Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mothers' knowledge about EPI and its relation with age-appropriate vaccination of infants in peri-urban Karachi.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the relation between the knowledge of mothers about EPI vaccinations and their infant's coverage. Effect of other socio-demographic variables on mothers' knowledge and child's coverage was also assessed. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted, utilizing World Health Organization's thirty-cluster sampling strategy. All households with at least one infant were considered eligible. After obtaining verbal consent, the mother was interviewed to assess her knowledge and attitudes towards EPI vaccination. Infant's coverage status was verified by checking EPI card or verbal inquiry. A knowledge score was developed by summing all correct answers. RESULTS A total of 210 mothers (7 per cluster) were identified and interviewed. The number and proportion of mothers correctly identifying the seven EPI diseases were as follows; Tuberculosis 57 (27.1%), Diphtheria 53 (25.2%), Pertussis 71 (33.8%), Tetanus 70 (33.3%), Measles 85 (40.5%), Polio 91 (43.3%) and Hepatitis B 65 (31.0%). Only ninety four (44.8%) children were appropriately vaccinated for their age. In the multivariate model, mothers' knowledge was not significantly associated with appropriate vaccination of their children (p = 0.22), however, mothers' education was found to be significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Mothers' knowledge about EPI vaccination in peri-urban Karachi was quite low and not associated with their children's EPI coverage. Mothers' educational status, however, was significantly associated with Child's coverage. This finding depicts a better health seeking behaviour of a more educated mother.
The terrorist rhetorical style and its consequences for understanding terrorist violence

The linguistic content analyses systems used in the present special issue covered a large range of conceptual and methodological approaches from many of the major researchers in the field. Taking a broad view of this massive set of results, what can we learn about terrorist groups' rhetoric? We present here a summary set of analyses that suggests terrorist rhetoric (compared to non-terrorist control groups) was more social in nature, contained more rhetoric reflecting control and power, and was consistently lower on multiple measurements of rhetoric complexity. Further, analyses on automated systems suggested that the typical terrorist style of rhetoric became even more exaggerated among terrorist groups as an impending violent attack by their group neared. This study highlights the benefits of conducting linguistic content analyses of terrorist groups' public rhetoric. Applied rigorously, this method can contribute to our understanding of how these groups differ from their non-terrorist counterparts and potentially provide indicators of when they may be ready to engage in further violent activity.
Cycling efficiency and performance following short-term training using uncoupled cranks.

OBJECTIVES Uncoupled cycling cranks are designed to remove the ability of one leg to assist the other during the cycling action. It has been suggested that training with this type of crank can increase mechanical efficiency. However, whether these improvements can confer performance enhancement in already well-trained cyclists has not been reported. METHOD Fourteen well-trained cyclists (13 males, 1 female; 32.4 +/- 8.8 y; 74.5 +/- 10.3 kg; Vo2max 60.6 +/- 5.5 mL.kg-1.min-1; mean +/- SD) participated in this study. Participants were randomized to training on a stationary bicycle using either an uncoupled (n = 7) or traditional crank (n = 7) system. Training involved 1-h sessions, 3 days per week for 6 weeks, and at a heart rate equivalent to 70% of peak power output (PPO) substituted into the training schedule in place of other training. Vo2max, lactate threshold, gross efficiency, and cycling performance were measured before and following the training intervention. Pre- and posttesting was conducted using traditional cranks. RESULTS No differences were observed between the groups for changes in Vo2max, lactate threshold, gross efficiency, or average power maintained during a 30-minute time trial. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that 6 weeks (18 sessions) of training using an uncoupled crank system does not result in changes in any physiological or performance measures in well-trained cyclists.
The International Telephone Network and Democratization

