Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of conservation agriculture technology on household welfare in Zambia

This article examines the determinants and impact of conservation agriculture (CA) technology adoption on farm household welfare in Zambia. To account for selection bias from both observable and unobservable factors, an endogenous switching regression model is employed to estimate the impact of the technology on continuous outcomes like farm output, throughput accounting ratio (TAR), poverty gap, and severity of poverty. A recursive bivariate probit model is however used for the estimation of impact of adoption on a binary outcome like poverty headcount. The empirical findings demonstrate that the adoption of CA technology increases maize output, and farm TAR and reduces household poverty. Moreover, the results reveal that farmers’ years of schooling, social networks, access to credit, extension services, and machinery as well as soil quality positively influence adoption of CA technology.
Cardiac autonomic regulation after moderate and exhaustive exercises.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the recovery kinetics of cardiac autonomic regulation after acute exercises related to exercise intensity. Firstly, eight healthy subjects performed two kinds of constant load exercises at the work rate corresponding to 20% and 100% of the individual ventilatory threshold (VT) in addition to the exhaustive incremental exercise using a cycle ergometer. Blood pressure (BP) and oxygen uptake (VO2) were measured during 9 to 10 min after the exercises as well as the beat-by-beat recording of R-R intervals. Coarse graining spectral analysis (CGSA) was applied to heart rate variability (HRV) data sets of 5 min before exercise, last 5 min during exercise, and 8 to 10 min after exercise. The low frequency (0-0.15 Hz; LO) and the high frequency (0.15-0.5 Hz: HI) areas under power spectra were calculated for evaluating sympathetic (LO/HI) and vagal (HI) activities. The recovery for 10 min was sufficient to settle both VO2 and BP even after the exhaustion. Comparing to the pre-exercise value, however, HI was still suppressed until 10 min after the 100% VT exercise (522 +/- 300 vs. 122 +/- 63 msec2, p less than 0.05) while it was recovered at 10 min after the 20% VT one (353 +/- 122 vs. 487 +/- 159msec2). Secondly, six healthy subjects performed an incremental cycle exercise until exhaustion. The R-R intervals were monitored beat-by-beat during 30 min after exercise. The CGSA was applied to every five min data set of HRV during recovery phase. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A novel method for building height estmation using TanDEM-X data

The main goal of the German TanDEM-X mission (TDM) is the provision of a global digital elevation model (DEM) at the unique spatial resolution of ~12m, which, compared to other freely available DEMs [e.g., STRM-DEM (90m), ASTER-GDEM (30m)], holds the potential to discriminate objects above the ground as, e.g., buildings. Accordingly, in this paper we present a novel unsupervised method for automatically estimating local height variations in built-up areas by means of the TanDEM-X DEM. In the first step, we identify points lying on the ground surface by means of a dedicated algorithm. In particular, the basic idea is that pixels associated with potential infrastructural elements can be identified and then excluded by analyzing the relative change in elevation with respect to their neighbors (indeed they locally exhibit greater height values with respect to ground pixels). Next, the remaining samples are used to generate a digital terrain model (DTM) of the investigated region by employing the Natural Neighbors (NN) interpolation algorithm. The local building height is finally estimated by subtracting the DTM from the original DEM. Preliminary experimental results obtained for the area of Dongying (China) which includes the Yellow River Delta (YRD) assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach and its potential to provide a reliable indication of the overall distribution of building height at large scale.
The protective effect of alpha lipoic acid against traumatic brain injury in rats

