Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of peer‐supervision on pediatric fever illness treatment among registered private drug sellers in East‐Central Uganda: An interrupted time series analysis

Appropriate treatment of pediatric fever in rural areas remains a challenge and maybe partly due to inadequate supervision of licensed drug sellers. This study assessed the effectiveness of peer‐supervision among drug sellers on the appropriate treatment of pneumonia symptoms, uncomplicated malaria, and non‐bloody diarrhea among children less than 5 years of age in the intervention (Luuka) and comparison (Buyende) districts, in East‐Central Uganda.
Women in Charge: Evidence From Hospitals

The female share of chief executives in public firms has been persistently low, and as a result empirical studies of firms with female CEOs are rare. This paper examines a large sample of U.S. non-profit hospitals in which women make up 19% of CEOs. Contrary to prior literature, it finds no evidence that gender differences in preferences for risk, competition, or altruism affect firm-CEO match, or affect corporate decisions of female CEOs. Female and male CEOs responded similarly to the financial shock of 2008, including by cutting employment and salary growth. Women in CEO positions earn 22% lower salaries than men, largely explained by the smaller size of the hospitals they manage, suggesting that labor markets value female leadership skills at a significant discount relative to those of men. The gender pay gap shrinks to a significant 8% after differences between hospitals and CEOs are accounted for.
Incidence, risk factors and consequences of preterm birth – �ndings from a multicentric observational study in Nepal

Background: Preterm birth is a worldwide epidemic and a leading cause of neonatal mortality. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors and consequences of preterm birth in Nepal. Methods: This was an observational study conducted in 12 public hospitals of Nepal. All the babies born during the study period were included in the study. Babies born <37 weeks of gestation were classi�ed as preterm births. For the association and outcomes for preterm birth, univariate followed by multiple regression analysis was conducted. Results: The incidence of preterm was found to be 93 per 1000 live births. Mothers with age less than 20 years (aOR 1.21; 1.09-1.34) and 35 years and above (aOR 1.30; 1.05-1.63) had a high risk for preterm birth. Similarly, education of the mother was a signi�cant predictor for preterm birth: illiterate mothers (aOR 1.90; 1.66-2.19), literate mothers (aOR 1.48; 1.33-1.65) and mothers having basic level of education (aOR 1.25; 1.14-1.38). Socio-demographic factors such as smoking (aOR 2.02; .84-2.22) and use of polluted fuel (aOR 1.38; 1.28-1.50); obstetric factors such as nulliparity (aOR 1.44; 1.28-1.61), multiple delivery (aOR 1.92; 1.33-2.76), severe anemia during pregnancy (aOR 2.43; 1.55-3.82), antenatal visit during second trimester (aOR 1.10; 1.02-1.19) and third trimester (aOR 1.44; 1.30-1.60) were found to be signi�cant risk factors of preterm birth. Preterm has a risk for pre-discharge mortality (10.60; 9.28-12.10). Conclusion: In this study, we found high incidence of preterm birth. Various socio-demographic, obstetric and neonatal risk factors were associated with preterm birth.
Credit or Control Rights and Resource Allocation within Firms * by

We examine the within-firm resource allocation effects of creditor interventions and their relationship to performance gains at firms violating financial covenants. By linking firm-level data to establishment-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau, we show that covenant violations are followed by large reductions in employment and more frequent establishment sales and closures. These operational cuts are concentrated in violating firms' noncore business lines and unproductive establishments. We conclude that refocusing activities and improving productive efficiency are important mechanisms through which creditors enhance violating firms' performance. Keyword: Creditor Rights; Covenant Violations; Employment; Asset Sales; Firm Value JEL Classification: D22; D24; G21; G31
Dactylanthus flower visitation by New Zealand lesser short-tailed bats appears to be influenced by daily rainfall

