Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Iterative methods for photoacoustic tomography in attenuating acoustic media

The development of efficient and accurate reconstruction methods is an important aspect of tomographic imaging. In this article, we address this issue for photoacoustic tomography. To this aim, we use models for acoustic wave propagation accounting for frequency dependent attenuation according to a wide class of attenuation laws that may include memory. We formulate the inverse problem of photoacoustic tomography in attenuating medium as an ill-posed operator equation in a Hilbert space framework that is tackled by iterative regularization methods. Our approach comes with a clear convergence analysis. For that purpose we derive explicit expressions for the adjoint problem that can efficiently be implemented. In contrast to time reversal, the employed adjoint wave equation is again damping and, thus has a stable solution. This stability property can be clearly seen in our numerical results. Moreover, the presented numerical results clearly demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the derived iterative reconstruction algorithms in various situations including the limited view case.
Caffeine increases parasympathetic reactivation without altering resting and exercise cardiac parasympathetic modulation: A balanced placebo design

Abstract The sympathicotonic effect of caffeine is strongly evidenced in the literature. However, the effects of caffeine or caffeine expectancy on the cardiac parasympathetic modulation remain obscure. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine consumption and expectancy of caffeine consumption on the cardiac parasympathetic modulation under different stress conditions. Twenty-one physically active men (22.3 ± 2.9 years, 25.2 ± 2.7 kg/m2) consumed ∼3 mg/kg of caffeine received as caffeine, caffeine as placebo, placebo as placebo and placebo as caffeine. Parasympathetic modulation was assessed by heart rate variability (HRV-Poincaré SD1 index) at supine and orthostatic positions, during a submaximal exercise (HRV threshold-HRVT) and during each 60 seconds (s) within 300 s of post-exercise active recovery. A factorial ANOVA for repeated measures (p < 0.05) was used to assess the effect of caffeine, expectancy and resting time after caffeine intake on the HRV. No significant effect of caffeine or expectancy was observed on the SD1 value at supine or standing positions (p = 0.47–0.53; p = 0.57–0.31, respectively), despite an increase in this variable after resting periods in both positions (p < 0.001). During exercise, caffeine and expectancy do not alter the HRVT (p = 0.51–0.39). However, higher SD1 values were observed after caffeine administration from 60 to 300 s post-exercise recovery (p = 0.01–0.05) but not for the effects of expectancy (p = 0.19–0.94). We concluded that low doses of caffeine or expectancy do not alter the resting cardiac parasympathetic modulation or HRVT. However, caffeine, but not expectancy, increases parasympathetic reactivation after a submaximal exercise test in young men.
Effects of Thermal Modification on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Douglas-Fir Heartwood

The flexural properties, mass losses, and moisture behavior of thermally modified Douglas-fir pretreated with boron or glycerol were examined. Pretreatments were associated with slight, but not significant, reductions in modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of Douglas-fir at different thermal treatment levels. Boron pretreatment had the greatest effect on MOR. MOR of non-pretreated and boron-treated samples increased slightly at the initial stage of thermal treatment and then decreased with rising temperature and time. The MOR of glycerol-treated samples decreased with increasing temperature and time. The thermal treatments employed had no significant effect on MOE. Both temperature and pretreatments improved anti-swell efficiency. Further studies are underway to characterize the nature of the chemical changes associated with the thermal modification process.
Prevalence of Hiv Infection Among Pregnant Women Attending Ajiko Medical Clinic, Damaturu, Nigeria

Human immunodeficiency viruses causes HIV infection in humans belongs to two species of Lentivirus. It damages the cells of immune system which leads to weak immune system and the ability to fight from infections and diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence rate of HIV infection among pregnant women of different age groups attending Ajiko medical clinic, Damaturu, Nigeria. The prevalence rate was maximum (12.5%) in 36-45 age group and minimum (5%) in 26-35 age group but their was no HIV infection in 15-25 age group. The overall prevalence rate among pregnant women was 4%. General knowledge , training and campaigns of HIV prevention need to be tailored towards older women of age group 36-45 because of high prevalence rate.
Microcredit Repayment among Smallholder Farmers: What Microfinance Institutions Need to Know

Microcredit default among borrowers has been rising in recent years but empirical evidence to ascertain the factors determining repayment remain lacking especially in developing countries like Ghana. This study contributes to addressing this knowledge gap. The study used data of 224 microcredit borrowers from Ada West and Ada East districts to analyse factors determining repayment rate among smallholder farmer borrowers. Applying the logistic regression model, farmer and credit specific characteristics were used to analyse the determinants of microcredit repayment. From the logistic regression, age, gender, income, and number of dependants increase the likelihood of repayment. However, membership of farmer based organization, experience, interest rate, and duration of loan repayment negatively influences loan repayment. The study also found delays in loan disbursement resulted in loan use for unproductive ventures and repayment challenges. In addition, lack of training for borrowers on credit management, and investment procedures adversely impacted on loan repayment. The paper recommends that MFIs should institute measures to train borrowers on loan utilization, focus on women clients, since they have higher probability of repayment, reduce interest rate as well as putting in place mechanisms to reduce cost of operations.
Stochastic rate-dependent elasticity and failure of soft fibrous networks

