Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive assessment of fetal wellbeing: which Doppler tests should be performed?

Purpose of review Doppler applications in pregnancy are expanding exponentially. Flow velocity waveforms provide important information 12 weeks to term, from maternal vessels, placental circulation and fetal systemic vessels, with implications for both mother and fetus. As applications proliferate, awareness of the complexity of fetal and placental circulations, in normal pregnancy and in sequential responses to compromise, has also grown. The necessary data are now available to establish core values in Doppler evaluation for at-risk pregnancies. Recent findings Uterine arteries depict maternal vascular effects of the invading placenta, predicting the frequency and severity of pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. New evidence suggests early treatment based on this principle, significantly reduces these impacts. Umbilical artery Doppler reflects downstream placental vascular resistance, strongly correlated with intrauterine growth restriction and the multisystem effects of placental deficiency. Abnormalities are progressive, with reduction, loss, and finally a reversal of diastolic flow. When umbilical arteries become abnormal, the differentiation of fetal status requires Doppler information from systemic vessels. Middle cerebral artery changes begin when the redistribution of cardiac output reflects rising placental resistance, demonstrating ‘brain sparing’ when cerebrovascular dilation occurs. In the compromised intrauterine growth retarded fetus, precordial veins illustrate fetal cardiac function, changing as the respiratory status declines. This Doppler information is combined with biophysical profile scoring to determine the need for and timing of intervention. Summary Doppler evaluation of at-risk pregnancies provides crucial prognostic and diagnostic detail about placentation and fetal adaptation. What has been research detail is now becoming the standard of care, in comprehensive fetal-maternal assessment.
Composition of Micro-eukaryotes on the Skin of the Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae) and Patterns of Correlation between Skin Microbes and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Global amphibian decline linked to fungal pathogens has galvanized research on applied amphibian conservation. Skin-associated bacterial communities of amphibians have been shown to mediate fungal skin infections and the development of probiotic treatments with antifungal bacteria has become an emergent area of research. While exploring the role of protective bacteria has been a primary focus for amphibian conservation, we aim to expand and study the other microbes present in amphibian skin communities including fungi and other micro-eukaryotes. Here, we characterize skin-associated bacteria and micro-eukaryotic diversity found across life stages of Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) and their associated aquatic environments using culture independent 16S and 18S rRNA marker-gene sequencing. Individuals of various life stages of Cascades frogs were sampled from a population located in the Trinity Alps in Northern California during an epidemic of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. We filtered the bacterial sequences against a published database of bacteria known to inhibit B. dendrobatidis in co-culture to estimate the proportion of the skin bacterial community that is likely to provide defense against B. dendrobatidis. Tadpoles had a significantly higher proportion of B. dendrobatidis-inhibitory bacterial sequence matches relative to subadult and adult Cascades frogs. We applied a network analysis to examine patterns of correlation between bacterial taxa and B. dendrobatidis, as well as micro-eukaryotic taxa and B. dendrobatidis. Combined with the published database of bacteria known to inhibit B. dendrobatidis, we used the network analysis to identify bacteria that negatively correlated with B. dendrobatidis and thus could be good probiotic candidates in the Cascades frog system.
Influence of direct and indirect allorecognition pathways on CD4+CD25+ regulatory T‐cell function in transplantation

While both direct and indirect allorecognition are involved in allograft rejection, evidence to date suggests that tolerance is primarily dependent on indirect pathway‐triggered CD4+CD25+ T cell‐mediated immunoregulation. However, the precise influence of these two pathways on CD4+CD25+ T‐cell function has not been addressed. In the current study, we have utilized an adoptive transfer model to assess selectively how the absence of either direct or indirect allorecognition affects CD4+CD25+ T‐cell function. The effects of the loss of the direct pathway were assessed by transplanting skin grafts from minor histocompatibility mismatched B10.D2 (H‐2d) donors onto Balb/c (H‐2d) recipients, or by placing bone marrow chimeric DBA/2 (H‐2d/H‐2b) allografts onto C57BL/6 (H‐2b) hosts. The requirement for indirect allorecognition was tested by grafting DBA/2 skin allografts onto either C57BL/6‐ or MHC‐II‐deficient C57BL/6 recipients. We report here that although CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells can suppress both directly and indirectly generated alloresponses, immunoregulation is favored when indirect presentation is the sole mechanism of allorecognition. Hence, in the absence of indirect presentation, net CD4+CD25+ T cell‐dependent immunoregulation is weak, and high ratios of CD4+CD25+ to CD4+CD25− T cells are required to ensure graft survival.
THE EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF LEMON GRASS ( Cymbopogon citratus ) ON PERFORMANCE , CARCASS QUALITY , AND MARKETING OF QUAIL ( Coturnix coturnix japonica )