This study examines the relationship between the international telephone network and the process of democratization. It attempts to answer two research questions: (1) Who are the core, semiperiphery, periphery countries in the international telephone network? (2) What is the relationship between a country's network position and its level of democracy? The results indicate that various network indicators (e.g., system density, centrality, connectedness, and integrativeness) are consistent over time. Network analysis identified one large group in the global telephone network. Further, the results are consistent with the main argument of world system theory that a country's position in the network affects its political development and its patterns of interaction. Telecommunication also plays a paradoxical role in the development of democracy. On the one hand, it facilitates interaction among different segments of people and enables popular participation. On the other hand, it generates electronic colonialism and exacerbates the gap between the core and the periphery countries. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ribosome-induced tuning of GTP hydrolysis by a translational GTPase

Significance Translational elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) utilizes GTP hydrolysis to control the speed and fidelity of decoding. We explored the reaction coordinate for GTP hydrolysis by EF-Tu and the origins of the million-fold activation effect of the ribosome. We show that amino acid residues in the P loop (Asp21) and switch II region (His84) are key to catalysis of GTP hydrolysis on the ribosome but are not essential for the intrinsic GTPase of EF-Tu. We conclude that the ribosome contributes to catalysis indirectly, by inducing a conformation that provides an electrostatic stabilization of the transition state. Translational GTPases provide yet another example of how the ribosome, an ancient RNA-based catalyst, solves problems posed by the limited catalytic power of RNA. GTP hydrolysis by elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), a translational GTPase that delivers aminoacyl-tRNAs to the ribosome, plays a crucial role in decoding and translational fidelity. The basic reaction mechanism and the way the ribosome contributes to catalysis are a matter of debate. Here we use mutational analysis in combination with measurements of rate/pH profiles, kinetic solvent isotope effects, and ion dependence of GTP hydrolysis by EF-Tu off and on the ribosome to dissect the reaction mechanism. Our data suggest that—contrary to current models—the reaction in free EF-Tu follows a pathway that does not involve the critical residue H84 in the switch II region. Binding to the ribosome without a cognate codon in the A site has little effect on the GTPase mechanism. In contrast, upon cognate codon recognition, the ribosome induces a rearrangement of EF-Tu that renders GTP hydrolysis sensitive to mutations of Asp21 and His84 and insensitive to K+ ions. We suggest that Asp21 and His84 provide a network of interactions that stabilize the positions of the γ-phosphate and the nucleophilic water, respectively, and thus play an indirect catalytic role in the GTPase mechanism on the ribosome.
Adaptive Mutations Producing Efficient Replication of Genotype 1a Hepatitis C Virus RNA in Normal Huh7 Cells

ABSTRACT Despite recent successes in generating subgenomic RNA replicons derived from genotype 1b strains of hepatitis C virus (HCV) that replicate efficiently in cultured cells, it has proven difficult to generate efficiently replicating RNAs from any other genotype of HCV. This includes genotype 1a, even though it is closely related to genotype 1b. We show here that an important restriction to replication of the genotype 1a H77c strain RNA in normal Huh7 cells resides within the amino-terminal 75 residues of the NS3 protease. We identified adaptive mutations located within this NS3 domain and within NS4A, in close proximity to the essential protease cofactor sequence, that act cooperative to substantially enhance the replication of this genotype 1a RNA in Huh7 cells. These and additional adaptive mutations, identified through a series of iterative transfections and the selection of G418-resistant cell clones, form two groups associating with distinct nonstructural protein domains: the NS3/4A protease and NS5A. A combination of mutations from both groups led to robust replication of otherwise unmodified H77c genomic RNA that was readily detectable by northern analysis within 4 days of transfection into Huh7 cells. We speculate that these adaptive mutations favorably influence assembly of the replicase complex with host cell-specific proteins, or alternatively promote interactions of NS3/4A and/or NS5A with cellular proteins involved in host cell antiviral defenses.
Antibodies directed to envelope proteins of hepatitis C virus outside of hypervariable region 1.