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was induced by a weight-drop device using 300 g–1 m weight-height impact. The study groups were: control, alpha-lipoic acid (LA) (100 mg/kg, po), TBI, and TBI + LA (100 mg/kg, po). Forty-eight hours after the injury, neurological scores were measured and brain samples were taken for histological examination or determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) levels, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Na+-K+ ATPase activities, whereas cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β) were determined in blood. Brain oedema was evaluated by wet–dry weight method and blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability was evaluated by Evans Blue (EB) extravasation. As a result, neurological scores mildly increased in trauma groups. Moreover, TBI caused a significant decrease in brain GSH and Na+-K+ ATPase activity, which was accompanied with significant increases in TBARS level, MPO activity and plasma proinflammatory cytokines. LA treatment reversed all these biochemical indices as well as histopathological alterations. TBI also caused a significant increase in brain water content and EB extravasation which were partially reversed by LA treatment. These findings suggest that LA exerts neuroprotection by preserving BBB permeability and by reducing brain oedema probably by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in the TBI model.
De Novo Transcriptome Analysis for Kentucky Bluegrass Dwarf Mutants Induced by Space Mutation

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is a major cool-season turfgrass requiring frequent mowing. Utilization of cultivars with slow growth is a promising method to decrease mowing frequency. In this study, two dwarf mutant selections of Kentucky bluegrass (A12 and A16) induced by space mutation were analyzed for the differentially expressed genes compared with the wild type (WT) by the high-throughput RNA-Seq technology. 253,909 unigenes were obtained by de novo assembly. 24.20% of the unigenes had a significant level of amino acid sequence identity to Brachypodium distachyon proteins, followed by Hordeum vulgare with 18.72% among the non-redundant (NR) Blastx top hits. Assembled unigenes were associated with 32 pathways using KEGG orthology terms and their respective KEGG maps. Between WT and A16 libraries, 4,203 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, whereas there were 883 DEGs between WT and A12 libraries. Further investigation revealed that the DEG pathways were mainly involved in terpenoid biosynthesis and plant hormone metabolism, which might account for the differences of plant height and leaf blade color between dwarf mutant and WT plants. Our study presents the first comprehensive transcriptomic data and gene function analysis of Poa pratensis L. , providing a valuable resource for future studies in plant dwarfing breeding and comparative genome analysis for Pooideae plants.
Psychosocial factors and chronic fatigue syndrome

Synopsis This study investigated the number and severity of life events, Type A behaviour, coping strategies and social support differences between chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome patients prior to illness and between these groups and healthy controls. Although few differences were found between the groups for life events, a number of interesting results emerged with regard to different aspects of Type A behaviour, various coping strategies and social support. These findings are discussed with respect to existing research in the field.
Stroke patients and their attitudes toward mHealth monitoring to support blood pressure control and medication adherence.

BACKGROUND Mobile health, or mHealth, has increasingly been signaled as an effective means to expedite communication and improve medical regimen adherence, especially for patients with chronic health conditions such as stroke. However, there is a lack of data on attitudes of stroke patients toward mHealth. Such information will aid in identifying key indicators for feasibility and optimal implementation of mHealth to prevent and/or decrease rates of secondary stroke. Our objective was to ascertain stroke patients' attitudes toward using mobile phone enabled blood pressure (BP) monitoring and medication adherence and identify factors that modulate these attitudes. METHODS Sixty stroke patients received a brief demonstration of mHealth devices to assist with BP control and medication adherence and a survey to evaluate willingness to use this technology. RESULTS The 60 participants had a mean age of 57 years, were 43.3% male, and 53.3% were White. With respect to telecommunication prevalence, 93.3% owned a cellular device and 25% owned a smartphone. About 70% owned a working computer. Regarding attitudes, 85% felt comfortable with a doctor or nurse using mHealth technologies to monitor personal health information, 78.3% believed mHealth would help remind them to follow doctor's directions, and 83.3% were confident that technology could effectively be used to communicate with health care providers for medical needs. CONCLUSIONS Mobile device use is high in stroke patients and they are amenable to mHealth for communication and assistance in adhering to their medical regimens. More research is needed to explore usefulness of this technology in larger stroke populations.
Donor and recipient selection leads to good patient and graft outcomes for right lobe split transplantation versus whole graft liver transplantation in adult recipients

