Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cranial computed tomography before lumbar puncture: a prospective clinical evaluation.

OBJECTIVE To prospectively identify which patients can safely undergo lumbar puncture (LP) without screening cranial computed tomography (CT). METHODS Emergency department physicians examined patients before CT. Examiners recorded the presence or absence of 10 clinical findings and answered 8 additional questions. The criterion standard was noncontrast cranial CT interpreted by staff radiologists. Clinical findings were prospectively compared with those of CT. RESULTS One hundred thirteen consecutive adults with the urgent need for LP (median age, 42 years) were studied. Fifteen percent of patients meeting entrance criteria had new CT-documented lesions, with 2.7% having lesions that contraindicated LP. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios (LRs) were measured for the clinical findings. Three statistically significant predictors of new intracranial lesions were identified: altered mentation (positive LR, 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-3.2), focal neurologic examination (positive LR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.9-10), and papilledema (positive LR, 11.1; 95% CI, 1.1-115). No single item adequately predicted the absence of CT abnormalities, but the clinical screening items in aggregate significantly predicted the results (negative LR, 0; upper 95% confidence limit, 0.6). The overall clinical impression had the highest predictive value in identifying patients with CT-defined contraindications to LP (positive LR, 18.8; 95% CI, 4.8-43). CONCLUSIONS Because of the low prevalence of lesions that contraindicate LP, screening cranial CT solely to establish the safety of performing an LP typically provides limited additional information. Physicians can use their overall clinical impression and 3 clinical predictors to identify patients with the greatest risk of having intracranial lesions that may contraindicate LP.
Hydrodynamic screening in sedimenting suspensions of non-Brownian spheres.

It has been suggested [D. L. Koch and E. S. G. Shaqfeh, J. Fluid Mech. {bold 224}, 275 (1991)] that the long-range hydrodynamic interactions in sedimenting suspensions of non-Brownian spheres are screened by changes in the pair correlation function. However, a large-scale numerical simulation, using more than 32000 spheres with full many-body hydrodynamic interactions, has found no evidence of the predicted changes in suspension microstructure. The absence of hydrodynamic screening in the simulations is shown to lead to divergent velocity fluctuations, in disagreement with recent experimental results [H. Nicolai and E. Guazzelli, Phys. Fluids {bold 7}, 3 (1995)]. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }
Construction and characterization of a herpes simplex virus type 1 mutant unable to transinduce immediate-early gene expression

A herpes simplex virus mutant, in1814, possessing a 12-base-pair insertion in the gene encoding the transinducing factor Vmw65 has been constructed. The insertion abolished the ability of Vmw65 to transinduce immediate-early (IE) gene expression and to form a protein-DNA complex with cell proteins and the IE-specific regulatory element TAATGAGAT. Accumulation of IE RNA 1 and 2 was reduced four- to fivefold in in1814-infected cells, but the level of IE RNA 4 was reduced only by twofold, and IE RNA 3 was unaffected. Mutant in1814 had a high particle/PFU ratio, but many of the particles, although unable to form plaques, were capable of normal participation in the early stages of infection at high multiplicity of infection. The defect of in1814 was overcome partially by transfection of a plasmid encoding the IE protein Vmw110 into cells prior to titration and by prior infection with ultraviolet light-inactivated herpes simplex virus. Mutant in1814 was essentially avirulent when injected into mice. The results demonstrate that transinduction of IE transcription by Vmw65 is important at low multiplicity of infection and in vivo but that at high multiplicity of infection the function is redundant.
Influence of Water Absorption in the Performance of Mortars Made with Manufactured Fine Aggregates

