Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental generation of organic dust from compostable household waste

The objective was to assess the influence of different waste storage systems on the emission of bioaerosols and gases from compostable household waste. Batches of waste were stored for 14 days in different storage systems: ventilated containers (compostainers) with or without added structure material and closed containers with or without a preservation additive. The microbial potential of the waste was measured with a rotating drum after storage. The weight loss in the compostainers (39%) was higher than in the closed containers (9%). Hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans developed in the closed container, and the concentration of ammonia increased continuously in both systems to 140 ppm. The microbial content for the incubated waste was high for closed containers compared to compostainers, and waste in closed containers generated a liquid rich in endotoxin and bacteria. The aerosols emitted from the waste consisted mainly of fungal spores, especially Aspergillus fumigatus, and no significant differences were observed between the systems. The endotoxin potential was high for waste stored in closed containers. The use of a preservative prevented microbial growth and reduced the emission of bioaerosols and gases substantially.
Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) CD8+ T-Lymphocyte Reactivity during Combination Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-1-Infected Patients with Advanced Immunodeficiency

ABSTRACT The long-term efficacy of combination antiretroviral therapy may relate to augmentation of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) CD8+ T-cell responses. We found that prolonged treatment of late-stage HIV-1-infected patients with a protease inhibitor and two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors failed to restore sustained, high levels of HIV-1-specific, HLA class I-restricted, cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte precursors and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production by CD8+ T cells. In some patients, particularly those initiating three-drug combination therapy simultaneously rather than sequentially, there were early, transient increases in the frequency of anti-HIV-1 CD8+ T cells that correlated with decreases in HIV-1 RNA and increases in T-cell counts. In the other patients, HIV-1-specific T-cell functions either failed to increase or declined from baseline during triple-drug therapy, even though some of these patients showed suppression of plasma HIV-1 RNA. These effects of combination therapy were not unique to HIV-1 specific T-cell responses, since similar effects were noted for CD8+T cells specific for the cytomegalovirus pp65 matrix protein. The level and breadth of CD8+ cell reactivity to HLA A*02 HIV-1 epitopes, as determined by IFN-γ production and HLA tetramer staining after combination therapy, were related to the corresponding responses prior to treatment. There was, however, a stable, residual population of potentially immunocompetent HIV-1-specific T cells remaining after therapy, as shown by tetramer staining of CD8+CD45RO+ cells. These results indicate that new strategies will be needed to target residual, immunocompetent HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells to enhance the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy in patients with advanced immunodeficiency.
How complete has skin cancer registration been in the UK? A study from Yorkshire

The completeness of skin cancer registration in the Yorkshire region was evaluated for the year 1994 by the independent case ascertainment method. Patients diagnosed with skin cancer were identified from regional pathology laboratories, inpatient and outpatient hospital departments and general practices, and were matched against records held by the Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Services (NYCRIS). Out of 5987 skin cancer cases identified from 14 pathology laboratories, 123 general practices, 16 NHS Trusts inpatient databases and 7 dermatology outpatient departments, 83.5% had a matching record on the Cancer Register. The proportion of registered malignant melanoma (MM) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) cases were 87.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 84.0–90.4) and 83.1% (95% CI 81.9–84.2) respectively. Skin cancers found in the pathology laboratories, the main notification sources of the registry, were under-ascertained by 15% (10% MM and 15% NMSC). Cases identified from general practices had a significantly lower proportion of matching registry records in comparison with other information sources. No record of histological confirmation could be found for 11% MM and 13% NMSC. Complete capture of pathology laboratory information, histological confirmation of all lesions suspected of skin cancer and routine receipt of hospital patient administration system information supplementary to that from pathology laboratories are measures that would provide the most substantial improvement to ascertainment of skin cancer data.
Primary factors threatening survival of SMEs in Mozambique

There is no dispute that entrepreneurship is critical for spurring entrepreneurs into launching small businesses to solve the perennial problem of youth unemployment. The prevailing viewpoint has therefore postulated on the fact that only the lack of entrepreneurship is to blame for the observed paucity of business start-ups to address the scourge of unemployment in Mozambique. This paper is based on a research that was carried out in Greater Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, involving a sample of 485 SMEs chosen using random sampling strategy. A face to face interview was conducted using structured, close-ended questionnaires to collect the primary data. The research was carried out applying quantitative methodology, using descriptive statistics and inferential research design, emphasising on frequencies and percentages as instruments of data management. The study revealed that the main problem of the start-up, growth and sustainability of SMEs was in fact inadequacy in competitiveness rather than the lack of entrepreneurship per se. The paper therefore offered recommendations on the appropriate solutions of encouraging the spirit of competitiveness within SMEs so as to deal with the scourge of youth unemployment in Mozambique. Keywords: Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprises, SMEs
Constructing causal models: problems of units of analysis, aggregation, and specification.

