Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated approach of pond based farming systems for sustainable production and income generation

Integrated farming with poultry, fish and crops can play a significant role in increasing manifold production, income, and nutrition and employment opportunities of rural populations. The research work was carried out at nine farmers’ ponds covering area of 0.12 ha each in Farming Systems Research and Development (FSRD) site, Goyeshpur, Pabna during the year 2000-01 to 2002-03 to assess integrated pond based production, income and employment opportunity of the rural farm households. Three different components like fish, poultry and pattern based vegetables production were employed in the investigation. The results indicated that in integrated pond management, two additional enterprises viz., poultry and year round vegetables exhibited encouraging production over traditional management. The average fish production obtained from integrated pond management was 330.92% higher over the traditional management. The total economic return in terms of gross return and gross margin achieved from integrated pond management was Tk.59 133 and 38684 which were 1297.94 and 1496.53% higher over traditional pond management. The utilization of family labour round the year in pond based integrated production system contributed to improve the production as well as to create employment opportunity for income generation. The overall results revealed that the integrated pond management with poultry, fish and vegetables was an excellent approach for sustainable production, income generation and employment opportunity of the resource poor rural households. Key Words: Pond based farming systems; production; income generation; employment opportunity. DOI: 10.3329/bjar.v34i4. 5834 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res . 34(4) : 577-584, December 2009
Assessing Some Models of the Impact of Financial Stress upon Business Cycles

In the wake of the global financial crisis a considerable amount of research has focused on integrating financial factors into macroeconomic models. Two common approaches for doing so include the financial accelerator and collateralised lending, examples of which are Gilchrist, Ortiz and Zakrajsek (2009) and Iacoviello (2005). This paper proposes that two useful ways to evaluate such models are by focusing on their implications for business cycle characteristics and whether the models can match several stylised facts about the impact of financial conditions. One of these facts is that credit crises produce long-duration recessions. We find that while in the Gilchrist et al (2009) model financial factors can impact on particular cycles, they do little change to the average cycle characteristics. Some, but not all, of the stylised facts are captured by the model.
A Comparison of EQ-5D Index Scores Derived from the US and UK Population-Based Scoring Functions

The authors recently introduced a new preference-based scoring function for the EQ-5D (D1 model) based on time tradeoff valuations from the general adult US population. In this study, they compared the EQ-5D index scores derived from the US (D1) algorithm to the more familiar UK (N3) algorithm. They compared preference-based EQ-5D index scores for all possible EQ-5D health states and differences in EQ-5D index scores between pairs of EQ-5D health states predicted by the D1 and N3 models. The responsiveness of D1- and N3-predicted EQ-5D index scores was assessed using simulated transitions between EQ-5D health states. The mean (SD) EQ-5D index scores for all 243 health states predicted by the D1 and N3 models were 0.37 (0.23) and 0.14 (0.31), respectively. The mean (SD) absolute difference in EQ-5D index scores for all 29,403 pairs of health states was 0.25 (0.19) and 0.35 (0.27), according to the D1 and N3 models, respectively. The D1 and N3 models were consistent in predicting gains/losses for 27,592 (94%) transitions between EQ-5D health state pairs; Cohen effect size, calculated using these 27,592 consistent transitions, was 1.58 and 1.59 for the D1 and N3 models, respectively. Based on these simulation results, it appears that the D1 model would lead to smaller gains in quality-adjusted life years than the N3 model; however, their responsiveness appears to be similar. Empirical studies are needed to examine whether these 2 EQ-5D scoring functions would lead to different conclusions in cost-utility analyses.
Opponents' Size Influences Maternal Aggression

20 female Long-Evans rats were tested for aggression on the day they gave birth. Only 30% of females tested with male intruders appreciably larger than themselves bit their opponents, and none showed offensive behaviors. By contrast, 80% of females tested with smaller males bit the intruders, and all of these used male-like offensive tactics. All attacked intruders exhibited defensive behavior, and all but one emitted ultrasonic vocalizations usually associated with pain. None of the males retaliated against the females. It is suggested that the size of the larger males evokes fear and that fear reduces offensive tendencies.
Biochemical Study on Pleural Effusion Fluid in Tuberculous and non-Tuberculous in Iraqi Patients Lara