The performance of renders is directly related to the mortar properties and substrate conditions. This paper discusses the influence of the brick water absorption in the performance of renders made with manufactured fine aggregates of crushed stones. Six mortars mixtures of 1:1:6 (cement, lime, manufactured fine aggregate), with 3 different particle size distributions and 2 different proportions of microfines (≤ 75 μm) were produced. The consistency was fixed in 240mm ± 10mm. The physical characteristics of these mortars were determined in the fresh and hardened state. Susceptibility to cracking (namely due to shrinkage) and bond strength of these mortars were determined by prisms. The result shows that the substrate pore distribution is very important for shrinkage and adhesion of renders made of manufactured fine aggregates. Mortars with higher water absorption reduce the renders adhesion. With higher microfines proportion, the mortar needs higher water content, resulting in higher shrinkage and cracking.
The Arabidopsis AtOPT 3 Protein Functions in Metal Homeostasis and Movement of Iron to Developing Seeds 1 [ W ] [ OA ]

The Arabidopsis thaliana AtOPT3 belongs to the oligopeptide transporter (OPT) family, a relatively poorly characterized family of peptide/modified peptide transporters found in archebacteria, bacteria, fungi, and plants. A null mutation in AtOPT3 resulted in embryo lethality, indicating an essential role for AtOPT3 in embryo development. In this article, we report on the isolation and phenotypic characterization of a second AtOPT3 mutant line, opt3-2, harboring a T-DNA insertion in the 5# untranslated region of AtOPT3. The T-DNA insertion in the AtOPT3 promoter resulted in reduced but sufficient AtOPT3 expression to allow embryo formation in opt3-2 homozygous seeds. Phenotypic analyses of opt3-2 plants revealed three interesting loss-of-function phenotypes associated with iron metabolism. First, reduced AtOPT3 expression in opt3-2 plants resulted in the constitutive expression of root iron deficiency responses regardless of exogenous iron supply. Second, deregulation of root iron uptake processes in opt3-2 roots resulted in the accumulation of very high levels of iron in opt3-2 tissues. Hyperaccumulation of iron in opt3-2 resulted in the formation of brown necrotic areas in opt3-2 leaves and was more pronounced during the seed-filling stage. Third, reduced AtOPT3 expression resulted in decreased accumulation of iron in opt3-2 seeds. The reduced accumulation of iron in opt3-2 seeds is especially noteworthy considering the excessively high levels of accumulated iron in other opt3-2 tissues. AtOPT3, therefore, plays a critical role in two important aspects of iron metabolism, namely, maintenance of whole-plant iron homeostasis and iron nutrition of developing seeds.
Hemodynamic Superiority of Dual-Site Left Ventricular Stimulation over Conventional Biventricular Stimulation in Heart Failure Patients

The left ventricle (LV) is excited from a single site with conventional biventricular pacing. We theorized that exciting the LV from two sites would improve intraventricular synchrony. Seven heart failure patients (NYHA Class III, QRS .150 ms, left bundle branch block) enrolled in the Milwaukee Multisite Acute CRT Study (MMACS) were analyzed. Two LV leads were placed in widely separated coronary sinus branches with one closer to the apical region (LVA) and the other near the basal region (LVB). Two right ventricular (RV) leads were positioned in the apex (RVA) and in the high septum (RVB). Short sequences of VDD stimulation were delivered in dual-site LV (LVA + LVB) and two biventricular (RVA + LVB, RVB + LVA) configurations with three atrioventricular (AV) delays (16%, 41%, 66% of intrinsic AV interval). For each patient, changes in LV + dP/dt from baseline were calculated for all AV delays and pacing configurations. The mean percentage increase of dP/dt with LVA + LVB was 16.2% ¡ 8% (p,0.05), which was significantly greater than that of RVA + LVB (10.4% ¡ 4%) and RVB + LVA (6% ¡ 5%). Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with simultaneous dual LV free-wall sites produced a significantly greater increase in dP/dt compared to biventricular CRT with a single LV site.
Melatonin, adolescence, and the brain: An insight into the period‐specific influences of a multifunctional signaling molecule

