Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OCT for Assessing Artificial Tears Effectiveness in Contact Lens Wearers

Purpose. To apply a commercially available high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomographer (SOCT) to assess the change in tear volume after application of a new artificial tears formulation specifically developed for contact lens (CL) users. Methods. Twenty OD from young healthy CL wearers (mean age, 24.7 ± 3.5 years) with refractive errors ranging from −0.75 to −2.50 D (mean, −1.56 ± 0.69 D) were examined. All subjects were fitted with Focus Dailies CL (Ciba Vision), and two drops of Blink Contacts (AMO), lubricating formulation specifically developed for CL wearers, were instilled after baseline measures. Tear meniscus volume (TMV) was measured immediately after and 1 min, 10, 30, and 60 min after instillation using the Copernicus HR SOCT (Optopol Tech., SA, Poland). TMV was calculated from the local area from tomograms assuming a regular distribution of the tear meniscus across the eyelid. Three scans were taken at each of the time points. Results. Mean meniscus volume without CL was 1.35 ± 1.18 &mgr;L, volume with CL was higher, 1.71 ± 1.56 &mgr;L but not significantly different (mean difference, 0.36 ± 1.31 &mgr;L). After instillation of Blink Contacts eye drops, meniscus volume increased to an average of 4.10 ± 2.91 &mgr;L. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that values after 10 min were significantly higher than before instillation of eye drops (p < 0.01; mean difference, 0.77 ± 0.65 &mgr;L). After 30 and 60 minutes, values of TMV decreased to almost baseline (average mean difference from baseline 0.19 ± 0.18 &mgr;L at t30, p < 0.001, and 0.06 ± 0.08 &mgr;L at t60, p = 0.004). Conclusions. High-resolution imaging of the lower tear film meniscus with SOCT systems provides useful measures of tear volume. An artificial tear formulation provides a change in tear volume that is maintained beyond 10 min, although further study, using control groups, would be desirable to determine the consistency of those higher-than-baseline values observed over time.
A comparative study of different preservation methods for phytoplankton cell analysis by flow cytometry

Ten methods to preserve phytoplankton populations for flow cytometric analyses were tested. These methods were differentiated by the rate of freezing and thawing, and the use or non-use of cryoprotectants (DMSO and/or glycerol) and chemical fixation. After freezing, the samples were stored in liquid nitrogen. These methods were tested on 3 freshwater and marine algal species. Different intensity parameters and 2 properties were considered. Firstly the number of cells lost, which was more significant with rapid freezing and chemical fixation, and less significant with the addition of cryoprotectants. Secondly, the preservation of both light scattering and fluorescence, which was better with slow freezing than with cryoprotectants. Slow freezing followed by chemical fixation appeared to be the best protocol studied and even if glycerol addition without chemical fixation seemed to be overall the best method, implying the use of cryoprotectant, all these techniques had to be tested on a case by case basis, particularly when phycocyanin and chlorophyll fluorescence were studied.
Global loss minimization control of PMSM considering cross-coupling and saturation

A global permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) loss minimization control method is proposed based on nonlinear optimization in this paper. A look-up table based PMSM flux-linkage model is introduced to account for the saturation and cross-coupling effect, and the iron loss model is also numerically developed to account for the harmonic effect. The loss minimization problem can be programmed as a convex nonlinear optimization problem, which can be solved by an optimizer efficiently and effectively. The accuracy of the torque and iron loss is verified by FEA simulations, which confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
On the Connectivity Function of a Binary Matroid

In this paper, we shall consider the following problem: up to duality, is a connected matroid reconstructible from its connectivity function? Cunningham conjectured that this question has an affirmative answer, but Seymour gave a counter-example for it. In the same paper, Seymour proved that a connected binary matroid is always reconstructible from its connectivity function, up to duality, in the class of binary matroids. In this paper, we prove that when M is a connected binary matroid and N another matroid with the same connectivity function as N, then M = N or M = N*.
Alpha thalassaemia in an Italian population

The incidence of α‐thalassaemia in an Italian population has been determined by a survey of random cord bloods for the presence of Hb Bart's. 144 out of 4730 (3%) had detectable amounts of Hb Bart's. Furthermore, α‐globin gene analysis of 100 random cord bloods showed that five out of 100 had the common type of α‐thalassaemia caused by a single α‐globin gene deletion (—α). The molecular basis of α‐thalassaemia was also determined in a selected group of 34 newborns with detectable levels of Hb Bart's. 25 of these cases had the —α3. 7 deletion type of α‐thalassaemia and nine had nondeletion types of α‐thalassaemia in four of which the molecular defect was detectable directly by restriction enzyme analysis.
Smad7 Differentially Regulates Transforming Growth Factor β-mediated Signaling Pathways*