This work focuses on modeling the rate-sensitive stiffening-to-softening transition in fibrous architectures mimicking crosslinked fibrous actin (F-actin) networks induced by crosslink unbinding. Using finite element based discrete network (DN) modeling combined with stochastic crosslink scission kinetics, we correlate the microstructural damage evolution with the macroscopic stress–strain responses of these networks as a function of applied deformation rate. Simulations of multiple DN realizations for fixed filament density indicate that an incubation strain exists, which characterizes the minimum macroscopic deformation that a network should accrue before damage initiates. This incubation strain exhibits a direct relationship with the applied strain rate. Simulations predict that the critical damage fraction corresponding to colossal softening is quite low, which may be ascribed to the network non-affinity and filament reorientation. Furthermore, this critical fraction appears to be independent of applied strain rate. Based on these characteristics, we propose a phenomenological damage evolution law mimicking scission kinetics in an average sense. This law is embedded within an existing continuum model that is extended to include non-affine effects induced by filament bending.
Capital-Skill Complementarity? Evidence from a Panel of Countries

Since Griliches (1969), researchers have been intrigued by the idea that physical capital and skilled labor are more complementary than physical capital and unskilled labor. In this paper we consider the cross-country evidence for capital-skill complementarity using a time-series cross-section panel of 73 developed and less developed countries over a 25-year period. We focus on three empirical issues. First, what is the best specification of the aggregate production technology to address the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis? Second, how should we measure skilled labor? Finally, is there any cross-country evidence in support of the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis? Our main finding is that there is some empirical support for the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis in our macro panel data set.
Dimensional Changes of Facial Soft Tissue Associated with Rapid Palatal Expansion

DIMENSIONAL CHANGES OF FACIAL SOFT TISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID PALATAL EXPANSION Peter C Longo, DDS Marquette University, 2014 Introduction: Orthodontic treatment demands excellent outcomes in both function and esthetics. Despite the popularity of rapid palatal expansion in orthodontic treatment, few studies have examined its consequences on facial soft tissue using direct anthropometric measurements. The primary goal of this study was to determine facial soft tissue changes immediately following rapid palatal expansion. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight patients (age range, 8-17 years) attending Marquette Dental School Orthodontic Post-Graduate Clinic were enrolled in the study. Facial soft tissue measurements were taken with digital calipers at two separate time points (T0: initial exam and T1: thirty days following expansion); measurements were recorded with patients sitting in the orthodontic chair in centric occlusion, with Frankfurt Horizontal plane parallel to the floor, and observing a relaxed-lip posture. One examiner took 18 measurements at two different time points (T0 and T1), and was blinded from the initial reading when the second round of measurements were taken. Descriptive statistics were performed and a paired t-test was used to compare measurements taken at the two time points. Regressions models were also conducted to determine the influence of age on the results. Results: Pearson’s correlation coefficient, was found to be r = 0.998. This indicates nearly a one-to-one correspondence in the measurements taken at the two time points by the same examiner. Between the two time points, there was a statistically significant difference in intraorbital width, alar nasal width-widest nostrils, mouth width and soft tissue nasion at the tip of nose (p < 0.001). Anatomical structures closest to the facial midline appear to be most affected. Statistically significant increase included mouth width, nasal width, orbital width and the length of the soft tissue nose from nasion to the tip of the nose. All points that showed significant differences were directly related to rapid palatal expansion and were independent of age as determined via regression modeling. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that from a frontal perspective, rapid palatal expansion results in statistically significant facial soft tissue changes. Further assessment is needed to determine if these values are of clinical significance.
Intensification of agriculture in the south-eastern Pampas I . Capture and efficiency in the use of water and radiation in double-cropped wheat – soybean