Seventy exudative lymphocytic pleural fluid specimens of patients with suspected tuberculous pleural effusion submitted to the National Reference Laboratory of tuberculosis/Baghdad from October 2012 to February 2013. These effusions were due to tuberculosis pleuritis (n=12) and non-tuberculosis pleuritis (n=58). The following parameters were analyzed: protein concentration, glucose concentration, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration and adenosine deaminase activity (ADA). As a result, the protein concentration was higher in TPE patients (8.80 ± 0.89 g/dl) than it's concentration in non-TPE patients (7.61 ± 0.54 g/dl), as well as LDH concentration was (3366.58 ± 284.28 U/L) in TPE patients and (3024.12 ± 116.84 U/L) in non-TPE patients and ADA activity was higher in the TPE patients (226.05 ± 16.90 U/L) than (153.06 ± 9.37 U/L) in non-TPE too. Whereas glucose was the unique parameter that it's concentration is lower in TPE patients than it's concentration in non-TPE patients (27.23 ± 4.81 mg/dl) and (199.80 ± 18.51 mg/dl) respectively. As a conclusion, the combination of the two parameters, protein level > 5 g/dl and glucose level < 60 mg /dl may be diagnostic for tuberculous pleural effusion. The higher level of ADA, greater the chance of the patient having TB while lower the level lesser the chance of the patient having TB. LDH measurement is a sensitive, but rather non-specific inflammatory marker.
Práticas de bloqueios neuromusculares para o tratamento da espasticidade no Brasil

A toxina botulinica do tipo A (TBA) e um dos tratamentos mais efetivos e seguros para espasticidade. Para a avaliacao algumas escalas podem ser utilizadas como a Escala Modificada de Ashworth (MAS). O sucesso terapeutico na aplicacao depende da correta identificacao do problema biomecânico e aplicacao no musculo acometido, o que pode ser feito por tecnicas de palpacao de superficie ou metodos auxiliares como eletromiografia. Objetivo: Avaliar os metodos de aplicacoes da TBA e outros tipos de bloqueios como fenol para tratamento da espasticidade realizados na pratica de medicos de reabilitacao infantil e de adultos. Metodos: Estudo exploratorio, transversal, com amostra dimensionada pela conveniencia em eventos cientificos nas cidades Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Goiânia, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba e Ribeirao Preto com questionarios a respeito do tratamento da espasticidade que continham questoes de multipla escolha sobre grupos de pacientes e musculos tratados. As respostas foram analisadas quanto a frequencia para cada questao. Nao foi foram realizados testes de associacao de variaveis ou de hipotese. Resultados: Foram analisados 49 questionarios. 47% aplicam TBA ha menos de 5 anos. A tecnica mais utilizada para localizacao de pontos de aplicacao foi a palpacao muscular (80%). Para quantificacao dos ganhos funcionais 78% utilizam a escala MAS. 57% faz aplicacao em adultos e criancas. A faixa etaria de tratamento mais comum entre as criancas foi 5 a 10 anos (83%) com o grupo muscular mais aplicado o triceps sural (73,8%). Em relacao ao uso do fenol, 16 utilizam com uma frequencia de 1 a 5 pacientes por mes. 45% dos aplicadores sempre utilizam fenol em conjunto com TBA. Conclusao: A TBA e largamente utilizada no tratamento de espasticidade, porem nao existe uma padronizacao na forma de aplicacao, metodo de avaliacao ou sobre necessidade de outro agente combinado
Risk factors for in-hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients with oesophageal variceal bleeding

