Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aetiology of childhood diarrhoea in an Egyptian rural community.

In India 9% of children with thalassemia major who have received many blood transfusions at Charak Palika Hospital in New Delhi have HIV-1 infection. They have experienced immunological suppression. It is presumed that transfusion of HIV-1 infected units of blood from paid blood donors is the source of HIV-1 infection for these children. HIV-2 infection has been documented in blood donors from New Delhi. In March 1994 health workers at the thalassemia clinic of the hospital took blood samples from 120 children to screen for HIV-2 infection. None of the children were confirmed positive for HIV-2 infection. Yet two samples exhibited slight reactivity for HIV-2 by Immunocomb Bispot kit only. This kit used envelope antigens synthetic in nature as opposed to the recombinant envelope antigens used in the Rapid HIV-1 HIV-2 AB test. This suggests that the characteristics of the synthetic antigen is key to maintaining specificity. Other health workers have also found false positive reactions for HIV-2 in commercial test kits using synthetic antigens.
Experimental immunology Dynamics of lymphocytes T and B and of their subpopulations in peripheral blood of rabbits immunized with Chlamydophila psittaci

Correspondence: Małgorzata Pawlikowska, Chair of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Szczecin, Fe Abstract The studies aimed at presenting dynamic alterations in levels of lymphocytes T (receptor CD5+), Th (receptor CD4+), Tc/Ts (receptor CD8+), B (receptor IgM) and of lymphocytes with CD25+ receptor in rabbits immunized with Chlamydophila psittaci – strain 6BC. Serological studies were also conducted to detect presence of specific anti-Chlamydophila antibodies. Analysis of the results demonstrated that immunization of rabbits with the studied antigen resulted in an increase in levels of lymphocytes B in days 14, 28, 42, 49, 56, lymphocytes with CD25 receptor in days 14, 42, 49, lymphocytes T in days 14 and 35, Tc/Ts cells in days 28 and 35 and decreased levels of lymphocytes Th in days 7, 14 and 56, lymphocytes T in days 7, 42 and 49, lymphocytes Tc/Ts in the day 42 and lymphocytes with CD25 receptor in the day 21. On the other hand, positive titres of specific antibodies were detected in days 49-56 following immunization, i.e. 5-6 weeks later than the first significant alterations in levels of lymphocytes and of their subpopulations.
Cellulose Esterification with Octanoyl Chloride and its Application to Films and Aerogels

Homogeneous esterification of cellulose with octanoyl chloride (a long-chain fatty acid) was investigated in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethyl acetamide (LiCl/DMAc) medium. Cellulose was readily esterified by the octanoyl chloride, as shown by 1H NMR analysis. The effects of the ratio of octanoyl chloride to cellulose hydroxyl groups, the reaction temperature, and the reaction time on the yield and degrees of substitution (DS) of cellulose esters (CEs) were investigated. CEs with high DS (2.2) were achieved after 8 h at 100 °C with a 1.6 to 1.8 of molar ratio of octanoyl chloride to cellulose hydroxyl groups. Furthermore, hydrophobic, fully transparent CE films and aerogels were prepared using CE tetrahydrofuran (THF) solutions. The CE aerogels exhibited high porosity and were formed with evenly distributed porosity, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Highlight moving object detection based on spatiotemporal saliency in dynamic background

Changing area extraction from the sequential images is the main role of motion detect, the detection result will be seriously affected by the dynamic background, so that the efficient motion detection becomes a difficult task. Inspired by the saliency detection, this paper presents a new method for moving object detection, combined with the bottom-up and top-down visual computing model to obtain spatiotemporal saliency. The proposed method detected the spatial saliency map, and adds a time dimension on its basis to obtain the temporal saliency map by using the idea of a three-frame difference to detect the salient moving object in the video. The proposed method is simple and effective to detect salient motion region. Experiment results shown that the detected moving object was salient in dynamic background, and good to overcome the difficulties in special circumstances in which camera shakes ceaselessly. This method has widely applicable and better robustness.
Plasmon-Resonant Gold Nanostars With Variable Size as Contrast Agents for Imaging Applications