The production of dry matter and grain depends on the ability of crops to capture resources. On an annual basis, farming systems centred on single crops waste large proportions of key inputs including incoming solar radiation and rainfall. Intensive farming involving multiple crops per year could improve resource capture and productivity. Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between output (biomass or grain yield) and annual input of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) or rainfall. This paper tested the hypotheses that (i) wheat–soybean (Triticum aestivum L. and Glycine max (L.) Merr. , respectively) double cropping increases resource productivity in relation to single crops through improved capture and efficiency in the use of resources, and (ii) the link between radiation(RUE) and water-use efficiency (WUE) previously established for sole crops remain when scaling up to double cropping. Sequential and relay wheat–soybean double crops were compared with sole crops during 2 years in the south-eastern Pampas of Argentina. Water and radiation productivity (RP) were analysed as the product between proportion of resources captured by crops and the efficiency in the use of resources to produce plant material, i.e. RUE, and WUE. Responses of resource productivity to cropping strategy were generally similar for dry matter and grain yield. Differences between sequential and relay wheat–soybean double crops were minor. On an annual basis (i.e. from 1 May to 30 April), both water and RP were higher in double crops than in sole crops. This was largely related to improved capture of resources. On a seasonal basis (i.e. from sowing to physiological maturity), however, double and sole crops had similar water productivity whereas RP was lower for double crops, intermediate for soybean and higher for wheat. The impact of double cropping on resource capture was much larger for water than for radiation. The fraction of annual precipitation captured by crops increased from 0.26 to 0.51 in sole crops to 0.53 to 0.71 in double crops, whereas the capture of annual PAR increased from 0.24 to 0.31 to 0.38 to 0.44. The differential impact of double cropping on the capture of resources reflects the difference between storable (water) and non-storable resources (radiation). In agreement with our proposition, water use efficiency was closely associated with radiation use efficiency. For our conditions, further improvement in farming systems based on multiple cropping should target practices to enhance capture of radiation. # 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ocean acidification does not affect the early life history development of a tropical marine fish.

Determining which marine species are sensitive to elevated CO2 and reduced pH, and which species tolerate these changes, is critical for predicting the impacts of ocean acidification on marine biodiversity and ecosystem function. Although adult fish are thought to be relatively tolerant to higher levels of environmental CO2, very little is known about the sensitivity of juvenile stages, which are usually much more vulnerable to environmental change. We tested the effects of elevated environmental CO2 on the growth, survival, skeletal development and otolith (ear bone) calcification of a common coral reef fish, the spiny damselfish Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Newly hatched juveniles were reared for 3 wk at 4 different levels of PCO2(seawater) spanning concentrations already experienced in near-reef waters (450 µatm CO2) to those predicted to occur over the next 50 to 100 yr in the IPCC A2 emission scenario (600, 725, 850 µatm CO2). Elevated PCO2 had no effect on juvenile growth or survival. Similarly, there was no consistent variation in the size of 29 different skeletal elements that could be attributed to CO2 treatments. Finally, otolith size, shape and symmetry (between left and right side of the body) were not affected by exposure to elevated PCO2, despite the fact that otoliths are composed of aragonite. This is the first comprehensive assessment of the likely effects of ocean acidification on the early life history development of a marine fish. Our results suggest that juvenile A. polyacanthus are tolerant of moderate increases in environmental CO2 and that further acidification of the ocean will not, in isolation, have a significant effect on the early life history development of this species, and perhaps other tropical reef fishes.
Genome-Wide Meta-analysis of Gene–Environmental Interaction for Insulin Resistance Phenotypes and Breast Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women

Insulin resistance (IR)–related genetic variants are possibly associated with breast cancer, and the gene–phenotype–cancer association could be modified by lifestyle factors including obesity, physical inactivity, and high-fat diet. Using data from postmenopausal women, a population highly susceptible to obesity, IR, and increased risk of breast cancer, we implemented a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in two steps: (1) GWAS meta-analysis of gene–environmental (i.e., behavioral) interaction (G*E) for IR phenotypes (hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance) and (2) after the G*E GWAS meta-analysis, the identified SNPs were tested for their associations with breast cancer risk in overall or subgroup population, where the SNPs were identified at genome-wide significance. We found 58 loci (55 novel SNPs; 5 index SNPs and 6 SNPs, independent of each other) that are associated with IR phenotypes in women overall or women stratified by obesity, physical activity, and high-fat diet; among those 58 loci, 29 (26 new loci; 2 index SNPs and 2 SNPs, independently) were associated with postmenopausal breast cancer. Our study suggests that a number of newly identified SNPs may have their effects on glucose intolerance by interplaying with obesity and other lifestyle factors, and a substantial proportion of these SNPs’ susceptibility can also interact with the lifestyle factors to ultimately influence breast cancer risk. These findings may contribute to improved prediction accuracy for cancer and suggest potential intervention strategies for those women carrying genetic risk that will reduce their breast cancer risk.
Optimal resource allocation for opportunistic spectrum access in multiple-input multiple-output -orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based cooperative cognitive radio networks

