Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Municipal Solid Waste Quantification , Characterization and Management in Rajam

-----------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT---------------------------------------------------------To plan effectively and successfully manage the solid wastes, proper quantification and characterization are essential. Recovery from solid waste is an important aspect where as disposal is only the final option. Recovery of methane from landfills is rarely practiced in India. Solid waste management from Rajam, a municipality in Srikakulam district , AP is considered in the present study where there is a potential for huge generation of solid waste generation but not following the proper management practices. Systematic studies are conducted in Rajam for quantification, determination of composition, study of route analysis and recovery value from solid wastes. Rajam is generating 9000 kg/day of solid waste with per capita waste generation of 0.214 kg/day, 74% food wastes with average density of 320 kg/m 3 and estimated methane gas generation of 180 m3/tonne of waste. Due to high biodegradable content (6.66 tonnes/day), compost and biogas generation options are studied. Optimum distribution of biodegradable solid waste among these two options is studied. A combination of 4.66 tonnes for composting and 2 tonnes for landfilling with net recovery of Rs 12,846 per day is suggested. The recovery value of non-biodegradable items such as paper and plastic are also studied. It is found that, Rajam can make a recovery of Rs 53,73,165 per year excluding the construction and operation cost incurred for establishment of compost plant and landfill biogas collection system. Improvements to the route analysis are suggested to reduce the number of trips of collection.
Robust Designs in Noninferiority Three-Arm Clinical Trials With Presence of Heteroscedasticity

In this article, we describe an adjusted method to facilitate a noninferiority trial using a three-arm robust design. Because local optimal designs derived by Hasler et al. require knowledge about the ratios of the population variances and are not necessarily robust with respect to possible misspecifications, we adopt a maximin approach. This method requires only the specification of an interval for the variance ratios and yields robust and efficient designs. We demonstrate that a maximin optimal design depends only on the boundary points specified for the variance ratios’ intervals and we obtain numerical and analytical solutions which are demonstrated in several examples. The derived designs are robust and very efficient for statistical analysis in noninferiority three-arm trials.
L2 Teachers' Reasons and Perceptions for Using or Not Using Computer Mediated Communication Tools in Their Classroom

This study is an effort to explore Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions about integrating Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools in teaching and learning English and reasons they choose or avoid utilizing such tools in the classroom. 100 male and female English teachers with BA, MA, or PhD degree participated in this survey. A questionnaire was used for the purpose of the study. The findings reveal that the majority of teachers were positive towards computer mediated teaching. They asserted that CMC tools are time, energy, and money saving; interesting for the students; reduces cultural barriers by facilitating exposure to the authentic materials; enables teachers to encourage students beyond the limit of time and space; and enables learners to learn at their own pace. The results of the correlational analysis shows that the better teachers were at working with computers the more they showed positive attitudes towards applying technology in their teaching practice.
Mortality, CD4 cell count decline, and depressive symptoms among HIV-seropositive women: longitudinal analysis from the HIV Epidemiology Research Study.

CONTEXT The impact of depression on morbidity and mortality among women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has not been examined despite the fact that women with HIV have substantially higher rates of depression than their male counterparts. OBJECTIVE To determine the association of depressive symptoms with HIV-related mortality and decline in CD4 lymphocyte counts among women with HIV. DESIGN The HIV Epidemiologic Research Study, a prospective, longitudinal cohort study conducted from April 1993 through January 1995, with follow-up through March 2000. SETTING Four academic medical centers in Baltimore, Md; Bronx, NY; Providence, RI; and Detroit, Mich. PARTICIPANTS A total of 765 HIV-seropositive women aged 16 to 55 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES HIV-related mortality and CD4 cell count slope decline over a maximum of 7 years, compared among women with limited or no depressive symptoms, intermittent depressive symptoms, or chronic depressive symptoms, as measured using the self-report Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. RESULTS In multivariate analyses controlling for clinical, treatment, and other factors, women with chronic depressive symptoms were 2 times more likely to die than women with limited or no depressive symptoms (relative risk [RR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-3.8). Among women with CD4 cell counts of less than 200 x 10(6)/L, HIV-related mortality rates were 54% for those with chronic depressive symptoms (RR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.6-11.6) and 48% for those with intermittent depressive symptoms (RR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.1-10.5) compared with 21% for those with limited or no depressive symptoms. Chronic depressive symptoms were also associated with significantly greater decline in CD4 cell counts after controlling for other variables in the model, especially among women with baseline CD4 cell counts of less than 500 x 10(6)/L and baseline viral load greater than 10 000 copies/microL. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that depressive symptoms among women with HIV are associated with HIV disease progression, controlling for clinical, substance use, and sociodemographic characteristics. These results highlight the importance of adequate diagnosis and treatment of depression among women with HIV. Further research is needed to determine if treatment of depression can not only enhance the mental health of women with HIV but also impede disease progression and mortality.
Visualization of Small-Diameter Vessels by Reduction of Incoherent Reverberation With Coherent Flow Power Doppler

