Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Water Hyacinth Control by Glyphosate Herbicide and Its Impact on Water Quality

The aim of this study was to evaluate the herbicide glyphosate under aquatic environment conditions, in a controlled and closed experimental field, in the management of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in reservoirs. Twenty reservoirs (polyethylene water tanks) with storage capacity of 1000 liters were used, without water flow and without evapotranspired water replacement (worst case), being 04 for each treatment. The adult plants were placed in the water tanks to provide 90% surface occupation of the reservoir. Five treatments with four repetitions were considered, being: 1) Reservoir colonized by water hyacinth without control; 2) Reservoir colonized by water hyacinth, controlled by glyphosate; 3) Reservoir colonized by water hyacinth, controlled by freezing; 4) Reservoir without water hyacinth and glyphosate application and 5) Reservoir without water hyacinth and no glyphosate application. The glyphosate herbicide was used at the highest recommended dose, 7.0 L·ha-1 or 3360 g of acid equivalent per ha, applied using carbon dioxide precision equipment (backpack sprayer), providing a flow rate of 200 L·ha-1. The water samples were collected at the time of application, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after application and also at 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 days after application, in the morning, always at the same time, also between 8 and 9 h. The method used for determination of residues was by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry with a mass selective detector. Low concentrations of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were found in both reservoirs that received application of the product. The half-life of glyphosate in water to the reservoirs with water hyacinth was 11 days and in the reservoirs without water hyacinth was 21 days. The results show a low potential of environmental impact of glyphosate use in the control of water hyacinth in reservoirs.
HIV risk screening for high-yield community testing services for orphans and vulnerable children: a literature review

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review focuses on the identification of risk and protective factors – sociodemographic, behavioral and structural – associated with orphans’ and vulnerable children’s (OVC) likelihood of being or becoming HIV infected to inform the development of a high-yield community screening tool to identify at-risk OVC and link them to HIV testing services. The review examines the state of the evidence regarding HIV risk, protective factors and screening for HIV testing, including algorithms used in OVC and youth community and clinical program settings to identify those already infected with HIV and those at risk of acquiring HIV. A total of 26 studies were found eligible for abstraction, encompassing 428,501 participants. The literature is sparse and inadequate related to screens for HIV testing among OVC, and only seven distinct screens were identified. Overall, it is clear that it is critical to identify children and youth most at risk of being HIV positive in community settings, while being mindful of risks associated with stigma and discrimination. Identifying these children and youth is critical to reaching the first and second UNAIDS targets – 90% of people living with HIV diagnosed and 90% of those with diagnosed HIV infection on treatment – and ultimately achieving viral suppression, leading to an AIDS-free generation.
Social mobility in China: A case study of quantitative sociological approach to social mobility research in the Global South

This chapter analyses intergenerational class mobility in China as a case study of a quantitative sociological approach to social mobility research in the Global South. Drawing on national representative surveys collected between 2010 and 2015 in China, the analysis focuses on absolute and relative mobility rates for men and women across four birth cohorts. With regard to absolute mobility, we find rising levels of mobility, with upward mobility prevailing over downward mobility. With regard to relative mobility, we find constancy for the older cohorts but a growing rigidity for the youngest cohort of men. The urban–rural divide is increasingly blurred, but class differences are becoming more salient, especially between the professional-managerial salariat and the rest of society in occupational and educational attainment.
Incidence and Risk Factors of HELLP Syndrome in Thai Pregnant Women with Severe Pre-eclampsia

Objectives To determine the incidence and risk factors of HELLP syndrome in pregnant Thai women with severe pre-eclampsia and to compare pregnancy outcome. Design Cross-sectional study. Subject A total of 255 pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia, >28 weeks of gestation, who delivered at Siriraj Hospital between January 2005 and June 2007. Materials and Methods The medical records were reviewed to determine the incidence of HELLP syndrome. Characteristics regarding current pregnancy and delivery and maternal and neonatal outcomes were extracted. Results The incidence of HELLP syndrome was 12.5%. Women with HELLP syndrome were significantly older, more likely to be multiparous and delivered at lower gestational age (p<0.05). Placental abruption and birth asphyxia significantly increased among women with HELLP syndrome (p<0.05). Conclusion HELLP syndrome was found in 12.5% of severe pre-eclampsia pregnant women in our institute. Risk factors were old maternal age and preterm gestation.
Assessing the causes of aid fungibility: Does institutional quality really matter?

Traditionally, aid fungibility has been considered a threat for effective development cooperation, because it implies partner countries allocate aid resources for different purposes than donors’ intentions. A stream of aid literature has attributed this phenomenon to low institutional quality in developing countries. By contrast, other scholars claim that aid fungibility does not necessarily worsen aid’s outcomes, rather reflects preferences’ divergence between donors and partner countries. Nonetheless, empirical evidence of the determinants of aid fungibility is scarce to support either of these positions. The aim of this research is to contribute to closing this gap, addressing the causes of aid fungibility in the education sector with special focus on the role of institutional capacity. In order to do so, time-series cross-section analysis is applied with information from 47 developing countries for the period 2000-2016. For first time in the literature, this study assesses the effects of different aid modalities on fungibility of sectorial ODA disbursements, and applies a Panel Coefficient Variable Model to identify the determinants of aid fungibility. The results demonstrate that total aid targeted to education is almost fully fungible, and that the degree of aid fungibility is highly variable across countries, but it has decreased slightly over time. In contrast with the literature on macro fungibility, bilateral aid is less fungible than multilateral aid, suggesting that the same aid modality can have different degrees of aid fungibility among sectors. The research also found that low levels of government effectiveness and rule of law increase aid fungibility, but the effect of corruption is insignificant. These results suggest that aid fungibility does not necessarily represent a consequence of “bad policy environment”, but rather weak planning and budgeting systems in partner countries, and lack of preference’s convergence between donors and partner governments about aid purposes. Based on these results, the study recommends that donors must implement development projects that are tailored to country-specific needs, in order to ensure the ownership of development priorities by developing countries, especially those with low institutional quality. In addition, if donors want their aid flows to be used according to their preferences, they should be aware about the quality of public management systems in the partner country, and make more efforts to reduce aid fragmentation in order to continue to align their preferences and development priorities with partner countries.
Sexually dimorphic impact of the iron-regulating gene, HFE, on survival in glioblastoma