Smad7 has been identified as a negative regulator of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling by interfering with the phosphorylation of other Smad proteins by TGF-β receptor type I (TβRI). We established a mink lung epithelial (Mv1Lu) cell line where ectopic expression of Smad7 is tightly controlled by doxycycline using an improved Tet-on system. Once induced by doxycycline, the recombinant Smad7 was localized predominantly in the perinuclear region and in the cytoplasm. However, the type of culture surface alters the subcellular localization of Smad7: on plastic or on fibronectin-coated glass, Smad7 was localized in the cytoplasm; but when the cells were cultured on glass, nuclear localization was observed. TGF-β stimulation did not alter substantially the cellular distribution of Smad7. Importantly, the expression of recombinant Smad7 differentially inhibited TGF-β signaling pathways. Consistent with previous studies, Smad7 inhibited TGF-β-stimulated induction of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor as measured by p3TP-Lux reporter. However, expression of Smad7 had little effect on TGF-β-induced growth inhibition.
Numerical Simulation of Two-Phase Flow in an Effervescent Atomizer for Nano-suspension Spray

Liquid atomization is widely used in industrial applications such as aerospace, combustion, pharmaceutical, spray coatings, and surface engineering. The main concern of atomization is to have a controllable and uniform spray. In suspension plasma spraying technique, where the attempt is to reach nano-scaled uniform coatings, there is a vital demand to produce a uniform and non-pulsating spray. Effervescent atomizers, in which a gas is bubbled into the bulk liquid through an aerator, have shown to be a technological alternative to the conventional atomizers when atomization of liquids with large variety of viscosity and density is required. Thus, understanding the behavior of gas and liquid flow through the nozzle is crucial to predict the condition of outcoming spray. The objective of this study is to numerically investigate the two-phase flow inside the effervescent atomizers. Using the incompressible Eulerian/Eulerian approach, the three-dimensional structure of two-phase flow inside an aerated-liquid injector is modeled. The behavior of liquid film in the discharge passage is investigated using different Gas to Liquid mass flow Ratios (GLR). These numerical results are compared with the experimental data available in literature. The effect of nano-sized solid particles concentration on the liquid film thickness at the exit of the atomizer is studied through the change in liquid bulk density and viscosity
Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Urinary Isolates of Escherichia coli from Outpatients Are Frequently Multidrug Resistant: Results from the North American Urinary Tract Infection Collaborative Alliance-Quinolone Resistance Study

ABSTRACT Ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates (n = 1,858) from outpatient midstream urine specimens at 40 North American clinical laboratories in 2004 to 2005 were frequently resistant to ampicillin (79.8% of isolates) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (66.5%); concurrent resistance to cefdinir (9.0%) or nitrofurantoin (4.0%) was less common. Only 10.8% of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin alone. Fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates of E. coli from urine were frequently multidrug resistant.
Early experience and the socialization of cognitive modes in children.

This paper deals with the question: what is cultural deprivation and how does it act to shape and depress the resources of the human mind? The arguments presented are: first, that the behavior which leads to social, educational, and economic poverty 'is socialized in early childhood; second, that the central quality involved in the effects of cultural deprivation is a lack of cognitive meaning in the' mother-child communication system; and, third, that the growth of cognitiv'e processes is fostered in family control systems which offer and permit a wide range of alternatives of action and thought and that such growth is constricted by systems of control which offer predetermined solutions and few alternatives for consideration and choice. The research group was composed of 160 Negro mothers and their 4-year-old children selected from four different social status levels. The data are presented to show social status differences among the four groups with respect to cognitive functioning and linguistic codes and to offer examples of relations between maternal and child behavior that are congruent with the general lines of argument laid out.
Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Analysis

As in most countries worldwide, Sub-Saharan African countries are striving to build their human capital so they can compete for jobs and investments in an increasingly globalized world. In this region, which includes the largest number of countries that have not yet attained universal primary schooling, the ambitions and aspirations of Sub-Saharan African countries and their youth far exceed this basic goal. Over the past 20 years, educational levels have risen sharply across Sub-Saharan Africa. Already hard at work to provide places in primary schools for all children, most countries of the region are also rapidly expanding access to secondary and tertiary levels of education. Alongside this quantitative push is a growing awareness of the need to make sure that students are learning and acquiring the skills needed for life and work. Achieving education of acceptable quality is perhaps an even greater challenge than providing enough school places for all. Thus, Sub-Saharan African countries are simultaneously confronting many difficult challenges in the education sector, and much is at stake. This book gives those concerned with education in Sub-Saharan Africa an analysis of the sector from a cross-country perspective, aimed at drawing lessons that individual country studies alone cannot provide. A comparative perspective is useful not only to show the range of possibilities in key education policy variables but also to learn from the best performers in the region. (Although the report covers 47 Sub- Saharan African countries whenever possible, some parts of the analysis center on the region's low-income countries, in particular, a sample of 33 low-income countries). Although countries ultimately must make their own policy choices and decide what works best in their particular circumstances, Sub-Saharan African countries can benefit from learning about the experiences of other countries that are faced with, or have gone through, similar development paths. Given the large number of countries included in the analysis, the book finds that Sub-Saharan African countries have more choices and more room for maneuver than will appear if attention were focused on only one or a few country experiences. Countries can make better choices when understanding the breadth of policy choices available to them. They are well advised, however, to evaluate the applicability of policy options to their contexts and to pilot and evaluate the results for performance and subsequent improvement.
Trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in ten European countries.