This study was conducted to determine the effects of supplementation of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) leaf meal on performance, carcass quality traits, and marketing of quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). A total of 150, four-dayold quail were distributed into three groups with five replicates and 10 quail each. Quail were fed either basal diet (Control group) or 1.5% and 3% lemon grass leaf meal supplemented to basal diets for 5 weeks period. Live weight, live weight gain and feed consumption were recorded and feed efficiency was calculated at the 7, 21, and 35 days of the study. At the end of the experiment, carcass traits were also determined. Lemon grass supplementation ratio did not affect live weight and live weight gain (P>0.05) at 1.5% level however, 3% supplementation decreased live weight (P<0.05). Feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were not affected by lemon grass supplementation. In 3% supplemented group, intestine weight and ratio decreased (P<0.05). Lemon grass supplementation did not affect slaughter weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, liver and gizzard weight and ratio (p>0.05). Also, meat pH, cooking loss, thawing loss, dry matter, ash and protein ratio were not affected by lemon grass supplementation (P>0.05). According to economic evaluation, supplementation of lemon grass did not improve the performance and carcass quality of quail and so, revenue from the lemon grass supplemented groups were lower than those of the control group. In conclusion, higher level supplementation of lemon grass (3%) to quail diet negatively affected the performance; however the lower level (1.5%) had no negative effect on performance and carcass quality.
Factors Influencing Acute Rejection of Human Hand Allografts: A Systematic Review

AbstractAcute rejection (AR) of human hand allografts (HHAs) may carry a risk of graft loss and leads to the need for immunosuppressive treatment. The literature on HHAs was reviewed to determine and evaluate the factors that trigger AR of HHAs. Clinical case reports of hand allograft transplantation published between 1999 and 2011 in English, French, or German were reviewed systematically. The number of AR episodes was the main outcome measure. Sixty-eight episodes of AR were described in 28 recipients. Calcineurin inhibitor-based maintenance regimens were associated with significantly fewer AR episodes than non–calcineurin inhibitor-based regimens (mean 1.9 vs 3.2; P = 0.018). In recipients who experienced cytomegalovirus infection, the mean number of episodes of AR was 4, whereas in those who did not experience cytomegalovirus infection it was 2.25 (P = 0.024). The planning of hand allograft transplantation should take these factors into account to minimize the risk of AR.
Upper GIS Endoscopy Indications of Patients Consulted at Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinics and Data Obtained According to These Indications

Background and aim: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is an innovative method used in order to diagnose esophagus, stomach, and duodenum diseases. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is fundamental for the prognosis of various benign and malign upper gastrointestinal diseases, as well as for therapy or disease follow-up. The aim of the present study is to classify endoscopy results according to indications and to reveal which indications and results are most commonly seen. Materials and methods: The Esophagogastroduodenoscopy results of 6243 patients were evaluated retrospectively; all patients had applied to the Gaziosmanpa? a Taksim Education and Research Hospital Department of Internal Medicine from 2010 to 2015 on either an outpatient or inpatient basis. Results: In our study, 2548 of the patients were male and 3695 were female. The mean age of the patients was 49.37 ± 16.90 years. The indications for Esophagogastroduodenoscopy were dyspeptic symptoms for 72.8% of females and 70.4% of males. Anemia was the indication for 12.1% of females and 11.8% of males. Other indications included gastrointestinal bleeding, dysphagia, nausea and vomiting, gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms and weight loss. Peptic ulcer disease was the result of Esophagogastroduodenoscopy for 55.7% of females and 50.6% of males. Gastric ulcer (15.2% of females and 16% of males), reflux esophagitis (8.1% of females and 10.1% of males), and duodenal ulcer (6.8% of females and 10.1% of males) were the other results. Malignancy was mostly observed in patients whose indications were anemia. Conclusion: The upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy continues to be an up-to-date method of displaying the effectiveness of diseases to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms and complaints of the gastrointestinal system, particularly in the evaluation of patients having persistent symptoms.
Effect of ASCs on the graft survival rates of fat particles in rabbits

Abstract This study was conducted to explore the effect of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) on the graft survival rates of fat particles in rabbits. Six domestic rabbits were used for a 3-month study; 1.4 grams of fat tissues were harvested from the bilateral inguinal regions of each animal. They were cut into granules and divided into three parts (A = 0.4 g, B = 0.4 g, and C = 0.6 g). Part A was centrifuged after 0.075% collagenase digestion for isolation of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF). About 0.2 grams of SVF containing ASCs was obtained, and then incorporated with part B to create a treated group, whereas part C was treated as a control group. The tissues in both groups were randomly transplanted into a subcutaneous space that had been created on each side of the dorsal midline of the rabbit. The grafts were taken out after 3 months for calculation of the survival rates. The graft survival rate in the treated group was 23.56 ± 2.49%, while that in the control group was 11.06 ± 2.10%. The graft survival rate in the treated group increased significantly, compared with in the control group (p < 0.01). Improved transplantation effects may be obtained by implanting the fat particles mixed with ASCs. It is suggested that this approach has the potential for becoming a new method of fat graft in clinical practice.
Uncertainty in BRCA1 cancer susceptibility testing

