Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CB-DHRP: A Cluster-Based Directed Hierarchical Routing Protocol for wireless sensor networks

Efficient routing protocols design is a critical approach for energy conservations in wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient routing protocol, named as Cluster-Based Directed Hierarchical Routing Protocol (CB-DHRP). The design philosophy of CB-DHRP is conceptually similar to the well-known LEACH scheme, but different in the assumptions of node transmission range and the formation method used in routing structure creation. Bound on the limited node transmission range, and with the cooperation of cluster members and cluster heads, CB-DHRP always constructs energy-efficient transmission paths that are capable of relaying the sensed data toward the sink (Base Station, BS). The simulation results show that, by choosing an appropriate percentage of cluster heads, the proposed CB-DHRP protocol can achieve about 1.5 times improvements on the network lifetime than that in other existing protocols, such as LEACH, ERA, and PEGASIS protocols.
Human health effects after exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD

In 1949, the first descriptions of human exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) contaminated chemicals were reported after a trichlorophenol reactor explosion in Nitro, West Virginia, USA. Reported non-cancer health effects included a range of conditions affecting most systems. Additional reports of the health consequences of exposure continued through the remainder of the century. The majority of effects have been reported among highly exposed groups including occupational populations, such as chemical production workers, pesticide applicators, and individuals who handled or were exposed to materials treated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD-contaminated pesticides, and among residents of communities contaminated with tainted waste oil (Missouri, USA) and industrial e uent (Seveso, Italy). For only six exposed populations were biological measurements of 2,3,7,8-TCDD contaminated collected and used to examine the relationship between non-cancer health effects and exposure. Of the many non-cancer health effects thought to be associated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD exposure, only chloracne, elevations in GGT and triglyceride levels, and alterations in FSH and LH were related to serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD levels. Mortality from cardiovascular diseases also appeared to be elevated among cohorts of exposed chemical workers and Seveso residents. Continued surveillance of the health of exposed populations will be useful in identifying the long-term effects of both high and low 2,3,7,8-TCDD exposure.
Nitric Oxide Metabolite Concentration in Cerebrospinal Fluid: Useful as a Prognostic Marker?

Study Design Prospective study. Purpose To establish the significance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) nitric oxide metabolite (NOx) concentration in acute spinal cord injury (SCI) patients to assess the neurological severity and prognosis. Overview of Literature Quantitative analysis of specific biomarkers in CSF will assess neurological severity more accurately and permit the formulation of a more precise management plan. Methods Forty SCI patients represented the cases and 20 lower limb injury patients were the controls. NOx concentration in CSF was measured at week 1, 2, and 4 by Griess method. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, T2-weighted) done in each case to measure cord edema and neurological severity was assessed using the Frankel classification. Results CSF NOx concentration peaked at week 2 and declined to normal by week 4. The concentration remained normal in controls. Mean NOx concentration was directly proportional to the severity of acute SCI as correlated with cord edema seen in MRI and neurological severity assessed. Conclusions CSF NOx concentration can be considered a specific quantitative biomarker in acute stage of SCI to predict the severity and prognosis of SCI patients.
Risk and protective factors that affect adolescent reproductive health in developing countries: A structured literature review

Abstract The primary focus of this article is to determine which risk and protective factors are most important to adolescent reproductive health in developing countries. A comprehensive and systematic literature search was conducted on studies that examined factors in relation to the following outcomes: ever had premarital sex, condom use, pregnancy, early childbearing, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV. While the search identified over 11,000 publications, only 61 were retained for the final analysis. The results show that factors which were significantly associated to the outcomes were primarily related to the adolescents themselves. In fact, very few factors outside the individual were found to be related to sexual risk behaviours. This contrasts to similar research conducted among youth samples in the US. While this review confirms the strong need for a broader research base on the risk and protective factors related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health in developing countries, it also does identify key factors that can be addressed through innovative programmes and policies to help improve adolescent reproductive health in the developing world.
The effectiveness of biofertilizer on edamame productivity

This study aimed at determining the effectiveness of bio-fertilizer with different concentrations on productivity soybean “Edamame” (Glycin max). The productivity consisted of the number of pods, empty pods, pod content, Edamame weight each plant. Bio-fertilizer in this study consists of microbial consortia (Lactobacillus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Saccharomyces, Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, and Cellulomonas). The treatment consists of 3 bio-fertilizer concentrations (25%, 50%, and 75%), as well as the negative control and positive control (100% chemical fertilizer equivalent 5g/plant). The results showed that treatment B2 (bio-fertilizer 50%) gave better results on productivity compared with other treatments.
Simulating the effects of spread of electric excitation on musical tuning and melody identification with a cochlear implant.

