Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequent occurrence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection among West African HIV type-1-infected children.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study, conducted in Ivory Coast, was to evaluate the prevalence and evolution of viral hepatitis in children coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). METHODS Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers were retrospectively and longitudinally assessed among 280 HIV-1-infected children enrolled in the Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA et les Hépatites Virales B et C 1244/1278 cohort. Among these, 173 (61.8%) received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), including lamivudine (3TC) for 122 children. Detection of the hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) was performed on specimens collected at inclusion and 6 months later. If results of both tests were positive, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)/hepatitis B e antibody (HBeAb) and HBV DNA levels were measured at inclusion and during follow-up. A fourth-generation HCV enzyme immunoassay was used for HCV screening at inclusion. RESULTS In our pediatric cohort, no patients were infected with HCV, but the prevalence of HBsAg at inclusion was 12.1% (34 of 280; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.6-16.6). Among the HBV-HIV-1-coinfected children, a high rate of positive HBeAg chronic hepatitis B (CHB) was noted at inclusion (82.4% [ 28 of 34]; 95% CI, 65.5%-93.2%) and after a median follow-up of 18 months (78.3%; 95% CI, 45.5%-92.7%), with no significant difference between children treated with HAART (with or without 3TC) and untreated ones. These children showed high HBV DNA levels (usually >8.0 log(10) copies/mL) and viral population consisting of nearly exclusively wild-type HBeAg-positive HBV strains, strongly suggesting that most of them were in the initial immunotolerant phase of chronic hepatitis B. CONCLUSION In sub-Saharan Africa, children with chronic hepatitis B and who are treated with 3TC-based HAART are at risk of developing 3TC resistance. Further studies are required to guide the management of HBV-HIV-1-coinfected children.
Towards the non‐invasive assessment of MHC genotype in wild primates: Analysis of wild assamese macaque MHC‐DRB from fecal samples

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an important role in the immune response and may thus crucially affect an individual's fitness, relevant also for studies on evolutionary ecology and wildlife conservation. Detailed knowledge on the genomic organization, polymorphism and diversity of the MHC has a narrow taxonomic focus though and among macaques is only available for rhesus and long‐tailed macaques—the species most commonly kept for biomedical research. The lack of data on wild populations is largely due to the difficulty of obtaining blood or tissue samples necessary for genotyping approaches. Here, we aimed at analyzing MHC‐DRB from non‐invasively collected fecal samples in wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis), utilizing the MHC‐DRB‐STR (D6S2878) microsatellite marker. Due to the fecal DNA source incomplete genotypes occurred, which may be improved in the future by method refinement. We detected 28 distinct DRB‐STR lengths in 43 individuals with individual genotypes containing 1–9 MHC‐DRB‐STRs and defined four haplotypes segregating between families in Mendelian fashion. Our results indicate that variability and diversity of MHC‐DRB in Assamese macaques is comparable to that of other macaque species and importantly, that fecal samples can be used for non‐invasive analysis of MHC genes after refinement of the applied methods, opening a number of opportunities for MHC research on natural populations. Am. J. Primatol. 9999:1–9, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of dietary antioxidant supplementation on the adrenal glands in quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) reared under heat stress

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the dietary antioxidant supplementation on adrenal glands in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) reared under heat stress using morphometric techniques. A total of 250 quails, 21 days old, were reared under heat stress (night temperature: 24°C and day temperature: 34°C) and divided into 5 equal groups composed of 30 females and 20 males each according to the dietary regimen: the control group was not supplemented whereas lipoic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin E + vitamin C were daily mixed to the basal starter and grower diets at the dose of 250 mg/kg in the 4 other groups for 21 days. After slaughtering, adrenal glands were examined for morphometric histology. Although the proportions of the different zones of the adrenal tissues have varied according to the sex (males generally exhibited larger zones) and to the dietary treatment, it was observed that the hyperplasia of the cortical tissue induced by heat stress, particularly of the fasciculate and reticular zones, was markedly reduced when birds were supplemented with antioxidants. Treatments with the vitamin E or vitamin C (especially in males) used alone appeared to be the most efficient, whereas the proportions of the medulla zone were significantly increased when quails were supplemented with vitamin C alone or coupled to the vitamin E. These results suggest that a dietary antioxidant supplementation may alleviate the deleterious effects of heat stress by limiting steroid synthesis in the fasciculate and reticular zones in quails.
Destroying arguments and captivating thoughts: Spiritual warfare prayer as global praxis

