Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Natal and Perinatal Outcomes for Twins and Singleton Pregnancy at Maternity Hospitals in Baghdad City : A Comparative Study

Objective: A comparative study aims to assess the Natal and Perinatal outcomes for Twins and Singleton Pregnancy at Maternity Hospitals in Baghdad city. Methodology: A descriptive, cross sectional study, using comparative approach between two groups (twins and Singleton Pregnancy) was carried out from 22 th April, 2016 to 25 th August, 2016. To achieve the objectives of study a purposive sample of (50) singleton laboring women, and (50) twins laboring women was selected from delivery rooms at five Hospitals in Baghdad city. The questionnaire validity was determined through a panel of experts. The reliability was estimated through a pilot study. The data was analyzed through the application of descriptive and inferential statistics approaches. Results: The result showed that the majority of both groups were young women (20-30) years, live in urban areas, had primary school graduated, housewives, and no consanguinity with their husbands. The majority of singleton pregnancy women had no abortion, while (60%) of twin pregnancy women had (1) abortion in their life, and nearly half of singleton and twin pregnancy women did not visit primary health care center regularly. Concerning to the complication during pregnancy, the findings indicated that a small percentage of singleton and twin pregnancy women were suffering from anemia, pregnancy induced hypertension, get gestational diabetes, Pre mature rupture membrane, and Pre mature labor. Regarding to the current delivery characteristics, two third (66%) of singleton pregnancy women had normal delivery, while the majority (76%) of twin pregnancy women, cesarean section was done to them. Regarding to the Apgar scores, the result indicated that the majority of newborns in both groups were the Apgar score was between (7-10) degrees. Also, the result indicated that the majority of twin pregnancy women, cesarean section were done to them. The most important complications during labor are that (26%); (56%) of singleton and twin pregnancy women were suffering from mal presentation respectively. Recommendations: The study recommend the importance of continuous health education program to the pregnant women during their visit to the primary health care center is necessary, emphasize the importance of regular visits to singleton pregnancy women and especially to twin pregnancy women, and planned delivery for pregnancy women especially twin pregnant women in all maternity hospitals for a safe delivery is recommended. Keyword: Assessment, Natal, Perinatal, Outcomes, Twin pregnancy, Singleton pregnancy
Effect of Calcium on Moving‐Bed Biofilm Reactor Biofilms

The effect of calcium concentration on the biofilm structure, microbiology, and treatment performance was evaluated in a moving‐bed biofilm reactor. Three experiments were conducted in replicate laboratory‐scale reactors to determine if wastewater calcium is an important variable for the design and optimization of these reactors. Biofilm structural properties, such as thickness, oxygen microprofiles, and the composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were affected by increasing calcium concentrations. Above a threshold concentration of calcium between 1 and 50 mg/L, biofilms became thicker and denser, with a shift toward increasingly proteinaceous EPS at higher calcium concentrations up to 200 mgCa2+/L. At 300 mgCa2+/L, biofilms were found to become primarily composed of inorganic calcium precipitates. Microbiology was assessed through microscopy, denaturing grade gel electrophoresis, and enumeration of higher organisms. Higher calcium concentrations were found to change the bacterial community and promote the abundant growth of filamentous organisms and various protazoa and metazoan populations. The chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency was improved for reactors at calcium concentrations of 50 mg/L and above. Reactor effluents for the lowest calcium concentration (1 mgCa2+/L) were found to be turbid (>50 NTU), as a result of the detachment of small and poorly settling planktonic biomass, whereas higher concentrations promoted settling of the suspended phase. In general, calcium was found to be an important variable causing significant changes in biofilm structure and reactor function.
The Comparison of The Efficacy and The Confidence of The Vasodilator Therapy With Felodipine And Lisinopril in Chronic , Moderate to Severe Aortic Regurgitation