PURPOSE To determine why, in a pilot study, only 1 of 11 cochlear implant listeners was able to reliably identify a frequency-to-electrode map where the intervals of a familiar melody were played on the correct musical scale. The authors sought to validate their method and to assess the effect of pitch strength on musical scale recognition in normal-hearing listeners. METHOD Musical notes were generated as either sine waves or spectrally shaped noise bands, with a center frequency equal to that of a desired note and symmetrical (log-scale) reduction in amplitude away from the center frequency. The rate of amplitude reduction was manipulated to vary pitch strength of the notes and to simulate different degrees of current spread. The effect of the simulated degree of current spread was assessed on tasks of musical tuning/scaling, melody recognition, and frequency discrimination. RESULTS Normal-hearing listeners could accurately and reliably identify the appropriate musical scale when stimuli were sine waves or steeply sloping noise bands. Simulating greater current spread degraded performance on all tasks. CONCLUSIONS Cochlear implant listeners with an auditory memory of a familiar melody could likely identify an appropriate frequency-to-electrode map but only in cases where the pitch strength of the electrically produced notes is very high.
Nebulized pentoxifylline for prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very low birth weight infants: A pilot clinical study

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of nebulized pentoxifylline (PTXF) compared to intravenous dexamethasone (DX) or placebo (nebulized distilled water) for the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Methods. One hundred and fifty very low birth weight infants were randomly assigned to three groups. Entry criteria were the need for oxygen administration on the fourth day of life, irrespective of whether ventilatory support was required. PTXF was administered with a nebulizer every 6 hours on three consecutive days (a single course) in a dose of 20 mg/kg when infants were breathing spontaneously or 10 mg/kg when they needed ventilatory support. DX was given every 12 hours on three consecutive days in a dose of 0.25 mg/kg. Nebulized distilled water was administered with the schedule of inhalation as in the PTXF group. When the need for ventilatory support or oxygen dependency persisted, the course of both drugs and placebo administration was repeated every seven days until the diagnosis of BPD was established. Results. Both PTXF and DX reduced the incidence of disease when compared with placebo. The respective data obtained for the PTXF-group versus the placebo group were as follows: difference in risk, 27%; OR: 0.32; CI: 0.11–0.94; p = 0.039; whereas the results for the DX-group versus the placebo group were: difference in risk, − 23%; OR: 0.39; CI: 0.14–1.14; p = 0.07. Conclusion. Our data show that nebulized PTXF reduces the risk of BPD and may be a potential alternative to steroids in the prevention of this disease.
The Prognostic Value of Irradiated Lung Volumes on the Prediction of Intra-/ Post-Operative Mortality in Patients after Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer. A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Purpose: To assess the association between dosimetric factors of the lung and incidence of intra- and postoperative mortality among esophageal cancer (EC) patients treated with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (N-RCT) followed by surgery (S). Methods and Materials: Inclusion criteria were: age < 85 years, no distant metastases at the time of diagnosis, no induction chemotherapy, conformal radiotherapy, total dose ≤ 50.4 Gy, and available dose volume histogram (DVH) data. One-hundred thirty-five patients met our inclusion criteria. Median age was 62 years. N-RCT consisted of 36 - 50.4 Gy (median 45 Gy), 1.8 - 2 Gy per fraction. Concomitant chemotherapy consisted of 5-Fluoruracil (5-FU) and cisplatin in 113 patients and cisplatin and taxan-derivates in 15 patients. Seven patients received a single cytotoxic agent. In 130 patients an abdominothoracal and in 5 patients a transhiatal resection was performed. The following dosimetric parameters were generated from the total lung DVH: mean dose, V5, V10, V15, V20, V30, V40, V45 and V50. The primary endpoint was the rate of intra- and postoperative mortality (from the start of N-RCT to 60 days after surgical resection). Results: A total of ten postoperative deaths (7%) were observed: 3 within 30 days (2%) and 7 between 30 and 60 days after surgical intervention (5%); no patient died during the operation. In the univariate analysis, weight loss (≥10% in 6 months prior to diagnosis, risk ratio: 1.60, 95%CI: 0.856-2.992, p=0.043), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-performance status (ECOG 2 vs. 1, risk ratio: 1.931, 95%CI: 0.898-4.150, p=0.018) and postoperative pulmonary plus non-pulmonary complications (risk ratio: 2.533, 95%CI: 0.978-6.563, p=0.004) were significantly associated with postoperative mortality. There was no significant association between postoperative mortality and irradiated lung volumes. Lung V45 was the only variable which was significantly associated with higher incidence of postoperative pulmonary plus non-pulmonary complications (Exp(B): 1.285, 95%CI 1.029-1.606, p=0.027), but not with the postoperative pulmonary complications (Exp(B): 1.249, 95%CI 0.999-1.561, p=0.051). Conclusions: Irradiated lung volumes did not show relevant associations with intra- and postoperative mortality of patients treated with moderate dose (36 - 50.4 Gy) conventionally fractionated conformal radiotherapy combined with widely used radiosensitizers. Postoperative mortality was significantly associated with greater weight loss, poor performance status and development of postoperative complications, but not with treatment-related factors. Limiting the volume of lung receiving higher radiation doses appears prudent because of the observed association with risk of postoperative complications.
A p53 Amino-Terminal Nuclear Export Signal Inhibited by DNA Damage-Induced Phosphorylation

