Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yield and water use efficiency of deficit-irrigated maize in a semi-arid region of Ethiopia.

Scarcity of water is the most severe constraint for development of agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas. Under these conditions, the need to use the available water economically and efficiently is unquestionable. Based on the actual crop need, the irrigation management has to be improved so that the water supply to the crop can be reduced while still achieving high yield. The purpose of this study was to determine the water use efficiency of maize (Katumani cultivar) under deficit irrigation practice and to identify crop growth stages during which the crop can withstand water stress with limited effect on yield. The field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of Haramaya University located in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of ten different levels/timings of irrigation water application. Treatments T1 and T2 were respectively normal irrigation and 75% deficit irrigation throughout the growing season. T3, T4, T5, and T6 were stressed by 75% at a specific stage: initial stage, development stage, mid season stage, and late season stage respectively. T7, T8, T9, and T10 were stressed by 50% at the respective four growth stages. The result showed that variation in level (amount) of irrigation water application had a significant impact on grain yield. In the case of stress by 75% deficit at a specific stage, the effect of stress was severe during the mid season stage. The mid season stage was the most sensitive to water stress. On the other hand, water deficit during the early and maturity stage had a limited effect on yield. Stressing the crop by 75% deficit throughout the growing season resulted in the highest yield reduction. However, the crop water use efficiency was the lowest (1.72 kg/m3) at optimum irrigation water application and the highest (2.96 kg/m3) at stress of 75% deficit throughout the growth season. Although at individual farmer’s level, maximum yield is obtained when the entire crop water requirement is fulfilled, practicing deficit irrigation could increase the irrigated area as a result of high water use efficiency.
Elastic Properties of Human in Vivo Triceps Brachii Tendon

This study aimed to determine the elastic properties of human triceps brachii (TB) tendon. The elongation of the TB tendon was directly measured in 9 healthy males using ultrasonography during ramp isometric elbow-extension up to the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The slope of the regression line for the relationship between the estimated muscle force and the angular rotation-corrected tendon elongation above 50%MVC was defined as stiffness. The stiffness of the TB tendon, 83±22 N/mm, was comparable with that of the gastrocnemius tendon reported previously. The relationship between the stiffness and the tendon length (TL) showed a negatively significant correlation, suggesting that the stiffness of TB tendon is influenced by its dimensions.
Kernel Approximation on Manifolds II: The L∞ Norm of the L2 Projector

This article addresses two topics of significant mathematical and practical interest in the theory of kernel approximation: the existence of local and stable bases and the $L_p$ boundedness of the least squares operator. The latter is an analogue of the classical problem in univariate spline theory, known there as the “de Boor conjecture. ” A corollary of this work is that for appropriate kernels the least squares projector provides universal near-best approximations for functions $f\in L_p$, $1\leq p\leq\infty$.
Hessian Matrix vs. Gauss-Newton Hessian Matrix

