Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Youths and Sustaining Democracy in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Way Forward

The crux of democracy is dependent on the desires of the population which such government serves. The Youths have been identified as an essential section of any country’s population because of their contribution to economic and democratic development. In the case of Nigeria, youths have participated in politics, engineer agitation for environmental protection, electoral process and civil justice which constitute aspects of the democratic experience. However, in recent times the democratic experience in the country has been threatened by violence and insecurity which have been perpetuated by youths. This study is therefore informed by the need to analyse the challenges faced in sustaining democracy in Nigeria, the impact youths have on the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria as well as solutions that can be adopted to sustain democracy in the country. The study employs a survey design approach using a structured questionnaire titled “Impact and Challenges of Youths in Sustaining Democracy” (ICYSD) for data collection and was guided by three research questions. A total of 200 youths residing in Cross rives state were sampled from 1200 youths in the Niger delta region. Data was analysed employing frequencies and percentages. The findings indicates that the primary challenge faced in sustaining democracy is illiteracy, ethnic sentiment, unemployment, poverty amongst others and that the impact of youths on the sustenance of democracy include manpower provision, voter strength, electoral violence and disruption of economic activities to mention a few. This study further reveals that through empowerment programmes, access to education, religious and ethnic tolerance and job creation, democracy can be sustained in Nigeria.
Effects of anesthetic drugs on canine splenic volume determined via computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate effects of commonly used anesthetics administered as single bolus injections on splenic volume. ANIMALS 10 adult Beagles. PROCEDURES A randomized crossover study was conducted. Computed tomography was performed on dogs to determine baseline splenic volume and changes after IV injection of assigned drug treatments. Dogs were allowed to acclimate for 10 minutes in a plastic crate before acquisition of abdominal CT images. Treatments were administered at 7-day intervals and consisted of IV administration of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (5 mL), acepromazine maleate (0.03 mg/kg), hydromorphone (0.1 mg/kg), and dexmedetomidine (0.005 mg/kg) to all 10 dogs; thiopental (8 mg/kg) to 5 of the dogs; and propofol (5 mg/kg) to the other 5 dogs. Splenic volume was calculated from the CT images with image processing software. A repeated-measures ANOVA was performed, followed by a Bonferroni post hoc test. RESULTS No significant difference in splenic volume was detected between the acepromazine, propofol, and thiopental treatments, but splenic volume was greater with these drugs than with saline solution, hydromorphone, and dexmedetomidine. Splenic volume was less with hydromorphone, compared with dexmedetomidine, but splenic volume with hydromorphone and dexmedetomidine did not differ significantly from that with saline solution. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Administration of acepromazine, thiopental, and propofol resulted in splenomegaly. Dexmedetomidine did not alter splenic volume. Hydromorphone slightly decreased splenic volume. Propofol should not be used when splenomegaly is not desirable, whereas hydromorphone and dexmedetomidine may be used when it is best to avoid splenic enlargement.
Feasibility of HLA-Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation With Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide for Advanced Pediatric Malignancies

Background. Patients with advanced malignancies in non-complete remission (CR) have a dismal prognosis after HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). T-cell-replete HLA-haploidentical HSCT has remarkable anti-leukemia/tumor effects on these patients, but also a high risk of severe/extensive graft-versus-host disease (GHVD). Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCY) is regarded as a GVHD-specific immunosuppressant in adults, but its feasibility is unknown in children. Methods. We performed a prospective feasibility study of PTCY at 50 mg/kg on day 3 for children with advanced leukemias or malignant solid tumors: refractory to chemotherapy or relapsed after conventional allogeneic HSCT. Conditioning consisted of fludarabine (180 mg/m2) and melphalan (140–210 mg/m2). Results. Long-term engraftments were achieved in 11 patients (73.3%) after bone marrow transplantation (BMT, n = 13) or peripheral blood (PB) stem cell transplantation (n = 2). The incidence of severe acute GHVD was 25.0% and that of extensive chronic GVHD 0.0% after evaluable BMT. CR was achieved in 6/15 and partial response in 4/15 as the best response. Finally, 11/15 experienced disease progression/relapse, 2/15 suffered treatment-related mortality without evidence of disease, and 2/15 are alive in continuous CR. Conclusions. PTCY is feasible in children; however, for a better outcome in such patients with advanced malignancies, some modifications are anticipated.
Toll‐like receptor 4 modulates cell migration and cortical neurogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia

Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediates brain damage after stroke. Now our objective is to determine TLR4 involvement in stroke‐induced neurogenesis. Stroke was induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in wild‐type and TLR4‐deficient mice. Stereological and densitometric analysis of immunofluorescence‐labeled brain sections and FACS analysis of cell suspensions were performed. Our results show that subventricular zone (SVZ) cell proliferation after stroke depends on infarct size. Second, when comparing brains with similar lesions, TLR4 attenuated SVZ proliferation, as shown by a decrease in prominin‐1+/EGFR+/nestin‐ cells (type‐C cells) at 1‐2 d, and in BrdU+ cells at 7 d, in TLR4+/+ vs. TLR4‐/‐mice. Interestingly, 7 d after the infarct, neuroblasts in TLR4+ mice migrated farther distances, reaching areas closer to the lesion than those in TLR4‐deficient mice. However, at 14 d, TLR4‐deficient mice presented a higher number of neuroblasts in all migratory zones than the TLR4+/+ counterparts, which suggests that TLR4 deficiency delays neuroblast migration. Consistently, TLR4+/+ mice showed an increased number of interneurons (NeuN+/BrdU+/GAD67+ cells) in peri‐infarct cortex 14‐28 d after stroke. Our data indicate that, despite a negative effect on SVZ cell proliferation, TLR4 plays an important role in stroke‐induced neurogenesis by promoting neuroblasts migration and increasing the number of new cortical neurons after stroke. —Moraga, A. , Pradillo, J. M. , Cuartero, M. I. , Hernández‐Jiménez, M. , Oses, M. , Moro, M. A. , Lizasoain, I. , Toll‐like receptor 4 modulates cell migration and cortical neurogenesis after focal cerebral ischemia. FASEB J. 28, 4710–4718 (2014). www.fasebj. org
Mometasone furoate dry powder inhaler for the treatment of asthma

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Inhaled corticosteroids are the preferred initial treatment for this disorder. Mometasone furoate dry powder is an inhaled corticosteroid that is approved for once-daily treatment of asthma in both adults and children as young as 4 years. Areas covered: The goal of this paper is to review the clinical efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate dry powder inhaler for the treatment of asthma. A literature search using PubMed was done using the terms ‘mometasone furoate’, ‘inhaled corticosteroid’ and ‘asthma’, focusing on articles that highlighted clinical trials and addressed efficacy of the medication. Expert opinion: Mometasone furoate dry powder inhaler has an excellent safety and efficacy profile. For patients with persistent asthma who require treatment with an inhaled corticosteroid, mometasone furoate is an excellent therapeutic choice.
Place of delivery among women who had antenatal care in a teaching hospital

Background. The utilization of antenatal care services does not necessarily equate to delivery at the health facility. The objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of pregnant women who had antenatal care and delivered in the hospital and the reasons for delivery elsewhere. Materials and methods. Pregnant women of low risk who initiated antenatal care at the University Teaching Hospital were recruited consecutively from January to June 2004 and longitudinally followed up until delivery. A two‐part questionnaire was used to obtain information on biosocial data, place of delivery, accoucher, fetomaternal outcome, and reason(s) for delivery elsewhere. Results. Of the 1,080 women studied, 740 (68.5%) delivered in the hospital while 340 (31.5%) delivered elsewhere. The majority (52) of the deliveries elsewhere were at the woman's home. There were more literate women amongst the hospital delivery group, while there were more women of high parity and with a previous home birth in the home delivery group (p<0.05). Fetomaternal outcomes were similar in both groups. Nurses/midwives conducted most (60%) of the home deliveries and the principal reasons for home births were privacy and lack of transport during labor. Conclusion. 68.5% of women who had uneventful antenatal care delivered in the hospital. Home delivery was the commonest site for delivery elsewhere and the main reasons were privacy and lack of transportation. Skilled attendants conducted most of the home deliveries with good fetomaternal outcome. There might be a need to encourage women during antenatal care to reach out for skilled attendants when home delivery becomes inevitable.
Reduction in Pediatric Identification Band Errors: A Quality Collaborative

