Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary ventilation and gas exchange in children anaesthetized with halothane, enflurane and isoflurane

The effects of similar anaesthetic levels of halothane (1.3 MAC), enflurane (1.2 MAC) and isofluranc (1.1 MAC) on pulmonary ventilation and gas exchange were investigated in 24 children subjected to minor and intermediate paediatric surgical procedures. Eight children were anaesthetized with each agent, pncumotarhography and capnography were used, and airway as well as oesophageal pressures were measured. Minute ventilation (V́E) was lower with enflurane than with halothane (P<0.001) and isoflurane (ns). Tidal volumes were, however, similar and variations in V́E were thus caused by lower respiratory rates with enfluranc than with the two other agents. Alveolar ventilation (V́BohrA) and carbon dioxide elimination (V́co2) were smaller and end‐tidal CO2 tension higher with enflurane. Ventilatory efficiency was, however, somewhat better with enflurane as indicated by lower VBohrD (ns) and V́e/V́co2 (P < 0.05) ratios compared with the two other agents. The effects of all three agents on dynamic compliance were similar, while total pulmonary resistance was less with isoflurane than with halothane and enflurane. It is concluded that although minute ventilation was smaller with enflurane than with halothane and isoflurane, ventilatory efficiency was similar due to a smaller dead space ventilation as a result of the lower respiratory rates in children anaesthetized with enflurane.
Initial Functional Independence Measure Score and Interval Post Stroke Help Assess Outcome, Length of Hospitalization, and Quality of Care

Objective: This study tests the hypothesis that the rehabilitation hospital admission functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and interval post stroke can be used to define clinically relevant functional recovery goals, estimate length of stay, and compare quality of care. Background: The effects of time from stroke to rehabilitation unit admission on admission and discharge FIM scores, length of rehabilitation stay, and change in FIM score/day have not yet been reported. Methods: Analysis was based on prospectively collected data from patients admitted to an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit with FIM scores ≤ 90 and an initial, unilateral, hemispheric, thrombotic, or embolic stroke who were fully independent without the use of an assistive device before their stroke. Patients with severe (admission FIM < 54) and moderate (admission FIM 54–90) stroke deficits were divided into cohorts based on interval from stroke to rehabilitation hospital admission: 0–2, 2–4, and 4–6 weeks. Results: Over a 17-month interval, 87 patients met selection criteria. Significant improvements were seen in total FIM scores for all. For those with moderate stroke, all three time cohorts reached a FIM score of 102 ± 2 SEM after 35 ± 2 days on the rehabilitation unit. Patients admitted within 2 weeks of a severe stroke reached a plateau FIM score of 72 ± 6 after 43 ± 3 days on the rehabilitation unit compared with the 2–4 week group (FIM = 57 ± 5 after 53 ± 4 days) and the 4–6 week group (FIM = 54 ± 10 after 40 ± 6 days). Complications increased with severity of stroke and delay in rehabilitation hospital transfer. Conclusions: Admission FIM score and interval from stroke to rehabilitation hospital admission can be used to set FIM outcome goals, predict length of rehabilitation hospitalization needed to meet those goals, and compare quality of care across institutions with different referral patterns. Our results provide a benchmark against which to compare less intense or shorter duration inpatient treatment options.
Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care on physical growth, breastfeeding and its acceptability

The aim of this study was to determine whether the implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) to low birth weight infants would improve physical growth, breastfeeding and its acceptability. A randomized controlled trial was performed over 16 months in which 110 neonates were randomized into a KMC group and a control group using a random number table. The KMC group was subjected to KMC for at least 6 h per day. The babies also received KMC after moving from the neonatal intensive care unit and at home. The control group received standard care (incubator or open care system). Weight, length and occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) were measured weekly for three months. The acceptability of KMC by mothers and nursing staff was assessed on day 7 after the start of KMC using a questionnaire incorporating the Likert scale. Breastfeeding rates were calculated based on history at end of three months. The mean gestational age was 35.48 ± 1.20 weeks in the KMC group and 35.04 ± 1.09 weeks in the control group (P > 0.05). KMC was initiated at a mean age of 1.72 ± 0.45 days and the duration of KMC was 9.74 ± 1.48 h/day. The mean birth weight was 1.69 ± 0.11 kg in the KMC group compared to 1.69 ± 0.12 kg in the control group (P > 0.05). The mean weight gain in gm/day in the KMC group was 21.92 ± 1.44 compared to 18.61 ± 1.28 in the control group (P < 0.05). The mean length gain in cm/week was 1.03 ± 0.5 in the KMC group compared to 0.74 ± 0.05 in the control group (P < 0.05). The mean OFC gain in cm/week was 0.59 ± 0.04 in the KMC group compared to 0.47 ± 0.03 in the control group (P < 0.05). The exclusive breast-feeding rate at end of three months was 88% in the KMC group compared to 72% in the control group (P < 0.05). KMC improved physical growth, breastfeeding rates and was well accepted by both mothers and nursing staff.
Determinants of groundnut production in Thirukkovil ds division of Ampara district

