Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Clinical Value of Amniotic Fluid Analysis in Pregnancies Complicated by RH‐Isoimmunization or Hepatosis

605 samples of amniotic fluid were obtained by abdominal amniocentesis in 363 late pregnancies. The liquor was analysed with respect to ΔE450 (the optical density at 450 nm), progesterone and total protein content. On 172 samples measurements of the acid and alkaline phosphatase activity were also performed. Most of the samples came from pregnancies complicated by isoimmunization, but the material also contained samples from women with hepatosis gravidarum or other complications as well as from normal pregnancies. The measurements have been studied in relation to duration of pregnancy, cord blood haemoglobin levels, cord serum bilirubin levels, infant birth weight, maternal serum bilirubin levels, maternal alkaline phosphatase levels, maternal age, order of pregnancy, maternal and infant blood groups. For part of the series the relationships between the parameters were studied by multiple regression analysis. The results indicate a rather weak correlation between infant cord blood haemoglobin levels and the other parameters. The ABO blood groups of mother and infant influence the levels of cord blood haemoglobin, cord serum bilirubin and amniotic fluid total protein. Amniotic fluid progesterone and ΔE450 values are correlated to amniotic fluid total protein levels. Low ΔE450 values indicate that the fetus is mature. Determinations of ΔLE460 before the 37th week show a better correlation with the condition of the infant than later ones. Order of pregnancy influences the total protein content of amniotic fluid in normal pregnancies. Determinations of acid and alkaline phosphatases in amniotic fluid do not give any clinically important information in cases of isoimmunization. Meconium contamination strongly increases alkaline phosphatase activity. Attempts to use the rapid method of Brown for oestrogen determinations in amniotic fluid proved to be difficult for technical reasons.
Proximate analysis and phytochemical and mineral constituents in four cultivars of yams and tuber crops in Sri lanka

A study was carried out to determine the levels of starch, protein, crude fat, crude fibre, ash and a few phytochemical constituents (saponins, flavanoids and alkaloids) and mineral elements (Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Potassium and Zinc) in four cultivars of yams and tubers cultivated under similar agro-climatic conditions in Sri Lanka. Tubers of Dioscorea alata ( Rajala and Hingurala ), Dioscorea esculenta ( Kukulala ) and Xanthosoma sagittifolium ( Kiriala ) were subjected to the above analyses. The total starch percentage in crude flours ranged between 74.66 ± 0.66 to 80.46 ± 0.62% on dry weight basis and no significant difference found in total starch ( P ) between the studied varieties. The protein level ranged from 2.66 ± 0.21 to 10.16 ± 0.64% whereas D. alata was found to contain a higher protein level. The crude fat levels in tubers varied ranging from 1.5 ± 0.2 to 2.3 ± 0.1% and the highest level was observed in Xanthosoma sp . The crude fibre content in tubers was found to range from 1.8 ± 0.1 to 2.33 ± 0.15% and the highest level was observed in D. esculenta and the ash level ranged from 1.66 ± 0.21 to 2.33 ± 0.21%. There was no significant difference ( P ) between the total starch in the extracted starch from the tubers and ranged from 86.3 ± 1.2 to 89.85 ± 1.11%. Crude saponin levels were significantly higher (P D. alata and X. sagittifolium contained a level which was comparable ( P> 0.05 ; 12.98 ± 0.61 and13.11 ± 0.52 mg/100g. High amount of flavonoids were observed in D. esculenta and X. sagittifolium (12.4 ± 0.46 and 11.26 ± 0.46 mg/100g). A considerable level of alkaloids was present in D. alata and D. esculenta (1.64 0.04 ± mg/100g and 1.89 ± 0.02 mg/100g). All three cultivars of yams were rich in Calcium and Iron while a high level of Magnesium was observed in Xanthosoma sp (45.27± 0.31 mg/100g). High levels of Potassium were observed in all the samples. Tropical Agricultural Research and Extension 15(1): 2012: page 32-36 DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.4038/tare.v15i1.5240
U.S. Truck Driver Anthropometric Study and Multivariate Anthropometric Models for Cab Designs