Gülten TAÇOY, Murat ÖZDEMIR, Yusuf TAVIL, Sedat TÜRKOGLU, Atiye ÇENGEL Gazi Üniversity Medical Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Ankara. SUMMARY Purpose: Afterload reduction decreases volume overload on the left ventricle in chronic asymptomatic aortic regurgitation (AR). In this prospective, randomized trial, we aimed to compare the effects of a 6-months long treatment with lisinopril versus felodipine on left ventricular function and hemodynamic parameters. Methods: 41 asymptomatic patients with moderate to severe chronic, isolated AR were randomly assigned to treatment with either lisinopril (20 mg) or felodipin (10 mg). Echocardiographic ([ESV], [EDV], [EF], [FSV], [LVSV], [RV], [RF], [FCO], [LVCO], [SW], [CW], [LVWS]) and hemodynamic parameters [SBP], [DBP], [SVR]) at baseline and at 6 months were compared. Results: At 6 months, with lisinopril, SBP 8,9 %, DBP 5,9 %, SVR 16,7 %, RV 8,4 %, RF 11 %, SW 6 %, CW 7.2 % decreased and FSV 11,2 %, LVSV 3 % increased (p<0.05). With felodipine, SBP 11,3 %, DKB 9,4 %, SVR 17,3 %, RF 9,7 %, SW 10,8 %, CW 8,9 % decreased and FSV 5,6 % increased ( p < 0.05). At the end of 6 months, the increase in FSV was significantly greater in the lisinopril group (p < 0.05) and the increase in heart rate was significantly greater in the felodipin group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In chronic asymptomatic AR, a 6-months long treatment with either lisinopril or felodipin is associated with similar effects as assessed by echocardiography. The only difference in between the two drugs is a more profound increase in FSV with lisinopril and a more profound increase in HR with felodipin. Whether this difference makes any clinical sense needs confirmation with a larger population and a longer follow-up.
CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROGENITOR SYSTEM OF THE TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA 2014J FROM PRE-EXPLOSION HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING

We constrain the properties of the progenitor system of the highly reddened Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2014J in Messier 82 (M82; d ≈ 3.5 Mpc). We determine the supernova (SN) location using Keck-II K-band adaptive optics images, and we find no evidence for flux from a progenitor system in pre-explosion near-ultraviolet through near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. Our upper limits exclude systems having a bright red giant companion, including symbiotic novae with luminosities comparable to that of RS Ophiuchi. While the flux constraints are also inconsistent with predictions for comparatively cool He-donor systems (T ≲ 35,000 K), we cannot preclude a system similar to V445 Puppis. The progenitor constraints are robust across a wide range of RV and AV values, but significantly greater values than those inferred from the SN light curve and spectrum would yield proportionally brighter luminosity limits. The comparatively faint flux expected from a binary progenitor system consisting of white dwarf stars would not have been detected in the pre-explosion HST imaging. Infrared HST exposures yield more stringent constraints on the luminosities of very cool (T < 3000 K) companion stars than was possible in the case of SN Ia 2011fe.
Spontaneous immortalization of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells.

AIM To establish and characterize a spontaneously immortalized human dermal microvascular endothelial cell line, iHDME1. METHODS We developed a spontaneous immortalization method. This approach is based on the application of optimized culture media and culture conditions without addition of any exogenous oncogenes or carcinogens. Using this approach, we have successfully established a microvascular endothelial cell line, iHDME1, from primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. iHDME1 cells have been maintained in culture dishes for more than 50 passages over a period of 6 mo. Using a GFP expressing retrovirus, we generated a GFP-stable cell line (iHDME1-GFP). RESULTS iHDME1 retain endothelial morphology and uniformly express endothelial markers such as VEGF receptor 2 and VE-cadherin but not α-smooth muscle actin (α-SM-actin) and cytokeratin 18, markers for smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells respectively. These cells retain endothelial properties, migrate in response to VEGF stimulation and form 3-D vascular structures in Matrigel, similar to the parental cells. There is no significant difference in cell cycle profile between the parental cells and iHDME1 cells. Further analysis indicates enhanced stemness in iHDME1 cells compared to parental cells. iHDME1 cells display elevated expression of CD133 and hTERT. CONCLUSION iHDME1 cells will be a valuable source for studying angiogenesis.
Robust maximum principle

