Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targets for intervention to improve virological outcomes for patients receiving free antiretroviral therapy in Tamil Nadu, India

Operational research to identify factors predicting poor clinical outcomes is critical to maximize patient care and prolong first-line regimens for those receiving free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in India. We sought to identify social or clinical factors amenable to intervention that predict virological outcomes after 12 months of ART. We examined a retrospective cohort of consecutive adults initiating free nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimens. Individuals remaining in care 12 months post-ART initiation were tested for HIV viral load and surveyed to identify barriers and facilitators to adherence, and to determine clinic travel times and associated costs. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression identified factors predicting HIV viral load >200 copies/mL after 12 months of ART. Of 230 adults initiating ART, 10% of patients died, 8% transferred out, 5% were lost to follow-up, and 174/230 (76%) completed 12 months of ART, the questionnaire, and viral load testing. HIV viral load was <200 copies/mL in 140/174 (80%) patients. In multivariate models, being busy with work or caring for others (OR 2.9, p < 0.01), having clinic transport times ≥ 3 hours (OR 3.0, p = 0.02), and alcohol use (OR 4.8, p = 0.03) predicted viral load >200 copies/mL after 12 months of ART. Clinical outcomes following ART are related to programmatic factors such as prolonged travel time and individual factors such as being busy with family or using alcohol. Simple interventions that alter these factors should be evaluated to improve clinical outcomes for populations receiving free ART in similar settings.
C-Reactive Protein: A New Risk Assessment Tool for Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract Recent research has focused on the use of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation, in the detection of patients at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Several prospective studies have demonstrated that hs-CRP is an independent predictor of future risk for cardiovascular events among healthy individuals, as well as among patients with acute coronary syndromes. In addition, because half of all cardiovascular events occur in persons with low to average levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hs-CRP may aid in identifying patients at high risk for a first cardiovascular event who might otherwise be missed by lipid screening alone. Thus, hs-CRP is a potential adjunct for global risk assessment in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association have therefore proposed joint guidelines for the use of hs-CRP in determining cardiovascular disease risk. The author reviews numerous studies examining the prognostic value of hs-CRP and outlines ongoing efforts to assess the effect of statin therapy in healthy individuals with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high levels of hs-CRP.
Linking Macroeconomic Dynamics to Georgian Credit Portfolio Risk

The following study develops a dynamic credit risk model for the Georgian banking portfolio and investigates the effects that macroeconomic (systemic) factors have on credit risk. A SUR model is estimated for the Non-Performing Loan ratio in seven sectors as a function of a lagged dependent variable, macroeconomic factors, and lagged contagion effects. Based on the estimation results, I discuss the impact of macroeconomic factors (such as GDP growth and exchange rate depreciation) on sector-specific credit risk. Given the estimated model, I further conduct stochastic simulations to analyze the expected losses under two hypothetical scenarios: a shock to real GDP gap and a shock to FX rate depreciation. Based on the assumptions on loss-given default and exposure at default, I find a significant impact of systemic shocks on the aggregate credit risk, but this impact varies across different sectors.
Political Influence in a New Antidumping Regime

We examine the role of political factors in Mexico's antidumping regime, considering both the characteristics of target countries subject to antidumping duties and industry-specific factors for sectors receiving protection. Our results are broadly consistent with the recent theoretical literature on endogenous protection, in terms of both the political costs and the political benefits of providing protection. They are also in line with the existing empirical literature on antidumping, which is focused primarily on the experience of the U.S. and the EU. Our results also suggest that WTO Membership of trading partners increases the political costs of supplying administered protection.
Evolution of Impulse Bursts Noise Filters