In this paper, we investigate how the Gauss-Newton Hessian matrix affects the basin of convergence in Newton-type methods. Although the Newton algorithm is theoretically superior to the Gauss-Newton algorithm and the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method as far as their asymptotic convergence rate is concerned, the LM method is often preferred in nonlinear least squares problems in practice. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the advantage of the Gauss-Newton Hessian matrix. It is proved that the Gauss-Newton approximation function is the only nonnegative convex quadratic approximation that retains a critical property of the original objective function: taking the minimal value of zero on an $(n-1)$-dimensional manifold (or affine subspace). Due to this property, the Gauss-Newton approximation does not change the zero-on-$(n-1)$-D “structure” of the original problem, explaining the reason why the Gauss-Newton Hessian matrix is preferred for nonlinear least squares problems, especially when the initial point is far from the solution.
Comparison of the Long Term Effect of Alpha-Blocker Only and 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor Combination Treatment on Acute Urinary Retention and Prostatic Surgery for Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Purpose: The medical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) had recently been directed at preventing the progression of BPH, which reduces the risk of acute urinary retention (AUR) and BPH-related surgery. This study compared the long-term effectiveness of administering alphaadrenergic blocker (α-blocker) and finasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5ARI), for treating BPH to prevent AUR and BPH-related surgery in real-life clinical practice. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 166 BPH patients who were treated at our hospital with the α-blockers doxazosin, terazosin, prazosin and alfuzosin, or tamsulosin and 5ARI as their first BPH treatment between January 1997 and December 1997, and these treatments lasted at least 12 months. Using follow-up data that was obtained at up to 7 years after treatment, we calculated the AUR and BPH-related surgery percentages in the α-blocker only group and in the combination group. Results: During the study period, 17 of 110 patients (15.5%) in the αblocker only group and 4 of 56 patients (7.1%) in the combination group experienced AUR. BPH-related surgery was performed on 10 of 110 patients (9.1%) in the α-blocker only group and surgery was performed on 1 of 56 patients (1.8%) in the combination group. Among them, 5 patients in the α-blocker only group and 1 patient in the combination group received surgery for AUR, and another 5 patients in the α-blocker only group showed insufficient therapeutic response. Conclusions: Real-life clinical practice showed that long-term combination treatment with α-blockers and 5ARI reduced the risk of the progression of BPH, such as AUR or BPH-related surgery, as compared with α-blocker-only treatment. (Korean J Urol 2006;47:7-12)
Prevalence of disease-specific antinuclear antibodies in general population: estimates from annual physical examinations of residents of a small town over a 5-year period

The aim of this study was to investigate the types and prevalence of disease-specific antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) and their relationship to rheumatic diseases in the general Japanese population. An immunofluorescence (IF) method was used for the first screening of ANA levels in serum samples obtained from 2181 residents of a small Japanese town. Individuals positive for IF-ANA were then further tested for disease-specific ANAs using eight enzyme immunoassays. Physical status and the presence of illness were determined by means of questionnaires and medical examinations. Based on the result of the IF-ANA assay, the rates of positive samples at 1:40 and 1:160 dilutions were 26.0 and 9.5%, respectively, with females have significantly higher positivity rates than males (P < 0.0001). Among 566 IF-ANA-positive individuals, 100 individuals were found to have 114 disease-specific ANAs. Anti-SSA/Ro, anti-centromere, and anti-U1RNP antibodies were detected in 58, 30, and 11 individuals, respectively, but anti-Sm, anti-Scl-70, and anti-Jo-1 antibodies were undetectable. Questionnaires and medical examinations revealed that among 60 disease-specific ANA-positive individuals that were available for testing, six had Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), five were suspected of having SS, and five had rheumatoid arthritis. Surprisingly, 34 (57%) of the disease-specific ANA-positive individuals were clinically healthy. Anti-SSA/Ro, anti-centromere, and anti-U1RNP antibodies were quite frequent among clinically healthy Japanese subjects, although anti-Sm, anti-Scl-70, and anti-Jo-1 antibodies were not. Of the 60 individuals who tested positive for disease-specific ANAs, 30% (18/60) actually manifested systemic rheumatic diseases, while 50% showed no detectable signs or symptoms of rheumatic diseases.
Depression and Health Status Among Community-Dwelling Japanese American Elderly

Abstract We examined in a cross-sectional study the relationships between depression, health status, and life events in 97 Japanese American elderly aged 65 and older. Individuals in their 60s (n = 11), 70s (n = 58), and 80s (n = 28) completed the Geriatric Depression Scale and the SF-12 Health Survey. All respondents had at least one chronic medical condition with heart disease as the most prevalent. Depression was significantly associated with health status. Self-ratings of general health and social support were significantly and negatively associated with depression. Risk factors such as negative life events and family history of depression were associated with higher depression scores. Like other elderly populations, our findings underscore that this ethnic group is vulnerable to depressive symptomatology and may have distinct needs within a multicultural perspective.
Homogenization of Some Cheap Control Problems