The outcomes of right lobe split (RLS) liver transplantation are variable in adult recipients. This report is an analysis of outcomes of our initial 5‐year experience with the right lobe trisegment split graft. A retrospective analysis was performed of the recipient and graft outcomes from July 2002 to March 2007 of all adult recipients of RLS grafts versus recipients of whole grafts (WGs). All data were analyzed with Stata version 8 (Stata Corp., Texas). There were 43 (19.1%) RLS recipients and 182 (80.9%) WG recipients. The median Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease score was 13 (7‐23) in the RLS group and 18 (6‐50) in the WG group (P < 0.001). Hepatocellular carcinoma and primary sclerosing cholangitis were more common in the RLS group (P < 0.05), whereas alcoholic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis C were more common in the WG group. The median donor age was lower in the RLS group at 39 (13‐61) years versus the WG group at 47 (12‐79) years (P < 0.001). Primary nonfunction occurred in 1.6% of the WG patients only. Biliary complications occurred in 28% of the RLS patients versus 28% of the WG patients. Vascular complications occurred in 18% of the RLS patients versus 14% of the WG patients. The retransplantation rate was similar at 2.3% in the RLS group versus 4.9% in the WG group (P = not significant). Overall 3‐year recipient survival was 92.7% in the RLS group versus 82.7% in the WG group (P = 0.284). Graft survival was 88.4% in the RLS group at 3 years versus 78.5% in the WG group (P = 0.304). In conclusion, good outcomes can be achieved with RLS liver transplantation in adult recipients without a detrimental effect on recipient or graft survival. Liver Transpl 15:1586–1593, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Structure of the musculus uvulae: functional and surgical implications of an anatomic study.

OBJECTIVE The role of the musculus uvulae in velopharyngeal function, its morphologic status in cleft palate, and its fate in palatoplasty procedures are subjects of controversy. The aims of this investigation were to re-examine this velar muscle to clarify its anatomic characteristics, to analyze its role in speech physiology, and to study the surgical implications of this information for cleft palate repair. METHODS Its attachments, morphology, and relations were examined in 18 fresh human adult cadavers by detailed dissection under 3.2x magnification and light microscopy. RESULTS The musculus uvulae was observed to be a paired midline muscle extending between the tensor aponeurosis anteriorly and the base of the uvula posteriorly along the nasal aspect of the velum. It had no attachments to the hard palate. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that its action is to increase midline bulk on the nasal aspect of the velum, thus contributing to the levator eminence. It may also have an extensor effect on the nasal aspect of the velum, displacing it toward the posterior pharyngeal wall. Both of these actions would serve to maximize midline velopharyngeal contact. One clinical application of this anatomic information is that the muscle should be preserved in the dissection performed during intravelar veloplasty. Furthermore, it should be recognized that the musculus uvulae is invariably divided and reoriented incorrectly in the Furlow double opposing Z-plasty.
Angelman syndrome: Mutations influence features in early childhood

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a lack of expression of the maternal copy of UBE3A. Although the “classic” features of AS are well described, few large‐scale studies have delineated the clinical features in AS. We present baseline data from 92 children with a molecular diagnosis of AS between 5 and 60 months old who are enrolled in the National Institutes of Health Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network Angelman Syndrome Natural History Study from January 2006 to March 2008. Seventy‐four percent of participants had deletions, 14% had either uniparental disomy (UPD) or imprinting defects, and 12% had UBE3A mutations. Participants with UPD/imprinting defects were heavier (P = 0.0002), while those with deletions were lighter, than the general population (P < 0.0001). Twenty out of 92 participants were underweight, all of whom had deletions or UBE3A mutations. Eight out of 92 participants (6/13 (46%) with UPD/imprinting defects and 2/11 (18%) with UBE3A mutations) were obese. Seventy‐four out of 92 participants (80%) had absolute or relative microcephaly. No participant was macrocephalic. The most common behavioral findings were mouthing behavior (95%), short attention span (92%), ataxic or broad‐based gait (88%), history of sleep difficulties (80%), and fascination with water (75%). Frequent, easily provoked laughter was observed in 60%. Clinical seizures were reported in 65% of participants but all electroencephalograms (EEGs) were abnormal. We conclude that the most characteristic feature of AS is the neurobehavioral phenotype, but specific EEG findings are highly sensitive for AS. Obesity is common among those with UPD/imprinting defects. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ATP concentrations in multicellular tumor spheroids assessed by single photon imaging and quantitative bioluminescence.