In an earlier article [1], I developed a social systems model of the health services system serving the state of New Mexico. The model was based on county data and demonstrated that the availability of physicans and short-term general hospital beds largely accounted for the association between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of New Mexico counties and their infant mortality rates. Brooks examines this proposition in an article that appears in this issue of Health Services Research [2], fitting a similar model to standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) data for the United States. On the basis of his model he reaches quite different conclusions regarding the mediating effect of medical resources. His paper and the results of his analysis raise important issues concerning the appropriate unit of analysis (e.g., counties versus SMSAs) for such studies, the effects of aggregating data, and the importance of properly specifying such models. I intend to address these issues in some detail.
Innovation for Society: Towards a Typology of Developing Innovations by Social Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Social entrepreneurs develop important innovative solutions for complex societal challenges. This exploratory article provides a typology of different approaches by which social entrepreneurs develop such innovations. This typology is based on their engagement in anticipation, reflexivity, stakeholder inclusion and deliberation, responsiveness and knowledge management, during the development of their innovation. Following from quantitative analyses of data from self-assessment questionnaires and subsequent contextualization, the findings reveal four distinctive ways to successfully develop innovative solutions for societal problems. This article therefore contributes to our understanding of the innovation process by which social entrepreneurs develop social innovations.
Is perfectionism related to pre-existing and future insomnia? A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the role of perfectionism to pre-existing and future insomnia. METHODS Based on a random sample from the general population (N=3600), 1936 participants filled out a baseline and 1-year follow-up survey on perfectionism (concern over mistakes and personal standards), emotional distress and insomnia. RESULTS The results from sequential logistic regression analyses showed that concern over mistakes was significantly related to pre-existing and future insomnia. When emotional distress was accounted for, none of the perfectionism subscales contributed significantly in explaining pre-existing and future insomnia. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that though perfectionism seems to be related to both pre-existing and future insomnia, its role seems relatively weak.
Kinetic Analysis of Amyloid Formation in the Presence of Heparan Sulfate

A number of human diseases are associated with the conversion of proteins from their native state into well defined fibrillar aggregates, depositing in the extracellular space and generally termed amyloid fibrils. Heparan sulfate (HS), a glycosaminoglycan normally present in the extracellular matrix, has been found to be universally associated with amyloid deposits and to promote amyloid fibril formation by all studied protein systems. We have studied the impact of HS on the amyloidogenesis of human muscle acylphosphatase, monitoring the process with an array of techniques, such as normal and stopped-flow far-UV circular dichroism, thioflavin T fluorescence, static and dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy. The results show that HS accelerates the conversion of the studied protein from the native state into the amyloidogenic, yet monomeric, partially folded state. They also indicate that HS does not simply accelerate the conversion of the resulting partially folded state into amyloid species but splits the process into two distinct pathways occurring in parallel: a very fast phase in which HS interacts with a fraction of protein molecules, causing their rapid aggregation into ThT-positive and β-sheet containing oligomers, and a slow phase resulting from the normal aggregation of partially folded molecules that cannot interact with HS. The HS-mediated aggregation pathway is severalfold faster than that observed in the absence of HS. Two aggregation phases are generally observed when proteins aggregate in the presence of HS, underlying the importance of a detailed kinetic analysis to fully understand the effect of this glycosaminoglycan on amyloidogenesis.
Total and high molecular weight but not trimeric or hexameric forms of adiponectin correlate with markers of the metabolic syndrome and liver injury in Thai subjects.

CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE Decreased total adiponectin has been associated with metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, and the metabolic syndrome. Although circulating adiponectin is composed of trimers, hexamers, and high molecular weight (HMW) multimers, there has been limited study of the specific metabolic correlates of these isoforms in humans. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the associations of these adiponectin isoforms with metabolic and anthropometric parameters. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS/SETTING A total of 53 diabetic and 68 nondiabetic subjects attending outpatient clinics underwent cross-sectional metabolic characterization. Circulating levels of HMW, hexameric, and trimeric adiponectin were measured using a multimeric adiponectin ELISA based upon selective protease-mediated digestion. RESULTS On Spearman univariate analysis, both total and HMW adiponectin levels were inversely associated with body mass index, fasting glucose, homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance, triglycerides, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (all |r| >or= 0.22; P < 0.05), with the HMW isoform also positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.19; P = 0.036). In contrast, hexameric and trimeric adiponectin were significantly associated with only body mass index (r = -0.23; P = 0.0102) and mid-upper arm circumference (r = 0.21; P = 0.039), respectively. On separate forward stepwise multiple linear regression analyses, fasting glucose and ALT emerged as independent, negative covariates of both total and HMW adiponectin, whereas no independent covariates of hexameric and trimeric adiponectin were identified. Furthermore, after adjustment for age, gender, and diabetes, mean ALT was highest in subjects in the lowest tertile of HMW adiponectin, followed in turn by the middle and highest tertiles, respectively (trend P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS HMW adiponectin, but not hexameric or trimeric, tracks with the metabolic correlates of total adiponectin. Furthermore, an independent inverse association exists between ALT and HMW adiponectin.
Identity-Based Attribute Prototypes Distinguish Communities on Twitter