A study was carried out in the Thirukkovil DS division of Ampara district to find out the factors determining the groundnut production. Using the random sampling procedure, a sample of 75 groundnut farmers was selected and a structured interview schedule was used to collect the primary data. Collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS. From the study, it was found out that the average age of groundnut farmers in the area was 48 years, 77.3% were males, and 92% were married. The average family size of a household was 4 members, and only 3 were involved in groundnut farming, about 93.3% of farmers worked as part time groundnut farmers. The average family income was Rs. 15,800 per month. Majority of the farmers had farming experience of 11 years. Most of farmers (89%) had cultivated in their own land in Maha season compare with other two seasons and most of farmers (36%) had cultivated in leased land in mid season compare with other two seasons. Most of farmers (66%) had cultivated in highland extent of 164 ac in Maha season. About 65% of farmers were cultivated in Maha and Yala seasons in study areas. Average groundnut cultivated extent was 2.4 ac, 1.83 ac and 2.53 ac in Yala, mid and Maha season respectively. According to the results the average net profit from groundnut cultivation was Rs. 56,175/ac in Yala season, Rs. 34,975/ac in Maha season and Rs 34,296 in mid season. Average net profit was high in Yala season because groundnut seeds demand was high and good market price during the season. Chi-square analysis indicated that there was a significant association between average groundnut yield obtained in Yala season and educational level of groundnut farmers, type of farming and use of IPNS techniques by the groundnut farmers in the study area. It is therefore recommended that government and relevant private institutions should take necessary steps to strengthen their extension services by considering the above factors to enhance the groundnut production.
Learning from uncertain curves: The 2-Wasserstein metric for Gaussian processes

We introduce a novel framework for statistical analysis of populations of non-degenerate Gaussian processes (GPs), which are natural representations of uncertain curves. This allows inherent variation or uncertainty in function-valued data to be properly incorporated in the population analysis. Using the 2-Wasserstein metric we geometrize the space of GPs with L2 mean and covariance functions over compact index spaces. We prove uniqueness of the barycenter of a population of GPs, as well as convergence of the metric and the barycenter of their finite-dimensional counterparts. This justifies practical computations. Finally, we demonstrate our framework through experimental validation on GP datasets representing brain connectivity and climate development. A Matlab library for relevant computations will be published at https://sites.google. com/view/antonmallasto/software.
High prevalence and poor control of hypertension in primary care: cross-sectional study

Objective To report: (1) on the background, design and methods of the Hypertension and Diabetes Risk Screening and Awareness (HYDRA) study, (2) on the point prevalence of hypertension in primary care and (3) on the proportion of treated, controlled, and uncontrolled hypertension. Design Cross-sectional point prevalence study. Setting Representative nationwide sample of 1912 primary care practices in Germany. Participants A total of 45 125 unselected primary care attendees. Main outcome measures Prevalence of hypertension based on doctor's diagnosis, self-reported diagnosis, and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Results A total of 39% of all patients and 67% of patients aged 60 years or older, respectively, were diagnosed by their doctors as having hypertension. Eighty-four percent of diagnosed patients were on antihypertensive medication, 57% of which were rated by the physician as well controlled. When hypertension was defined as either current BP levels ⩾ 140/90 mmHg and/or current antihypertensive medication, the total point prevalence increased to 50%, while treatment and control rates (BP < 140/90 mmHg) dropped to 64 and 19%, respectively. Conclusions Extrapolation of these findings to the entire primary care patient population seen in the over 20 000 primary care practices in Germany suggests that on an average day, over 700 000 patients with elevated BP are seen by primary care physicians, but that only around 132 000 of these patients are well controlled. Thus, this study not only documents the enormous burden of hypertensive patients in the primary health system, but also highlights the alarming lack of BP control in the vast majority of hypertensive patients.
A high-performance architectural design for motion estimation in MPEG-4