Objective: This study presents data from a large-scale anthropometric study of U.S. truck drivers and the multivariate anthropometric models developed for the design of next-generation truck cabs. Background: Up-to-date anthropometric information of the U.S. truck driver population is needed for the design of safe and ergonomically efficient truck cabs. Method: We collected 35 anthropometric dimensions for 1,950 truck drivers (1,779 males and 171 females) across the continental United States using a sampling plan designed to capture the appropriate ethnic, gender, and age distributions of the truck driver population. Results: Truck drivers are heavier than the U.S. general population, with a difference in mean body weight of 13.5 kg for males and 15.4 kg for females. They are also different in physique from the U.S. general population. In addition, the current truck drivers are heavier and different in physique compared to their counterparts of 25 to 30 years ago. Conclusion: The data obtained in this study provide more accurate anthropometric information for cab designs than do the current U.S. general population data or truck driver data collected 25 to 30 years ago. Multivariate anthropometric models, spanning 95% of the current truck driver population on the basis of a set of 12 anthropometric measurements, have been developed to facilitate future cab designs. Application: The up-to-date truck driver anthropometric data and multivariate anthropometric models will benefit the design of future truck cabs which, in turn, will help promote the safety and health of the U.S. truck drivers.
Morphine dependence and diabetes. I. The development of morphine dependence in streptozotocin-diabetic rats and spontaneously diabetic C57BL/KsJ mice.

Spontaneously diabetic (db/db) and nondiabetic (db/m+, m+/m+) C57BL/KsJ mice were made dependent by a 9-day exposure to increasing doses of morphine-admixed food. Radioimmunoassay for morphine demonstrated that diabetic mice had significantly greater brain accumulations of morphine than nondiabetic littermates after morphine-admixed food. Despite their greater brain levels of morphine, diabetic mice showed significantly fewer behavioral signs of withdrawal after naloxone, and lost significantly less weight at 60 min after naloxone than their nondiabetic littermates. Streptozotocin-diabetic and nondiabetic rats rendered dependent by a 6-day i.p. infusion of morphine had equal brain levels of morphine, but the diabetic rats showed significantly fewer behavioral signs of withdrawal than nondiabetic rats at 24 and 48 hr after the end of the infusion. These results indicate that spontaneously diabetic mice and streptozotocin-diabetic rats were both significantly less physically dependent upon morphine than their respective nondiabetic controls and support our conclusion that the development of physical dependence upon morphine is reduced in experimental models of diabetes.
Adaptive Airport Strategic Planning

Airport Strategic Planning (ASP) focuses on the development of plans for the long-term development of an airport. The dominant approach for ASP is Airport Master Planning (AMP). The goal of AMP is to provide a detailed blueprint for how the airport should look in the future, and how it can get there. Since a Master Plan is a static detailed blueprint based on specific assumptions about the future, the plan performs poorly if the real future turns out to be different from the one assumed. With the recent dramatic changes occurring in the context in which an airport operates (e.g., low cost carriers, new types of aircraft, the liberalization and privatization of airlines and airports, fuel price developments, the European Emission Trading Scheme), the uncertainties airports face are bound to increase. Hence, there is a great need for finding new ways to deal with uncertainty in ASP. An alternative direction is to develop an adaptive approach that is flexible and over time can adapt to the changing conditions under which an airport most operate. Three adaptive alternatives to AMP have been discussed in the literature. This paper explores these three alternative approaches. Based on this, it concludes that these approaches are complementary and that it might be worthwhile to combine the three into a new, adaptive approach to ASP. A design that integrates the key ideas from the three alternative approaches is presented and illustrated with a case based on Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Hidden and Nonstandard Bifurcation Diagram of an Alternate Quadratic System