This paper examines the link between conversational communities on Twitter and their members' expressions of social identity. It specifically tests the presence of community prototypes, or collections of attributes which define a group through meta-contrast: high in-group cohesiveness and high out-group distinctiveness. Analyzing four datasets of political discussions ranging from roughly 4 to 30 million tweets, we find strong evidence for the presence of distinctive community prototypes. We observe that community prototypes are constructed through hashtags, mentions, emojis, and identity-phrases. This finding situates prior work on the identity signaling of individual users within a larger group process playing out within communication communities. Community prototypes are then constructed for specific communities by measuring the salience of identity signals for each community. Observed community prototypes tend to be based on political ideology, location and language, or general interests. While the presence of community prototypes may be a natural group behavior, the high levels of contrast observed between communities displaying ideologically opposed prototypes indicate the presence of identity-related polarization.
Isoflurane Postconditioning Protects against Reperfusion Injury by Preventing Mitochondrial Permeability Transition by an Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase–dependent Mechanism

Background:The role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in isoflurane postconditioning (IsoPC)-elicited cardioprotection is poorly understood. The authors addressed this issue using eNOS−/− mice. Methods:In vivo or Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts underwent 30 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion in the presence and absence of postconditioning produced with isoflurane 5 min before and 3 min after reperfusion. Ca2+-induced mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore opening was assessed in isolated mitochondria. Echocardiography was used to evaluate ventricular function. Results:Postconditioning with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 minimum alveolar concentrations of isoflurane decreased infarct size from 56 ± 10% (n = 10) in control to 48 ± 10%, 41 ± 8% (n = 8, P < 0.05), and 38 ± 10% (n = 8, P < 0.05), respectively, and improved cardiac function in wild-type mice. Improvement in cardiac function by IsoPC was blocked by NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (a nonselective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) administered either before ischemia or at the onset of reperfusion. Mitochondria isolated from postconditioned hearts required significantly higher in vitro Ca2+ loading than did controls (78 ± 29 &mgr;m vs. 40 ± 25 &mgr;m CaCl2 per milligram of protein, n = 10, P < 0.05) to open the MPT pore. Hearts from eNOS−/− mice displayed no marked differences in infarct size, cardiac function, and sensitivity of MPT pore to Ca2+, compared with wild-type hearts. However, IsoPC failed to alter infarct size, cardiac function, or the amount of Ca2+ necessary to open the MPT pore in mitochondria isolated from the eNOS−/− hearts compared with control hearts. Conclusions:IsoPC protects mouse hearts from reperfusion injury by preventing MPT pore opening in an eNOS-dependent manner. Nitric oxide functions as both a trigger and a mediator of cardioprotection produced by IsoPC.
Systematic design and development procedures for a successful CMOS LNA implementation

Through this work we highlighted and demonstrated the significance of an algorithmic way of design and development of CMOS LNAs at 5 GHz. The systematic design led to very good measured performances of 14 dB gain, 1.78 dB noise figure, 10 dB return loss both at the input and output and a high linearity of-3 dBm of IP3 under 5.4 mW power consumption. These results compare the best performances reported in 5 GHz CMOS LNAs. Further it was shown, that this design and development approach is able to achieve state-of- the-art measured performances with very good agreement with the simulated results.
Extracellular Vesicles from Bovine Follicular Fluid Support Cumulus Expansion1

ABSTRACT Expansion of the cumulus complex surrounding the oocyte is critical for ovulation of a fertilizable egg. The ovulation-inducing surge of luteinizing hormone leads to an increased expression of genes such as prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2), pentraxin-related protein 3 (Ptx3), and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 6 (Tnfaip6) that support cumulus expansion. Factors released by mural granulosa and cumulus granulosa cells into the follicular fluid induce paracrine signaling within the follicular compartment. The follicular fluid that separates these distinct granulosa cell types is an enriched fluid containing numerous proteins, nucleic acids, and other macromolecules. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are also present; however, no physiologically relevant functions of follicular EVs have yet been demonstrated. In our study, the effect of follicular EVs on cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) expansion and relevant gene expression was assayed. Follicular EVs were isolated using ultracentrifugation from follicular fluid of small (3–5 mm) and large (>9 mm) antral bovine follicles, then characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, electron microscopy, and Western blot analysis. To test for bioactivity, mouse and bovine COCs were cultured with follicular EVs. Cumulus expansion and Ptgs2, Ptx3, and Tnfaip6 gene expression were measured following COC maturation culture. The results demonstrated that follicular EVs can support both measurable cumulus expansion and increased gene expression.
Effects of dietary Spirulina on meat colour in muscle of broiler chickens