The study of control problems governed by partial differential equations where the cost of the control is offset by a small parameter $\varepsilon$ had been initiated by J. L. Lions [“Remarks on `cheap control,'" in Topics in Numerical Analysis, Academic Press, London, 1973, pp. 203–209], [Some Methods in the Mathematical Analysis of Systems and Their Control, Gordon and Breach, New York, 1981]. These problems were called cheap control problems. He also conceived of situations where the state equation might be singularly perturbed with respect to the same parameter. A different kind of situation which happens quite frequently in applications is that of oscillations in the coefficients of the partial differential equation or the cost at a scale related to this parameter, due to heterogeneities in the domain. In all of these situations, the problem of interest is to obtain the asymptotic behavior of the control problem as $\varepsilon \to 0$. This is, in general, a difficult problem. The main difficulty is .
A Conservative Domain Decomposition Procedure for Nonlinear Diffusion Problems on Arbitrary Quadrilateral Grids

The aim of the paper is to construct a conservative domain decomposition procedure for solving nonlinear diffusion equations. In this procedure, the underlying discretization consists of a cell-centered finite volume scheme on arbitrary quadrilateral grids, which is first linearized by the usual Picard nonlinear iteration. Then in each nonlinear iteration step a domain decomposition algorithm for solving the linearized problem is presented, in which Dirichlet boundary data at inner interfaces for subdomain problems are given by the adjacent cell-centered values obtained in the previous nonlinear iteration step. After the Picard nonlinear iteration converges, discrete flux boundary data are constructed at inner interfaces of subdomains. Finally, they serve as Neumann boundary conditions at inner interfaces to solve subdomain problems once more. The procedure is globally conservative since it is locally conservative both in the subdomains and across inner interfaces. Numerical results are presented to examine the performance of the conservative domain decomposition method, in terms of stability, accuracy, conservative error, and parallel speedup.
An Interferon-Inducible Neutrophil-Driven Blood Transcriptional Signature in Human Tuberculosis

MPR Berry, CM Graham, FW McNab. Nature. 2010;466(7309):973–977 Most people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) develop a latent form of the disease and remain asymptomatic; however, approximately 10% of these people are at risk of developing active, transmissible disease in their lifetime. An inability to accurately identify these at-risk patients with conventional tests has limited efforts to control TB. The purpose of this study was to identify novel biomarkers of active disease by using genomic techniques. The investigators generated genome-wide transcriptional profiles from the blood of patients with active TB (before treatment), patients with latent TB, and healthy controls. This study was …
Population pharmacokinetics of paritaprevir, ombitasvir, dasabuvir, ritonavir and ribavirin in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection: analysis of six phase III trials

AIM The aim of the current study was to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of a triple direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimen (3D) (ombitasvir, paritaprevir-ritonavir and dasabuvir) and adjunctive ribavirin, and estimate covariate effects in a broad spectrum of subjects with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. METHODS Pharmacokinetic data from six phase III studies and one phase II study in subjects receiving the currently approved doses of the 3D ± ribavirin regimen for treating HCV genotype 1 infection for 12 weeks or 24 weeks were characterized using separate population pharmacokinetic models, built using each component of the regimen from nonlinear mixed-effects methodology in NONMEM 7.3. In the models, demographic and clinical covariates were tested. Models were assessed via goodness-of-fit plots, visual predictive checks and bootstrap evaluations. RESULTS The population pharmacokinetic models for each component of the 3D ± ribavirin regimen (DAAs and ritonavir, n = 2348) and ribavirin (n = 1841) adequately described their respective plasma concentration-time data. Model parameter estimates were precise and robust, and all models showed good predictive ability. Significant covariate effects associated with apparent clearance and volume of distribution included age, body weight, gender, cirrhosis, HCV subtype, opioid or antidiabetic agent use, and creatinine clearance. CONCLUSION The population pharmacokinetics of the 3D ± ribavirin regimen components in HCV-infected patients were characterized using phase II and III HCV clinical trial data. Although several statistically significant covariates were identified, their effects were modest and not clinically meaningful to necessitate dose adjustments for any component of the 3D regimen.
Fixed-Order H-Infinity Control for Interconnected Systems Using Delay Differential Algebraic Equations