Plasmon-resonant nanostars (NSts) have recently found applications in biophotonics due to their unique optical and chemical characteristics, showing comparable or superior properties than other anisotropic plasmon-resonant nanoparticles. In this paper, we synthesized gold NSts by the seed-mediated surfactant-free method. By varying the diameters and amount of spherical seeds we tuned the final NSts tip-to-tip sizes to 50, 82, 100, and 120 nm ensuring the plasmon-resonant peak location between 710 and 830 nm, and the scattering/absorption ratio at the plasmon-resonant wavelengths being 0.12, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35 correspondingly. We investigated the application of the NSts as contrast agents for imaging techniques operating at visible and infrared wavelengths: optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Doppler OCT with the spectrum centered at 930-nm wavelength, as well as for conventional confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) working at 633 nm. The most intense OCT signal was registered from the largest NSts, in correspondence with spectroscopy measurements at 930-nm wavelength. For imaging of nanoparticles incubated with living cells, we applied CLSM in combined scattering and transmission modes, and observed localization of the NSts on the cell surface. Due to the highest scattering at the CLSM operating wavelength, the strongest signal was obtained from the 82-nm particles; the lowest intensity of the CLSM backscattered signal was detected from the cells labeled with the smallest NSts. Thus, by tuning the initial concentration of seeds, it is possible to adjust the size (and scattering properties) of the nanostars to the operating wavelength of the optical device to achieve the best performance.
Influence of sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics on breastfeeding duration of mothers attending breastfeeding support groups

Abstract Aim: Duration of breastfeeding, socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics of the mothers attending breastfeeding support groups were investigated. Methods: All examined mothers were cared for according to the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. The investigated group of mothers attended a breastfeeding support group (BSG) led by a community nurse and women experienced in breastfeeding without additional training. Data on breastfeeding duration were collected retrospectively by self-reported questionnaire. Results: Of 980 eligible, 393 mothers were included to the study: 210 attended BSG, while 183 did not. The following differences between the two groups were found: time when the decision to breastfeed was made, smoking during lactation and social support while breastfeeding. More mothers in the investigated group continued breastfeeding at least six months postnatal (83.8% vs. 48.1%, P<0.001), with exclusive breastfeeding until the age of three months (56% vs. 23.5%, P<0.001). After logistic regression analysis, the following factors were found to be positively associated with the duration of breastfeeding for at least six months: time when the decision to breastfeed was made, intended duration of breastfeeding and household income. Maternal smoking during pregnancy affected duration of breastfeeding inversely. Conclusion: Characteristics which positively influenced the duration of breastfeeding are the time when the decision to breastfeed was made, intended duration of breastfeeding, household income, and smoking during pregnancy. Mothers who attended BSG more often continued breastfeeding for at least six months if they decided to breastfeed after birth, intended to breastfeed for longer than six months, had higher monthly household income and did not smoke during pregnancy.
Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a clonal expansion of hematopoietic blasts, is a highly heterogeneous disease comprising many entities for which distinct treatment strategies are pursued. Although ALL is a success story in pediatric oncology, results in adults lag behind those in children. An expansion of new drugs, more reliable immunologic and molecular techniques for the assessment of minimal residual disease, and efforts at more precise risk stratification are generating new aspects of adult ALL therapy. For this review, the authors summarized pertinent and recent literature on ALL biology and therapy, and they discuss current strategies and potential implications of novel approaches to the management of adult ALL. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Cell phone behaviour of young consumers in Finland

This study investigates cell phone behaviour among high school, undergraduate and graduate college students in Finland. Following the literature review, the paper analyses the responses of 118 high schools, 268 undergraduate and 84 graduate students from educational institutions located in the metropolitan area of Tampere, Finland. The study found significant differences in cell phone behaviour between the high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Differences were also seen in the way the students at different educational levels conceptualise cell phone behaviour. The study shows that there are age-related stages of behaviour. The paper concludes with a discussion of the academic and managerial implications.
Endemic Pemphigus Foliaceus in Venezuela: Report of Two Children

Abstract: Two native Yanomami children from the Venezuelan Amazonia with erythroderma were hospitalized on our service. Clinical, histologic, and immunofluorescence studies diagnosed endemic pemphigus foliaceous. Human leukocyte antigen class II showed DRB1*04 subtype *0411, which has not been previously associated with this disease. However, it shares a common epitope with all the human leukocyte antigen DRB1 alleles that have been involved in this disease among Brazilian populations. Although this condition is endemic in Brazil, our patients are the first two reported in Venezuela.
Benign Partial Epilepsy in Childhood: Selective Cognitive Deficits Are Related to the Location of Focal Spikes Determined by Combined EEG/MEG

Summary: Purpose: Benign partial epilepsy (BPE) in childhood is characterized by the occurrence of interictal stereotyped focal spikes with variable localization in the EEG. Children with BPE often exhibit neuropsychological deficits. It is unclear whether a correlation exists between these deficits and the localization of spikes, several EEG studies giving inconsistent results. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) improves the accuracy of spike localization. Therefore by using combined MEG/EEG, we investigated the topographic relation between focal spikes and neuropsychological findings in children with BPE.
The Relationship Between Facilitators’ Questions and the Level of Reflection in Postsimulation Debriefing