Abstract 1. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of dietary spirulina on growth performance and pigmentation in the muscle of growing broiler chickens and to examine the possibility that zeaxanthin in spirulina may affect yellow colour development in the meat. 2. Twenty-four, 21-d-old, male broiler chicks were fed an experimental diet containing spirulina at 0, 40, or 80 g/ kg for 16 d. No significant differences among treatments were observed in body weights, nor weights or yields (as a percentage of body weight) for any of the selected traits, including liver, abdominal fat, kidney and Pectoralis profundus . 3. Spectrocolourimetric analyses revealed that the redness of Pectoralis superficialis, profundus and Sartorius muscles reached a maximum in chicks fed the 40 g/kg spirulina diet, while the yellowness of all fillets, including the Semitendinosus muscle, increased in a sub-linear fashion with increased spirulina in the diet. The overall correlation between the yellowness and zeaxanthin content in the Pectoralis muscle was significant. 4. This study provides the first conclusive evidence that dietary spirulina influences both the yellowness and redness of broiler flesh and that the increments in yellowness with dietary spirulina content may possibly be reflected in the common yellow pigment related to the accumulation of zeaxanthin within the flesh.
Effects of Intensity on Speech Recognition in High‐ and Low‐Frequency Bands

Objective This study investigated the intensive effects of a low-frequency (200 to 400 Hz) and a high-frequency (1000 to 5000 Hz) band of speech presented jointly and in isolation. Design Each band was presented at a reference intensity level equivalent to the average normal conversational level. To investigate intensive effects, the low-frequency band was presented at 20 dB and 36 dB, and the high-frequency band at 20 dB above the reference level. Each band was presented at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio. Subjects were four normal-hearing adult females. The Al was used to predict performances and to determine audibility of each band. Results The best performance occurred for a joint band presentation with each band at the reference level. Increasing intensity of one band by 20 dB, for joint band conditions, did not significantly affect performance. However, increasing the low-frequency band by 36 dB or both bands by 20 dB resulted in a significant decrease in performance. Conclusions Reduced performance with the low-frequency band at 36 dB and the high-frequency band at the reference level is attributed primarily to upward spread of masking by speech. Performance decrements for other joint band conditions are attributed to combined effects of high intensity.
Indian Reforms: Yesterday and Today

I am honoured by the invitation to give this prestigious lecture. I am also delighted to see many of our distinguished leaders in the audience, from all political parties and from several walks of life: among them, Smt. It is a great privilege to be lecturing here today on our reforms. But it is also presumptuous to do so in the presence of the Prime Minister who has not merely thought about these reforms for as long a period as I have, but has also initiated and overseen them. But, perhaps, I can add a few shades to the portrait he has been painting since 1991, while adding to the ongoing debate on the shape of Indian reforms to date, where they are going next, and where they should. Yet, perhaps the most appropriate way to start my tribute to the memory of the eminent parliamentarian, Professor Hiren Mukerjee, would be by celebrating Indian democracy of which
Research on the effects of university-industry collaborative innovation and the relationships with academic research on scientific performance

University-industry collaborative innovation(UICI) is a new paradigm of resource integration. It has become an important way for enterprises to acquire external knowledge resources and promote corporation values, and at the same time it has significant effects on scientific performance of universities. By using the 2005-2012 panel data of 37 top China's universities and the method of static panel data model, we analyze the effects of UICI on research performance of universities and the relationships between UICI and traditional academic research(AR) of universities. The results of regression show that UICI at low level has a significant positive effect on research performance, and the effect of UICI positive up to a certain level, and the relationship of UICI and academic research is substituted.
Decline in sperm count in European men during the past 50 years

Purpose: To investigate whether the sperm concentration of European men is deteriorating over the past 50 years of time. Materials and Methods: We analysed the data published in English language articles in the past 50 years in altering sperm concentration in European men. Results: A time-dependent decline of sperm concentration (r = −0.307, p = 0.02) in the last 50 years and an overall 32.5% decrease in mean sperm concentration was noted. Conclusion: This comprehensive, evidence-based meta-analysis concisely presents the evidence of decreased sperm concentration in European male over the past 50 years to serve the scientific research zone related to male reproductive health.