Melatonin is a neurohormone that is involved in the modulation of a wide range of physiological processes, including maintenance of the circadian rhythm, mediation of photoperiodic information, regulation of the sleep–wake cycle, synchronization of cell physiology, antioxidant defense, and immune‐modulation. Although there are reports of increasing use of melatonin in the management of a number of health conditions, evidence exists that is suggestive of deleterious effects of melatonin administration on brain and reproductive development in the prepubertal and pubertal periods that are within the teenage years. In this review, we examine the influences of endogenous and exogenous melatonin on the adolescent brain, with specific reference to its involvement in the evolution of brain functions, brain structure, sleep regulation, and modulation of behaviors in health or disease.
Opportunities and Precautions in Measurement of Power Loss in Electrical Steel Laminations Using the Initial Rate of Rise of Temperature Method

A system has been developed for measuring localized power loss of electrical steel laminations based on the initial rate of rise of temperature method. Hardware and software components were designed and developed individually to make an accurate measuring system. Three experiments were carried out to calibrate the system and quantify its accuracy over a wide measurement range. The application of the measuring system was demonstrated in two cases of measuring localized power losses near bolt holes in laminations and near artificial lamination edge burrs in a 300 kVA, 3 phase transformer core. The experimental results show that the developed system can measure localized power loss over a wide range with uncertainty of measurement less than ± 2%, but precautions are necessary when interpreting measurements in regions where the magnitude of the loss varies significantly over distances of less than a few centimeters.
Impact of Teamwork on Employees Performance

The main purpose of this research is to examine the impact of teamwork on the performance of employees working in banking sector. Due to increase in local and international banks in the region, it has become difficult for the banks to attract and retain their customers. So, currently the banking sector is striving to improve its human resources performance all around the globe to achieve the maximum efficiency and attempt to increase the customer retention. This research has found an effective relation between teamwork and employee performance. In the present study, correlational research design was used to examine the relationship between teamwork and employees’ performance. Data was collected from 120 employees working in a Bank. Different statistical tests were applied which demonstrate that there is a positive and direct relationship of teamwork on employees’ performance. The results obtained from correlation and regression analyses displayed a significant impact of teamwork on employee performance.
Applying community-based participatory research to better understand and improve kinship care practices : insights from DRC , Nigeria and

While the principles behind community-based participatory research (CBPR) are firmly established the process of taking CBPR with children and youth to scale and integrating it into the programming of non-governmental organizations has been scarcely documented. This paper reflects on the experiences of Save the Children in implementing a multi-country CBPR program to increase understanding of kinship care in DRC, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The paper discusses challenges faced, lessons learned and highlights how the research process enabled action and advocacy initiatives at different levels – leading to an increase in support and policy attention for children living in kinship care.
Transmission of RF Signals Between MICS Loop Antennas in Free Space and Implanted in the Human Head

This communication characterizes the transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals in Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) band (402-405 MHz) between the loop antennas placed in free space and implanted into a human head (beneath the skull) for medical applications. The investigation is carried out using a commercial EM simulator XFDTD based on a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method with a numerical human head model, and verified by the measurements with a phantom. The study shows the effects of human head on the transmission of RF signals between the antennas inside and outside a human head. The information derived from this study is useful for the link budget of medical systems with the wireless connection between implanted devices in human heads and external central controllers.
Is there a role for resistin in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome in Sudanese women ?

Department of Chemical Pathology, National Ribat University, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Khartoum, Sudan. Department of clinical laboratory sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty of Medicine. National Ribat University, Sudan Department of clinical biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdelaziz University, Saudi Arabia
Isolation and characterization of major banana allergens: identification as fruit class I chitinases

Banana allergy has been associated with the latex–fruit syndrome. Several IgE‐binding components, the relevant ones being proteins of 30–37‐kDa, have been detected in banana fruit, but none of them have been isolated and characterized yet. Objective To purify and characterize the 30–37 kDa banana allergens.
Acute Biliary Pancreatitis-Optimal Time for Cholecystectomy : A Prospective Randomized Study