Introduction Oesophageal variceal bleeding (OVB) is a high mortality rate complication in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors for in-hospital mortality (IHM) in cirrhotic patients with OVB. Patients and methods The study cohort included 102 patients (average age, 55.4±12.6 years, 71.6% men) consecutively admitted to our hospital with OVB. All the patients underwent upper endoscopy within 12 h and octeotride or terlipressin therapy was started at admission and continued for 5 days. To calculate Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child–Turcotte–Pugh scores, laboratory test data from blood samples taken within 6 h of admission were used. Results The IHM was 18.6% [19 patients; confidence interval (95% CI): 11.1–26.2%]. In the univariate analysis, transfusion with 2 or more units of packed red blood cells [PRBC; P=0.038; odds ratio (OR)=7.8; 95% CI: 1.2–61.3], platelets of 100/ml or less (P=0.014; OR=3.6; 95% CI: 1.2–10.3), Child–Turcotte–Pugh score of 10 or more (P=0.002; OR=4.0; 95% CI: 1.2–13.2) and MELD of 18 or more (P=0.044; OR=2.8; 95% CI: 1.1–8.1) were associated with IHM. In the multivariate analysis, transfusion with 2 or more units of PRBC (P=0.076; OR=6.7; 95% CI: 0.82–54.8), platelets of 100/ml or less (P=0.031; OR=3.4; 95% CI: 1.1–10.6) and MELD of 18 or more (P=0.048; OR=3.2; 95% CI: 1.02–10.1) remained independently associated with IHM. Applying a receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve derived from the multivariate analysis model was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64–0.88) for IHM. Conclusion Cirrhotic patients with OVB and MELD of 18 or more, platelets of 100/ml or less and requiring transfusion of 2 or more units of PRBC were at an increased risk of IHM. Overall, the logistic regression model correctly predicts 82.2% of IHM patients.
Unveiling the causes of heart disease in China

Despite more than 80% of the global burden of cardiovascular diseases now occurring in low- and middle-income countries,1 most of what we know about the causes of these diseases comes from studies of populations in North America and Western Europe. Many of the resulting clinical and public health policies in these high-income regions are being applied in lower-income regions, but perhaps sometimes inappropriately, since many lower-income countries have physical, social and economic environments that are substantially different from those in richer parts of the world. Helping to close this gulf in cardiovascular knowledge is the INTERHEART case–control study. Spread across one-quarter of the world’s countries, including 30 or so lower- and middle-income countries, the study is a unique resource for assessing causes of coronary heart disease in different contexts.2 3 4 5 For this reason, and because of its sheer size (12 000 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 15 000 controls), INTERHEART has rightly become a landmark study. New INTERHEART findings for China are unveiled in this edition of the journal ( see page 1857 ). 6 The 12 000 INTERHEART cases included 3000 in China, and the results for this subgroup are compared with those for the other 51 countries taken together. While all nine main INTERHEART cardiovascular risk factors were associated with MI in the China subgroup, there was significant heterogeneity in the strength of the association for some of these factors between China and the rest. The results suggest that the effects of diabetes and of psychosocial stress may be unusually strong in China, that the effects …
Identification of FMRP‐associated mRNAs using yeast three‐hybrid system

Fragile X syndrome, one of the most common forms of inherited mental retardation, results from the absence of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), which is encoded by the fragile X mental retardation gene 1 (FMR1). FMRP is an RNA‐binding protein involved in translational regulation of targeted mRNAs. Identification of targeted mRNAs associated with FMRP is important to understand the function of FMRP and the pathogenic basis of the fragile X syndrome. Employing a yeast three‐hybrid system and a human fetal hippocampus cDNA library, we identified 22 candidate target mRNAs, and 18 of them were confirmed to be associated with FMRP in vitro by gel retardation. Some of these mRNAs code for structural proteins, enzymes or proteins involved in cellular processes, especially in the development and function of neural system. To further investigate the role of FMRP in regulating targeted gene expression, we analyzed the expression profile of TXNRD1, one of the candidate mRNAs, after knocking down the expression of endogenous FMRP by siRNA. The results showed that endogenous TXNRD1 translation increased along with depletion of FMRP, which suggested FMRP negatively regulates TXNRD1 translation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Humanoid Robots Walking with Soft Soles