We analyze and design H-infinity controllers for general time-delay systems with time-delays in systems' state, inputs, and outputs. We allow the designer to choose the order of the controller and to introduce constant time-delays into the controller. The closed-loop system of the plant and the controller is modeled by a system of delay differential algebraic equations (DDAEs). The advantage of the DDAE modeling framework is that any interconnection of systems and controllers prone to various types of delays can be dealt with in a systematic way, without using any elimination technique. We present a predictor-corrector algorithm for the H-infinity norm computation of systems described by DDAEs. Instrumental to this we analyze the properties of the H-infinity norm. In particular, we illustrate that it may be sensitive with respect to arbitrarily small delay perturbations. Due to this sensitivity, we introduce the strong H-infinity norm, which explicitly takes into account small delay perturbations, inevitable in any practical control application. We present a numerical algorithm to compute the strong H-infinity norm for DDAEs. Using this algorithm and the computation of the gradient of the strong H-infinity norm with respect to the controller parameters, we minimize the strong H-infinity norm of the closed-loop system based on nonsmooth, nonconvex optimization methods. By this approach, we tune the controller parameters and design H-infinity controllers with a prescribed order or structure.
Use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in Japan: a survey of practicing rheumatologists

We aimed to describe how often Japanese rheumatologists currently use musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS), and how they are currently being trained in the use of this imaging technique. Questionnaires were sent to 200 Japanese rheumatologists: 100 to participants attending the first Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Society of Imaging in Rheumatic Diseases in 2006, and 100 to other randomly selected rheumatologists certified by the Japan College of Rheumatology. A total of 139 questionnaires (74 from meeting participants, 65 from randomly selected rheumatologists) were completed and analyzed. Twenty-four of the 74 respondents (32.4%) in the meeting participants group used MSUS imaging for patient management, while only 7 of the 65 respondents (10.8%) in the certified rheumatologists group used MSUS imaging for patient management. Sixty-five of the 74 respondents (87.8%) in the meeting participants group and 54 of the 65 respondents (83.1%) in the certified rheumatologists group considered MSUS to be a useful tool. Only a minority of respondents used MSUS in the management of their patients. Lack of training in MSUS was the principal reason for not performing MSUS. Japanese rheumatologists would prefer future training in the form of intensive courses and training sessions.
Parallel Algorithms for Dense Linear Algebra Computations

Scientific and engineering research is becoming increasingly dependent upon the development and implementation of efficient parallel algorithms on modern high-performance computers. Numerical linear algebra is an indispensable tool in such research and this paper attempts to collect and describe a selection of some of its more important parallel algorithms. The purpose is to review the current status and to provide an overall perspective of parallel algorithms for solving dense, banded, or block-structured problems arising in the major areas of direct solution of linear systems, least squares computations, eigenvalue and singular value computations, and rapid elliptic solvers. A major emphasis is given here to certain computational primitives whose efficient execution on parallel and vector computers is essential in order to obtain high performance algorithms.
Fasting Girls: The Emergence of Anorexia Nervosa as a Modern Disease

The historical roots of any illness provide an important link to the present context in which it is expressed. This could not be more true than in the case of what some believe to be a modern epidemic: the eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Indeed, the incidence of eating disorders has risen dramatically over the past two decades. There may be no other psychiatric disorder that represents such an interesting confluence of variables from the sociocultural, familial, individual, and biologic arenas. Equally fascinating is the role that sociocultural attitudes concerning women's physical appearance seem to have in this phenomenal increase. It cannot be understated that culture has a primary determining role in the presentation of these disorders. Joan Brumberg, the Director of the Women's Studies Program at Cornell University, offers a well-researched and thoughtful contribution in her book, Fasting Girls , regarding the historical aspects of anorexia nervosa. Brumberg
Two subtypes of Churg–Strauss syndrome with neuropathy: the roles of eosinophils and ANCA