The unique relationship between Dactylanthus taylorii and its pollinator, the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata), is poorly understood despite both species being threatened. We used data collected over two summers (2016 and 2017) to determine if mean ambient temperature and total daily rainfall during the flowering period affected flower visitation by bats. We placed dataloggers around D. taylorii inflorescences to monitor bats with implanted passive integrated transponders (PIT-tags). We determined that flower visitation and bat activity was negatively correlated with daily rainfall but not temperature. Further, we found that juveniles and adult males were much more common visitors, with only four visits from adult females in two years. There is still much to learn about the unique and vulnerable relationship between these two New Zealand species, but it appears that rainfall may play a larger role than previously thought.
An appraisal of venture Capital financing on the growth and development of small and medium scale enterprises in Kumbotso Local government area of Kano State

This study aims to appraise the role of venture capital (VC) financing on the growth and development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kano State. The SMEs growth and development in Nigeria is crippled due to lack of financing. The survival of SMEs requires not only financing from bank loans but other alternative sources. The advent of venture capital financing in Nigeria served as sustainable financing mechanisms to resuscitate SMEs’ performance. To achieve the research objectives, the study employs quantitative approach by distributing 50 questionnaires to the existing venture capital firms in Kano State. The simple random sampling technique was used to select 5 venture capitalist organizations in Kano State to participate in the study. The 50 questionnaires collected were analysed using descriptive statistics by using percentages and tabulation. Empirical findings demonstrated a substantial growth and development of SMEs through venture capital financing. The study also revealed that the operation of venture capital is successful, profitable and favoured SMEs in Kano State. Thus, entrepreneurs patronize and prefer venture capital financing than traditional banking loans. Therefore, it is recommended that proper policy framework should be developed to increase the number of venture capital firms in Nigeria. More so, awareness creation and provision of adequate fund are highly recommended.
Biodegradability of Blend Hydrogels Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Carboxymethyl Starch

Biodegradable blend hydrogels based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carboxymethyl starch (CMS) were prepared by the radiation-induced crosslinking. Properties of the crosslinked CMC/CMS blend hydrogels such as gel fraction, degree of swelling (Sw), gel strength, and biodegradability were investigated. The Sw of the CMC/CMS blend hydrogels were in the range of 10 to 800, which depended on the dose as well as on the CMC/CMS ratio. The gel fraction and the Sw of the CMC/CMS blend hydrogels obtained at the same dose decreased and increased, respectively, with increasing CMS content. The biodegradability of the CMC/CMS blend hydrogels was controlled by adjusting the CMC/CMS ratio, resulting in the biodegradation ratio in the range of 5% to 20% after 30 days in controlled compost.
Comparison of two different methods for direct structure analysis from small‐angle scattering data

Two methods for direct structure analysis from small-angle scattering data of spherically symmetric monodisperse particles have been developed during recent years. Both methods assume ideal data from particles with perfect symmetry. The test uses simulated data from a core-shell model with systematic errors in the scattering curve, caused by a constant background or by an angle-dependent background as can occur from higher terms in an expansion in spherical harmonics. The direct structure analysis method gives an excellent fit to the data points. However, this means that the background is evaluated as a contribution from a spherically symmetric structure. This leads to artificial oscillations in the resulting density distribution. The convolution square root method cannot interpret the background terms as spherically symmetric structures and leads therefore to excellent results in the density distribution but to a rather poor fit to the scattering data. From these examples we can learn that a perfect fit to the data does not always give the best possible structure and that a poor fit may be caused by systematic deviations from the assumed symmetry, and that the resulting structure is much better than indicated by the fit.
The bond orders of alternant hydrocarbon molecules

The equations which determine the molecular orbitals of an alternant hydrocarbon molecule are discussed. It is proved that the bond orders can be calculated algebraically by various methods without solving the eigenvalue equations. In particular, it is possible to express the bond orders as the sum of a converging series of matrices each of whose terms has a simple interpretation. The naphthalene and benzpyrene molecules are used as illustrations of the various methods. These methods are particularly useful when applied to self-consistent field treatments of these molecules.
Determination of metabolites involved in fermentative succinic acid production from glucose , glycerol and crude glycerin by HPLC methodology

