Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Responding to Pasifika adults' literacy needs through workplace programs : an evaluation

National surveys in 1996 and 2006 showed that a significant proportion of New Zealand adults have low levels of literacy and numeracy skills that make it difficult for them to function effectively in a world of increasing literacy demands. As with child literacy, some groups, including Pasifika, are disproportionately over-represented at the low end of the literacy and numeracy skill continuum. Over the past decade, government has responded with a series of policy and strategy initiatives, which have aimed to increase the volume and quality of provision available for adults with low literacy and numeracy skills. Workplace literacy and numeracy programs have been included in this response. This article reports on a multimethod evaluation study of 18 workplace literacy and numeracy courses throughout Aotearoa and in particular, looks at the involvement of 107 Pasifika participants in these courses who completed both preand post-course interviews. The evaluation showed that the courses have been very successful in recruiting high numbers of Pasifika workers. The course participants have improved their literacy and numeracy skills, have changed how they carry out their jobs and many have reported impact on their personal lives.
Seizure outcome and hippocampal atrophy in familial mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Objective: To describe the clinical, genetic and MR characteristics of patients with familial mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Design/Methods: The familial occurrence of MTLE was identified by a systematic search of family history of seizures in patients followed in the authors’ epilepsy clinic. All probands and, whenever possible, other affected family members underwent EEG and MR investigations. Results: Twenty-two unrelated families with at least two individuals with MTLE were identified by clinical and EEG findings. Ninety-eight individuals with history of seizures were evaluated. Sixty-eight patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for MTLE. MRI was performed in 84 patients, and showed hippocampal atrophy with increased T2 signal in 48 (57%). The distribution of hippocampal atrophy according to the seizure outcome groups was 6 of 13 patients (46%) with seizure remission, 16 of 31 (51%) with good seizure control under medication, and all 16 patients with refractory MTLE. Hippocampal atrophy was found also in patients that did not fulfill the criteria for MTLE: 3 of 10 (30%) patients with febrile seizure alone, 6 of 10 (60%) patients with recurrent generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and 1 of 4 (25%) patients with a single partial seizure. Conclusion: Familial MTLE is a clinically heterogeneous syndrome. Hippocampal atrophy was observed in 57% of patients, including those with benign course or seizure remission, indicating that the relationship between hippocampal atrophy and severity of epilepsy might be more complex than previously suspected. In addition, these findings indicate the presence of a strong genetic component determining the development of mesial temporal sclerosis in these families.
Cerebral White Matter Disruption in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Human prion diseases are known to cause gray matter degeneration in specific cerebral structures, but evidence for white matter involvement is scarce. We used DTI to test the hypothesis that white matter integrity is disrupted in human CJD during the early stages of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with the E200K variant of CJD and 19 controls participated in DTI studies conducted on a 1.5T MR imaging scanner. The data were quantitatively analyzed and mapped with a voxelwise TBSS method. RESULTS: We found significant reductions of FA in patients with CJD in distinct and functionally relevant white matter pathways, including the corticospinal tract, internal capsule, external capsule, fornix, and posterior thalamic radiation. Moreover, these FA deficits increased with disease duration, and were mainly determined by increase of radial diffusivity, suggesting elevated permeability of axonal membranes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that some of the symptoms of CJD may be caused by a functional dysconnection syndrome, and that the leukoencephalopathy is progressive and detectable fairly early in the course of the disease.
Existence of iodine deficiency in Hong Kong--a coastal city in southern China.

OBJECTIVE Iodine deficiency is a serious public health problem worldwide which is associated with mental retardation and cretinism. In view of a high incidence of transient neonatal hypothyroidism and a relatively high mean cord blood thyrotropin (TSH) concentration, a pilot study was carried out to analyse the urine iodine excretion in Hong Kong, a coastal city in the southern part of China. DESIGN Early morning urine was collected from healthy volunteers including children (n = 104), adults (n = 112) and elderly subjects (n = 349). A semi-quantitative questionnaire survey on the pattern of food intake was conducted in the adults and elderly. RESULTS 45.3% of the children, 51.7% of the adults and 55.3% of the elderly had urine iodine concentration below the criteria for iodine sufficiency (< 0.79 mumol/l). Iodine content in the drinking water and salt was low. A dietary survey revealed that seafood was not commonly consumed. 50-80% of the subjects never consumed high-iodine containing food such as seaweed, kelp or laver, and only 50% consumed seawater fish daily. CONCLUSION We confirmed that although Hong Kong is a non-goitrous area, iodine insufficiency exists. It is unsafe to assume that iodine deficiency does not exist in coastal urban areas.
The characteristics and phylogenetic relationship of two complete mitochondrial genomes of Matrona basilaris (Odonata: Zygoptera: Calopterygidae)