Abstract This paper focuses on contemporary charismatic Christian practices of spiritual warfare and its techniques of warfare prayer. The paradigm of “global spiritual warfare” with its apocalyptic visions, violent language and its obsession with enemies, appears as a particularly polemical instance of Christian supersessionism and expansionism. Drawing on material from Nigeria and the United States, I briefly explore two related axes in order to bring to light the centrality of prayer conceived as a form of political praxis. First, the ways in which charismatic Christianity self-consciously and antagonistically constructs itself as a global force. In this global expansion, prayer as an embodied form of inspired speech is central both to the construction of militant subjects and the occupation of public space. Secondly, since the violence of spiritual warriors is mostly effected through their prayers and testimonies, we are led to question the place of an activist, pragmatist, or even performative model of truth for a political problematics of emancipation and democratization.
An Evaluation of Mergers in Six Industries

ECONOMISTS have long attacked horizontal merger for its role in increasing concentration and defended it as a relatively painless means of attaining economies of scale and/ or inter-regional entry. This paper attempts to evaluate these divergent views using the experience of six large industries. In part I, the data and definitions used are explained. In part II, an attempt is made to measure the role of merger and of various other factors in concentration change. Part III examines the proportion of acquired capacity that is sub-optimal in scale, and part IV, the proportion that is inter-regional. Part V contains some brief conclusions.
The renoprotective potential of endothelin receptor antagonists

The endothelin system has been identified as having a substantial role in renal failure, both acute and chronic. Beside its well characterised haemodynamic effects, its mitogenic and pro-fibrotic properties have gained increased interest in the pathophysiology of chronic renal failure. This review outlines the role of endothelin in the pathogenesis of various renal diseases with a special focus on the potential of blocking this system with endothelin receptor antagonists. So far, most data were derived from animal models, but they provide strong evidence that endothelin receptor antagonists may represent a powerful therapeutic strategy in ameliorating the course of acute and chronic renal failure.
Development of a new measure of health-related quality of life for people with dementia: DEMQOL

Background. We identified the need to develop a scientifically rigorous measure of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in dementia that would be appropriate for use at all stages of dementia severity and would be available in both self- and proxy-report versions. Method. We used standard psychometric methods to eliminate items with poor psychometric properties (item-reduction field test) and to assess the acceptability, reliability and validity of the item-reduced instruments (psychometric evaluation field test). We developed and validated two versions of DEMQOL: a 28-item interviewer-administered questionnaire that is self-reported by the person with dementia (DEMQOL) and a 31-item interviewer-administered questionnaire that is proxy-reported by a caregiver (DEMQOL-Proxy). Results. DEMQOL shows high reliability (internal consistency and test–retest) and moderate validity in people with mild/moderate dementia. DEMQOL-Proxy shows good acceptability and internal consistency and moderate evidence of validity in people with mild/moderate and severe dementia. Test–retest reliability and performance in people with severe dementia need further testing. Conclusions. DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy show psychometric properties that are comparable with the best available dementia-specific measures of HRQL. We recommend that DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy are used together. Reliability and validity need to be confirmed in independent samples and responsiveness needs to be evaluated.
A high-throughput reconfigurable processing array for neural networks

FPGA-based neural-networks typically leave performance on the table because the DSP resources run at less than a third of the peak clock rate. This paper presents a processing array architected to consistently achieve timing closure at 100% of the peak DSP clock rate with standard FPGA tools. In the HDL design environment, our processing array operates at the peak DSP clock rates on Xilinx UltraScale (741 MHz) and UltraScale+ (891 MHz) devices. To enhance portability and consistency of timing closure, this array operates at a high clock rate while data SRAMs run at a fraction of this rate. As a proof of concept, this paper outlines a processing array for matrix multiplication and convolution, the most compute-intensive operations of a convolutional neural network (CNN).
SVGPU: real time 3D rendering to vector graphics formats

We focus on the real-time realistic rendering of a 3-D scene to a 2-D vector image. There are several application domains which could benefit substantially from the compact and resolution independent intermediate format that vector graphics provides. In particular, cloud streaming services, which transmit large amounts of video data and notoriously suffer from low resolution and/or high latency. In addition, display resolutions are growing rapidly, exacerbating the issue. Raster images for large displays prove a significant bottleneck when being transported over communication networks. However the alternative of sending a full 3D scene worth of geometry is even more prohibitive. We implement a real time rendering pipeline that utilizes analytic visibility algorithms on the GPU to output a vector graphics representation of a 3D scene. Our system SVGPU (Scalable Vector on the GPU) is fast and efficient on modern hardware, and simple in design. As such we are making a much needed step towards enabling the benefits of vector graphics representations to be reaped by the real time community.
Mechanism of Hyperventilation in Acute Cerebrovascular Accidents

Lumbar cerebrospinal fluid and arterial blood acid-base state were assessed in 19 patients within 24 hours of an acute cerebrovascular accident. Those with haemorrhage into the C.S. F. showed a lower C.S. F. pH and higher C.S. F. lactate than those without haemorrhage but the Pco2, was similar in the two groups, suggesting that this greater C.S. F. acidity was not responsible for a greater degree of hyperventilation. In those without haemorrhage an inverse relation was found between C.S. F. pH and arterial Pco2, suggesting that a non-chemical ventilatory drive—for example, due to central neurological damage—was responsible for the acid-base changes observed.
Spatial and Spectral Hybrid Image Classification for Rice Lodging Assessment through UAV Imagery