Bio-succinic acid production process involves complex biochemical pathways in which diverse metabolites may be cogenerated. Their identification and quantification allow an adequate monitoring and understanding of the bioprocess. In this work, a HPLC methodology for simultaneous determination of glucose, glycerol, ethanol and citric, pyruvic, succinic, lactic, formic, acetic and propionic acids was validated, presenting adequate selectivity and linearity. Matrix effect was observed for citric and lactic acids, glycerol and ethanol. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.006 to 0.021 g.L−1 and 0.018 to 0.065 g.L−1, respectively. Recov ry values w re between 89 and 109% and variation coefficients were less than 2.3%, using fresh samples. The intermediate precision was verified with short-term stability, after one freezing and thawing cycle, and analysis by a second analyst showing variation coefficients lower than 5% and recovery values ranged between 88 and 108%. The analysis of fermentation samples showed that Actinob cillus succinog nes’s metabolism was carbon source dependent, while Basfia succiniciproducens presented similar metabolic behavior for the carbon sources evaluated, with less variety of generated products. Succinic acid was produced in greater amount by B. succiniciproducens, being equivalent to 50% and 80% of metabolites produced in the fermentation of glucose and glycerol sources.
Late Pleistocene chronology , palaeoecology and stratigraphy at a suite of sites along the 1 Albany River , Hudson Bay Lowlands , Canada 2 April

11 Stratigraphic records from formerly glaciated regions are critical for detailed study of the timing, 12 onset and dynamics of past ice sheets and the palaeoecology of previous ice-free intervals. We 13 examined three stratigraphic sections from an 18-km stretch of the Albany River, Hudson Bay 14 Lowlands, Canada, located at the geographic center for many Late Pleistocene ice sheets. Till 15 characterization and correlation suggest that at least three glacial advances from shifting ice 16 centers within the Labrador sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet were preserved in these 17 stratigraphic records. Non-glacial units (fluvial, organic-bearing sediments) were constrained via 18 optically stimulated luminescence to two possible periods at ca. 73,000 to 68,000 yr BP and ca. 19 60,000 yr BP. Boreal and peatland taxa (Picea, Pinus, Poaceae, Betula, Cyperaceae, Sphagnum) 20 dominated the pollen record at each site, whereas plant macrofossils analyzed at one site confirm 21
Shear and Frictional Interactions between Adsorbed Polymer Layers in a Good Solvent

The forces between layers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), of molecular weights M = 37 × 103 (PEO37) and M = 112 × 103 (PEO112) adsorbed onto smooth, curved solid (mica) surfaces across the good solvent toluene have been determined using a surface force balance (SFB). The SFB used is capable of measuring both normal interactions Fn(D) as a function of surface separation D and, with extreme sensitivity, shear or frictional forces Fs(D,vs) between them as they slide past each other at velocity vs. The Fn(D) profiles are closely similar to those measured in earlier studies between adsorbed PEO layers. The shear or frictional forces between the sliding PEO-bearing surfaces are very low up to moderate compressions of the adsorbed layers (local pressures up to ca. 105 N m-2), corresponding to effective friction coefficients μeff = (Fs/Fn) of order 0.003 or less. This is attributed to the fluid interfacial layer between the adsorbed layers resulting from their weak mutual interpenetration. At higher loads Fs incre.
Influenza-specific effector memory B cells predict long-lived antibody responses to vaccination in humans