This study investigated uncertainty in individuals undergoing genetic counseling/testing for breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility. Sixty‐three individuals from a single kindred with a known BRCA1 mutation rated uncertainty about 12 items on a five‐point Likert scale before and 1 month after genetic counseling/testing. Factor analysis identified a five‐item total uncertainty scale that was sensitive to changes before and after testing. The items in the scale were related to uncertainty about obtaining health care, positive changes after testing, and coping well with results. The majority of participants (76%) rated reducing uncertainty as an important reason for genetic testing. The importance of reducing uncertainty was stable across time and unrelated to anxiety or demographics. Yet, at baseline, total uncertainty was low and decreased after genetic counseling/testing (P = 0.004). Analysis of individual items showed that after genetic counseling/testing, there was less uncertainty about the participant detecting cancer early (P = 0.005) and coping well with their result (P < 0.001). Our findings support the importance to clients of genetic counseling/testing as a means of reducing uncertainty. Testing may help clients to reduce the uncertainty about items they can control, and it may be important to differentiate the sources of uncertainty that are more or less controllable. Genetic counselors can help clients by providing anticipatory guidance about the role of uncertainty in genetic testing. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relevance of Colony Forming Assays to Bone Marrow Transplantation with Particular Reference to Grafting for Aplastic Anaemia

The value of bone marrow colony‐forming assays in monitoring transplanted patients has been assessed by comparing results from two pairs of bone marrow recipients. One pair received marrow from their identical twins for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; the other pair were grafted with allogeneic marrow from their siblings for aplastic anaemia. One of each pair showed successful engraftment while in the others the grafts failed.
Two-laboratory collaborative study on identification of mycobacteria: molecular versus phenotypic methods

Previous studies have indicated that the conventional tests used for the identification of mycobacteria may (i) frequently result in erroneous identification and (ii) underestimate the diversity within the genus Mycobacterium. To address this issue in a more systematic fashion, a study comparing phenotypic and molecular methods for the identification of mycobacteria was initiated. Focus was given to isolates which were difficult to identify to species level and which yielded inconclusive results by conventional tests performed under day-to-day routine laboratory conditions. Traditional methods included growth rate, colonial morphology, pigmentation, biochemical profiles, and gas-liquid chromatography of short-chain fatty acids. Molecular identification was done by PCR-mediated partial sequence analysis of the gene encoding the 16S rRNA. A total of 34 isolates was included in this study; 13 of the isolates corresponded to established species, and 21 isolates corresponded to previously uncharacterized taxa. For five isolates, phenotypic and molecular analyses gave identical results. For five isolates, minor discrepancies were present; four isolates remained unidentified after biochemical testing. For 20 isolates, major discrepancies between traditional and molecular typing methods were observed. Retrospective analysis of the data revealed that the discrepant results were without exception due to erroneous biochemical test results or interpretations. In particular, phenotypic identification schemes were compromised with regard to the recognition of previously undescribed taxa. We conclude that molecular typing by 16S rRNA sequence determination is not only more rapid (12 to 36 h versus 4 to 8 weeks) but also more accurate than traditional typing.
Fouilles du grand abri de Santana do Riacho (Minas Gerais), Brésil

La cueva de Santana do Riacho, cerca de Lagoa Santa (Brasil), presenta razgos evidentes de una utilizacion intensiva durante 8000 aňos cuando menos, del periodo preceramico. La cueva esta dividida en dos plataformas, una superior al Norte, la otra inferior al Sur : esta ultima es la que se describe en este articule Los niveles preceramicos recientes de las dos unidades contenian muchos fogones y huellas de postes alineados (c. 4000 B.P.)- La plataforma superior ha entregado muchos residuos alimentarios y la inferior ha revelado una cantidad importante de pinturas, paletas y batanes. Antes de 5000 B.P., la plataforma superior fue utilizada como cementerio por los ocupantes de Lagoa Santa. Un nivel intermediario de tumbas ha sido fechado 9460 ± 110 B.P. Se asocian al mismo pigmentos rojos, adornos vegetales y una industria de piedras y huesos. En el mismo periodo, la plataforma inferior ha revelado una industria litica rica, con raspadores unifaciales. El nivel inferior de la plataforma superior, todavia no fechado, es un gran fogon con unas lascas sin retoque. Desperdicios alimentarios atestan la presencia del maiz desde 4300 B.P. cuando menos y una vegetacion lia ma da cerrado en el area, durante todo el periodo funerario. El estudio de las paredes y de bloques caidos pintados autorizan una datacion Cl 4 para dos de los estilos del arte rupestre de la region.
NHPP-Based Software Reliability Models Using Equilibrium Distribution