Rice lodging identification relies on manual in situ assessment and often leads to a compensation dispute in agricultural disaster assessment. Therefore, this study proposes a comprehensive and efficient classification technique for agricultural lands that entails using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. In addition to spectral information, digital surface model (DSM) and texture information of the images was obtained through image-based modeling and texture analysis. Moreover, single feature probability (SFP) values were computed to evaluate the contribution of spectral and spatial hybrid image information to classification accuracy. The SFP results revealed that texture information was beneficial for the classification of rice and water, DSM information was valuable for lodging and tree classification, and the combination of texture and DSM information was helpful in distinguishing between artificial surface and bare land. Furthermore, a decision tree classification model incorporating SFP values yielded optimal results, with an accuracy of 96.17% and a Kappa value of 0.941, compared with that of a maximum likelihood classification model (90.76%). The rice lodging ratio in paddies at the study site was successfully identified, with three paddies being eligible for disaster relief. The study demonstrated that the proposed spatial and spectral hybrid image classification technology is a promising tool for rice lodging assessment.
Preterm labour--is bacterial vaginosis involved?

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV) using metronidazole to reduce preterm labour in primigravidae and multigravidae with previous midtrimester abortion or preterm labour. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial. SETTING Tertiary academic hospital. METHOD Two different groups of patients were screened for BV at the first antenatal visit, namely primigravidae and high-risk multigravidae who had had a previous midtrimester abortion or preterm delivery. Patients where BV was diagnosed clinically or on Gram's stain of a smear taken from the posterior vaginal fornix, received either 400 mg metronidazole, or 100 mg vitamin C orally twice daily for 2 days. The Gram's stain was repeated after 4 weeks. If BV was found again, treatment with the same drug was repeated. OUTCOME MEASURES Preterm delivery, birth weight and perinatal deaths. RESULTS One thousand and five patients entered the study, but 40 were excluded for various reasons and 10 were lost to follow-up. There were 464 primigravidae, of whom 150 (32%) had BV. Except for the 5-minute Apgar score, no significant differences were found between primigravidae negative for BV and those who received either metronidazole or vitamin C. There were 491 high-risk multigravidae, of whom 127 (26%) had BV. The mean gestational age in the BV-negative group was 37 weeks, in contrast to 37.4 weeks in the vitamin C group and 35.6 weeks in the metronidazole group. Birth weights in these three groups were 2,752 g, 2,759 g and 2,475 g respectively, significantly less (P = 0.0109) in the metronidazole group in comparison with the BV-negative group. Delivery before 37 weeks occurred in 29% of high-risk multigravidae with no BV but in 24% of those who took vitamin C and in 43% who took metronidazole. Differences were significant between the BV-negative and metronidazole groups (P = 0.0231) and also between the metronidazole and vitamin C groups (P = 0.0274). Delivery before 28 weeks occurred in 4% of the high-risk multigravidae with no BV but in 10% of those with BV who took metronidazole. The difference was significant (P = 0.0430). Analysis for maximum likelihood estimates for preterm labour identified only previous preterm labour or midtrimester abortion as risk factors. CONCLUSION Metronidazole does not seem to reduce the prevalence of preterm labour when given for BV before 26 weeks' gestation.
NONISCHEMIC LUNG INJURY BY MEDIATORS FROM UNILATERAL ISCHEMIC REPERFUSED LUNG: AMELIORATING EFFECT OF TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-&agr;-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITOR

We hypothesized that the ischemic reperfused (I/R) lung expresses and liberates tumor necrosis factor-&agr; (TNF-&agr;) to injure the nonischemic lung, and that a TNF-&agr;-converting enzyme inhibitor (TACEI) prevents injury of the nonischemic lung by blocking TNF-&agr; liberation from the I/R lung. In isolated ventilated rat lungs in which differential perfusion to the right (RL) or left (LL) lung was feasible, LLs were selectively made ischemic (60 min) while maintaining perfusion to RLs, then reperfused (30 min) in a nonrecirculating manner with buffer solution (non-R; n = 18) or in a recirculating manner with buffer containing TACEI (TACEI[+]; n = 18) or without TACEI (TACEI[−]; n = 18). Ischemia reperfusion induced TNF-&agr; messenger RNA expression in the ischemic LLs; the expression was highest in TACEI(+) group (P < 0.01). The expression of TNF-&agr;, which was detected as immunofluorescence signals on CD34-positive endothelial cells, was observed in ischemic LLs; the highest expression being that in the TACEI(+) group. Wet/dry ratio and protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were higher in LLs than in RLs, and among the RLs, these 2 parameters were significantly increased in the TACEI(−) group (P < 0.01) in which the RLs were exposed to the TNF-&agr;-rich perfusate. On the other hand, protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the TACEI(+) group in which RLs were exposed to recirculating perfusate containing little TNF-&agr; was decreased to a level close to but still higher than that in the non-R group (P < 0.05). The unilateral I/R lung affected the permeability of the nonischemic lung by liberating mainly TNF-&agr; and induced TNF-&agr;, interleukin (IL)-1&bgr;, IL-6, and IL-10 messenger RNA expression in the nonischemic lung. These findings support the idea of organ-organ interaction in which an injured organ affects a remote organ by liberating humoral mediators.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TISSUE REPAIR DESARDA TECHNIQUE VERSUS LICHTENSTEIN'S MESH REPAIR IN INGUINAL HERNIA