Introduction Simulation-based education is a learner-active method that may enhance teamwork skills such as leadership and communication. The importance of postsimulation debriefing to promote reflection is well accepted, but many questions concerning whether and how faculty promote reflection remain largely unanswered in the research literature. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the depth of reflection expressed in questions by facilitators and responses from nursing students during postsimulation debriefings. Methods Eighty-one nursing students and 4 facilitators participated. The data were collected in February and March 2008, the analysis being conducted on 24 video-recorded debriefings from simulated resuscitation teamwork involving nursing students only. Using Gibbs’ reflective cycle, we graded the facilitators’ questions and nursing students’ responses into stages of reflection and then correlated these. Results Facilitators asked most evaluative and fewest emotional questions, whereas nursing students answered most evaluative and analytic responses and fewest emotional responses. The greatest difference between facilitators and nursing students was in the analytic stage. Only 23 (20%) of 117 questions asked by the facilitators were analytic, whereas 45 (35%) of 130 students’ responses were rated as analytic. Nevertheless, the facilitators’ descriptive questions also elicited student responses in other stages such as evaluative and analytic responses. Conclusion We found that postsimulation debriefings provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their simulation experience. Still, if the debriefing is going to pave the way for student reflection, it is necessary to work further on structuring the debriefing to facilitate deeper reflection. Furthermore, it is important that facilitators consider what kind of questions they ask to promote reflection. We think future research on debriefing should focus on developing an analytical framework for grading reflective questions. Such research will inform and support facilitators in devising strategies for the promotion of learning through reflection in postsimulation debriefings.
FUSA: Fuzzy logic based clustering protocol for formation of uniform size clusters

Various clustering protocols for ad hoc networks have been proposed in order to optimise the networks energy efficiency. These protocols rely on the formation of highly dense clusters which resulted in a large variation of cluster size and thus suffers from a poor load balancing. This paper introduce a novel distributed clustering algorithm using fuzzy logic for the formation of uniform size clusters called FUSA. Simulation results show that FUSA is able to reduce the cluster size variation by up to 28.7% and 58.6% compared to reinforcement based clustering. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm enables node to efficiently learn about its positioning significant in the networks and complete the clustering phase at much quicker rate.
Testing for Hysteresis in Unemployment in OECD Countries: New Evidence Using Stationarity Panel Tests with Breaks

This paper tests hysteresis effects in unemployment using panel data for 19 OECD countries covering the period 1956-2001. The tests exploit the cross-section variations of the series, and additionally, allow for a different number of endogenous breakpoints in the unemployment series. The critical values are simulated based on our specific panel sizes and time periods. The findings stress the importance of accounting for exogenous shocks in the series and give support to the natural-rate hypothesis of unemployment for the majority of the countries analyzed.
N′-(3-Methoxybenzylidene)acetohydrazide

In the title molecule, C10H12N2O2, the acetohydrazide group is planar within 0.012 (1) Å and forms a dihedral angle of 5.25 (8)° with the benzene ring. The methoxy group is coplanar with the attached benzene ring [C—O—C—C = 0.1 (2)°]. The molecule adopts a trans configuration with respect to the C=N double bond. In the crystal, molecules are linked into centrosymmetric dimers by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and these dimers are linked into a ribbon-like structure along [110] by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. In addition, an intermolecular C—H⋯π interaction is observed.
Gene fusions to lacZ reveal new expression patterns of chimeric genes in transgenic plants.

The lacZ gene of Escherichia coli, coding for beta‐galactosidase, is a widely used reporter gene for gene expression studies in microbial and animal systems. To demonstrate that it is also a powerful reporter gene in plants, lacZ was fused to 5′ regulatory elements of several genes known to be functional in plant cells. By measuring LacZ activities in transgenic plants containing these gene constructs, we showed that the reporter is correctly monitoring the regulatory properties of the well‐characterized promoters fused to lacZ. beta‐Galactosidase was assayed directly in plant extracts when they contained high levels of LacZ or, when LacZ was expressed at low level, by separating the endogenous and LacZ activities electrophoretically and detecting the enzymes with a fluorogenic substrate. The most outstanding property of the marker is its amenability to histochemical detection. Due to its stability, LacZ can be fixed in the tissue with glutaraldehyde without loss of activity and detected with high resolution by using XGal. We could reveal expression patterns unnoticed earlier for many of the regulatory elements studied. The chlorophyll a/b binding protein gene, expressed at very high levels in green tissues, is also expressed at a low level in the vascular cylinder of the root. The Agrobacterium T‐DNA gene encoding octopine synthase is especially active in the epidermis of the root tip and the TR2′ gene was shown to be root specific in the intact plant and stimulated by wounding in the leaf tissue. The TR1′ gene, fused to nptII, shows similar characteristics suggesting co‐regulation of this tightly linked dual promoter.
The influence of target population on nonculture-based detection of markers of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial resistance.