The p53 protein is present in low amounts in normally growing cells and is activated in response to physiological insults. MDM2 regulates p53 either through inhibiting p53's transactivating function in the nucleus or by targeting p53 degradation in the cytoplasm. We identified a previously unknown nuclear export signal (NES) in the amino terminus of p53, spanning residues 11 to 27 and containing two serine residues phosphorylated after DNA damage, which was required for p53 nuclear export in colloboration with the carboxyl-terminal NES. Serine-15–phosphorylated p53 induced by ultraviolet irradiation was not exported. Thus, DNA damage–induced phosphorylation may achieve optimal p53 activation by inhibiting both MDM2 binding to, and the nuclear export of, p53.
Power-efficient pipelined reconfigurable fixed-width Baugh-Wooley multipliers

In this paper, we propose a pipelined reconfigurable fixed-width Baugh-Wooley multiplier design framework that provides four configuration modes (CMs): n × n fixed-width multiplier, two n/2 × n/2 fixed-width multipliers, n/2 × n/2 full-precision multiplier, and two n/A × n/A full-precision multipliers. Furthermore, low-power schemes including gated clock and zero input techniques are employed to achieve the power-efficient pipelined reconfigurable design. The presented power-efficient pipelined reconfigurable fixed-width multiplier design not only generates a family of widely used multipliers but also leads to 10.59, 21.7, 28.84, and 31.58 percent power saving, on average, for n = 8,16,24, and 32, respectively, compared with that of the pipelined reconfigurable fixed-width multiplier without using the low-power schemes. On the other hand, compared with non-reconfigurable pipelined multiplier, we can save 0.81, 12.46, 17.93, and 23.2 percent power consumption, respectively, for n = 8,16,24, and 32.
Milk Fat Content and DGAT1 Genotype Determine Lipid Composition of the Milk Fat Globule Membrane

During secretion of milk fat globules, triacylglycerol (TAG) droplets are enveloped by a phospholipid (PL) trilayer. Globule size has been found to be related to polar lipid composition and fat content, and milk fat content and fatty acid composition have been associated with the diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) K232A polymorphism; however, the association between the DGAT1 polymorphism and fat globule size and polar lipid composition has not been studied. The ratio between polar and neutral lipids as well as the composition of the polar lipids in milk has industrial as well as nutritional and health implications. Understanding phenotypic and genotypic factors influencing these parameters could contribute to improving milk lipid composition for dairy products. The focus of the present study was to determine the effect of both fat content and DGAT1 polymorphism on PL/TAG ratio, as a marker for milk fat globule size, and detailed PL composition. Milk samples were selected from 200 cows such that there were equal numbers of samples for the different fat contents as well as per DGAT1 genotype. Samples were analyzed for neutral and polar lipid concentration and composition. PL/TAG ratio was significantly associated with both fat content and DGAT1 genotype. Phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine concentrations were associated with fat content*DGAT1 genotype with a stronger association for the AA than the KK genotype. Sphingomyelin concentration tended to interact with fat content*DGAT1 genotype. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) concentration showed a biphasic response to fat content, suggesting that multiple biological processes influence its concentration. These results provide a new direction for controlling polar lipid concentration and composition in milk through selective breeding of cows.
Computationally feasible estimation of haplotype frequencies from pooled DNA with and without Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