The paper deals with evolutionary design of impulse burst noise filters. As proposed filters utilize the filtering window of 5x5 pixels, the design method has to be able to manage 25 eight-bit inputs. The large number of inputs results in an evolutionary algorithm not able to produce reasonably working filters because of the so-called scalability problem of evolutionary circuit design. However, the filters are designed using an extended version of Cartesian Genetic Programming which enables to reduce the number of inputs by selecting the most important of them. Experimental evaluation of the method has shown that evolved filters exhibit better results than conventional solutions based on various median filters.
Reactive attachment disorder in children: Impacts on development, educational implications and the need for secure attachment

The early years of a child’s life are regarded as the most important, in the sense that encounters within infancy tend to influence the child’s maturation. ‘Attachment’ is regarded as a prime contributor to the success or inhibition of child development, making it a vital component of child–caregiver interactions. This paper highlights the detrimental consequences that insecure attachment can have upon the maltreated child and their personal development through focusing on reactive attachment disorder (RAD). RAD is recognised as a clinical disorder that limits the child’s social abilities, emotional regulation and cognitive function. Throughout this paper, RAD will be explored in terms of origin, characteristics, implications and educational implications for children with the disorder, which will be framed within Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Human Development. In accentuating the deleterious factors stemming from RAD, and ultimately insecure attachment, the need for secure attachment is implied.
A New Borrelia Species Defined by Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Housekeeping Genes

ABSTRACT Analysis of Lyme borreliosis (LB) spirochetes, using a novel multilocus sequence analysis scheme, revealed that OspA serotype 4 strains (a rodent-associated ecotype) of Borrelia garinii were sufficiently genetically distinct from bird-associated B. garinii strains to deserve species status. We suggest that OspA serotype 4 strains be raised to species status and named Borrelia bavariensis sp. nov. The rooted phylogenetic trees provide novel insights into the evolutionary history of LB spirochetes.
Return of normal gait patterns after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Individuals with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency typically do not have quadriceps activity during stance. This aberrant pattern has been termed "quadriceps avoidance" gait. We performed gait analysis during walking on 10 normal controls and 10 subjects 8 to 12 months after they had anterior cruciate ligament recon struction using autogenous middle third of the patellar tendon. All patients had good subjective and objective results at the time of analysis. Differences in gait be tween subjects and controls persisted up to 12 months after surgery. Specifically, subjects with anterior cru ciate ligament reconstructions demonstrated significant reductions in midstance knee flexion moments (P < 0.01) and tibially directed loading rates (P < 0.05) when compared with controls. However, the subjects had a net external flexion moment throughout most of the stance phase of gait, implying that quadriceps activity was present. After anterior cruciate ligament recon struction, there is a tendency toward gait normalization, and a quadriceps avoidance mechanism is no longer present.
Role of bacterial growth rates in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of urinary infections in women

The mean minimum generation time in shake culture in urine of 6 urinary isolates of Escherichia coli (21.7 +/- 0.6 min) was significantly shorter (P = 0.0003) than that of 14 isolates of less common urinary pathogens (46.0 +/- 18.6 min). Mixed populations of approximately equal numbers of E. coli cells paired with other urinary, fecal, and urethral organisms were introduced into a laboratory model of the lower human urinary tract. This model used urine as a medium and reproduced some features of the balance between bacterial growth and the flushing effect of urine. After 24 h E. coli formed greater than or equal to 99% of the bacterial population in the bladder model for 16 our of 18 pairs of isolates examined. Relatively high oxygen tensions in urine sample from 18 healthy women (10.9 +/- 22. kPA) and 18 infected patients (8.0 +/- 4.3 kPa) may explain why anaerobic urinary infections are uncommon. The rapid growth rate of E. coli may be one explanation why it is the commonest cause of urinary infection even though it is relatively uncommon at the urethral meatus.
Prevalence of O1/K1- and O2/K3-ReactiveActinobacillus suis in Healthy and Diseased Swine