The key to high performance of MPEG-4 video compression lies in an efficient reduction of spatial and temporal redundancy. The main idea of inter prediction techniques is quick checking of the entire search area with efficient matching criterion viz. sum of absolute difference to eliminate the impossible or least matched candidates, followed by finer selection among the potentially best matched candidates. The macroblock with least SAD value will decide the motion vector. Due to object-based nature of MPEG-4, new SAD design with efficient computational ability, less area and less power in 0. 18μm CMOS technology and operating frequency of 1.508GHz is proposed in the following paper.
Joint crisis plans and psychiatric advance directives in German psychiatric practice

This study explores the attitude of German psychiatrists in leading positions towards joint crisis plans and psychiatric advance directives. This topic was examined by contacting 473 medical directors of German psychiatric hospitals and departments. They were asked to complete a questionnaire developed by us. That form contained questions about the incidence and acceptance of joint crisis plans and psychiatric advance directives and previous experiences with them. 108 medical directors of psychiatric hospitals and departments responded (response rate: 22.8%). Their answers demonstrate that in their hospitals these documents are rarely used. Among the respondents, joint crisis plans are more accepted than psychiatric advance directives. There is a certain uncertainty when dealing with these instruments. Our main conclusion is that German psychiatry needs an intensified discussion on the use of instruments for patients to constitute procedures for future critical psychiatric events. For this purpose it will be helpful to collect more empirical data. Furthermore, the proposal of joint crisis plans in psychiatric hospitals and departments should be discussed as well as the possibility of consulting an expert during the preparation of a psychiatric advance directive.
Study of obstacles and restrictions of pedestrians for commuting on foot in the city of Tehran: a qualitative study

Backgrounds and Objectives: Today, providing a safe and secure environment for the passage of pedestrian is a special consideration in urban transport planning. Walking is the most simple and natural form of commuting and is recommended for health and reducing air pollution and traffic. However, there are many challenges in this area. The aim of this study was to investigate obstacles and problems of pedestrians in providing strategies for the promotion walking in different parts of the Tehran. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out through a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews with 30 residents in different regions of Tehran. The interviews were analyzed by content analysis method after implementation. The sampling method was purposive and individuals were selected from pedestrians and drivers in different age groups. To validate data, credibility, transferability, conformability and dependability parameters were considered.Data were analyzed using the MAXQDA-10 software. Results: In this study, the average age of participants was 38 years. Half of the participants were female. Seven main themes were extracted. The main themes extracted in this study were space-related issues, safety issues, security issues, cultural issues, management weaknesses and pedestrian's rights supportive laws, physiological and behavioural issues, and weather factors. Conclusion: The accurate segregation of pedestrian pathway from the vehicles, making it more safe with appropriate pavements, removal of obstacles in the sidewalks, creating urban furniture, increasing the urban attractions, environmental improvements and creating a clean and desirable space, creating standard bridges passageways and underpasses for pedestrians can have a positive impact on safe commuting on foot. How to cite this article: Yousefinezhadi T, Soori H. Study of Obstacles and Restrictions of Pedestrians for Commuting on Foot in the City of Tehran: A Qualitative Study. J Saf Promot Inj Prev. 2017; 5(4):185-92.
Assessing the stability and maturity of compost at large-scale plants

Four different tests to assess compost stability were compared during green waste composting in windrows at a large-scale composting plant. The tests used were: germination index (based on seed germination); SOUR (specific oxygen uptake rate, respirometric method based on O2 consumption by the microorganisms); selfheating test (reflecting the energy output from the aerobic process); and Solvita® (a commercial maturity test based on CO2 and NH3 production). These methods have been identified previously as suitable parameters to establish the end-point of the composting process and results were compared to the typical process parameters which include temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content and volatile solids. SOUR was found to give a useful indication of the degree of stabilisation of organic matter during the first stages of the composting process. Solvita®, was found to reflect more the degree of maturity of the compost, and that was more useful at the later stages of the composting process. This study showed that SOUR and Solvita® provided fast, simple and relatively unsophisticated methods to monitor compost stability and maturity at large-scale composting plants processing green wastes.
Anterior urethral strictures

The surgical treatment of adult anterior urethral strictures has developed continuously. Recently considerable changes have been introduced, involving the cause of the urethral disease and surgical techniques. The criteria for selecting the reconstructive surgical technique are presented according to the cause and a new classification of urethral strictures. The main surgical procedures are presented and fully illustrated, with an updated and comprehensive review of recent publications.
Gender recognition improvement: A new approach for extracting and selecting features

Human face based gender recognition is a challenging issue in image processing and machine vision domain. In this paper we proposed an approach for gender recognition using combination of statistical features and Local Binary Pattern (LBP). The optimal block size and statistical features set are determined by sequential forward floating selection (SFFS) algorithm for gender recognition improvement. The assessment and comparison with other methods have been carried out using Iranian facial image dataset. The proposed approach can carry out the classification more accurately. The rates of true classification using Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) classifiers are 99.41% and 99.31 respectively.
Cloning and Characterization of a Curcin Gene Encoding a Ribosome Inactivating Protein from Jatropha curcas