Lorsque des changements inattendus de la surface du sol se produisent lors de la marche, le systeme nerveux central humain doit appliquer des mesures de controle appropriees pour assurer une stabilite dynamique. De nombreuses etudes dans le domaine de la commande moteur ont etudie les mecanismes d'un tel controle postural et ont largement decrit comment les trajectoires du centre de masse (COM), le placement des pas et l'activite musculaire s'adaptent pour eviter une perte d'equilibre. Les mesures que nous avons effectuees montrent qu'en arrivant sur un sol mou, les participants ont module de facon active les forces de reaction au sol (GRF) sous le pied de support afin d'exploiter les proprietes elastiques et deformables de la surface pour amortir l'impact et probablement dissiper l'energie mecanique accumulee pendant la ‘chute’ sur la nouvelle surface deformable. Afin de controler plus efficacement l'interaction pieds-sol des robots humanoides pendant la marche, nous proposons d'ajouter des semelles exterieures souples (c'est-a-dire deformables) aux pieds. Elles absorbent les impacts et limitent les effets des irregularites du sol pendant le mouvement sur des terrains accidentes. Cependant, ils introduisent des degres de liberte passifs (deformations sous les pieds) qui complexifient les tâches d'estimation de l'etat du robot et ainsi que sa stabilisation globale. Pour resoudre ce probleme, nous avons concu un nouveau generateur de modele de marche (WPG) base sur une minimisation de la consommation d'energie qui genere les parametres necessaires pour utiliser conjointement un estimateur de deformation base sur un modele elements finis (FEM) de la semelle souple pour prendre en compte sa deformation lors du mouvement. Un tel modele FEM est couteux en temps de calcul et empeche la reactivite en ligne. Par consequent, nous avons developpe une boucle de controle qui stabilise les robots humanoides lors de la marche avec des semelles souples sur terrain plat et irregulier. Notre controleur en boucle fermee minimise les erreurs sur le centre de masse (COM) et le point de moment nul (ZMP) avec un controle en admittance des pieds base sur un estimateur de deformation simplifie. Nous demontrons son efficacite experimentalement en faisant marcher le robot humanoide HRP-4 sur des graviers.
The Crystal Structures of the N-terminal Photosensory Core Module of Agrobacterium Phytochrome Agp1 as Parallel and Anti-parallel Dimers*

Agp1 is a canonical biliverdin-binding bacteriophytochrome from the soil bacterium Agrobacterium fabrum that acts as a light-regulated histidine kinase. Crystal structures of the photosensory core modules (PCMs) of homologous phytochromes have provided a consistent picture of the structural changes that these proteins undergo during photoconversion between the parent red light-absorbing state (Pr) and the far-red light-absorbing state (Pfr). These changes include secondary structure rearrangements in the so-called tongue of the phytochrome-specific (PHY) domain and structural rearrangements within the long α-helix that connects the cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase, adenylyl cyclase, and FhlA (GAF) and the PHY domains. We present the crystal structures of the PCM of Agp1 at 2.70 Å resolution and of a surface-engineered mutant of this PCM at 1.85 Å resolution in the dark-adapted Pr states. Whereas in the mutant structure the dimer subunits are in anti-parallel orientation, the wild-type structure contains parallel subunits. The relative orientations between the PAS-GAF bidomain and the PHY domain are different in the two structures, due to movement involving two hinge regions in the GAF-PHY connecting α-helix and the tongue, indicating pronounced structural flexibility that may give rise to a dynamic Pr state. The resolution of the mutant structure enabled us to detect a sterically strained conformation of the chromophore at ring A that we attribute to the tight interaction with Pro-461 of the conserved PRXSF motif in the tongue. Based on this observation and on data from mutants where residues in the tongue region were replaced by alanine, we discuss the crucial roles of those residues in Pr-to-Pfr photoconversion.
Brainstem serotonin deficiency in the neonatal period: autonomic dysregulation during mild cold stress