BACKGROUND In many western countries an increase in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and/or gastric cardia have been reported. The aim of this study was to describe and compare trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in several areas of Europe, 1968-1995, using Eurocim (a database of cancer incidence and mortality data from 95 European cancer registries). METHODS Time-trends in age-standardized incidence rates of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia are described in 11 population-based cancer registries from 10 countries in North, South, East, West and Central Europe, 1968-1995. The statistical significance of the time-trends in incidence was assessed using Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS An increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia was observed in Northern Europe (Denmark), Southern Europe (Italy, Varese), Eastern Europe (Slovakia) and Western Europe (England and Wales, Scotland). In Central Europe (Switzerland, Basel) and in the cancer registries of Iceland (Northern Europe), France, Bas-Rhin and Calvados, Southern Ireland, and the Netherlands, Eindhoven (Western Europe) no rise in incidence was observed. The increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia was accompanied by a decrease in incidence of both adenocarcinomas and non-adenocarcinomas of the non-cardia part of the stomach in almost all of the 11 cancer registries studied. Increased histological verification of tumours of the oesophagus and stomach and improvement in precision of histological diagnosis may partly explain the increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas in some registries. CONCLUSIONS This study, using Eurocim data, supports the findings from other time-trend studies of population-based cancer registries in western countries.
Effects of bioactive component of kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit and seed) on hypercholesterolemic rats.

This study evaluated the effect of kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit and seed) on diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. The results showed that avocado seed content was the highest in phenolic compounds (285.43 mg/100g GAE); flavonoids (3.21mg/100g CE) and soluble dietary fiber (38%) followed by avocado and kiwi fruits. Kiwi fruit is rich in ascorbic acid (15.52 mg/100g). Hypercholesterolemia was induced using a diet containing 1% cholesterol and 16%fat. Sixty six male of Albino rats weighing 115-120g were randomly distributed into eleven groups of six rats each-Group 1: control rats fed on the standard diet, group 2 rats fed on hypercholesterolemic diet, while the other groups of rats fed hypercholesterolemic diet supplemented with kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit and seed) (10%, 20% and 30%). The present study showed that 1% cholesterol and 16% fat administration for 6 weeks caused a significant increase P<0.05 in total cholesterol and triglyceride in both serum and liver. In serum, the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C significantly decreased for the groups fed kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit and seed) in comparison with the hypercholesterolemic group (HC group). The activities of AST and ALT enzymes decreased significantly for the groups fed the kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit, seed) in comparison with the HC group. Atherogenic index (AI) increased significantly compared to control group. Regarding liver tissue, the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride decreased significantly for the kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit, seed) fed rats compared to the HC group. The liver content of reduced glutathione increased significantly in comparison with the hypercholesterolemic group. In this study, the lowering effect of avocado seed on lipid profiles in serum and liver was more observable than that of avocado fruit or kiwi fruit. The results suggest that consumption of kiwi fruit and avocado (fruit and seed) might have some cardiovascular protective properties and beneficial effects on atherosclerosis, CVD risks in hypercholesterolemic rats. So, we recommended consuming avocado seed because the avocado seed have strong antioxidant activity and lower effect of lipid profile.
Effects of Grazing Pressure on Efficiency of Grazing on North American Great Plains Rangelands