Abstract The relationship of Matrona and Atrocalopteryx (Odonata: Calopterygidae) is still unclear. To better understand the phylogenetic relationship of Matrona and Atrocalopteryx, we sequenced and annotated two complete mitochondrial genomes of Matrona basilaris sampled from two different locations. The length of the two complete mitochondrial genomes of M. basilaris is 16,149 bp and 15,893 bp for the specimens collected in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province and Tianmushan, Zhejiang Province, China, respectively. The two mitochondrial genomes include the typical invertebrate set of 37 genes: 13 protein-coding genes (PGCs), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome is similar to other odonates with high content of A + T (68.9%) and all PCGs use ATN as the start codon. Tandem repeats were detected in the control regions of the two M. basilaris samples that accounted for the different sequence lengths of the mitochondrial genomes from the two locations. Finally, BI and ML phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated nucleotide sequences of the 13 PCGs supported the conclusion that M. basilaris is a sister clade to Atrocalopteryx melli.
Study on the Applicability of Landsat-8 Images as a Tool for Monitoring the Trophic State of Lake Guiers (Senegal)

In this study, an algorithm to transform LANDSAT 8 images of Lake Guiers into chlorophyll-a concentration maps was developed. The objective was to see the feasibility of this method as a mapping tool for monitoring the trophic state of the Lake. The available data are 15 in-situ measurements of the CHL-a content of Lake Guiers’ water using a Micro FLU device and images of the lake acquired in 2013 and 2016 by the LANSAT 8 OLI sensor. A series of correlation tests (simple linear functions, multi-variables, or containing two- order terms) were performed between the spectral sensor signal of June 19, 2016 LANSAT 8 image (“corrected” and converted into reflectance) and the CHL-a content of Lake waters measured on the same day of the satellite record. This was, to find the best regression equation that can be inferred to develop an algorithm to transform LANDSAT 8 image into CHL-a concentration maps. The best equation obtained by correlating the ground truths and the reflectance ratios of the visible and near infrared bands (B2, B3, B4 and B5), is as follows: where B2 = Blue band, B3 = Green band, B4 = Red band, B5 = NIR band. The obtained R2 is 0.703 (e.g., a correlation coefficientof 0.84), revealed that the measured concentrations are well reproduced by the regression model. Applying this model to the 2013 and 2016 image data revealed the monthly variations of the lake CHL-a contents and their seasonal evolution and interannual variations. The obtained results are quite consistent with those from similar studies and provide valuable information regarding Lake Guiers’ vulnerability to algal development. The calculation and analysis of the variability of the CHL-a contents over the study period made it possible to evaluate the trophic state of the Lake, which shows a general tendency for eutrophication process, leading to a progressive degradation of the quality of the water resource.
Evaluation of efflux pump activity of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium isolated from poultry wet markets in India

Introduction: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is one of the major cause of foodborne zoonoses in humans. Poultry acts as a reservoir for S. Typhimurium without showing clinical signs and has become a source of infection to humans. Besides, it also became a source of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of S. Typhimurium. Methods: In the present study, we have isolated 9 S. Typhimurium from 503 samples from environmental sources of poultry wet markets in the Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh, India. The role of efflux pump activity in antibiotic resistance was evaluated by ethidium bromide cartwheel test and efflux pump inhibition assay. Results: Eight out of nine isolates were resistant to two or more classes of antibiotics. The efflux pump activity of these isolates by ethidium bromide cartwheel method revealed that 66.6% isolates had shown evidence of pronounced efflux activity. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) of resistant antibiotics for each isolate was estimated in the presence or absence of 25 µg/mL of PAβN. Overall, cephalosporins (cefazolin, cefamandole, and cefaclor), kanamycin, polymyxin-B, piperacillin, and imipenem showed significant increase (≥2 mm) of ZOI, indicating the role of efflux pumps for efflux of these drugs. A maximum of 4 antibiotics among EtBr efflux pump positive isolates and 2 antibiotics among EtBr efflux pump negative isolates showed increased ZOI in the presence of PAβN. Conclusion: The results indicate that efflux pumps of MDR S. Typhimurium may contribute to resistance for at least one antibiotic, even in EtBr cartwheel test negative isolates.
A 0.04 mm$^2$ Buck-Boost DC-DC Converter for Biomedical Implants Using Adaptive Gain and Discrete Frequency Scaling Control

