English and the translation failures due to overloading of the working memory.
Selecting Processes to Minimize Hexavalent Chromium from Stainless Steel Welding: Eight welding processes/shielding gas combinations were assessed for generation of hexavalent chromium in stainless steel welding fumes.

Eight welding processes/shielding gas combinations were assessed for generation of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in stainless steel welding fumes. The processes examined were gas metal arc welding (GMAW) (axial spray, short circuit, and pulsed spray modes), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). The Cr6+ fractions were measured in the fumes; fume generation rates, Cr6+ generation rates, and Cr6+ generation rates per unit mass of welding wire were determined. A limited controlled comparison study was done in a welding shop including SMAW, FCAW, and three GMAW methods. The processes studied were compared for costs, including relative labor costs. Results indicate the Cr6+ in the fume varied widely, from a low of 2800 to a high of 34,000 ppm. Generation rates of Cr6+ ranged from 69 to 7800 μg/min, and Cr6+ generation rates per unit of wire ranged from 1 to 270 μg/g. The results of field study were similar to the findings in the laboratory. The Cr6+ (ppm) in the fume did not necessarily correlate with the Cr6+ generation rate. Physical properties were similar for the processes, with mass median aerodynamic diameters ranging from 250 to 336 nm, while the FCAW and SMAW fumes were larger (360 and 670 nm, respectively). CONCLUSION The pulsed axial spray method was the best choice of the processes studied based on minimal fume generation, minimal Cr6+ generation, and cost per weld. This method is usable in any position, has a high metal deposition rate, and is relatively simple to learn and use.
Isostructural Phase Transition of TiN under High Pressure

In situ high-pressure energy dispersive x-ray diffraction experiments on polycrystalline powder TiN with NaCltype structure have been conducted with the pressure up to 30.1 GPa by using a diamond anvil cell instrument with synchrotron radiation at room temperature. The experimental results suggest that an isostructural phase transition might exist at about 7 GPa as revealed by the discontinuity of V/Vo with pressure.
A branch-and-cut algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with multiple use of vehicles

A R T I C L E I N F O Vehicle routing problem, Multiple use of vehicles, Mixed integer programming formulation, Branchand-cut algorithm, Simulated annealing Received 11 March 2015 Accepted 22 May 2015 Available online 1 June 2015 This paper addresses the vehicle routing problem with multiple use of vehicles (VRPMUV), an important variant of the classic vehicle routing problem (VRP). Unlike the classical VRP, vehicles are allowed to use more than one route in the VRPMUV. We propose a branch-and-cut algorithm for solving the VRPMUV. The proposed algorithm includes several valid inequalities from the literature for the purpose of improving its lower bounds, and a heuristic algorithm based on simulated annealing and a mixed integer programming-based intensification procedure for obtaining the upper bounds. The algorithm is evaluated in terms of the test problems derived from the literature. The computational results which follow show that, if there were 120 customers on the route (in the simulation), the problem would be solved optimally in a reasonable amount of time. ________________________________ * Corresponding Author I. Karaoğlan/ International Journal of Lean Thinking Volume 6, Issue 1 (June 2015)
The Rise of American Ingenuity: Innovation and Inventors of the Golden Age

We examine the golden age of US innovation by undertaking a major data collection exercise linking US patents to state and county-level aggregates and matching inventors to Federal Censuses between 1880 and 1940. We identify a causal relationship between patented inventions and long run economic growth and outline a basic framework for analyzing key macro and micro-level determinants. We explore drivers of regional performance including population density, financial development, geographic connectedness and social structure. We then profile the characteristics of inventors and their life cycle, measure the returns to technological development, and document the relationship between innovation, inequality and social mobility. Our new data help to address important questions related to innovation and long-run growth dynamics.
Remodeling nuclear architecture allows efficient transport of herpesvirus capsids by diffusion

Significance The nucleus is structured into chromatin and interchromatin compartments. Its sieve-like architecture permits individual proteins to rapidly diffuse while large macromolecular assemblies are corralled in the interchromatin. Herpesvirus capsids assemble in the nucleus and have to access the nuclear periphery for exit. It was hypothesized that nuclear herpesvirus capsids recruit filamentous actin and molecular motor protein to overcome nuclear entrapment. Here we use “ring-sheet” microscopy to track nuclear capsids with high spatiotemporal resolution. We report that nuclear herpesvirus capsids do not use directed motility. Instead, virus infection changes nuclear architecture, which allows capsids to reach the nuclear membranes by diffusion. Our findings illustrate a pathway for very large macromolecular assemblies to cross the nucleoplasm without directed motility. The nuclear chromatin structure confines the movement of large macromolecular complexes to interchromatin corrals. Herpesvirus capsids of approximately 125 nm assemble in the nucleoplasm and must reach the nuclear membranes for egress. Previous studies concluded that nuclear herpesvirus capsid motility is active, directed, and based on nuclear filamentous actin, suggesting that large nuclear complexes need metabolic energy to escape nuclear entrapment. However, this hypothesis has recently been challenged. Commonly used microscopy techniques do not allow the imaging of rapid nuclear particle motility with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we use a rotating, oblique light sheet, which we dubbed a ring-sheet, to image and track viral capsids with high temporal and spatial resolution. We do not find any evidence for directed transport. Instead, infection with different herpesviruses induced an enlargement of interchromatin domains and allowed particles to diffuse unrestricted over longer distances, thereby facilitating nuclear egress for a larger fraction of capsids.
Latent Factors Limiting the Performance of sEMG-Interfaces