The relatively high variability of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope proteins E1 and E2 suggests that parts of these proteins other than the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) might be involved in the induction of virus neutralizing antibodies. To test this hypothesis, two HCV proteins, pE1 and pE2 delta, were generated by in vitro translation. They represent amino acids 174-337 of E1 and 411-688 of E2, respectively, of isolate HCV-AD78; the protein pE2 delta contained no HVR1. As a control, protein pG.HVR1, which represents amino acids 384-410 of HVR1 of isolate HCV-AD78, was expressed separately. These three proteins were used in an immunoprecipitation assay to detect the presence of antiviral antibodies in sera of patients infected with the same isolate of HCV (HCV-AD78). Sera were obtained 4-8 months postinfection from patients who later resolved an acute infection or developed chronic liver disease. A high prevalence of antibodies (up to 85.7%) against pE1 and pE2 delta could be detected in both groups of patients, suggesting that these forms of the HCV envelope proteins contain B-cell epitopes. The antibody responses against proteins pE1 and pE2 delta did not differ significantly between patients with resolving or chronic infection, whereas antibodies against protein pG.HVR1 were associated with resolution of infection. Rabbit antisera raised against pE1 and pE2 delta were tested for their ability to neutralize the binding of HCV to susceptible cells in tissue cultures. The results suggested that although a few B-cell epitopes outside of HVR1 can induce virus neutralizing antibodies, these antibodies are probably not associated with the resolution of infection.
Aspirin enhances the induction of type I allergic symptoms when combined with food and exercise in patients with food‐dependent exercise‐induced anaphylaxis

We examined the effect of aspirin as a substitute for exercise in inducing urticaria/anaphylaxis in three patients with food‐dependent exercise‐induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA). Two of the patients had specific IgE antibodies to wheat and the other had antibodies to shrimp. Administration of aspirin before ingestion of food allergens induced urticaria in one patient and urticaria and hypotension in another, while aspirin alone or food alone elicited no response. The third patient developed urticaria only when he took all three items, i.e. aspirin, food and additional exercise, whereas provocation with any one or or two of these did not induce any symptoms. These findings suggest that aspirin upregulates type I allergic responses to food in patients with FDEIA, and further shows that aspirin synergizes with exercise to provoke symptoms of FDEIA. This is the first report of a synergistic effect of aspirin in inducing urticaria/anaphylaxis, which was confirmed using challenge tests in patients with FDEIA.
Comparison of resection and radiofrequency ablation for treatment of solitary colorectal liver metastases (Br J Surg 2003; 90: 1240–1243)

with rectal cancer who develop postoperative sepsis1. The role of immunosuppression in colorectal tumour recurrence remains debatable. A more likely mechanism that could cause growth of dormant tumour cells is angiogenic stimulation. Both sepsis2 and blood transfusion3 may stimulate Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor release, which is amongst the most potent stimulators of metastatic growth. This combination of transfusion and sepsis may stimulate cancer recurrence4, though the former may predispose to the latter, as also shown in this study. In future, minimisation of transfusion may be a more achievable goal than eradicating sepsis.
Compact Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) Filter With Defected Ground Structure

A compact substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) filter with defected ground structure (DGS) is proposed. The DGS is etched on the ground plane of the SIW cavity, and it behaves as a resonator. Under such condition, better frequency selectivity contributed to three transmission zeros is obtained, and two of them are located at the lower stopband. The proposed filter, fabricated using standard printed circuit board technology, has the advantages of compactness, good spurious suppression characteristics and low cost. Its measured S-parameters agree well with the simulated ones.
The Optogenetic Catechism

An emerging set of methods enables an experimental dialogue with biological systems composed of many interacting cell types—in particular, with neural circuits in the brain. These methods are sometimes called “optogenetic” because they use light-responsive proteins (“opto-”) encoded in DNA (“-genetic”). Optogenetic devices can be introduced into tissues or whole organisms by genetic manipulation and be expressed in anatomically or functionally defined groups of cells. Two kinds of devices perform complementary functions: Light-driven actuators control electrochemical signals, while light-emitting sensors report them. Actuators pose questions by delivering targeted perturbations; sensors (and other measurements) signal answers. These catechisms are beginning to yield previously unattainable insight into the organization of neural circuits, the regulation of their collective dynamics, and the causal relationships between cellular activity patterns and behavior.
Proton irradiation of metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes

Metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films on space qualified solar cell coverglass were irradiated with 100 keV protons at doses of 1 × 10<sup>13</sup> and 1 × 10<sup>14</sup> protons/cm<sup>2</sup>. The samples were analyzed using UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and four-point probe measurements. The results indicate that defects are not introduced into the metallic carbon nanotubes after irradiation.
Nonvalue of cold enrichment of stools for isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica serotypes 3 and 9 from patients

During an 8-year period 14,092 fecal specimens and 1,428 excised appendixes were examined for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica, with different combinations of direct plating media and enrichment techniques. The combination of direct plating on SS agar and 2 days of enrichment in a modified Rappaport broth at room temperature resulted in the isolation of 100% of serotype 3 and 9 strains. Such strains were recovered from 3.7% of our fecal specimens. Cold enrichment in phosphate buffer further increased the isolation rate, but the additional isolates all belonged to biotype 1. Evidence is presented that biotype 1 strains, at least in Belgium, are not pathogenic for humans. There was a significant affinity of serotype 9 strains for patients suffering from an "appendicular syndrome. "
A clinical study of microcirculatory disturbance in Chinese patients with sudden deafness

Conclusion. Cochlear microcirculation disturbance is closely associated with sudden deafness. Objectives. To investigate the relationship between cochlear microcirculation and sudden deafness. Subjects and methods. Clinical laboratory parameters (clinical chemistry, hemorheology, hematology, and hemostasis determinations) were studied in 86 patients with sudden deafness and 30 healthy control subjects. Results. The levels of total cholesterol (TCH), triglyceride (TG), and lipoprotein A were significantly higher in patients with sudden deafness than in control subjects. Plasma viscosity, ratio viscosity of whole blood, reduced viscosity of whole blood, high and low shear relative viscosity of whole blood, index of red blood cells transmutation, and fibrinogen level in the plasma of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) were also significantly elevated in comparison with those in control subjects. White-collar workers with psychological and behavioral abnormalities tend to suffer from sudden deafness.
Effect of clenbuterol on sarcoplasmic reticulum function in single skinned mammalian skeletal muscle fibers

ANTHONY J. BAKKER,1 STEWART I. HEAD,2 ANTHONY C. WAREHAM,3 AND D. GEORGE STEPHENSON4 1Department of Physiology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6907; 2School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052; 4School of Zoology, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3083, Australia; and 3Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
Population Genetics Study of Isoniazid Resistance Mutations and Evolution of Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT The molecular basis for isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is complex. Putative isoniazid resistance mutations have been identified in katG, ahpC, inhA, kasA, and ndh. However, small sample sizes and related potential biases in sample selection have precluded the development of statistically valid and significant population genetic analyses of clinical isoniazid resistance. We present the first large-scale analysis of 240 alleles previously associated with isoniazid resistance in a diverse set of 608 isoniazid-susceptible and 403 isoniazid-resistant clinical M. tuberculosis isolates. We detected 12 mutant alleles in isoniazid-susceptible isolates, suggesting that these alleles are not involved in isoniazid resistance. However, mutations in katG, ahpC, and inhA were strongly associated with isoniazid resistance, while kasA mutations were associated with isoniazid susceptibility. Remarkably, the distribution of isoniazid resistance-associated mutations was different in isoniazid-monoresistant isolates from that in multidrug-resistant isolates, with significantly fewer isoniazid resistance mutations in the isoniazid-monoresistant group. Mutations in katG315 were significantly more common in the multidrug-resistant isolates. Conversely, mutations in the inhA promoter were significantly more common in isoniazid-monoresistant isolates. We tested for interactions among mutations and resistance to different drugs. Mutations in katG, ahpC, and inhA were associated with rifampin resistance, but only katG315 mutations were associated with ethambutol resistance. There was also a significant inverse association between katG315 mutations and mutations in ahpC or inhA and between mutations in kasA and mutations in ahpC. Our results suggest that isoniazid resistance and the evolution of multidrug-resistant strains are complex dynamic processes that may be influenced by interactions between genes and drug-resistant phenotypes.
A review of the computer based simulation of electro-thermal design of power electronics devices