Abstract Comparisons of stocking rates across sites can be facilitated by calculating grazing pressure. We used peak standing crop and stocking rates from six studies in the North American Great Plains (Cheyenne, Wyoming; Cottonwood, South Dakota; Hays, Kansas; Nunn, Colorado; Streeter, North Dakota; and Woodward, Oklahoma) to calculate a grazing pressure index and develop relationships for harvest efficiency, utilization, grazing efficiency, and animal performance and production. Average grazing pressures for heavy, moderate, and light stocking across the study sites were 40, 24, and 14 animal unit days · Mg−1, respectively. These grazing pressures resulted in average harvest efficiency values of 38%, 24%, and 14% and grazing efficiencies of 61%, 49%, and 39% for heavy, moderate, and light stocking rates, respectively. Utilization increased quadratically as grazing pressure index increased, whereas grazing and harvest efficiencies exhibited a linear increase with grazing pressure. The latter indicates that nonlivestock forage losses (e.g., weathering, senescence, wildlife, insects) were disproportional across stocking rates. Average daily gain of livestock decreased linearly as grazing pressure index increased across study sites. Prediction equations reaffirm assumptions of 50% grazing efficiency and 25% harvest efficiency associated with moderate stocking. Novel here, however, is that harvest and grazing efficiencies increased at high grazing pressures and decreased at low grazing pressures. Use of grazing pressure index to “standardize” stocking rates across rangeland ecosystems in the North American Great Plains should improve communication among scientists, resource managers, and the public, and thus better achieve both production and conservation goals on these lands.
Cytogenetic analysis of human blastocysts with the use of FISH, CGH and aCGH: scientific data and technical evaluation.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have suggested that biopsy of several trophectoderm (TE) cells from blastocysts followed by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis might represent an optimal strategy for aneuploidy detection, but few data on accuracy are available. The main question concerns the rate of mosaicism at the blastocyst stage, and to what extent this might cause misdiagnoses. We assessed blastocyst aneuploidy and mosaicism rates and evaluated the accuracy and efficiency of CGH and microarray-CGH (aCGH) for TE analysis. METHODS A total of 52 blastocysts, from 20 couples, were biopsied and their chromosomes examined by CGH. The remaining cells were spread and tested by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Of the 52 blastocysts, 20 underwent a second TE biopsy and were tested using aCGH. RESULTS CGH and aCGH produced results for 98% of TE samples. 42.3% of blastocysts were uniformly euploid, 30% were uniformly aneuploid and 32.4% were mosaic. Of the mosaic embryos, 15.4% were found to be composed of a mixture of different aneuploid cell lines, while 17% contained both normal and aneuploid cells. Mosaic diploid-aneuploid blastocysts with >30% normal cells accounted for <6% of analysed embryos. CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive chromosome screening and follow-up assessment of large numbers of cells provided a unique insight into the cytogenetics of human blastocysts. Meiotic and post-zygotic errors leading to mosaicism were common. However, most mosaic blastocysts contained no normal cells. Hence, CGH or aCGH TE analysis is an accurate aneuploidy detection tool and may assist in identifying viable euploid embryos with higher implantation potential.
Iron fortification of dried skim milk and maize–soya-bean–milk mixture (CSM): availability of iron in Jamaican infants

1. The availability of iron added to dried skim milk and to maize–soya-bean–milk mixture (CSM) was measured by whole-body counting in thirty clinically healthy children and compared with the availability of Fe from ferrous ascorbate alone. 2. The mean absorption of Fe added as ferrous sulphate to a test meal of dried skim milk was 9·5% when the test meal was given as a sweetened drink. When maize meal was added to the dried skim milk to produce a porridge the mean absorption of the supplementary Fe was reduced to 6·3%. The mean absorption of Fe given as ferrous ascorbate alone was 59·6%. 3. These results differed from those reported for indirect tests done with animals in which the absorption of inorganic Fe added to milk-based feed preparations for infants was substantially greater than that of dietary Fe. 4. The mean absorption of Fe added as ferrous fumarate to a test meal of maize–soya-bean–milk mixture was 6·0%, whereas that of Fe given as ferrous ascorbate alone was 63·5%. 5. The amount of supplementary Fe added to maize–soya-bean–milk mixture (USA Department of Agriculture specification) was considered to be adequate.
Secular Trends of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Other Causes of Post Perinatal Mortality in Norwegian Birth Cohorts 1967–1984

ABSTRACT. Lack of positive diagnostic criteria and increasing professional concern, probably causing increasing ascertainment, have rendered reported increases in SIDS‐rates controversial. However, these problems related to cause specific mortality do not apply to the total mortality. Due to the exceptional age‐at‐death distribution of SIDS cases, the SIDS fraction of all deaths increases during the first year of life to reach a maximum, in the present study of 56%, from the 105th through the 125th day of life. During these days, the total mortality rate in Norway increased from 0.24 per 1000 in 1971–72 to 0.46 in 1983–84. Thus, the observed trend, with an increase in the SIDS rate from 1.02 per 1000 in 1971–72 to 2.34 in 1983–84, is considered true. Observed in a country where perinatal and neonatal mortality have decreased for a long period of time and still remain very low in a global perspective, the increasing SIDS rate is a matter of great concern.