ABSTRACT A cell surface antigen-typing system was devised for the swine pathogen Actinobacillus suis and used to examine the prevalence of different lipopolysaccharide (O) types in healthy and diseased pigs. The strains examined in this study were isolated from a variety of locations in Canada and from Kansas. Lipopolysaccharide preparations of 151 isolates of A. suis were characterized by immunoblotting using polyclonal antisera generated to strains SO4 (O1/K1), H89-1173 (O2/K3), and VSB 3714, a rough strain. Approximately 54% (62 of 114) of A. suis isolates from diseased pigs, all (11 of 11) isolates from healthy pigs, and all (4 of 4) reference strains reacted with O1/K1 antiserum. More than 80% (18 of 22) ofA. suis strains used for bacterin production and approximately 41% (47 of 114) of isolates from diseased pigs bound O2/K3 antiserum. One isolate appeared to be rough, and five were untypeable. O1/K1- and O2/K3-reactive strains were equally prevalent in Kansas, whereas O2/K3-reactive strains were more common in Québec and western Canada and O1/K1 strains were most common in Ontario. The fact that virtually all of the strains submitted for bacterin production were O2/K3-reactive strains is consistent with the notion that these strains may be more virulent than O1/K1 strains; alternatively, this may reflect geographic or other biases. In addition, we observed cross-reactivity between A. suis cell surface antigens and swine antisera to several other important pathogens. This finding may explain why previous attempts to develop a simple serodiagnostic test for A. suis have been unsuccessful.
RGC sensitivity to mild systemic hypoxia.

PURPOSE Systemic hyperoxia, hypercapnia, and hypoxia are known to alter retinal perfusion. The effects such experimentally induced systemic blood gas perturbations have on inner neuroretinal function in humans were examined. METHODS Twenty healthy adults participated in each of three test sessions. The effects of breathing pure oxygen (O2), carbogen, or a hypoxic gas on the pattern electroretinogram (pERG) were investigated. The stimulus consisted of high-contrast, black-and-white, 48-min arc checks reversing at 1 Hz. pERGs were recorded with a Dawson-Trick-Litzkow electrode at the end of 5 minutes of breathing room air, 5 minutes of breathing the test gas, immediately after the flow of gas was stopped, and 10 minutes after the flow of gas was stopped. RESULTS Amplitudes and implicit times of the major positive (P50) and negative (N95) components of the pERG were not altered during the pure O2 and carbogen breathing sessions. Although the amplitude and implicit time of P50 were not modified significantly with systemic hypoxia, they were depressed and delayed, respectively, for N95. CONCLUSIONS Inner neuroretinal function remained unchanged during increased blood O2 and carbon dioxide levels known to alter retinal blood flow, but it was altered during decreased blood O2 levels. Overall, these results indicate that the generators of P50 are resistant to systemic hyperoxia, hypercapnia/hyperoxia, and hypoxia. They further indicate that the generators of N95, namely the retinal ganglion cells, are particularly sensitive to transient, mild systemic hypoxia.
The prevalence of dementia in elderly Chinese

A stratified random sample of 612 Chinese aged 65 years and more and living in the community in Singapore was interviewed in 1985, using the Geriatric Mental State Schedule. The overall prevalence of dementia was 1.8%. The rate increased to 4.8% for those 80‐84 years and 12.0% for those 85 years and more. An epidemiological survey of dementia in Beijing in 1986, also using the Geriatric Mental State Schedule, reported a similar rate of 1.8% for those 65 years and more. However, the prevalence of senile dementia was higher and multi‐infarct dementia lower in Singapore than in Beijing.
Experimental and theoretical study of magnetohydrodynamic ship models

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) ships represent a clear demonstration of the Lorentz force in fluids, which explains the number of students practicals or exercises described on the web. However, the related literature is rather specific and no complete comparison between theory and typical small scale experiments is currently available. This work provides, in a self-consistent framework, a detailed presentation of the relevant theoretical equations for small MHD ships and experimental measurements for future benchmarks. Theoretical results of the literature are adapted to these simple battery/magnets powered ships moving on salt water. Comparison between theory and experiments are performed to validate each theoretical step such as the Tafel and the Kohlrausch laws, or the predicted ship speed. A successful agreement is obtained without any adjustable parameter. Finally, based on these results, an optimal design is then deduced from the theory. Therefore this work provides a solid theoretical and experimental ground for small scale MHD ships, by presenting in detail several approximations and how they affect the boat efficiency. Moreover, the theory is general enough to be adapted to other contexts, such as large scale ships or industrial flow measurement techniques.
Biodegradable hydrogel‐based biomaterials with high absorbent properties for non‐adherent wound dressing