Alternate quadratic systems A : xn+1 = 1 − axn2,if n is even 1 − a∗xn2,if n is odd andB : xn+1 = 1 − a∗xn2,if n is even 1 − axn2, if n is odd, where a and a∗ are different parameters, seem to be interval maps in a range of the parameter values. However, after a careful graphical analysis of their bifurcation diagrams we conclude that this is true only for system B, but not for system A. In system A we find a hidden and nonstandard bifurcation diagram (“hidden” because it is not visible at normal resolution and “nonstandard” because the bifurcation diagram is empty for some ranges of the parameter values). The different behavior of the underlying critical polynomial in the range of parameter values in both alternate quadratic systems explains why the hidden and nonstandard bifurcation diagram is present in system A and not in system B. The analysis of the Lyapunov exponent also shows both the existence and the different behavior of the hidden bifurcation diagram of system A.
Karyotype at diagnosis is the major prognostic factor predicting relapse-free survival for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with imatinib-combined chemotherapy

In patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with imatinib-combined chemotherapy, the presence of secondary chromosome aberrations in addition to (t9;22) at diagnosis represents an independent risk factor for relapse. To identify factors associated with relapse-free survival (RFS), 80 patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, enrolled in a phase II study of imatinib-combined chemotherapy, were analyzed. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 26.7 months (maximum, 52.5 months). Twenty-eight out of 77 patients who had achieved CR relapsed. The probability of RFS was 50.5% at 2 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of secondary chromosome aberrations in addition to t(9;22) at diagnosis constitute an independent predictive value for RFS (p=0.027), and increase the risk of treatment failure by 2.8-fold.
Patch testing in Lao medical students

Background Dermatological services in Laos, South East Asia are limited to the capital and patch testing is currently not available, so no data exists regarding the common cutaneous allergens in this population. Objectives The aim of this study was to document common allergens in medical students in Laos. Patients/Materials/Methods One hundred and fifty medical students were patch tested using TRUE Test® panels 1 to 3 (35 allergens). Readings were taken at Days 2 and 4. Results Thirty-eight students (25.3%) had a positive reaction to at least one allergen, accounting for 52 reactions in total. The proportion of the students with positive patch test reading was significantly higher in the female [33/96 (34%)] than in the male [5/54 (9%)], p<0.001. The most common allergens were: nickel (10%), gold (6.6%), thiomersal (6.6%), cobalt dichloride (2%) and p-tert-Butylphenol formaldehyde resin (2%). Balsam of Peru (0.66%), black rubber mix (0.66%), Cl+Me-Isothiazolinone (0.66%), fragrance mix 1 (0.66%), quinolone mix (0.66%), methyldibromo glutaronitrile (0.66%), mercapto mix (0.66%), epoxy resin (0.66%), paraben mix (0.66%), thiuram (0.66%) and wool alcohols (0.66%) accounted for all of the other positive reactions. Conclusion This study represents the first documented patch test results in Lao medical students and in the adult Lao population. The results of this study will inform any future research into contact allergy in Laos and give an insight into the background level of contact sensitivity in this population.
Stress, sense of coherence and emotional symptoms in adolescents

This paper aims to investigate the association between the domains of stress, sense of coherence (SOC) and emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety) in adolescents, as well as the potential moderating role of SOC on the relationship between stress and emotional symptoms. The study is based on a cross-sectional sample of 1183 adolescents aged 13–18 who attend public elementary and secondary schools in Mid-Norway. The results showed that girls scored higher than boys on stress related to peer pressure, home life, school performance, school/leisure conflict and emotional symptoms. Conversely, boys reported higher SOC than girls. Results from multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that for boys, stress related to school performance was positively associated with symptoms of both depression and anxiety, whereas stress from peer pressure was associated with depressive symptoms. For girls, stress from peer pressure, romantic relationships and school was associated with more depressive symptoms. SOC was strongly and inversely associated with emotional symptoms, especially anxiety in girls. SOC also moderated the association between stress related to peer pressure and depressive symptoms in both genders. The study provides evidence of the association of SOC with stress and emotional symptoms during adolescence.
CORRELATION BETWEEN PATIENT OUTCOME AND SPECTRUM OF CT LESIONS IN TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