This paper presents the design of a reconfigurable buck-boost switched-capacitor DC-DC converter suitable for use in a wide range of biomedical implants. The proposed converter has an extremely small footprint and uses a novel control method that allows coarse and fine control of the output voltage. The converter uses adaptive gain control, discrete frequency scaling and pulse-skipping schemes to regulate the power delivered to a range of output voltages and loads. Adaptive gain control is used to implement variable switching gain ratios from a reconfigurable power stage and thereby make coarse steps in output voltage. A discrete frequency scaling controller makes discrete changes in switching frequency to vary the power delivered to the load and perform fine tuning when the output voltage is within 10% of the target output voltage. The control architecture is predominately digital and it has been implemented as part of a fully-integrated switched-capacitor converter design using a standard bulk CMOS 0.18 μm process. Measured results show that the converter has an output voltage range of 1.0 to 2.2 V, can deliver up to 7.5 mW of load power and efficiency up to 75% using an active area of only 0.04 mm2, which is significantly smaller than that of other designs. This low-area, low-complexity reconfigurable power converter can support low-power circuits in biomedical implant applications.
Over and undernutrition in the children of Australian immigrants: Assessing the influence of birthplace of primary carer and English language use at home on the nutritional status of 4-5-year-olds.

OBJECTIVE To document the relationship between childhood nutrition status and ethnicity (defined as the birthplace of primary carer and English language use at home) using a nationally representative sample of 4- to 5-year-old children. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional population survey of 4 983 4- to 5-year-old children (2 537 boys and 2 446 girls) as part of Wave 1 (2004) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Overweight/obesity and thinness using the newly published body mass index cut-off points of Cole (2007). RESULTS In total, 20.6% (95%CI 19.5, 21.7) of children aged 4 to 5 years were estimated to be overweight or obese, while 1.0% (95%CI 0.8, 1.3) was thin. Unadjusted analyses showed a significant relationship between childhood overweight/obesity and primary carer's country of birth (chi2=15.9, p<0.01), but the significance became minimal after adjusting for socio-economic and demographic factors. The adjusted model suggests that boys of primary carer's born in Europe (excluding UK and Ireland) were less likely to be overweight/obese than boys whose primary carers were born in Australia, but the overall effect size was negligible. No difference was found for girls. In addition, boys who mainly spoke English at home were less likely to be overweight/obese (OR=0.49; 95%CI 0.27, 0.88; p=0.017) and thin (OR=0.27; 95%CI 0.12, 0.62; p=0.002) than boys who spoke a language other than English at home. No difference was found for girls. CONCLUSIONS There is a relationship between main language spoken at home and nutritional status in 4-5-year-old boys but not girls. The use of English language at home may be a protective factor for normal weight in young boys. After adjustment for socio-economic and demographics characteristics, there was a negligible relationship between overweight/obesity in children and their primary carer's country of birth.
National trends in rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND Recent publications suggest that arthroscopic and open rotator cuff repairs have had comparable clinical results, although each technique has distinct advantages and disadvantages. National hospital and ambulatory surgery databases were reviewed to identify practice patterns for rotator cuff repair. METHODS The rates of medical visits for rotator cuff pathology, and the rates of open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, were examined for the years 1996 and 2006 in the United States. The national incidence of rotator cuff repairs and related data were obtained from inpatient (National Hospital Discharge Survey, NHDS) and ambulatory surgery (National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery, NSAS) databases. These databases were queried with use of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) procedure codes for arthroscopic (ICD-9 codes 83.63 and 80.21) and open (code 83.63 without code 80.21) rotator cuff repair. We also examined where the surgery was performed (inpatient versus ambulatory surgery center) and characteristics of the patients, including age, sex, and comorbidities. RESULTS The unadjusted volume of all rotator cuff repairs increased 141% in the decade from 1996 to 2006. The unadjusted number of arthroscopic procedures increased by 600% while open repairs increased by only 34% during this time interval. There was a significant shift from inpatient to outpatient surgery (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The increase in national rates of rotator cuff repair over the last decade has been dramatic, particularly for arthroscopic assisted repair.
Insulin Signalling and Resistance in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

We investigated whether insulin resistance in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with impaired insulin signalling in skeletal muscle and whether exercise training would lead to an improvement in insulin signalling, concomitant with enhanced insulin action. Fourteen men with CHF due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, with mild‐to‐moderate limitation of physical activity and a left‐ventricular ejection fraction of less than 45 %, were studied before and after either a 5 month exercise training programme (n= 7) or standard care (n= 7). Seven healthy men participated as controls. Whole‐body insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake was determined by the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique and skeletal muscle biopsy samples were obtained before and after the insulin infusion for insulin signalling measurements. Insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake was 20 % lower in CHF patients versus healthy subjects. Physiological hyperinsulinaemia increased tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)‐1 by ≈2.5‐fold, IRS‐1‐associated phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI‐3‐kinase) activity by ≈2‐fold and Akt (protein kinase B) phosphorylation by ≈3‐fold, with similar responses between healthy subjects and CHF patients. Insulin‐mediated glucose uptake was not altered in patients after standard care, whereas exercise training elicited a 25 % increase in glucose uptake. Neither standard care nor exercise training altered insulin‐stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS‐1, IRS‐1‐associated PI‐3‐kinase activity or Akt phosphorylation. In conclusion, the CHF patients demonstrated impaired insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake, despite normal signal transduction in skeletal muscle at the level of IRS‐1, PI‐3‐kinase and Akt. Of clinical relevance is the finding that exercise training improves glucose uptake. However, these changes in insulin action after exercise training appear to be independent of enhanced insulin signalling at the level of IRS‐1, PI‐3‐kinase or Akt.
Rethinking trade unionism: Union renewal as transition