Recent advances in recording and real-time analysis of surface electromyographic signals (sEMG) have fostered the use of sEMG human–machine interfaces for controlling personal computers, prostheses of upper limbs, and exoskeletons among others. Despite a relatively high mean performance, sEMG-interfaces still exhibit strong variance in the fidelity of gesture recognition among different users. Here, we systematically study the latent factors determining the performance of sEMG-interfaces in synthetic tests and in an arcade game. We show that the degree of muscle cooperation and the amount of the body fatty tissue are the decisive factors in synthetic tests. Our data suggest that these factors can only be adjusted by long-term training, which promotes fine-tuning of low-level neural circuits driving the muscles. Short-term training has no effect on synthetic tests, but significantly increases the game scoring. This implies that it works at a higher decision-making level, not relevant for synthetic gestures. We propose a procedure that enables quantification of the gestures’ fidelity in a dynamic gaming environment. For each individual subject, the approach allows identifying “problematic” gestures that decrease gaming performance. This information can be used for optimizing the training strategy and for adapting the signal processing algorithms to individual users, which could be a way for a qualitative leap in the development of future sEMG-interfaces.
Fabrication of pH‐Responsive Hydrogel and Its In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

The present research work deals with the development of pH-responsive hydrogel by free radical polymerization in aqueous media to protect the rabeprazole sodium from acidic environment of stomach. Swelling behavior of hydrogels that was observed in buffer of various pH indicated highly pH-dependent swelling of hydrogels. Characterization of pH-responsive hydrogels by FTIR, SEM, and thermal analysis revealed that hydrogel has porous structure, favors swelling, drug loading, and drug release at a specific site in gastrointestinal tract and thermally more stable than parent polymer. In comparison with simple drug solution and hydrogel formulations, pharmacokinetic parameters of hydrogels formulations showed a significant difference in Cmax values of (CMC-g-AA) CA and the same oral dose of rabeprazole sodium was 87.28 ± 12.671 and 61.263 ± 5.37 ng/mL, respectively, Tmax of graft copolymer matrices CA (4.43 h) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than drug solution (1 h) and area under curves (AUCs) for CA (952.25 ± 191 ng⋅h/mL) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the drug solution (83.67 ± 8.28 ng⋅h/mL) indicated the effect of dosage form would last for longer duration. Thus, in vitro and in vivo drug release studies of hydrogels proved their controlled release behavior with preferential delivery into alkaline pH environment and for a prolonged period of time.
A Brief Overview of the Coxib Drugs in the Veterinary Field

Traditional Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NAIDs) have been widely used to deal with many inflammatory conditions in veterinary medicine. Nowadays however, as the quality of life of animals is improved, new drug options need to be explored. In this review, the authors report on recent trends and the application of the active ingredients labeled for veterinary purposes.
Fungal community profiles in agricultural soils of a long-term field trial under different tillage, fertilization and crop rotation conditions analyzed by high-throughput ITS-amplicon sequencing

Fungal communities in agricultural soils are assumed to be affected by soil and crop management. Our intention was to investigate the impact of different tillage and fertilization practices on fungal communities in a long-term crop rotation field trial established in 1992 in Central Germany. Two winter wheat fields in replicated strip-tillage design, comprising conventional vs. conservation tillage, intensive vs. extensive fertilization and different pre-crops (maize vs. rapeseed) were analyzed by a metabarcoding approach applying Illumina paired-end sequencing of amplicons generated by two recently developed primer pairs targeting the two fungal Internal Transcribed Spacer regions (ITS1, ITS2). Analysis of 5.1 million high-quality sequence reads uncovered a diverse fungal community in the two fields, composed of 296 fungal genera including 3,398 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) at the 97% sequence similarity threshold. Both primer pairs detected the same fungal phyla (Basidio-, Asco-, Zygo-, Glomero- and Chytridiomycota), but in different relative abundances. OTU richness was higher in the ITS1 dataset, while ITS2 data were more diverse and of higher evenness. Effects of farming practice on fungal community structures were revealed. Almost two-thirds of the fungal genera were represented in all different soil treatments, whereas the remaining genera clearly responded to farming practice. Principal Component Analysis revealed four distinct clusters according to tillage practice and pre-crop. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) substantiated the results and proved significant influences of tillage and pre-crop, while fertilization had the smallest and non-significant effect. In-depth analysis of putative phytopathogenic and plant beneficial fungal groups indicated distinct responses; for example Fusarium was significantly enriched in the intensively fertilized conservation tillage variants with the pre-crop maize, while Phoma displayed significant association with conventional tillage and pre-crop rapeseed. Many putative plant beneficial fungi also reacted differentially to farming practice with the most distinct responders identified among the Glomeromycota (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, AMF).