BACKGROUND With treatment options for gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) diminishing, strengthening antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance is paramount. METHODS In this study, we investigated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods, in parallel with N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST), for direct detection of four N. gonorrhoeae chromosomal mechanisms associated with emerging resistance to extended spectrum cephalosporins using noncultured samples: an adenine deletion in the mtrR promoter, a mosaic penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2, an A501V PBP2 mutation, and alterations at positions 120 and 121 of the porB protein. The PCR assays were validated using a panel of characterised N. gonorrhoeae isolates (n=107) and commensal Neisseria (n=100) species. These PCR assays with NG-MAST were then applied to noncultured clinical specimens from distinct populations in Australia with differing levels of N. gonorrhoeae AMR: the Northern Territory (NT), where resistance has a low population prevalence, and Queensland (Qld), with higher AMR prevalence. RESULTS The real-time PCR assays proved highly sensitive and specific. When applied to the noncultured samples, only 1 out of 50 (2%) samples from NT harboured a resistant mechanism, whereas the Qld samples (n=129) collected over different periods showed progressive acquisition of resistant mechanisms, and these were associated with specific NG-MAST types, including Type 225. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that our PCR-based methods could be used to rapidly pinpoint incursion of resistant strains into previously unaffected populations. Likewise, our results show that for molecular AMR surveillance, the population being investigated is as important as the genetic mechanisms being targeted.
Especializaciones reveladas y ventajas competitivas en el Bajío mexicano

En este trabajo se caracteriza la competitividad economica de los municipios que integran el Bajio, destacando las actividades principales en cuanto a su aportacion al producto interno bruto y su grado de integracion o complementariedad. La unidad de analisis principal son los seis ejes carreteros que delimitan la concentracion espacial de la actividad economica del Bajio. Cada uno de ellos se asocia a una zona metropolitana notable siendo estas, por orden de importancia, Guadalajara, Queretaro, Leon, San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes y Zacatecas. Los corredores mas dinamicos e importantes cuentan con una estructura productiva mas diversificada. Los otros dependen de pocas actividades que representan una mayor importancia local. A fin de cuentas, las capitales estatales son las que dominan el ritmo de la actividad economica. Los corredores mas competitivos tienen mayores niveles de integracion al interior de los municipios vecinos. Se trata de zonas metropolitanas (ZM) en las que se observan sectores tradicionales y otros de reciente arraigo. Esas entidades reunen mejores condiciones para crear externalidades beneficas entre los municipios contiguos y entre actividades un tanto diversas. En esencia, puede concluirse que la convergencia dentro del Bajio no se dara por transito en el tiempo. Por el contrario, las ganancias de productividad y la dinamica de las economias externas concentran las ventajas competitivas en los principales corredores del Bajio.
Increases in SLT2 Expression and Chitin Content Are Associated with Incomplete Killing of Candida glabrata by Caspofungin

ABSTRACT Incomplete killing was observed for caspofungin against Candida glabrata, which was associated with increased SLT2 expression and elevated chitin content. In contrast, fungicidal activity and no chitin increase were observed in an isogenic Δslt2 strain, suggesting a role for SLT2 and chitin production in the response of C. glabrata to caspofungin.
A Meta‐Analysis of the Effects of Ultraviolet B Radiation and Its Synergistic Interactions with pH, Contaminants, and Disease on Amphibian Survival

Abstract: Human alterations to natural systems have resulted in a loss of biological diversity around the world. Amphibian population losses have been more severe than those of birds and mammals. Amphibian population declines are likely due to many factors including habitat loss, disease, contaminants, introduced species and ultraviolet‐B (UVB) radiation. The effect of UVB, however, varies widely among species and can vary within populations of the same species or at different life‐history stages. This variation has often led to opposing conclusions about how UVB affects amphibians. We used meta‐analysis techniques to explore the overall effects of UVB radiation on survival in amphibians. We also used recently developed factorial meta‐analytic techniques to quantify potential interactions between UVB radiation and other stressors on amphibians. Ultraviolet‐B radiation reduced survival of amphibians by 1.9‐fold compared with shielded controls. Larvae were more susceptible to damage from UVB radiation compared with embryos, and salamanders were more susceptible compared with frogs and toads. Furthermore, UVB radiation interacted synergistically with other environmental stressors and resulted in greater than additive effects on survival when 2 stressors were present. Our results suggest that UVB radiation is an important stressor in amphibians, particularly in light of potential synergisms between UVB and other stressors in amphibian habitats.