MOTIVATION Pooling large number of DNA samples is a common practice in association study, especially for initial screening. However, the use of expectation-maximization (EM)-type algorithms in estimating haplotype distributions for even moderate pool sizes is hampered by the computational complexity involved. A novel constrained EM algorithm called PoooL has been proposed recently to bypass the difficulty via the use of asymptotic normality of the pooled allele frequencies. The resulting estimates are, however, not maximum likelihood estimates and hence not optimal. Furthermore, the assumption of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) made may not be realistic in practice. METHODS Rather than carrying out constrained maximization as in PoooL, we revert to the usual EM algorithm but make it computationally feasible by using normal approximations. The resulting algorithm is much simpler to implement than PoooL because there is no need to invoke sophisticated iterative scaling methods as in PoooL. We also develop an estimating equation analogue of the EM algorithm for the case of Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (HWD) by conditioning on the haplotypes of both chromosomes of the same individual. Incorporated into the method is a way of estimating the inbreeding coefficient by relating it to overdispersion. RESULTS Simulation study assuming HWE shows that our simplified implementation of the EM algorithm leads to estimates with substantially smaller SDs than PoooL estimates. Further simulations show that ignoring HWD will induce biases in the estimates. Our extended method with estimation of inbreeding coefficient incorporated is able to reduce the bias leading to estimates with substantially smaller mean square errors. We also present results to suggest that our method can cope with a certain degree of locus-specific inbreeding as well as additional overdispersion not caused by inbreeding. AVAILABILITY http://staff.ustc. edu.cn/ approximately ynyang/aem-aes
A Wavelet Based Image Watermarking Scheme

A novel robust watermarking scheme based on wavelet transform is presented in this paper. The watermark is embedded into significant triplet of wavelet coefficients in the three lowest detail subband images. The embedding algorithm only needs to modify a small amount of the wavelet coefficients, which leads to very small distortion and guarantees the visual quality of the watermarked image. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on a series of normal attacks in image processing, such as JPEG compression, Gaussian noise addition, median filter, etc. The corresponding experimental results show that the proposed watermarking scheme has better performance.
Do the pre-service education programmes for midwives in India prepare confident ‘registered midwives’? A survey from India

Objective The graduates of the diploma and degree programmes of nursing and midwifery in India are considered skilled birth attendants (SBAs). This paper aimed to assess the confidence of final-year students from pre-service education programmes (diploma and bachelor's) in selected midwifery skills from the list of midwifery competencies of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Design A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Gujarat, India, involving 633 final-year students from 25 educational institutions (private or government), randomly selected, stratified by the type of programme (diploma and bachelor's). Students assessed their confidence on a four-point scale, in four midwifery competency domains – antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn care. Explorative factor analysis was used to reduce skill statements into separate subscales for each domain. Results Overall, 25–40% of students scored above the 75th percentile and 38–50% below the 50th percentile of confidence in all subscales for antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn care. The majority had not attended the required number of births prescribed by the Indian Nursing Council. Conclusions The pre-service education offered in the diploma and bachelor's programmes in Gujarat does not prepare confident SBAs, as measured on selected midwifery competencies of the ICM. One of the underlying reasons was less clinical experience during their education. The duration, content, and pedagogy of midwifery education within the integrated programmes need to be reviewed.
Down‐regulation of single immunoglobulin interleukin‐1R‐related molecule (SIGIRR)/TIR8 expression in intestinal epithelial cells during inflammation

Single immunoglobulin (Ig) interleukin‐1R‐related molecule (SIGIRR) is an Ig‐like membrane protein critical for negative regulation of Toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐4‐mediated signalling. We investigated SIGIRR expression and its regulation mechanism in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) during inflammation. Endoscopic biopsy specimens were obtained from active and inactive colonic mucosa of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, then SIGIRR expression was examined using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IH). Mice experimental colitis models were established by administrations of sulphonic acid (TNBS) and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS), and epithelial expression of SIGIRR was examined using real‐time PCR, IH and flow cytometry. The effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α on SIGIRR expression were evaluated in vitro using cultured IECs. To elucidate SIGIRR expression regulation in IECs, binding ability of the transcription factor SP1 at the responsive element of the SIGIRR promoter was examined using gel‐shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. In human colonic samples, SIGIRR was expressed mainly in IECs at levels significantly higher in inactive compared to active mucosa. In the mice, SIGIRR colonic expression decreased rapidly after colitis development and returned gradually to basal levels. Experimental colitis‐mediated down‐regulation of SIGIRR in IECs was also confirmed by IH and flow cytometry results. Further, inflammatory conditions induced by TLR ligands and TNF‐α caused significant down‐regulation of SIGIRR expression in IECs, which was dependent upon decreased SP1 binding at the responsive element of the SIGIRR promoter. We found that SIGIRR is expressed in IECs and serves as a negative regulator to maintain gut innate immunity, which is down‐regulated during inflammation by inhibition of an SP1‐mediated pathway.