To evaluate the interrelationship among the cellular energy status and the development of necrosis in tumor microregions, local ATP concentrations and the extent of necrosis were determined in multicellular tumor spheroids, i.e., in spherical tumor cell aggregates. The spheroids were grown in rotated suspension cultures using EMT6 cells that were derived from a murine mammary sarcoma. The distribution of viable and necrotic cell areas was assessed by histological investigations. The regional distribution of ATP concentrations was measured with a novel technique using quantitative bioluminescence and single photon imaging. This method makes it possible to determine ATP concentrations in absolute terms with a spatial resolution at the level of a single cell. The results show that ATP concentrations in the center of EMT6 spheroids decrease from values of 1.0 to 1.5 mM in small spheroids with 300 microns in diameter to values close to or at the background level in 750 microns spheroids. Necrosis was detectable in spheroids larger than 300 microns, and virtually no spheroid without necrosis was found at sizes larger than 600 microns. Since the emergence of central necrosis precedes the drop in ATP to undetectably low values, the data suggest that energy metabolism is not or not directly involved in the development of necrosis in tumor spheroids under the growth conditions investigated.
Effects of KTP laser irradiation, diode laser, and LED on tooth bleaching: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE This in vitro study examines the whitening efficacy of a light-emitting diode (LED), a diode laser, and a KTP laser irradiation in dental bleaching by analyzing the change in color achieved from the treatment, the temperature increase induced in the pulpal cavity, as well as enamel microhardness measurement after treatment. BACKGROUND DATA Bleaching techniques achieved significant advances with the use of coherent or incoherent radiation sources to activate the bleaching agents. METHODS A hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent, Hi-Lite, was stimulated with an LED, a 980-nm diode laser at 0.8 W, or a 532-nm KTP laser at 1.0 W for 30 sec on 64 extracted human incisors. During irradiation, the temperature in the pulpal cavity was monitored. The color change was evaluated using the CIE L*a*b* color space measurement system, and Vikers enamel microhardness was tested after treatment. RESULTS A mean total color difference value (DeltaE*) greater than 5.0 was obtained in each group. KTP-laser-induced bleaching gave a significantly higher DeltaL* (8.35) after treatment (p < 0.01). Neither LED nor the two lasers produced significant differences in the enamel microhardness after treatment (p > 0.01). Mean maximal pulpal temperature rise was 2.95 degrees C for LED, 3.76 degrees C for KTP laser, and 7.72 degrees C for diode laser, respectively. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that KTP laser is effective at providing brighter teeth. According to the conditions used in this study, the LED and KTP laser induced a safer pulpal temperature increase when assisted with Hi-Lite bleaching gel.
Quality of life in patients with severe and stable coronary atherosclerotic disease.

Background: There are few data on the factors decreasing quality of life (QoL) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) before a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Objective: To associate clinical variables with QoL scores in patients with stable CAD before the PCI and with unfavorable outcomes, 12 months after the procedure. Methods: The present is a longitudinal study of 78 patients (43 men and 35 women), before an elective PCI. The associations between the QoL scores (SF-36 questionnaire) and age, sex, weight, body mass index, diabetes mellitus (DM), arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, current smoking, previous cardiovascular event or PCI, glycemia control and blood pressure (BP) were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. We also analyzed the associations between the clinical features and the unfavorable outcomes (death due to any cause, heart failure or nonfatal infarction). The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The medians of the QoL scores were < 70 percentage in all domains. Female sex, age < 60 years, previous cardiovascular event or PCI, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m², DM and high BP were associated with a higher degree of impairment of at least one QoL score. Female sex (OR: 7.19; 95%CI: 1.55 - 33.36; p = 0.012), previous cardiovascular event (OR: 3.97; 95%CI: 1.01 - 15.66; p = 0.049) and PCI failure (OR: 10.60; 95%CI: 1.83 - 61.46; p = 0.008) were associated with increased risk of combined outcome. Conclusion: In the presence of CAD, women and patients with comorbidities present a higher degree of QoL impairment. The unfavorable outcomes 12 months after the PCI are associated with the female sex, previous event or procedure failure. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2010; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0)
Learning-by-Doing in Emerging Market Multinationals: Integration, Trial and Error, Repetition, and Extension