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Accurate and consistent placement of a patient identification (ID) band is used in health care to reduce errors associated with patient misidentification. Multiple safety organizations have devoted time and energy to improving patient ID, but no multicenter improvement collaboratives have shown scalability of previously successful interventions. We hoped to reduce by half the pediatric patient ID band error rate, defined as absent, illegible, or inaccurate ID band, across a quality improvement learning collaborative of hospitals in 1 year. METHODS: On the basis of a previously successful single-site intervention, we conducted a self-selected 6-site collaborative to reduce ID band errors in heterogeneous pediatric hospital settings. The collaborative had 3 phases: preparatory work and employee survey of current practice and barriers, data collection (ID band failure rate), and intervention driven by data and collaborative learning to accelerate change. RESULTS: The collaborative audited 11 377 patients for ID band errors between September 2009 and September 2010. The ID band failure rate decreased from 17% to 4.1% (77% relative reduction). Interventions including education of frontline staff regarding correct ID bands as a safety strategy; a change to softer ID bands, including “luggage tag” type ID bands for some patients; and partnering with families and patients through education were applied at all institutions. CONCLUSIONS: Over 13 months, a collaborative of pediatric institutions significantly reduced the ID band failure rate. This quality improvement learning collaborative demonstrates that safety improvements tested in a single institution can be disseminated to improve quality of care across large populations of children.
Amending Soils With Phosphate As Means To Mitigate Soil Lead Hazard: A Critical Review Of The State Of The Science

Ingested soil and surface dust may be important contributors to elevated blood lead (Pb) levels in children exposed to Pb contaminated environments. Mitigation strategies have typically focused on excavation and removal of the contaminated soil. However, this is not always feasible for addressing widely disseminated contamination in populated areas often encountered in urban environments. The rationale for amending soils with phosphate is that phosphate will promote formation of highly insoluble Pb species (e.g., pyromorphite minerals) in soil, which will remain insoluble after ingestion and, therefore, inaccessible to absorption mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Amending soil with phosphate might potentially be used in combination with other methods that reduce contact with or migration of contaminated soils, such as covering the soil with a green cap such as sod, clean soil with mulch, raised garden beds, or gravel. These remediation strategies may be less expensive and far less disruptive than excavation and removal of soil. This review evaluates evidence for efficacy of phosphate amendments for decreasing soil Pb bioavailability. Evidence is reviewed for (1) physical and chemical interactions of Pb and phosphate that would be expected to influence bioavailability, (2) effects of phosphate amendments on soil Pb bioaccessibility (i.e., predicted solubility of Pb in the GIT), and (3) results of bioavailability bioassays of amended soils conducted in humans and animal models. Practical implementation issues, such as criteria and methods for evaluating efficacy, and potential effects of phosphate on mobility and bioavailability of co-contaminants in soil are also discussed.
Characterization of cryogel monoliths for extraction of minor proteins from milk by cation exchange