Union renewal has been the subject of debate over the last two decades. Via a review of these debates, a revision of the union renewal thesis is presented, suggesting that union renewal should be examined as a process of transition. Three analytic dimensions of renewal are identified and presented, each arising out of a consideration of the debates: union organisation, union capacity and union purpose. The proposition is that an understanding of contemporary unionism involves a consideration of the ways renewal involves a multi-faceted transition in relation to the political economy of trade unionism. The way to understand this characterisation is to reconsider theories about unions in terms of a dialectic, addressing the inter-relationships and integration of union organisation, capacities and purpose.
Defense cells profile of cervical mucous during follicular and luteal phases of estrus cycle in river buffalo

The aim of this study was to evaluate the defense cells changes of cervical mucous during follicular and luteal phases of estrus cycle in river buffalo. Reproductive organs of the adult and apparently healthy female buffaloes were collected from the slaughterhouse. By visual investigation of both the ovaries for presence of corpus luteum and growing follicles, the luteal and follicular phase of each buffalo was specified. Cervical discharge samples were collected by sterile swabs and then spread over the glass slides, dried and fixed with methanol. The specimens were undergone Giemsa staining. The percentage of lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes (macrophages), eosinophils and basophils in each case (for both the follicular and luteal phases) were obtained at 20 microscopic fields. The percentage of lymphocytes, neutrophils and basophils in luteal phase were higher than the follicular phase. The percentage of eosinophils in follicular phase was higher than the luteal phase. The percentage of monocytes (macrophages) in luteal and follicular phases was nearly equal. The statistical analysis showed that the differences of all cells between follicular and luteal phase were not significant (P > 0.05). The most defense cells in discharges of external os of cervix (both follicular and luteal phases) were neutrophils and lymphocytes.
Gathering Data for Archival, Field, Survey and Experimental Accounting Research

In the published proceedings of the first Journal of Accounting Research Conference, Vatter [1966] lamented that “Gathering direct and original facts is a tedious and difficult task, and it is not surprising that such work is avoided. ” For the fiftieth JAR Conference, we introduce a framework to help researchers understand the complementary value of seven empirical methods that gather data in different ways: prestructured archives, unstructured (“hand-collected”) archives, field studies, field experiments, surveys, laboratory studies, and laboratory experiments. The framework spells out five goals of an empirical literature and defines the seven methods according to researchers’ choices with respect to five data gathering tasks. We use the framework and examples of successful research studies in the financial reporting literature to clarify how data gathering choices affect a study's ability to achieve its goals, and conclude by showing how the complementary nature of different methods allows researchers to build a literature more effectively than they could with less diverse approaches to gathering data.
Leptin concentration during different trimesters of pregnancy and its relation to other pregnancy hormones.

OBJECTIVE To determine the levels of leptin and other pregnancy hormones (progesterone, estradiol, folliculi stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and beta human chorionic gonadotropin) in pregnant females during different stages of pregnancy and to correlate these levels to maternal weight, body mass index (BMI), babies weight and babies BMI. METHODS Leptin level and other pregnancy hormones were measured in 36 pregnant females and 30 non-pregnant females followed at King Khaled University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the year 2001 in a prospective study. Blood samples were collected at the first, 2nd and 3rd trimester and after delivery. Correlation analysis between leptin level and pregnancy hormones, in addition to maternal weight, BMI, babies weight and BMI. RESULTS The mean leptin levels during pregnancy and postnatally were significantly higher in pregnant females compared to the non-pregnant controls. Serum concentration of leptin increased significantly (p=0.01) in the pregnant females from 21.24 +/- 9 ng/ml during the first trimester to 26.3 +/- 8.69 ng/ml during the 2nd trimester, but insignificantly decreased to 23.29 +/- 8.62 ng/ml during the 3rd trimester (p=0.073). After delivery leptin concentration significantly decreased to 17.36 +/- 7.95 ng/ml (p=0.0025). The changes in levels of leptin during pregnancy were independent to other pregnancy hormones which showed a different pattern of variation. CONCLUSION The changes in levels of leptin during pregnancy were independent to other pregnancy hormones which showed a different pattern of variation.