Temperature is one of the most important factors that affect the performance of power electronics systems. It is important that thermal management is considered initially at the design stage of the systems. Because of its advantages of being low cost, high accuracy, and adaptable, computer simulation based analysis and design techniques have become important tools for power electronics designers. This paper presents the state of the art design and analysis techniques that are used for power electronics components and systems design. The focus is on the review of the existing computer based simulation of electrothermal design solution techniques. Methodologies of electro-thermal modelling of power electronics systems such as converters are explored, their advantages and disadvantages of them are discussed and the benefits of computer based simulation over the existing methodologies are highlighted.
Periastron advance in spinning black hole binaries: Gravitational self-force from numerical relativity

We study the general relativistic periastron advance in spinning black hole binaries on quasi-circular orbits, with spins aligned or anti-aligned with the orbital angular momentum, using numerical-relativity simulations, the post-Newtonian approximation, and black hole perturbation theory. By imposing a symmetry by exchange of the bodies’ labels, we devise an improved version of the perturbative result, and use it as the leading term of a new type of expansion in powers of the symmetric mass ratio. This allows us to measure, for the first time, the gravitational self-force effect on the periastron advance of a non-spinning particle orbiting a Kerr black hole of mass M and spin S = 0:5M 2 , down to separations of order 9M. Comparing the predictions of our improved perturbative expansion with the exact results from numerical simulations of equal-mass and equal-spin binaries, we find a remarkable agreement over a wide range of spins and orbital separations.
Interferon treatment in hemodialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of treatment efficacy and harms.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is prevalent in patients undergoing hemodialysis and is associated with greater mortality. We determined the efficacy and harms of interferon (IFN) and pegylated IFN (PEG-IFN) treatment of hemodialysis patients with chronic HCV infection and identified factors associated with these outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials, uncontrolled trials, and prospective observational studies. SETTING & POPULATION Hemodialysis patients with chronic HCV infection. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES MEDLINE indexed studies since 1966, sample size greater than 10. INTERVENTION IFN-based treatment, including PEG-IFN with and without ribavirin. OUTCOMES Sustained virological response (SVR) 6 months after treatment, rate of treatment discontinuation caused by adverse events, and factors associated with these outcomes. RESULTS 20 studies of 459 IFN-treated patients, 3 studies of 38 PEG-IFN-treated patients, and 2 studies of 49 PEG-IFN and ribavirin-treated patients met inclusion criteria. The overall SVR rate was 41% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33 to 49) for IFN and 37% (95% CI, 9 to 77) for PEG-IFN. Treatment discontinuation rates were 26% (95% CI, 20 to 34) for IFN and 28% (95% CI, 12 to 53) for PEG-IFN. SVR was higher with 3 million units (MU) or higher of IFN 3 times weekly, with lower mean HCV RNA, and with lower rates of cirrhosis, HCV genotype 1 or elevated transaminase, but these findings were not statistically significant. Treatment discontinuation rates were greater in studies using larger doses. LIMITATIONS Publication bias, few randomized controlled trials, and limitations in generalizability to all hemodialysis patients. CONCLUSION IFN treatment of hemodialysis patients results in an SVR rate of 41%. Higher dose, lower mean HCV RNA level, and lower rates of cirrhosis, transaminase level increase, and HCV genotype 1 may be associated with greater SVR rates, but additional studies using individual patient data are needed.