Seasonal influenza vaccination elicits hemagglutinin (HA)-specific CD27+ memory B cells (Bmem) that differ in expression of T-bet, BACH2 and TCF7. T-bethiBACH2loTCF7lo Bmem are transcriptionally similar to effector-like memory cells while T-betloBACH2+TCF7+ Bmem exhibit stem-like central memory properties. T-bethi Bmem do not express plasma cell-specific transcription factors but do exhibit transcriptional, epigenetic, metabolic and functional changes that poise the cells for antibody production. Consistent with these changes, D7 HA+ T-bethi Bmem express intracellular immunoglobulin and T-bethi Bmem differentiate more rapidly into ASCs in vitro. The T-bethi Bmem response positively correlates with long-lived humoral immunity and clonotypes from T-bethi Bmem are represented in the early secondary ASC response to repeat vaccination, suggesting that this effector-like population can be used to predict vaccine durability and recall potential.
Temporally and spatially partitioned neuropeptide release from individual clock neurons

Significance It is believed that electrical activity simultaneously stimulates widespread release sites in single neurons to elicit neuropeptide-dependent behaviors. However, optically detecting neuropeptide release in the intact brain shows that clock neurons release neuropeptides from different sites at different times of the day. This is possible because one neuronal compartment, the soma, uses biochemical signaling instead of electrical activity to evoke release. Disrupting somatic release affects specific features of circadian locomotor activity and sleep. Thus, neuropeptide release is elicited by independent triggers from distinct parts of clock neurons to engage different regions of behavior-regulating circuitry. This strategy for expanding the connectome may be used for other neuropeptide-dependent behaviors, such as feeding and pain perception. Neuropeptides control rhythmic behaviors, but the timing and location of their release within circuits is unknown. Here, imaging in the brain shows that synaptic neuropeptide release by Drosophila clock neurons is diurnal, peaking at times of day that were not anticipated by prior electrical and Ca2+ data. Furthermore, hours before peak synaptic neuropeptide release, neuropeptide release occurs at the soma, a neuronal compartment that has not been implicated in peptidergic transmission. The timing disparity between release at the soma and terminals results from independent and compartmentalized mechanisms for daily rhythmic release: consistent with conventional electrical activity–triggered synaptic transmission, terminals require Ca2+ influx, while somatic neuropeptide release is triggered by the biochemical signal IP3. Upon disrupting the somatic mechanism, the rhythm of terminal release and locomotor activity period are unaffected, but the number of flies with rhythmic behavior and sleep–wake balance are reduced. These results support the conclusion that somatic neuropeptide release controls specific features of clock neuron–dependent behaviors. Thus, compartment-specific mechanisms within individual clock neurons produce temporally and spatially partitioned neuropeptide release to expand the peptidergic connectome underlying daily rhythmic behaviors.
High and stable ATP levels prevent aberrant intracellular protein aggregation

ATP at millimolar levels has recently been implicated in the solubilization of cellular proteins. However, the significance of this high ATP level under physiological conditions and the mechanisms that maintain ATP remain unclear. We herein demonstrated that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and adenylate kinase (ADK) cooperated to maintain cellular ATP levels regardless of glucose levels. Single cell imaging of ATP-reduced yeast mutants revealed that ATP levels in these mutants repeatedly underwent stochastic and transient depletion, which induced the cytotoxic aggregation of endogenous proteins and pathogenic proteins, such as huntingtin and α-synuclein. Moreover, pharmacological elevations in ATP levels in an ATP-reduced mutant prevented the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates and its cytotoxicity. The removal of cytotoxic aggregates depended on proteasomes, and proteasomal activity cooperated with AMPK or ADK to resist proteotoxic stresses. The present study is the first to demonstrate that cellular ATP homeostasis ensures proteostasis and revealed that suppressing the high volatility of cellular ATP levels prevented cytotoxic protein aggregation, implying that AMPK and ADK are important factors that prevent proteinopathies, such as neurodegenerative diseases.
Mitochondrial phenotypes in purified human immune cell subtypes and cell mixtures