A curcin gene was isolated by using genomic walker technology and revealed to encode the type-1 ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs). Analysis of 1802 bp segments revealed the gene including a 694 bp 5′ flanking region, a 882 bp open read frame (ORF) and a 226 bp 3′ flanking region. There are one putative TATA boxes and two possible CAAT box lie in the 5′-flanking region. The ORF encodes a 32 kDa precursor, which contains a 42 amino acid signal peptide. Two possible polyadenylation signals are found in the 3′-flanking region. No introns were found, which is typical of other RIPs gene that has been sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of Curcin gene coding region shares high homology with RIPs, e.g. ricin A-chain, gelonin, abrin A-chain, bryodin, trichosanthin and momorcharin, which were found to be 34% (99/287), 34% (98/287), 37% (89/240), 34% (86/249), 36% (87/241) and 36% (88/241), respectively. The cloning of the gene is important foundation to further study the structure, expression and regulation mechanism.
The Controversy of Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation: Has Quantitative Accounting Research Misinformed us about the Relationship between Audit Tenure and Audit Quality?

2 Acknowledgments . 3 Introduction. 5 Background on Mandatory Auditor Rotation Regulation . 7 The Potential for Archival Research to Influence Public Policy: Carcello Citings . 8 Summary of Carcello and Nagy . 9 Replication of Carcello and Nagy . 12 Sample Selection . 13 Discussion, Analysis, and Conclusion . 16 References . 20
The Atrio-Ventricular Node Artery in the Human Heart

The atrioventricular node artery is a major contributor to the arterial supply of the atrioventricular conducting pathway and is an important vessel in the pathogenesis of heart block. The terminal ramifications of this artery were studied in detail by serial sectioning techniques in 50 human infant hearts. The artery provided branches to the posterior interventricular septum in all hearts (100%) and to the interatrial septum in 22 hearts (44%). The vessel supplied the atrioventricular node in 45 hearts (90%) but it terminated before reaching the node in five (10%). It supplied the penetrating bundle in 32 hearts (64%). Alternative sources of arterial supply to the atrioventricular conducting path way include: the first septal branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery; the descending septal artery; and anterior atrial branches. Although the arterial supply to this region of the heart is variable, it is possible to make hypothetical predictions of conducting tissue involvement in myocardial in farction of various types.
Age-dependent impairment of delay and trace eyeblink conditioning in mice

The age effect on classical eyeblink conditioning in unrestrained mice (C57BL/6J strain) was evaluated. Mice were trained at one of three age periods (8, 45–50 or 85–90 weeks). In the delay paradigm, significant learning deficits were evident in the 85–90 week-old group, but no deficits were observed in the behavior of the 45–50 week-old group. On the other hand, in the trace paradigm with a stimulus-free trace interval of 500 ms, significant deficits became apparent at the age of 45–50 weeks. These results indicate that trace eyeblink conditioning is more susceptible to age-related deterioration of memory in mice than delay eyeblink conditioning.
Inhibition of atherosclerosis development in cholesterol-fed human apolipoprotein A-I-transgenic rabbits.

BACKGROUND Prospective epidemiological studies support the hypothesis that high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I limit atherosclerosis development. However, more data from studies with animal models of atherosclerosis that resemble the human disease are required to demonstrate the effect of apo A-I in the inhibition of atherogenesis. The rabbit is a good animal model for human atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS Human apo A-I-transgenic rabbits have been produced, and we have evaluated the effect of apo A-I on the development of atherosclerosis in transgenic rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet for 14 weeks. Plasma cholesterol levels of atherogenic apo B-containing lipoproteins were similar for transgenic and control rabbits (> 1000 mg/dL), while plasma levels of HDL cholesterol in the transgenic group were always about twice that of the control group (68 +/- 11 versus 37 +/- 3 mg/dL at 14 weeks; P < .001). At the end of the experiment, the amount of aortic surface area covered by lesions as well as the amount of lipid accumulation in the aorta were significantly less in transgenic rabbits compared with the control group (15 +/- 12% versus 30 +/- 8%, P < .0027 for the surface area of the thoracic aorta; 116 +/- 31 versus 247 +/- 39 mumol/g aorta, P < .0068 for cholesterol content in total aorta). CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of human apo A-I in rabbits inhibits the development of atherosclerosis in this animal model that resembles, in many respects, human atherosclerosis.