The study was conducted to observe the spectrum of CT head findings in RTA presenting to a tertiary care hospital and also to correlate the clinical observations on admission with the CT findings using revised trauma score (RTS) (Foreman et al., 2007) and modified Marshall CT grading (Marshall et al., 1991) as well as the outcome of the patient. It was concluded that Modified Marshall CT Score has a strong predictive significance, which, in combination with Revised Trauma Score and papillary status can provide sufficient information regarding the patient management and prognosis. Urgent CT Scan of head in traumatic brain injury patients helps to detect operable mass lesions and improves patient outcome through timely decompressive surgery.
NATURAL SELECTION ON FLORAL TRAITS IN TWO SPECIES OF LOBELIA WITH DIFFERENT POLLINATORS

Using both multivariate and univariate regression techniques, I measured selection acting through female reproductive success in two hermaphroditic species with precise pollen placement but different pollinators: hummingbird‐pollinated Lobelia cardinalis and bumblebee‐pollinated L. siphilitica. Six traits were analyzed in two populations of L. cardinalis and one population of L. siphilitica: flower number, mean number of flowers open per day, inflorescence height, number of days in flower, median‐flower date and nectar‐stigma distance. In another study it was found that female reproductive success in one population of L. cardinalis was much less pollen limited than in the other two populations, and it was therefore expected that selection of female reproductive traits in this population would be weaker. In the univariate analyses correlations caused nearly all traits to have significant directional selection coefficients. However, in the multivariate analyses no traits in L. siphilitica experienced directional or quadratic selection. Selection acted differently in the two L. cardinalis populations. The less pollen‐limited population experienced positive directional selection on flower number and median‐flower date, while in the other L. cardinalis population there was positive directional selection on flower number and nectar‐stigma distance and both positive directional and positive quadratic selection on height. The functional significance of floral traits in these two species and the probable effect of increased sample sizes are discussed.
Protein translocation into host epithelial cells by infecting enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) causes diarrhoea in young children. EPEC induces the formation of actin pedestal in infected epithelial cells. A type III protein secretion system and several proteins that are secreted by this system, including EspB, are involved in inducing the formation of the actin pedestals. We have demonstrated that contact of EPEC with HeLa cells is associated with the induction of production and secretion of EspB. Shortly after infection, EPEC initiates translocation of EspB, and EspB fused to the CyaA reporter protein (EspB–CyaA), into the host cell. The translocated EspB was distributed between the membrane and the cytoplasm of the host cell. Translocation was strongly promoted by attachment of EPEC to the host cell, and both attachment factors of EPEC, intimin and the bundle‐forming pili, were needed for full translocation efficiency. Translocation and secretion of EspB and EspB–CyaA were abolished in mutants deficient in components of the type III protein secretion system, including sepA and sepB mutants. EspB–CyaA was secreted but not translocated by an espB mutant. These results indicate that EspB is both translocated and required for protein translocation by EPEC.
Deep Recurrent Learning for Efficient Image Recognition Using Small Data