Power Doppler (PD) imaging is a widely used technique for flow detection. Despite the wide use of Doppler ultrasound, limitations exist in the ability of Doppler ultrasound to assess slow flow in the small-diameter vasculature, such as the maternal spiral arteries and fetal villous arteries of the placenta and focal liver lesions. The sensitivity of PD in small vessel detection is limited by the low signal produced by slow flow and the noise associated with small vessels. The noise sources include electronic noise, stationary or slowly moving tissue clutter, reverberation clutter, and off-axis scattering from tissue, among others. In order to provide more sensitive detection of slow flow in small diameter vessels, a coherent flow imaging technique, termed coherent flow PD (CFPD), is characterized and evaluated with simulation, flow phantom experiment studies, and an in vivo animal small vessel detection study. CFPD imaging was introduced as a technique to detect slow blood flow. It has been demonstrated to detect slow flow below the detection threshold of conventional PD imaging using identical pulse sequences and filter parameters. In this paper, we compare CFPD with PD in the detection of blood flow in small-diameter vessels. The results from the study suggest that CFPD is able to provide a 7.5-12.5-dB increase in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over PD images for the same physiological conditions and is less susceptible to reverberation clutter and thermal noise. Due to the increase in SNR, CFPD is able to detect small vessels in high channel noise cases, for which PD was unable to generate enough contrast to observe the vessel.
The Impact of Transformational Leadership Practices on Job Satisfaction of PHEI Lecturers

Past research have provide considerable support that transformational leadership have a positive impact on organizations and in particular are proven to provide benefits in term of higher job satisfaction of employees and performance in general. This paper aims to empirically investigate the relationship between transformational leadership of the CEO / principal and the job satisfaction of lecturers in private higher educational institutions (PHEI). Multiple Regression Analysis was employed to test this relationship and it was found that the results provided an extent of support to the main hypothesis. Thus, to a certain extent, in the case of private higher educational institutions CEOs / Principals that implement transformational leadership do have an impact on job satisfaction. Main implications are discussed and directions for future research are also provided.
Chronic depression as a model disease for cerebral aging

Conceptualizations of the underlying neurobiology of major depression have changed their focus from dysfunctions of neurotransmission to dysfunctions of neurogenesis and neuroprotection. The “neurogenesis hypothesis of depression” posits that changes in the rate of neurogenesis are the underlying mechanism in the pathology and treatment of major depression. Stress, neuroinflammation, dysfunctional insulin regulation, oxidative stress, and alterations in neurotrophic factors possibly contribute to the development of depression. The influence of antidepressant therapies, namely pharmacotherapy and neuroprotectants, on cellular plasticity are summarized. A dysfunction of complex neuronal networks as a consequence of neural degeneration in neuropsychiatric diseases has led to the application of deep brain stimulation. We discuss the way depression seen in the light of the neurogenesis hypothesis can be used as a model disease for cerebral aging. A common pathological mechanism in depression and cerebral aging—a dysfunction of neuroprotection and neurogenesis—is discussed. This has implications for new treatment methods.
Porphyrin-Sensitized Solar Cells with Cobalt (II/III)–Based Redox Electrolyte Exceed 12 Percent Efficiency

Simultaneous modification of the dye and redox shuttle boosts the efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell. The iodide/triiodide redox shuttle has limited the efficiencies accessible in dye-sensitized solar cells. Here, we report mesoscopic solar cells that incorporate a Co(II/III)tris(bipyridyl)–based redox electrolyte in conjunction with a custom synthesized donor-π-bridge-acceptor zinc porphyrin dye as sensitizer (designated YD2-o-C8). The specific molecular design of YD2-o-C8 greatly retards the rate of interfacial back electron transfer from the conduction band of the nanocrystalline titanium dioxide film to the oxidized cobalt mediator, which enables attainment of strikingly high photovoltages approaching 1 volt. Because the YD2-o-C8 porphyrin harvests sunlight across the visible spectrum, large photocurrents are generated. Cosensitization of YD2-o-C8 with another organic dye further enhances the performance of the device, leading to a measured power conversion efficiency of 12.3% under simulated air mass 1.5 global sunlight.
A novel breathiness feature for analysis and classification of speech under stress

This work explores the effect of breathiness component on speech under stress. The breathiness component in a speech signal can be estimated using different features such as period perturbation quotient (PPQ), amplitude perturbation quotient (APQ), harmonic to noise ratio (HNR), glottal to noise excitation ratio (GNER), harmonic energy (HE), harmonic energy of residue (HER) and harmonic to signal ratio (HSR). Statistical analysis of these features shows that they have different mean and variance values for speech under stress. The performance of breathiness features is evaluated using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for classification of speech under stress. The results show that the breathiness features successfully characterize the speech under stress. The performance of breathiness features is compared with the MFCC feature. Finally, a speech under stress classification method is proposed with the combination of breathiness and MFCC features. In terms of classification rates, the proposed combined feature outperforms the MFCC feature.
A kinetic evaluation of the effects of in vivo loading on running shoes.