Extraction and purification of high‐value minor proteins directly from milk without pre‐treatment is a challenge for the dairy industry. Pre‐treatment of milk before extraction of proteins by conventional packed‐bed chromatography is usually necessary to prevent column blockage but it requires several steps that result in significant loss of yield and activity for many minor proteins. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is possible to pass 40–50 column volumes of various milk samples (raw whole milk, homogenized milk, skim milk and acid whey) through a 5 mL cryogel chromatographic column at 550 cm/h without exceeding its pressure limits if the processing temperature is maintained above 35°C. The dynamic binding capacity obtained for the cryogel matrix (2.1 mg/mL) was similar to that of the binding capacity (2.01 mg/mL) at equilibrium with 0.1 mg/mL of lactoferrin in the feed samples. The cryogel column selectively binds lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase with only minor leakage in flowthrough fractions. Lactoferrin was recovered from elution fractions with a yield of over 85% and a purity of more than 90%. These results, together with the ease of manufacture, low cost and versatile surface chemistry of cryogels suggest that they may be a good alternative to packed‐bed chromatography for direct capture of proteins from milk. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 1155–1163. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Awareness of stroke risk factors and warning signs in southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the knowledge about stroke in Caxias do Sul. METHOD A closed-ended, self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge about stroke among residents of Caxias do Sul. In order to verify variables associated to lack of knowledge we defined three main end points: (1) the inability to recognize that stroke is a disease that affects the brain; (2) insufficient knowledge of risk factors; (3) insufficient knowledge of signs and symptoms of acute stroke. RESULTS A total of 952 subjects answered the questionnaire. Lower income and lower educational level were independent factors associated to inability to recognize that stroke affects the brain. Lower income and being under 50 years old were independent risk factors to lack of knowledge concerning stroke risk factors. Lower educational level was the unique risk factor for insufficient knowledge about stroke warning signs. CONCLUSION There is a lack of knowledge about stroke in Caxias do Sul. People with lower socioeconomic status and lower education level should be the targets of educational campaigns.
Regulating Private Security in Australia

Following substantial growth in the last few decades, the security industry is now focusing attention on issues of consumer protection, professionalisation and government regulation. This paper addresses questions about the scope of security work, and current problems and issues. The authors recommend a model of enhanced cooperative regulation of the industry to benefit both the consumers of security and quality security providers.
Adenovirus‐mediated gene therapy of experimental gliomas

The efficacy of adenovirus (ADV)‐mediated gene therapy to treat brain tumors was tested in a syngeneic glioma model. Tumor cells were transduced in situ with a replication‐defective ADV carrying the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV‐tk) gene controlled by the Rous sarcoma virus promoter. Expression of the HSV‐tk gene enables the transduced cell to convert the drug ganciclovir to a form that is cytotoxic to dividing cells. Tumors were generated in Fischer 344 rats by stereotaxic implantation of 9L gliosarcoma cells into the caudate nucleus. Eight days later, the tumors were injected either with the ADV carrying the HSV‐tk (ADV‐tk) gene or a control ADV vector containing the β‐galactosidase (ADV‐βgal) gene and the rats were treated with either ganciclovir or saline. Tumor size was measured 20 days after implantation of 9L cells or at death. Rats treated with ADV‐βgal and ganciclovir or with ADV‐tk and saline had large tumors. No tumors were detected in animals treated with ADV‐tk and with ganciclovir at doses ≥80mg/kg. An infiltrate of macrophages and lymphocytes at the injection site in animals treated with ADV‐tk and ganciclovir indicated an active local immune reaction. In survival studies, all animals treated with ADV‐tk and ganciclovir have remained alive longer than 80 and up to 120 days after tumor induction whereas all untreated animals died by 22 days. These results demonstrate that ADV‐mediated transfer of HSV‐tk to glioma cells in vivo confers sensitivity to ganciclovir, and represents a potential method of treatment of brain tumors. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Low-Boron Tolerance Strategies Involving Pectin-Mediated Cell Wall Mechanical Properties in Brassica napus

Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for the growth and development of plants. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) is a staple oleaginous crop, which is greatly susceptible to B deficiency. Significant differences in tolerance of low-B stresses are observed in rapeseed genotypes, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear, particularly at the single-cell level. Here we provide novel insights into pectin-mediated cell wall (CW) mechanical properties implicated in the differential tolerance of low B in rapeseed genotypes. Under B deficiency, suspension cells of the low-B-sensitive genotype 'W10' showed more severely deformed morphology, lower viabilities and a more easily ruptured CW than those of the low-B-tolerant genotype 'QY10'. Cell rupture was attributed to the weakened CW mechanical strength detected by atomic force microscopy; the CW mechanical strength of 'QY10' was reduced by 13.6 and 17.4%, whereas that of 'W10' was reduced by 29.0 and 30.4% under 0.25 and 0.10 μM B conditions, respectively. The mechanical strength differences between 'QY10' and 'W10' were diminished after the removal of pectin. Further, 'W10' exhibited significantly higher pectin concentrations with much more rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) monomer, and also presented obviously higher mRNA abundances of pectin biosynthesis-related genes than 'QY10' under B deficiency. CW regeneration was more difficult for protoplasts of 'W10' than for those of 'QY10'. Taking the results together, we conclude that the variations in pectin-endowed CW mechanical properties play key roles in modulating the differential genotypic tolerance of rapeseed to low-B stresses at both the single-cell and the plant level, and this can potentially be used as a selection trait for low-B-tolerant rapeseed breeding.
Spectrotemporal Receptive Fields in the Inferior Colliculus Revealing Selectivity for Spectral Motion in Conspecific Vocalizations

Frequency modulations are a prominent feature of animal vocalizations and human speech. Here we investigated how neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of Mexican free-tailed bats respond to the frequency-modulated (FM) direction and velocity of complex signals by extracting their spectrotemporal receptive fields (STRFs) using a family of upward- and downward-moving ripple stimuli. STRFs were obtained in more than half of the cells that were sampled. To verify the validity of each STRF, we compared their features both with tone-evoked responses and by convolving the STRF with several conspecific calls. We show that responses to tones are in close agreement with the STRF and that the responses predicted by convolutions compare favorably with responses evoked by those calls. The high predictability showed that the STRF captured most of the excitatory and inhibitory properties of IC cells. Most neurons were selective for the direction and velocity of spectral motion with a majority favoring the downward FM direction, and most had spectrum–time inseparability that correlated with their direction selectivity. Furthermore, blocking inhibition significantly reduced the directional selectivity of these neurons, suggesting that inhibition shapes FM direction selectivity in the IC. Finally, we decomposed the natural calls into their ripple components and show that most species-specific calls have downward-sweeping FM components with sweep velocities that correspond with the preferred sweep velocities of IC neurons. This close quantitative correspondence among features of signals and responses suggests that IC cells are tuned by inhibition to respond optimally to spectral motion cues present in their conspecific vocalizations.
Individual and Joint Performance Effects of Diversification, Geographic Scope and Organizational Leverage in Professional Service Firms: A Study of German Law Firms

Extant theory and empirical evidence suggest that strategies of diversification and geographic scope expansion carry benefits as well as costs. However, it is unclear whether the arguments relating diversification and geographic scope expansion with firm performance are applicable in the specific context of professional service firms (PSFs). These firms are also characterized by particular organizational features, such as the importance of maintaining an optimal leverage ratio, defined as the ratio between junior professionals and senior ones as partners. Our hypothesis development suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between service line diversification, geographic scope and leverage on the one hand, and PSF performance on the other. We empirically test these relationships using fixed-effects regression and polynomial response surface analysis (RSA) on panel data from 61 German law firms from 2003 to 2012. RSA provides a finely-grained understanding of the relationships among the variables of interest. We find an inverted U-shaped performance effect of diversification and leverage, but no relationship between geographic scope and performance. Moreover, we find evidence of a complementary relationship between diversification and leverage ratio. We conclude with a discussion of our findings and their implications for theory and practice.