Background: Cholecystectomy can prevent recurrent attacks of mild Acute Biliary Pancreatitis (ABP). However, the optimal timing of cholecystectomy remains controversial. The aim of this prospective randomized study is to compare the outcomes of Early Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (ELC) vs. Delayed Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (DLC) for patients with mild ABP. Methods: From June 2014 to December 2017, 131 patients with mild ABP were prospectively randomized to either an ELC group (70 patients) or control DLC group (61 patients). The primary outcomes were gallstone-related morbidity and mortality while the secondary outcomes were success and failure rate, the difficulty of cholecystectomy, operative time, cholecystectomy related complications, readmission for gallstone-related complications, hospital stay, ICU admission and additional procedure. The study was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov PRS register with identification number NCT03085407. Results: There were statistically significant differences in the incidence and number of readmission for gallstone-related complications (5.7% vs. 62.35, P<0.001 & 4.3% vs. 21.3%, P<0.001), and the total length of hospital stay (4.4 ± 1 vs. 6.9 ± 2.6, p=0.03). There were no statistically significant differences in the other parameters of evaluation between both groups. Conclusion: In mild ABP, ELC can be done safely and efficaciously with a significant reduction in the recurrent biliary events, the total length of hospital stay and frequency of readmission compared with DLC.
A field simulation study of the effectiveness of penalty kick strategies in soccer: Late alterations of kick direction increase errors and reduce accuracy

Abstract This field experiment investigated the relative merits of approaching the penalty kick with either a keeper-independent or keeper-dependent strategy. In the keeper-independent strategy, the shooter selects a target location in advance and disregards the goalkeeper's actions during the run-up. In the keeper-dependent strategy, the shooter makes a decision resting on the anticipation of the goalkeeper's movements during the run-up. Ten intermediate-level soccer players shot at one of two visually specified targets to the right and left side of the goal. In the keeper-independent strategy condition, participants were told that the visually specified target would not change. In the keeper-dependent strategy condition, participants were told that in half of the trials the visually specified target would change side at different times before ball contact, indicating that the direction of the kick needed to be altered. The results showed that penalty-taking performance was apt to be less than perfect in the keeper-dependent strategy condition. A decrease in the time available to alter kick direction resulted in a higher risk of not only an incorrect but also inaccurate shot placement. It is concluded that anticipating the goalkeeper's movements may degrade penalty kick performance, mainly due to insufficient time to modify the kicking action.
CHARACTERIZATION OF EXCRETORY/SECRETORY ENDOPEPTIDASE AND METALLO-AMINOPEPTIDASES FROM TAENIA CRASSICEPS METACESTODES

Cysticercosis is caused by Taenia spp. metacestodes, which must survive in the host tissues to complete their life cycle. Their survival depends on their control of host immune responses. Because many parasites use proteases to modulate host responses, we examined culture media from Taenia crassiceps metacestodes for protease activity using peptide substrates. We identified prominent aminopeptidase activity at neutral pH, which was inhibited by chelating agents and partially inhibited by the aminopeptidase inhibitor, bestatin. Endopeptidase substrates were optimally cleaved at slightly acidic pH and endopeptidase activity was inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitors. Gel filtration FPLC and subsequent visualization by silver staining revealed a metallo-aminopeptidase of molecular weight 21 kDa and cysteine proteases of Mr 70 and 64 kDA. Recombinant IL-2 was digested when incubated with parasite culture supernatants, but not with control media. IL-2 degradation was completely inhibited by 1,10 phenanthroline and partially inhibited by bestatin, suggesting that a metallo-aminopeptidase was responsible. Incubation of human IgG with culture supernatants resulted in complete degradation of IgG, which was blocked by cysteine protease inhibitors. These observations demonstrate that Taenia spp. metacestodes secrete a number of proteolytic enzymes, which may target molecules from the host immune system and assist in evasion of the host immune response.
EFFECT OF CRUDE OIL AND SOLUBLE METAL SALT CONTAMINATED SOIL ON Zea mays PLANT GROWTH INDICES