Introduction: In 2001, Dr. Mohan P Desarda introduced a novel technique of tissue-based hernia repair with 0 % recurrence rate. The aim of this prospective randomized clinical study was to compare the clinical outcomes of the mesh-based Lichtenstein method with tissue-based Desarda method for the treatment of primary inguinal hernia. Patients and methods: This prospective randomized study included forty males with primary inguinal hernia, with 20 patients each in Lichtenstein and Desarda groups. The patients were followed-up in terms of mean operative time, time taken for return to normal gait, post-operative complications, chronic groin pain and cost effectiveness. Observations and results: Both the groups were comparable in terms of patient demographics. Operative time and postoperative pain were signiﬁcantly less in Desarda group. There was no statistical difference in post-operative complication rate within 12 months of follow-up period even though less number of complications was encountered in the Desarda group. Conclusion: Postoperative pain, mean operating time, painless ambulatory time was better in case of Desarda technique.
Gender differences in psychopathology, functional impairment, and familial risk factors among adjudicated delinquents.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypotheses that female juvenile delinquents would have higher rates of psychological symptoms, DSM-IVpsychiatric and substance use disorders, functional impairment, and familial risk factors than male juvenile delinquents. METHOD A stratified random sample of adjudicated delinquents (n = 513 males, n = 112 females) was drawn from San Diego County administrative databases. Of those sampled youths who could be located, 65.7% completed interviews. Psychological symptoms, DSM-lVdiagnoses, and familial risk factors were assessed between October 1997 and January 1999. RESULTS Female delinquents scored higher on parent and self-report measures of psychological symptoms and had higher rates of DSM-IVmental disorders than did male delinquents. Girls also experienced greater incidences of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; physical neglect; and family history of mental illness than their male counterparts. No gender differences were found on parental ratings of youth functional impairment, substance use disorders, comorbidity, or parental history of antisocial behavior. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicated that female adjudicated delinquents have significantly higher rates of psychopathology, maltreatment history, and familial risk factors than males and suggest that the mental health needs of girls in juvenile justice deserve increased attention.
Impact of a natural coagulant pretreatment for colour removal on solar water disinfection (SODIS)

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is the process of treating microbiologically contaminated water in clear plastic bottles through exposure to sunlight. One of the major limiting factors of this treatment is source water quality. This work investigates the impact of source water colour on SODIS efficiency and evaluates a natural coagulant for colour removal. The ability of Moringa oleifera seed emulsion to both clarify and decolourize source waters was investigated as a coagulation pretreatment for SODIS. This coagulant reduced the colour by more than two-thirds and achieved up to 1-log10 bacterial removal (90%). The combined Moringa oleifera coagulation-SODIS treatment sequence was tested in highly coloured natural source water and was found to reduce the sunlight exposure time required by up to 2 hours. However, despite being an effective clarification and decolouring process, the pretreatment may not shorten the overall treatment time because of its own labour and time requirements, potentially decreasing the treatment compliance rates. In addition, while total coliform and heterotrophic bacteria regrowth was observed during overnight storage of the treated water, no Escherichia coli regrowth was found to occur.
Workplace Gender Discrimination and Job Performance in Egypt: The Moderating Role of Equity Sensitivity

Workplace gender discrimination is a significant problem in Egypt. However, there is limited research on Workplace gender discrimination and its consequences. The current research tries to examine the relationships between workplace gender discrimination and task and contextual job performances. Moreover, the moderating effect of equity sensitivity on these relationships is also investigated. A convenience sample on 312 working women was drawn from different work settings in Cairo, Egypt. They responded to a three-part questionnaire that assesses workplace gender discrimination, equity sensitivity, and job performance. The results indicated that workplace gender discrimination was negatively associated with both of task and contextual performances. Moreover, equity sensitivity was found to moderate the relationship between workplace gender discrimination and contextual performance only. These results were discussed in the light of the extant theoretical and empirical literature. In addition, limitation, future research and conclusion are also reported.