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of repeated in vivo loading on shock attenuation and mediolateral stability of running shoes using ground reaction force data. Six healthy subjects were each given a new pair of running shoes and asked to run 140 km between each of four experimental sessions. Ground reaction force data were collected for 10 successful trials/session using an A.M.T.I. force platform system. The mean values for selected ground reaction force parameters were evaluated using a single subject repeated measures design based on a 95% confidence interval. Mean parameter group data were also evaluated. The results support previous findings that material properties of the systems evaluated deteriorated resulting in a loss of shock absorbing capabilities (7.3%) but the magnitudes of the losses were far less than previously reported results (23-40%). The reason for this discrepancy is presumed to be the result of the different loading and evaluation methods used in the present study. The results also suggest that these changes are not totally deleterious since foot control seems to improve as cushioning is lost and foot control accounts for at least half of running shoe related injuries. A further implication of these results is that the initial "feel" or performance characteristics of a shoe may be misleading since reasonable functional changes appear to occur during the initial 300-400 km of wear.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1988;10(2):47-53.
Asymmetric Type F Botulism with Cranial Nerve Demyelination

We report a case of type F botulism in a patient with bilateral but asymmetric neurologic deficits. Cranial nerve demyelination was found during autopsy. Bilateral, asymmetric clinical signs, although rare, do not rule out botulism. Demyelination of cranial nerves might be underrecognized during autopsy of botulism patients.
Comparison of Smartphone Ophthalmoscopy With Slit-Lamp Biomicroscopy for Grading Vertical Cup-to-Disc Ratio

Purpose of the Study:The purpose of the study was to determine the agreement between smartphone ophthalmoscopy and slit-lamp indirect biomicroscopy when assessing vertical cup-to-disc ratios (VCDRs). Materials and Methods:This was a clinical-based, prospective, comparative instrument study performed in 110 patients with ocular hypertension (OH) or primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Patients underwent estimation of VCDR by undilated smartphone ophthalmoscopy and slit-lamp biomicroscopy by 2 masked glaucoma specialists. Results:The differences between the mean VCDR estimations obtained by each techniques were not statistically significant. Overall exact agreement between the 2 modalities was found in 21 of 29 eyes (72.4%; simple &kgr;=0.63, confidence interval, 0.52-0.73, P<0.001) in POAG patients and in 52 of 78 eyes (66.7%) in OH patients. The optic nerve head was not gradable with smartphone ophthalmoscopy in 1 eye with POAG and in 2 eyes with OH because of media opacities and/or small pupil diameter. Conclusions:Smartphone ophthalmoscopy showed substantial agreement with slit-lamp examination for the estimation of the VCDR. The ubiquitous diffusion of the smartphones, together with their connectivity and portability features, enables an extensive benefit for this technology to be used in glaucoma screening, especially in low-resource settings.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 membrane fusion mediated by a laboratory-adapted strain and a primary isolate analyzed by resonance energy transfer

Previous studies of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein-mediated membrane fusion have focused on laboratory-adapted T-lymphotropic strains of the virus. The goal of this study was to characterize membrane fusion mediated by a primary HIV-1 isolate in comparison with a laboratory-adapted strain. To this end, a new fusion assay was developed on the basis of the principle of resonance energy transfer, using HeLa cells stably transfected with gp120/gp41 from the T-lymphotropic isolate HIV-1LA1 or the macrophage-tropic primary isolate HIV-1JR-FL. These cells fused with CD4+ target cell lines with a tropism mirroring that of infection by the two viruses. Of particular note, HeLa cells expressing HIV-1JR-FL gp120/gp41 fused only with PM1 cells, a clonal derivative of HUT 78, and not with other T-cell or macrophage cell lines. These results demonstrate that the envelope glycoproteins of these strains play a major role in mediating viral tropism. Despite significant differences exhibited by HIV-1JR-FL and HIV-1LAI in terms of tropism and sensitivity to neutralization by CD4-based proteins, the present study found that membrane fusion mediated by the envelope glycoproteins of these viruses had remarkably similar properties. In particular, the degree and kinetics of membrane fusion were similar, fusion occurred at neutral pH and was dependent on the presence of divalent cations. Inhibition of HIV-1JR-FL envelope glycoprotein-mediated membrane fusion by soluble CD4 and CD4-IgG2 occurred at concentrations similar to those required to neutralize this virus. Interestingly, higher concentrations of these agents were required to inhibit HIV-1LAI envelope glycoprotein-mediated membrane fusion, in contrast to the greater sensitivity of HIV-1LAI virions to neutralization by soluble CD4 and CD4-IgG2. This finding suggests that the mechanisms of fusion inhibition and neutralization of HIV-1 are distinct.
Transfemoral aortic valve implantation in pure native aortic valve insufficiency using the repositionable and retrievable lotus valve