Non‐technical summary In adult animals serotonergic neurones contribute to heat production (thermogenesis) in response to severe cold stress, as well as the respiratory response to increasing carbon dioxide. We show that in neonatal life, serotonin in the brainstem is absolutely essential for the thermogenic and heart rate responses to very mild (5°C) environmental cooling, probably by aiding the response of the sympathetic nervous system. In contrast, the respiratory response to increasing carbon dioxide is unaffected by a 90% loss of serotonin. Human infants with brainstem serotonin deficiency may be prone to a variety of homeostatic deficits owing to a reduced sympathetic response to mild cold stress.
Positioning and Indication of Sorafenib in the Treatment Algorithm and Real Practice Setting: Western and Eastern Approach – Asian Perspective

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is common in Asia, and there were no effective chemotherapeutic agents for advanced HCC. Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, has set a milestone in the management of HCC in that it is the first agent to significantly improve the overall survival in patients with advanced HCC in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study. Sorafenib is now approved in many Asian countries, and further clinical trials are underway. There is no doubt that sorafenib has a firm position at the core of HCC therapy, and its indications are anticipated to widen in the near future to intermediate HCC or as an adjuvant agent with or without combination modality. However, the clinical outcome with sorafenib is not completely satisfactory in patients with extrahepatic spread or macrovascular invasion. Furthermore, sorafenib is expensive, which puts it beyond the reach of most Asian patients. Therefore, the development and customization of a rational approach based on cost, quality of life, and survival are urgently needed. Finally, a practical consensus guideline is needed based on clinical trials in Asia.
Experimental Study of Fuel Tank Filling

— The refueling of a transparent rectangular fuel tank fitted with a standard filler pipe and roll-over valve was experimentally studied. A fuel-conditioning cart, capable of handling fuels of different Reid vapor pressure at a constant temperature, was used to dispense fuel at the desired rate. The experimental protocol included transient recording of the tank and filler tube pressures while video recording the flow patterns in the filler tube and tank during the refueling process. This information was used to determine the effect of changes in the vent tube diameter, fuel-dispense flow rate and fuel Reid vapor pressure on the pressure-time characteristics and the occurrence of premature fuel filling shut-off and fuel spill-back. Pressure-time curves for the case of normal shut-off demonstrated the classic, three-phase characteristic noted in the literature. The variation of the maximum values of tank dome and filler tube pressures are analyzed in relation to the occurrence of premature shut-off.
Sindbis-Group Alphavirus Replication in Periosteum and Endosteum of Long Bones in Adult Mice

ABSTRACT Several alphaviruses, including the Sindbis-group viruses, Ross River virus, O'nyong-nyong virus, and Chikungunya virus, are associated with outbreaks of acute and persistent arthralgia and arthritis in humans. Mechanisms underlying alphavirus-induced arthralgia and arthritis are not clearly understood, though direct viral replication within or around the affected joints is thought to contribute to disease. S.A. AR86 is a Sindbis-group alphavirus closely related to the arthralgia-associated Ockelbo and GirdwoodS.A viruses. Following inoculation with S.A. AR86 derived from a molecular clone, infectious virus was isolated from bone and joint tissue 1 to 6 days postinfection. Studies using either in situ hybridization or S.A. AR86-derived double promoter viruses and replicons expressing green fluorescent protein localized sites of viral replication to the periosteum, tendons, and endosteum within the epiphyses of the long bones adjacent to articular joints. These results demonstrate that alphaviruses associated with arthralgia in humans replicate within bone-associated connective tissue adjacent to articular joints in an adult mouse model.
An Improved Phase Coding-Based Watermarking Algorithm for Speech Perceptual Hashing Authentication

Speech perceptual hashing authentication provides an eﬃcient way for security authentication of speech content. To solve the problem of perceptual hash value eﬃcient and secure transmission, we present a speech watermarking algorithm, which is based on improved phase coding by bipolar quantization and suitable for speech perceptual hashing authentication. This algorithm embeds the perceptual hash sequence which is regarded as the watermark in the speech signal. At the transmitter, the algorithm embeds watermarks in embedding positions scrambled by Logistic mapping using improved phase coding by bipolar quantization and reconstructs the speech signal. At the receiver, the algorithm extracts watermarks based on quantitative identiﬁcation after embedding positions determination. Experimental results show that the proposed blind watermarking scheme has good transparency, robustness and security, and can meet the requirements of speech perceptual hashing authentication.