Dressing materials involve conventional gauzes and modern materials such as hydrogels and foam‐based biomaterials. Although the choice of dressing material depends on the type of wound, a dressing material is expected to be non‐cytotoxic. Additionally, moist dressing is considered appropriate to accelerate epithelialisation, while dry dressing may cause tissue damage during removal. An ideal dressing material is expected to provide a moist environment and degrade and release the drug for faster wound healing. Thus, we have designed a hydrogel‐based biodegradable dressing material to provide the moist environment with no cytotoxic effect in vitro. The design of the hydrogel involved alginate–collagen reinforced with whisker cellulose derived from cotton. The hydrogel was prepared via amide linkage in the presence of 1‐ethyl‐(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N‐hydroxysulfosuccinimide (NHS), followed by divalent cationic cross‐linking of alginate and hydrogen bonding with cellulose. The high water retention capability of the hydrogel enables a moist environment to be maintained in the wounded area. The constituents of the hydrogel provided a microenvironment that was suitable for cell proliferation in the vicinity of the hydrogel but inhibited cell attachment on it. The MTT assay results indicated a higher fibroblast proliferation and viability in the presence of the hydrogel.
Developmental Outcome of Levetiracetam, Its Major Metabolite in Humans, 2‐Pyrrolidinone N‐Butyric Acid, and Its Enantiomer (R)‐α‐ethyl‐oxo‐pyrrolidine Acetamide in a Mouse Model of Teratogenicity

Summary: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the teratogenic potential of the antiepileptic drug (AED) levetiracetam (LEV), its major metabolite in humans, 2‐pyrrolidone‐N‐butyric acid (PBA), and enantiomer, (R)‐α‐ethyl‐oxo‐pyrrolidine acetamide (REV), in a well‐established mouse model.
Differentiation of perforated from nonperforated appendicitis at CT.

PURPOSE To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of five computed tomographic (CT) criteria in the differentiation of perforated from nonperforated appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS CT scans of 94 patients with surgically proven appendicitis were classified on review as showing perforation if one of five CT findings was present. The authors calculated the sensitivity and specificity for each finding by comparing the predicted outcome to the surgical and pathologic outcome. RESULTS The perforated group comprised 39 patients and the nonperforated group comprised 55 patients. Sensitivity for abscess, phlegmon, extraluminal air, extraluminal appendicolith, and focal defect in enhancing appendiceal wall individually were 36%, 46%, 36%, 21%, and 64%, respectively. Sensitivity for any one of the five findings was 94.9%. Specificities were 100% for all findings except for phlegmon (95%). Groups differed with respect to age: 47 years +/- 19 (mean +/- SD) for perforated appendicitis and 30 years +/- 13 for nonperforated appendicitis (P <.001). Groups also differed with respect to appendiceal diameter: 15 mm +/- 4.9 for perforated appendicitis and 12 mm +/- 3.3 for nonperforated appendicitis (P =.049). CONCLUSION A dedicated search for five specific CT findings allowed an overall sensitivity of 94.9% for perforated appendicitis. Among findings with 100% specificity, a focal defect in the enhancing appendiceal wall achieved the highest sensitivity.
Exposure of rat hippocampal astrocytes to Ziram increases oxidative stress