Various parameters, such as growth index used to ev aluate the productivity of a good agricultural soil were integrated in this study and critically examined un der a pollution condition. The indigenous Nsukka so il representing a typical tropical soil was contaminat ed with calculated quantities of a given Nigerian c rude oil (Bonny Light B-111). Growth indices of Zea mays planted as wellasnursery transplants was carried o ut on contaminated soil to observe the effect of the crud e oil on the plant.Various plant growth parameters such as: height of plant, length and breadth of leaves were examined. The result of the experiment illustrated that there was a great significant difference (P<0.05) in the various growth parameter (Plant height, Length and Breadth of leaves) between Zea mays produced after 5 weeks in control soils (A and B) w hen compared to those grown on contaminated soils (5%, 10%, 15% and 20% ( petroleum hydrocarbon) PHC w/w). There was reduction in the plant length, leaf length and brea dth of all Zea mays plant cultivated on the crude oil contaminated soil. The character of these measured parameters ( Zea mays grown in contaminated soil) showed that they were half the value of the control s.Between the non contaminated soil (control A) and the soluble metal contaminated soil (control B), there w as slight reduction in Zea mays grown in soil contaminated with soluble metal salt only. Thus, th e results clearly illustrated that crude oil contam ination negatively and adversely affect the productivity of the Nsukka soil ipso facto the production of Zea mays.
Experimental Verification of Mental Influence by Double-Bind Theoretic Software Agents

If machines have emotions and they influence to communication to users, possibility of mental burden to users should be considered from several perspectives. Our research focuses on this problem and aims to providing with some evidences for negative influence of artificial emotions to human mental states, based on psychological experiments. For this aim, we conducted a psychological experiment, where the subjects interacted with some software agents consisting of simple animations. After interaction between the subjects and agents as games of quiz, the subjects evaluated their impression for the agents along questionnaires. This paper reports and discusses the result of statistical analysis for this data.
Lithium Atom Microscopy at Sub-50 pm Resolution by R 005

To solve modern issues in materials sciences and nanotechnology, aberration corrected electron microscopy has yielded rich results, which could not be realized without a correction technique. Thus, aberration corrected (AC) electron microscopes is obviously becoming "conventional instruments" in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) [1] and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) [2] for studies of materials and matter. As Feynman [3] and many scientists [4] have dreamed, imaging of individual atom is now reality, but visualizing individual atoms of light elements has yet to be resolved and localization of individual atoms (three dimensional imaging) in matrices has yet to be imaged. Aberration corrected STEM can realize an electron probe as sharp as the diffraction limit, 0.61 / , where is the wavelength of the electrons and is convergent semi-angle of the probe, maximum of which had been determined by geometrical aberrations. Since the scattered intensity of an individual atom in molecules depends on the atomic number (light elements scatter with less intensity than heavy elements), a sharp probe enabled by aberration correction enhances imaging of atoms. Further technical developments of an aberration corrector can detect even individual lithium atom in matter, which has been elusive for electron microscopy and other experimental techniques. Herein we report the development of a Lithium Atom Microscopy at Sub-50pm Resolution by R005
Sustainable livelihoods guidance sheets

The Vulnerability Context refers to the seasonality, trends, and shocks that affect people’s livelihoods (see 2.2). The key attribute of these factors is that they are not susceptible to control by local people themselves, at least in the short and medium term. It is therefore important to identify indirect means by which the negative effects of the Vulnerability Context can be minimised – including building greater resilience and improving overall livelihood security. This is of particular importance for the poor, since a common response to adverse seasonality and shocks is to dispose of assets. Yet the poor often have no saleable assets. Their lack of assets also means that they are often less able than their richer counterparts to respond to positive trends.