Transfemoral aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for the treatment of pure native aortic insufficiency is not routine clinical practice. Absent cusp calcification, missing landmarks in combination with no perfect valve control during release with first‐generation TAVI devices resulted in a high rate for need of a second valve or relevant residual aortic insufficiency. We report the first case with a native pure aortic valve insufficiency at high surgical risk successfully treated by implantation of the repositionable and completely retrievable Lotus valve, resulting in a well‐controlled and safe procedure with no residual aortic insufficiency. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Morphometric and immunohistochemical characterization of the intimal layer throughout the arterial system of elderly humans

The purpose of the present study was to obtain insight into the natural development of adaptive intimal thickening and atherosclerosis in the arterial tree of human species. The morphometry and composition of the intimal layer were studied in the arterial system of elderly individuals. Post mortem, a total of 703 arterial segments were dissected from 24 subjects (age 81.9 ± 9.9 years). From each subject, segments were dissected from 31 different arteries. Area stenosis [(plaque area/vessel area) × 100%] was determined in each segment. By (immuno)histochemistry, lipid content and the presence of inflammatory cells (macrophages) were assessed in the coronary, common carotid, brachial, radial and internal iliac arteries. Adaptive intimal thickening or advanced atherosclerosis was observed in all studied artery types. Area stenosis was highest in the coronary arteries (median, 30%) and lowest in the arteries supplying the brain (median, ≤ 7%). Plaques hiding a lipid‐rich core and plaques with macrophage infiltration were observed in all five selected artery types. In summary, the present observation demonstrates that intimal thickening is a systemic process involving most artery types. Within elderly humans, features of advanced atherosclerotic disease, a lipid‐rich core and macrophages, can be observed in the intimal layer of artery types that are recognised for their relation with clinical syndroms as well as artery types that remain clinically silent.
Fatal diffuse influenzal pneumonia: premortem diagnosis by lung biopsy.

Primary viral pneumonia is an uncommon but serious complication of influenzal infection. Pathologic changes in the lungs due to the virus per se are commonly obsecured by secondary bacterial infection. An extensive disseminated influenzal pneumonia in a 40-year-old woman was associated with intractable hypoxemia despite intensive supportive care, including continuous positive pressure breathing, hypothermia and adrenal corticosteroids. Open lung biopsy early in the course of the disease showed pathologic changes attributable to “pure” virus pneumonia free from bacterial superinfection at that time. Death eventually occurred from secondary bacterial and fungal pneumonia demonstrated at autopsy.
Exploratory spatial data analysis of regional seroprevalence of antibodies against epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus in cattle from Illinois and Indiana.

OBJECTIVE To estimate seroprevalence of antibodies against the serogroup of epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses (EHDVs) and describe spatial distribution of antibodies against EHDV among cattle herds in Illinois and western Indiana. SAMPLE POPULATION 9,414 serum samples collected from cattle in 60 herds over 3 transmission seasons. PROCEDURES Serum samples were tested for antibodies against EHDV by use of an ELISA. Seroprevalence for 4 zones covering the length of Illinois and parts of Indiana were estimated. A multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model with a random effect for herd was used to estimate seropositive risk for zone (1 through 4), age (yearling, adult), herd type (beef, dairy), transmission season (2000 to 2002), and zone by year interaction. Isopleth maps of seroprevalence at the herd level were produced. RESULTS Antibodies against EHDV were detected in 1,110 (11.8%) samples. Estimated seroprevalence in 2000, 2001, and 2002 was 15.3%, 13.4%, and 5.2%, respectively. Seroprevalence was highest in the southernmost zone and lowest in the northernmost zone, but risk of seropositivity for EHDV among and within zones varied by year. Clusters of high seroprevalence in the south, low seroprevalence in the north, and outliers of high and low seroprevalence were detected. Risk mapping revealed areas of higher seroprevalence extending northward along the western and eastern ends of the study region. CONCLUSIONS Seroprevalence of antibodies against EHDV in cattle was higher in the south than north; however, local complexities existed that were not observed in a serosurvey of antibodies against bluetongue virus from the same cattle population.