In this study, the problem of resource allocation in multiple-input multiple-output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing-based cooperative cognitive radio networks is considered. The cooperation strategies between the secondary users is the decode-and-forward (DF) strategies. In order to obtain an optimal subcarrier pairing, relay assignment and power allocation in the system, the dual decomposition technique is recruited. The optimal resource allocation is realised under the individual power constraints in source and relays, so that the sum rate is maximised, whereas the interference induced to the primary system is kept below a pre-specified interference temperature limit. Moreover, because of the high computational complexity of the optimal approach, a suboptimal algorithm is further proposed. The joint allocation of the resources in suboptimal algorithm is carried out taking into account the channel qualities, the DF cooperation strategy, the interference induced to the primary system and the individual power budgets. The performance of the different approaches and the impact of the constraint values and deploying multiple antennas at users are discussed through the numerical simulation results.
Where to live in Lisbon: urban habitat used by the introduced Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus)

Exotic animal invasions constitute a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. Our assessment determined the core range occupied by the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) in the urban area of Parque das NaÃ§Ãµes (Lisbon, Portugal), where it was accidentally introduced two decades ago. Des-pite the apparent current scenario of non-expansion, the alien species interferes with the local distribution pattern of the native P. virescens, with both lizard species shown to use the available microhabitats differently. The native P. virescens population displays an overall heterogeneous distribution in the urban matrix. On the other hand, the occupancy of the exotic species clusters within the original area of introduction (garden in front of the Lisbon Oceanarium), as well as in adjacent gardens. There, P. siculus replaced the native P. virescens as the only lizard species present. Appa-rently, there is no known reason there that prevents the alien lizard from colonizing more available geographic area and expanding.
Predictors of mortality in children with nosocomial bloodstream infection

ABSTRACT Background: Nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI) is associated with high mortality rates. Evaluating factors to predict mortality is important for prevention and improving clinical outcomes. Aim: To evaluate the clinical predictors of mortality in paediatric nosocomial bloodstream infection. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from 1 December 2010 until 28 February 2013 in a teaching hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. All patients admitted consecutively to the paediatric ICU (PICU) and paediatric wards after > 48 h of hospitalisation were eligible. Patients were observed daily to identify the presence of nosocomial BSI based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. Patients were followed up until they were discharged or died, and predictors of mortality were identified. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors. Results: A total of 2646 patients were recruited, 170 developed nosocomial BSI (6.4%) and 70 of these children died (case fatality rate 41%). Nosocomial BSI was associated with increased mortality with an adjusted OR of 8.5 (95% CI 6.0–12.1). In multivariate analysis, malnutrition, admission to the PICU and use of a central line catheter were independently associated with an increased risk of death with adjusted ORs (95% CI), respectively, of 6.0 (1.6–22.6), 3.2 (1.6–6.7) and 3.1 (1.1–8.7). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that significant mortality is attributable to nosocomial bloodstream infection. An increased risk of death in children with nosocomial BSI can be identified by simple clinical predictors including malnutrition, admission to the PICU and use of a central line catheter.
ENETIC MARKERS OF STRIATAL DOPAMINE PREDICT INDIVIDUAL IFFERENCES IN DYSFUNCTIONAL, BUT NOT FUNCTIONAL MPULSIVITY

bstract—Various psychiatric disorders are characterized by levated levels of impulsivity. Although extensive evidence upports a specific role of striatal, but not frontal dopamine DA) in human impulsivity, recent studies on genetic variabilty have raised some doubts on such a role. Importantly, mpulsivity consists of two dissociable components that preious studies have failed to separate: functional and dysfuncional impulsivity. We compared participants with a genetic redisposition to have relatively high striatal DA levels (DAT1 -repeat carriers, DRD2 C957T T/T homozygotes, and DRD4 -repeat carriers) with participants with other genetic predisositions. We predicted that the first group would show high cores of dysfunctional, but not functional, self-reported imulsivity and greater difficulty in inhibiting a behavioral reponse to a stop-signal, a behavioral measure of impulsivity. n a sample of 130 healthy adults, we studied the relation etween DAT1, DRD4, and C957T polymorphism at the DRD2 ene (polymorphisms related to striatal DA) and catecholmethyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met (a polymorphism reated to frontal DA) on self-reported dysfunctional and funcional impulsivity, assessed by the Dickman impulsivity nventory (DII), and the efficiency of inhibitory control, asessed by the stop-signal paradigm. DRD2 C957T T/T hoozygotes and DRD4 7-repeat carriers indeed had signifiantly higher scores on self-reported dysfunctional, but not unctional, impulsivity. T/T homozygotes were also less effiient in inhibiting prepotent responses. Our findings support he claim that dopaminergic variation affects dysfunctional mpulsivity. This is in line with the notion that the over-supply f striatal DA might weaken inhibitory pathways, thereby nhancing the activation of, and the competition between esponses. © 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights eserved.