The aim of this study was to clarify the differences in the pathogenesis of neuropathy between myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-positive and -negative patients with Churg–Strauss syndrome (CSS). Eight MPO-ANCA-positive and 14 MPO-ANCA-negative patients were included. In addition to the standard histology, nerve biopsies were examined, employing immunohistochemistry for eosinophil major basic protein and electron microscopy. The groups did not differ significantly in clinical profiles, including the peak disability score and number of blood eosinophils. In nerve biopsies, necrotizing vasculitis was found in 63% (5/8) of the ANCA-positive and 21% (3/14) of the ANCA-negative patients. Fibrinoid necrosis of vessel walls was noted in 4 ANCA-positive patients (50%), and in one ANCA-negative patient (p = 0039). In contrast, a large number of eosinophilic infiltrations in the epineurium was shown in 36% (5/14) of the ANCA-negative patients, with no eosinophilic infiltrations shown in ANCA-positive patients. In 3 ANCA-negative patients, endoneurial eosinophils were seen where focal axonal loss and capillary dilatation were occasionally noted. There may be 2 pathogenetic mechanisms of neuropathy with CSS: ANCA-related vascular fibrinoid necrosis, and a toxic eosinophilic effect on nerve fibers which is independent of ANCA. Therapy targeting activated eosinophils may be a possible treatment for intractable neuropathy of CSS.
Intraoral Distraction of Segmental Osteotomies and Miniscrews in Management of Alveolar Cleft

Management of a wide alveolar cleft and alveolar bone graft failure is among the most difficult tasks for both surgeon and orthodontist. This article aims to introduce the techniques of intraoral distraction of segmental osteotomy for solving a wide alveolar cleft, and orthodontic management with miniscrews for solving alveolar bone graft failure; and also to evaluate the feasibility and clinical results of moving teeth into alveolar clefts. Interdental distraction osteogenesis was performed to minimize the alveolar cleft before alveolar bone grafting in 21 patients whose alveolar cleft was wider than a maxillary canine. All clefts were successfully approximated, and the 4- to 5-year results were shown to be stable. In addition, orthodontic protraction of the buccal teeth by using miniscrews as a temporary anchorage device was performed in 13 cases to minimize and/or eliminate the residual bony bridge or alveolar cleft after the previous failure of an alveolar bone graft. The buccal teeth were protracted with intermittent light continuous force. The results revealed that the residual bony bridges or alveolar clefts were minimized and that the space of the cleft was completely closed. The periodontal apparatus of the teeth that were moved into the residual bony bridge or alveolar cleft remained similar before and after the treatment. The orthodontic tooth movement into a residual alveolar cleft is clinically feasible in certain circumstances. However, the long-term status of the periodontal apparatus of the teeth that were moved into the alveolar cleft should be monitored.
Discontinuation of adalimumab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients after achieving low disease activity

ObjectiveWe implemented a retrospective study to explore discontinuation of therapy with adalimumab (ADA) without exacerbation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had achieved low disease activity (LDA) with the biological agent.MethodsWe enrolled 46 RA patients who had completed open extension of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ADA monotherapy in Japan and who had LDA (DAS28-CRP <2.7) at the last administration of ADA in the extension trials; this date was defined as week 0 in the present study. Treatment of RA was at the discretion of the attending physician after week 0. The primary endpoint of this study was the percentage of patients who maintained discontinuation of biological agents and LDA for 52 weeks.ResultsTwenty-four of the enrolled patients continued ADA while the rest discontinued ADA after the administration of the drug at week 0. Fourteen of the 22 patients did not restart biological agents, and 4 (18.2%) of these maintained LDA through week 52. All 4 of these patients had received ADA monotherapy before week 0.ConclusionSome RA patients who have achieved LDA with ADA monotherapy can discontinue the biologic without incurring increased disease activity. A prospective randomized study is required to confirm the results of our study.