In the beginning of the paper a short survey of development of the maximum principle is considered. In conclusion a sufficient condition of optimality in the form of the regular synthesis is formulated. This sufficient condition was recently obtained by the author. Under that condition all marked trajectories are robust optimal in the sense of termination. The robust optimality is essential for engineering problems
Method based on physical optics for the computation of the radar cross section including diffraction and double effects of metallic and absorbing bodies modeled with parametric surfaces

A method to compute the monostatic radar cross section (RCS) of complex bodies modeled by nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces is presented. The bodies can be covered by any kind of radar absorbing material (RAM) with electric and/or magnetic losses. Physical optics (PO) is used to obtain the scattered field of each surface. Fresnel coefficients are included in the stationary phase method (SPM) in order to take into account the effect of the RAM material. The contribution of diffraction by edges and double effects is also considered, improving the results of the PO approach. The diffraction is computed by the equivalent current method (ECM). A combination of geometrical optics (GO) with PO and ECM is used for the double reflection and double interaction between edges and surfaces respectively. Some simple cases are shown to validate the proposed method. The reliability of the method to analyzing the effect of covering a realistic target with RAM is also illustrated.
Modeling daily flowering probabilities: expected impact of climate change on Japanese cherry phenology

Understanding the drivers of phenological events is vital for forecasting species’ responses to climate change. We developed flexible Bayesian survival regression models to assess a 29‐year, individual‐level time series of flowering phenology from four taxa of Japanese cherry trees (Prunus spachiana, Prunus × yedoensis, Prunus jamasakura, and Prunus lannesiana), from the Tama Forest Cherry Preservation Garden in Hachioji, Japan. Our modeling framework used time‐varying (chill and heat units) and time‐invariant (slope, aspect, and elevation) factors. We found limited differences among taxa in sensitivity to chill, but earlier flowering taxa, such as P. spachiana, were more sensitive to heat than later flowering taxa, such as P. lannesiana. Using an ensemble of three downscaled regional climate models under the A1B emissions scenario, we projected shifts in flowering timing by 2100. Projections suggest that each taxa will flower about 30 days earlier on average by 2100 with 2–6 days greater uncertainty around the species mean flowering date. Dramatic shifts in the flowering times of cherry trees may have implications for economically important cultural festivals in Japan and East Asia. The survival models used here provide a mechanistic modeling approach and are broadly applicable to any time‐to‐event phenological data, such as plant leafing, bird arrival time, and insect emergence. The ability to explicitly quantify uncertainty, examine phenological responses on a fine time scale, and incorporate conditions leading up to an event may provide future insight into phenologically driven changes in carbon balance and ecological mismatches of plants and pollinators in natural populations and horticultural crops.
Miliary Tuberculosis as a Cause of Acute Empyema

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis are known, life-threatening complications of miliary tuberculosis. This report describes a patient with miliary tuberculosis who rapidly developed an acute tuberculous empyema. She had a fulminant course culminating in ARDS, sepsis and subsequent death. This case highlights the rare association of acute empyema with miliary tuberculosis.
Generalisations of the Gilmore-Gomory Traveling Salesman Problem and the Gilmore-Gomory Scheme: a Survey

One of the first and perhaps the most well-known polynomially solvable special case of the traveling salesman problem (TSP) is the Gilmore-Gomory case (G-G TSP). Gilmore and Gomory presented an interesting patching algorithm for this case with a fairly non-trivial proof of its validity. Their work has motivated a great deal of research in the area leading to various generalisations of their results and thereby identification of fairly large polynomially solvable subclasses of the TSP. These results form a major portion of the literature on solvable cases of the TSP. In this paper, we survey the main results on solvable cases of the TSP which are direct generalisations of the G-G TSP and/or the Gilmore-Gomory patching scheme.
Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in non-Typhi serotypes of Salmonella enterica.