Pesticides have been shown in several studies to be the leading candidates of environmental toxins and may contribute to the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Ziram (zinc-bis(dimethyldithiocarbamate)) is an agricultural dithiocarbamate fungicide that is used to treat a variety of plant diseases. In spite of their generally acknowledged low toxicity, dithiocarbamates are known to cause a wide range of neurobehavioral effects as well as neuropathological changes in the brain. Astrocytes play a key role in normal brain physiology and in the pathology of the nervous system. This investigation studied the effects of 1.0 µM Ziram on rat hippocampal astrocytes. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assay performed showed a significant increase in malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation, in the Ziram-treated cells. Biochemical analysis also revealed a significant increase in the induction of 70 kDa heat shock and heme oxygenase 1 stress proteins. In addition, an increase of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and a significant increase in oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were observed in the Ziram-treated cells. The ratio GSH to GSSG calculated from the treated cells was also decreased. Light and transmission electron microscopy supported the biochemical findings in Ziram-treated astrocytes. This data suggest that the cytotoxic effects observed with Ziram treatments may be related to the increase of oxidative stress.
Tiny Groups Tackle Byzantine Adversaries

A popular technique for tolerating malicious faults in open distributed systems is to establish small groups of participants, each of which has a non-faulty majority. These groups are used as building blocks to design attack-resistant algorithms. Despite over a decade of active research, current constructions require group sizes of O(log n), where n is the number of participants in the system. This group size is important since communication and state costs scale polynomially with this parameter. Given the stubbornness of this logarithmic barrier, a natural question is whether better bounds are possible. Here, we consider an attacker that controls a constant fraction of the total computational resources in the system. By leveraging proof-of-work (PoW), we demonstrate how to reduce the group size exponentially to O(loglog n) while maintaining strong security guarantees. This reduction in group size yields a significant improvement in communication and state costs.
Comparative pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of tylosin tartrate and tylosin phosphate after a single oral and i.v. administration in chickens.

The pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of tylosin tartrate and tylosin phosphate were carried out in broiler chickens according to a principle of single dose, random, parallel design. The two formulations of tylosin were given orally and intravenously at a dose level of 10 mg/kg b.w to chicken after an overnight fasting (n = 10 chickens/group). Serial blood samples were collected at different time points up to 24 h postdrug administration. A high performance liquid chromatography method was used for the determination of tylosin concentrations in chicken plasma. The tylosin plasma concentration's time plot of each chicken was analyzed by the 3P97 software. The pharmacokinetics of tylosin was best described by a one-compartmental open model 1st absorption after oral administration. After intravenous administration the pharmacokinetics of tylosin was best described by a two-compartmental open model, and there were no significant differences between tylosin tartrate and tylosin phosphate. After oral administration, there were significant differences in the Cmax (0.18 ± 0.01, 0.44 ± 0.09) and AUC (0.82 ± 0.05, 1.57 ± 0.25)between tylosin phosphate and tylosin tartrate. The calculated oral bioavailability (F) of tylosin tartrate and tylosin phosphate were 25.78% and 13.73%, respectively. Above all, we can reasonably conclude that, the absorption of tylosin tartrate is better than tylosin phosphate after oral administration.
The Relationship between Participative Management and Job Attitudes of Employees of National Olympics and Paralympics Academy of Iran

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between participative management and job attitude of employees of NOPA in Iran. This research was a descriptive study. The statistical population of this research included all the 60 employees of National Olympics and Paralympics Academy (NOPA) chosen as the sample. In order to gather the data a researcher-administered questionnaire with participative management α =0.90,job satisfaction α=0.88,organizational commitment α= 0.84 and job involvement α=0.81. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the researches data and after confirmation the normality of its distribution using the KS test, a parametric Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationship between the variables. Eventually, considering the finding of the research the following results were shown: A significant relationship was found between participative management and job satisfaction(p=0.001),participative management and affective commitment(p = 0.016),participative management and organizational commitment(p = 0.031),participative management and normative commitment(p = 0.039) and also the findings showed that there was no significant relationship between participative management and job involvement(p = 0.118) and between continuous commitment and participative management (p = 0.99).