We analyze learning-by-doing and how emerging market multinationals use it to upgrade their capabilities. Building on an in-depth case study, we present two novel arguments. First, we clarify the concept of learning-by-doing by identifying four distinct processes in which learning-by-doing occurs: Integration, whereby the firm incorporates external knowledge and coordinates multiple sources of knowledge to undertake an activity; trial and error, whereby the firm attempts a new activity until it succeeds; repetition, whereby the firm improves the activity by undertaking it multiple times; and extension, whereby the firm takes on a larger and more complex activity. Second, we extend our understanding of how the country of origin influences firm behavior by explaining how particular characteristics of emerging markets (few specialized providers, relative knowledge isolation, rapid market growth, and increasing consumer sophistication) strengthen the relationships between the four learning-by-doing processes and the upgrading of capabilities to international levels.
Performance measurement scale for facilities management service in Lagos-Nigeria

Purpose Literature established that applicable parameters must be used in determining facilities management (FM) performance in any market; otherwise, findings could be confusing and misleading. This is particularly relevant to Nigeria where FM application is in its infancy and seriously constrained by particular socio-economic conditions which make it prone to crises situations such as frequent power outages and surges, abundance of fake and adulterated construction materials and equipment, heavy presence of unqualified artisans, poor transparency and terribly chaotic and unpredictable traffic to mention a few. Hence, this research aims to identify contextual parameters for evaluating performance of FM service in office buildings in Lagos, reflecting these peculiarities. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts survey design, using self-administered questionnaires that were served on building occupants. Means and standard deviation were used in the analyses. Factor analysis was used in identifying the important factors or constructs and to confirm the practical significance of the measures. Findings The study developed a multi-item scale of 41 measures for evaluating performance of facilities managers in offices in Lagos, Nigeria. The scale comprises three major dimensions, i.e. “financial”, “quality of service” and “crises response and management”. Using factor analysis, the study identified five important factors, two of which (comprising ten new measures) have not been featured in previous studies. Practical implications The developed performance measurement scales (PMS) can be applied to FM performance evaluation, management and control in the Nigerian context. The PMS and identified factors would also aid FM policy formulation, resource allocation and facilities review. Originality/value The research is considered the first to develop a PMS for FM in office facilities in Lagos, Nigeria. The new factors and measures that were uncovered in the study makes it possible to evaluate the Nigerian facility manager’s ability to manage the near-crises challenges imposed by the peculiar socio-economic context. Furthermore, the scale adopts simplistic financial success criteria, which makes it relevant and easy to use for the poor financial record disclosing and research-averse Nigerian audience. It is also more relevant to the less strategic and more operational task-based Nigerian FM context and by extension, to the context of other developing countries with similar socio-economic features.
Pseudomonas mesophilica infections in humans

Reported here is the case of a patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung who had bacteremia involving Pseudomonas mesophilica. Of the common laboratory media tested at 35 degrees C, buffered charcoal yeast extract agar and nutrient agar provided the best growth; however, other media supported growth at lower temperatures. Since blood cultures are routinely subcultured onto chocolate agar and then incubated at 35 degrees C, awareness of the characteristics of P. mesophilica and of the isolation techniques as outlined may enhance the recovery of this and related bacterial species.