BACKGROUND Serious infections with Salmonella species are often treated with fluoroquinolones or extended-spectrum beta-lactams. Increasingly recognized in Enterobacteriaceae, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance is encoded by qnr genes. Here, we report the presence of qnr variants in human isolates of non-Typhi serotypes of Salmonella enterica (hereafter referred to as non-Typhi Salmonella) from the United States National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria. METHODS All non-Typhi Salmonella specimens from the United States National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria collected from 1996 to 2003 with ciprofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentrations > or = 0.06 microg/mL (233 specimens) and a subset with minimum inhibitory concentrations < or = 0.03 microg/mL (102 specimens) were screened for all known qnr genes (A, B, and S) by polymerase chain reaction. For isolates with positive results, qnr and quinolone resistance-determining region sequences were determined. Plasmids containing qnr genes were characterized by conjugation or transformation. RESULTS Conjugative plasmids harboring qnrB variants were detected in 7 Salmonella enterica serotype Berta isolates and 1 Salmonella enterica serotype Mbandaka isolate. The S. Mbandaka plasmid also had an extended-spectrum beta -lactamase. Variants of qnrS on nonconjugative plasmids were detected in isolates of Salmonella enterica serotype Anatum and Salmonella enterica serotype Bovismorbificans. CONCLUSIONS Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance appears to be widely distributed, though it is still uncommon in non-Typhi Salmonella isolates from the United States, including strains that are quinolone susceptible by the criteria of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (formerly the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards). The presence of this gene in non-Typhi Salmonella that causes infection in humans suggests potential for spread through the food supply, which is a public health concern.
Successful management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a Jehovah's Witness without plasma exchange

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a hematologic emergency characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Plasma exchange is the standard treatment. Treating TTP without plasma exchange is a challenge. Due to religious beliefs, Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept transfusions of blood products. We report a case of successful treatment of TTP in a Jehovah's Witness using plasma exchange with albumin replacement. J. Clin. Apheresis 30:46–49, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Design of wideband single feed truncated corner microstrip patch antennas for circularly polarized applications

Several single feed truncated corner circularly polarized microstrip antennas with different substrate thickness are studied. It is found that the axial ratio bandwidth could be enhanced considerably when a thicker substrate is used, provided that a U-slot and/or L-probe are used to tune the impedance matching. One of the configurations attains an axial ratio bandwidth (Lt3dB) of about 14% within the impedance matching band when the substrate thickness is about 0.2lambdao.
Formation of high-quality CdS and other II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals in noncoordinating solvents: tunable reactivity of monomers.

Semiconductor nanocrystals are of great interest for both fundamental research and industrial development. [1, 2] The lack of adequate synthetic methods for nanocrystals of the desired quality is currently a bottleneck in this field. [3] The relatively successful approaches, including the organometallic approach[4±8] and its alternatives,[9±13] are exclusively performed in coordinating solvents. Evidently, only a few compounds can act as the coordinating solvents,[11] and this makes it extremely challenging to identify a suitable reaction system for growing high-quality nanocrystals in most cases. Here we show that noncoordinating solvents not only are compatible with the synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals, but also provide tunable reactivity of the monomers by simply varying the concentration of ligands in the solution. The tunable reactivity of the monomers provides a necessary balance between nucleation and growth, which is the key for control over the size and size distribution of the resulting nanocrystals. [5] In practice, such tunability has great potential to promote the synthesis of various semiconductor nanocrystals to the level of that of the well-developed CdSe N N
CANTOS Trial Validates the Inflammatory Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis: Setting the Stage for a New Chapter in Therapeutic Targeting.

> Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning . > > —Winston Churchill The CANTOS trial (Canakinumab Anti-Inflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study) provides intriguing support for the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis and cancer in man, demonstrating diverse clinical benefits of inhibiting IL (interleukin)-1β for cardiovascular events and lung cancer. Limited effects on cardiovascular mortality and safety concerns raised by a higher incidence of fatal infection warrant further studies to identify patient subgroups which profit most from anti-inflammatory therapy and a careful pursuit of alternative targets. Abundant evidence from experimental and clinical studies has lend strong support to the hypothesis that inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease in conjunction with or beyond elevated lipid levels; however, ultimate proof by selective anti-inflammatory treatment in a clinical trial remained elusive for decades. This has now changed with the results of the CANTOS, a double-blind trial involving high-risk patients with prior myocardial infarction (MI) and a residual inflammatory response (defined by hsCRP [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein] levels >2 mg/L despite intensive statin therapy), who were randomized to canakinumab (50, 150, or 300 mg every 3 months) or placebo.1 Canakinumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting IL-1β as the master cytokine of innate immunity, dose dependently reduced hsCRP and IL-6 levels by ≤43% from baseline. At 150 mg (but not the other doses), canakinumab significantly lowered the risk for the primary (MI, stroke, cardiovascular death) and secondary end points (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85 and 0.83, respectively). Adversely, canakinumab was associated with leukopenia and a higher incidence of fatal infection. Whereas no significant difference in all-cause or cardiovascular mortality was observed, canakinumab strikingly reduced cancer mortality (exploratory results indicating HR 0.23, for lung cancer), supporting a role of inflammation in cancer progression. …
Role of Glutamine Depletion in Directing Tissue-specific Nutrient Stress Responses to L-Asparaginase*

l-Asparaginase is important in the induction regimen for treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cytotoxic complications are clinically significant problems lacking mechanistic insight. To reveal tissue-specific molecular responses to this drug, mice were administered asparaginase from either Escherichia coli (clinically used) or Wolinella succinogenes (novel, glutaminase-free form). Both enzymes abolished serum asparagine, but only the E. coli form reduced circulating glutamine. E. coli asparaginase reduced protein synthesis in liver and spleen but not pancreas via increased phosphorylation of the translation factor eIF2. In contrast, treatment with Wolinella caused no untoward changes in protein synthesis in any tissue examined. Treating mice deleted for the eIF2 kinase, GCN2, with the E. coli enzyme showed eIF2 phosphorylation to be GCN2-dependent, but only initially. Furthermore, although eIF2 phosphorylation was not increased in the pancreas or by Wolinella asparaginase, expression of the amino acid stress response genes, asparagine synthetase and CHOP/GADD153, increased as a result of both enzymes, even in tissues demonstrating no change in eIF2 phosphorylation. Finally, signaling downstream of the mammalian target of rapamycin kinase was repressed in liver and pancreas by E. coli but not Wolinella asparaginase. These data demonstrate that the nutrient stress response to asparaginase is tissue-specific and exacerbated by glutamine depletion. Importantly, increased expression of asparagine synthetase and CHOP does not require eIF2 phosphorylation, signifying alternate or auxiliary means of inducing gene expression under conditions of amino acid depletion in the whole animal.
Osmotic priming methodologies in relation to the physiological performance of rangpur lime seeds (Citrus limonia Osbeck)

3 ABSTRACT - Several mechanisms have been used to promote rapid germination of citrus seeds and uniform seedling emergence. We evaluated the effects of osmotic priming on the physiological performance of Rangpur lime seeds (Citrus limonia Osbeck). Seeds were treated with 30 g of Captan and 10 g of Tecto 600 in 20-litre batches and stored, without drying, at 10 °C and 50% relative humidity for periods of 3, 6 and 9 months. After each period, seeds were primed at 25 oC, in the light, by immersion in poliethylenoglicol (pEG 6000), potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ) and 70% pEG 6000 plus 30% KNO 3 , all at an osmotic potential of -1.1Mpa, for priming periods of 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. percentage germination, tray emergence and the emergence rate index (ERI) were evaluated. priming in pEG 6000 solution, independent of priming period, or in KNO 3 or pEG 6000 plus KNO 3 for up to 9 days, were efficient at improving the physiological performance of seeds stored for up to 3 months. Osmotic priming appears to be a promising technique for improving the physiological quality of Rangpur lemon seeds.