Using a high-throughput mitochondrial phenotyping platform to quantify multiple mitochondrial features among immunologically-defined immune cell subtypes, we define the natural variation in citrate synthase, mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn), and respiratory chain enzymatic activities in human neutrophils, monocytes, B cells, and naïve and memory T lymphocyte subtypes. In mixed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the same individuals, we show to what extent mitochondrial measures are confounded by both cell type distributions and contaminating platelets. Cell subtype-specific measures among women and men spanning 4 decades of life indicate potential age- and sex-related differences, including an age-related elevation in mtDNAcn, which are masked or blunted in mixed PBMCs. Finally, a proof-of-concept, repeated-measures study in a single individual validates cell type differences and also reveals week-to-week changes in mitochondrial activities. Larger studies are required to validate and mechanistically extend these findings. Together, these mitochondrial phenotype data in defined circulating human leukocyte sub-populations provide foundational knowledge to develop interpretable blood-based assays of mitochondrial health.
Nano- and Microdot Array Formation of FeSi2 by Nanosecond Excimer Laser-Induced Forward Transfer

Fabrication of FeSi2 nano- and microdot array was performed by utilizing droplet ejection through nanosecond laser-induced forward transfer (ns-LIFT). An amorphous FeSi2 source film on a transparent support was illuminated from the support by a nanosecond excimer laser pulse patterned into migcrogrid form, resulting in size- and site-controlled deposition of microdot array onto a silicon substrate. Micro-Raman spectroscopy confirmed β-FeSi2 crystalline phase even on unheated substrates. Moreover, the dot size was successfully reduced to approximately 500 nm in diameter, smaller than any previously reported by ns-LIFT. This technique is useful for integrating functional nano- and microdots under atmospheric room-temperature conditions.
THE NATURE OF NOX FORMATION WITHIN AN INDUSTRIAL GAS TURBINE DRY LOW EMISSION COMBUSTOR

The NOx formation within a practical lean premixed gas turbine combustor concept has been investigated. The effects of chemical kinetics and fuel/air mixing have been isolated, by adopting an approach, which combines high pressure combustion testing, CFD and chemical reactor modelling. Given the complexities of the underlying fluid dynamic and chemical processes and their interactions, consistency has been sought between experimental and numerical approaches, prior to drawing any conclusions. Two variants of Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery’s dry low emissions combustor have been investigated, one exhibiting near-ideally premixed combustion over a wide range of combustor pressure drop. Perfectly Stirred Reactor analysis, utilising the GRI 3.0 NOx mechanism, shows that NOx formation is dominated by the N2O and Zeldovich routes, with the N2O route being the larger at flame temperatures below 1800-1900K, for systems operating at 14bars, 400°C inlet temperature and at residence times of interest. Other reactions involving H-N-O chemistry are also significant, however the CH-N-O chemistry has a negligible impact.
Analysis of spherical thermo-acoustic radiation in gas

A general solution of the spherical thermo-acoustic (TA) radiation from any solid in gas is derived by using a fully thermally-mechanically coupled TA model. Therefore, the characteristics and regularities of spherical TA emission can be studied more completely. It is shown that flat amplitude-frequency response, the most important feature for planar TA emission from technical standpoint, still exists for spherical TA emission, and changes with the radius of a sphere, thickness of TA sample, and the distance from surface. This expression agrees well with experimental and theoretical results of planer TA emission for much larger sphere and lays the foundation to calculate complex TA emission problems.
Liquid-liquid equilibria for binary systems containing N-formylmorpholine

Liquid−liquid equlilibrium (LLE) data were measured for four binary systems containing N-formylmorpholine and alkanes (i.e. pentane, hexane, heptane, and octane) over the temperature range 298 K to 413 K using circulation type equipment with an equilibrium view cell. The compositions of both light and heavy phases were analyzed by on-line gas chromatography. The mutual solubility increased as the temperature increased for all these systems. The binary liquid−liquid equilibrium data were correlated with the NRTL and UNIQUAC equations using temperature-dependent parameters. Both models correlate the experimental data well. The solubility in N-formylmorpholine increased in the following order at the same temperature: pentane, hexane, heptane, and octane.