SUMMARY Non-homogeneous Poisson processes (NHPPs) have gained much popularity in actual software testing phases to estimate the software reliability, the number of remaining faults in software and the software release timing. In this paper, we propose a new modeling approach for the NHPP-based software reliability models (SRMs) to describe the stochastic behavior of software fault-detection processes. The fundamental idea is to apply the equilibrium distribution to the fault-detection time distribution in NHPP-based modeling. We also develop efficient parameter estimation procedures for the proposed NHPP-based SRMs. Through numerical experiments, it can be concluded that the proposed NHPP-based SRMs outperform the existing ones in many data sets from the perspective of goodness-of-fit and prediction performance.
Quick completeness proofs for some logics of conditionals

Introduction We start from the idea that a conditional a -* β is true iff a & ~β is either an impossibility or at least a remoter possibility, in some sense, than a & β. Let us try to make this precise. First, we fix a language for the logic of conditionals: Let -£ be the set of formulas obtainable from the variables ph p2, Ps, . using the arrow and the usual truth-functional connectives (viz., the true T, the false 1, negation ~, conjunction &, inclusive disjunction v, material D and =). For i C ^ finite, l\A denotes the conjunction, MA the disjunction, of all elements of A (suitably grouped); e.g., Aφ = T, Mφ = 1. Second, we fix a notion of model Let 7ft/ be the set of all pairs (W, R), with W a nonempty set and R a trinary relation on it. For x e W, we set Wx = {y: izRxyz], and we require that R satisfy the following reflexivity and transitivity requirements:
The Effects of Musical Training on Speech Detection in the Presence of Informational and Energetic Masking

Recent research has suggested that musicians have an advantage in some speech-in-noise paradigms, but not all. Whether musicians outperform nonmusicians on a given speech-in-noise task may well depend on the type of noise involved. To date, few groups have specifically studied the role that informational masking plays in the observation of a musician advantage. The current study investigated the effect of musicianship on listeners’ ability to overcome informational versus energetic masking of speech. Monosyllabic words were presented in four conditions that created similar energetic masking but either high or low informational masking. Two of these conditions used noise-vocoded target and masking stimuli to determine whether the absence of natural fine structure and spectral variations influenced any musician advantage. Forty young normal-hearing listeners (20 musicians and 20 nonmusicians) completed the study. There was a significant overall effect of participant group collapsing across the four conditions; however, planned comparisons showed musicians’ thresholds were only significantly better in the high informational masking natural speech condition, where the musician advantage was approximately 3 dB. These results add to the mounting evidence that informational masking plays a role in the presence and amount of musician benefit.
Routing protocols for small scale WLAN based Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)

This paper focuses on the comparative analysis of routing protocols such as Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector Routing System (AODV), Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) and Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR). The analysis is been made against different network parameters like network load, end to end delay and throughput in a small scale Wireless Local Area (WLAN) based Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) scenarios to identify the best performing protocol. Simulation results indicate that OLSR gives minimum network load while AODV gives best throughput and in terms of delay, OLSR is more efficient.
Not Too Late: Improving Academic Outcomes for Disadvantaged Youth (WP-15-01)

There is growing concern that improving the academic skills of children in poverty is too difficult and costly once they reach adolescence, and so policymakers should instead focus either on vocationally oriented instruction or else on early childhood education. Yet this conclusion might be premature given that so few previous interventions have targeted a key barrier to school success: “mismatch” between what schools deliver and the needs of youth, particularly those far behind grade level. The researchers report on a randomized controlled trial of a school-based intervention that provides disadvantaged youth with intensive individualized academic instruction. The study sample consists of 2,718 male ninth and tenth graders in 12 public high schools on the south and west sides of Chicago, of whom 95 percent are either black or Hispanic and more than 90 percent are freeor reduced-price lunch eligible. Participation increased math achievement test scores by 0.19 to 0.31 standard deviations (SD), depending on how the researchers standardize, increased math grades by 0.50 SD, and reduced course failures in math by one-half in addition to reducing failures in non math courses. While some questions remain, these impacts on a per-dollar basis—with a cost per participant of around $3,800, or $2,500 if delivered at larger scale—are as large as those of almost any other educational intervention whose effectiveness has been rigorously studied.
REPORT on the EHS provocation studies

Part of the population considers themselves as sensitive to radiation emitted by the wireless communication devices and networks. Different studies have indicated that ca. 0.5 – 11% of the population might be experiencing sensitivity symptoms. This ailment, called either electromagnetic hyper-sensitivity (EHS) or idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF), is currently not considered by the World Health Organization as being caused by the exposures to electromagnetic fields (EMF). While the symptoms experienced by some persons are acknowledged as health impairment, the cause of these symptoms is considered to be unknown.