DEEP RECURRENT LEARNING FOR EFFICIENT IMAGE RECOGNITION USING SMALL DATA Mahbubul Alam Old Dominion University, 2018 Director: Dr. Khan M. Iftekharuddin Recognition is fundamental yet open and challenging problem in computer vision. Recognition involves the detection and interpretation of complex shapes of objects or persons from previous encounters or knowledge. Biological systems are considered as the most powerful, robust and generalized recognition models. The recent success of learning based mathematical models known as artificial neural networks, especially deep neural networks, have propelled researchers to utilize such architectures for developing bio-inspired computational recognition models. However, the computational complexity of these models increases proportionally to the challenges posed by the recognition problem, and more importantly, these models require a large amount of data for successful learning. Additionally, the feedforward-based hierarchical models do not exploit another important biological learning paradigm, known as recurrency, which ubiquitously exists in the biological visual system and has been shown to be quite crucial for recognition. Consequently, this work aims to develop novel biologically relevant deep recurrent learning models for robust recognition using limited training data. First, we design an efficient deep simultaneous recurrent network (DSRN) architecture for solving several challenging image recognition tasks. The use of simultaneous recurrency in the proposed model improves the recognition performance and offers reduced computational complexity compared to the existing hierarchical deep learning models. Moreover, the DSRN architecture inherently learns meaningful representations of data during the training process which is essential to achieve superior recognition performance. However, probabilistic models such as deep generative models are particularly adept at learning representations directly from unlabeled input data. Accordingly, we show the generalization of the proposed deep simultaneous recurrency concept by developing a probabilistic deep simultaneous recurrent belief network (DSRBN) architecture which is more efficient in learning the underlying representation of the data compared to the state-of-the-art generative models. Finally, we propose a deep recurrent learning framework for solving the image recognition task using small data. We incorporate Bayesian statistics to the DSRBN generative model to propose a deep recurrent generative Bayesian model that addresses the challenge of learning from a small amount of data. Our findings suggest that the proposed deep recurrent Bayesian framework demonstrates better image recognition performance compared to the state-of-the-art models in a small data learning scenario. In conclusion, this dissertation proposes novel deep recurrent learning pipelines, which utilize not only limited training data to achieve improved image recognition performance but also require significantly reduced training parameters.
Serum histidine is lower in fatigued women with multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Background: Disabling persistent perceived fatigue occurs in 50% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but mechanisms are poorly understood. Low histidine could contribute to fatigue since it is the neurotransmitter histamine precursor and low serum levels are reported in other diseases where fatigue is common (e.g. breast cancer, kidney disease, diabetes). Serum histidine is also inversely correlated with proinflammatory cytokines (e.g. TNF, IFN-y), which have been linked to MS fatigue. Purpose: To determine if serum histidine is low in fatigued women with MS, and if histidine is related to differences in proinflammatory cytokines. Methods: Participants were classified as having elevated (n = 19) or normal (n = 18) perceived fatigue based on a median sample split using Profile of Mood States fatigue scale scores, with the elevated fatigue group having scores >7. Histidine and gene-expression of TNF, IFN-y, and leptin were assayed from a serum sample. Results: After adjustment for depression, serum histidine was significantly lower in women with MS with elevated fatigue, compared to normal fatigue (64.57 vs. 70.48 nmol/mL, p = .048, g = 0.75). There were no differences between groups in cytokine expression (all p > .24). Gene expression of TNF correlated with histidine only in people with normal fatigue (r = .51, p = .034), while no other cytokines related to histidine levels. Conclusions: These results provide evidence that serum histidine is lower in fatigued women with MS, but the study did not find a relationship between histidine and TNF, IFN-y, or leptin gene expression.
Identification and Characterization of Differentially Expressed Genes in Denervated Muscle

Denervation results in a series of changes in skeletal muscle. To elucidate the molecular basis underlying these changes, it is important to identify the profile of altered gene expression in skeletal muscle following nerve injury. In the present study, we have examined the differentially expressed genes in denervated gastrocnemius muscle using RNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR. Eight differentially expressed mRNA transcripts have been identified. A bilateral regulatory profile can be observed for the up-regulated genes in both denervated and contralateral control muscle following unilateral sciatic nerve injury. The temporal expression profiles of the denervation-regulated genes in muscle during development, together with their dependency on nerve activity, suggest potential functional roles following nerve injury in vivo. In particular, the identification of two apoptosis-related genes in denervated muscle provides molecular evidence that the apoptotic process is likely to be involved in the intricate changes that lead to muscle atrophy. Our findings not only allow the identification of novel genes, but also suggest possible functions for some known genes in muscle following nerve injury. Taken together, these findings provide important insights into our understanding of the molecular events in denervated muscle and suggest that the differentially expressed genes may play potential roles during muscle denervation and regeneration.