Abstract Background The median survival for patients with glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, has remained approximately 1 year for more than 2 decades. Recent advances in the field have identified GBM as a sexually dimorphic disease. It is less prevalent in females and they have better survival compared to males. The molecular mechanism of this difference has not yet been established. Iron is essential for many biological processes supporting tumor growth and its regulation is impacted by sex. Therefore, we interrogated the expression of a key component of cellular iron regulation, the HFE (homeostatic iron regulatory) gene, on sexually dimorphic survival in GBM. Methods We analyzed TCGA microarray gene expression and clinical data of all primary GBM patients (IDH-wild type) to compare tumor mRNA expression of HFE with overall survival, stratified by sex. Results In low HFE expressing tumors (below median expression, n = 220), survival is modulated by both sex and MGMT status, with the combination of female sex and MGMT methylation resulting in over a 10-month survival advantage (P < .0001) over the other groups. Alternatively, expression of HFE above the median (high HFE, n = 240) is associated with significantly worse overall survival in GBM, regardless of MGMT methylation status or patient sex. Gene expression analysis uncovered a correlation between high HFE expression and expression of genes associated with immune function. Conclusions The level of HFE expression in GBM has a sexually dimorphic impact on survival. Whereas HFE expression below the median imparts a survival benefit to females, high HFE expression is associated with significantly worse overall survival regardless of established prognostic factors such as sex or MGMT methylation.
Integrated management of Cercospora leaf spot and powdery mildew of sesame

Foliar diseases are the most destructive disease on Sesame. Among the foliar diseases Cercospora leaf spot, Alternaria blight, Powdery mildew and Bacterial blight are important diseases of sesame. Cercospora leaf spot caused by Cercospora sesamicola and powdery mildew caused by Oidium erysiphae are destructive diseases in India. Sesamum indicum has a large number of varieties and are susceptible to many pathogens. The occurrence and severity is location specific based on agro climatic situations. Hence, an attempt was made to identify the effective management practices for Cercospora leaf spot and powdery mildew in Sesame through integrated approach. Results revealed that, seed treatment with Trichoderma viride @ 10 g/kg and furrow application of enriched Trichoderma viride (Trichoderma viride 2.5 kg enriched in 100 kg FYM) @ 250 Kg/ha followed by spray of (Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxistrobin 25% WG) @ 0.5 g/l recorded least per cent disease index for Cercospora leaf spot and powdery mildew 41.39 and 18.36 respectively, with the highest yield of 17.57 q/ha in treated as compared to untreated check 67.55 and 67.45 per cent disease index for Cercospora leaf spot and powdery mildew respectively, with grain yield of 7.59 q/ha indicating maximum yield loss. The maximum net returns and highest B: C ratio was also obtained in treatment (Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxistrobin 25% WG) @ 0.5 g/l.
Internet-based Interventions may Help Overcome Barriers in Mental Health Services: Pilot Study Results

The development of internet-based interventions could help overcome barriers in mental health services. In this study, we aimed to analyze how many people face barriers in mental health services in the sample of the online psychosocial intervention users; we also analyzed mental health among the participants of online intervention. Methods. A total of 117 participants, 90% (n = 105) women, aged from 18 to 82, were included in the study. Adjustment difficulties and the psychological well-being of participants were analyzed using the WHO-5 and ADNM self-report measures. We also investigated the perceived health care utilization barriers with questions designed specifically for this study. Results. One third of the participants reported experiencing barriers in accessing traditional mental health services in a community, and their adjustment difficulties were worse than those who did not report barriers in mental health care services. Conclusions. Results suggest that internet-based interventions can help reach people with significant psychological problems who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive mental health services.
Heterozygous STUB1 missense variants cause ataxia, cognitive decline, and STUB1 mislocalization

Objective To identify the genetic cause of autosomal dominant ataxia complicated by behavioral abnormalities, cognitive decline, and autism in 2 families and to characterize brain neuropathologic signatures of dominant STUB1-related ataxia and investigate the effects of pathogenic variants on STUB1 localization. Methods Clinical and research-based exome sequencing was used to identify the causative variants for autosomal dominant ataxia in 2 families. Gross and microscopic neuropathologic evaluations were performed on the brains of 4 affected individuals in these families. Results Mutations in STUB1 have been primarily associated with childhood-onset autosomal recessive ataxia, but here we report heterozygous missense variants in STUB1 (p.Ile53Thr and p.The37Leu) confirming the recent reports of autosomal dominant inheritance. Cerebellar atrophy on imaging and cognitive deficits often preceded ataxia. Unique neuropathologic examination of the 4 brains showed the marked loss of Purkinje cells (PCs) without microscopic evidence of significant pathology outside the cerebellum. The normal pattern of polarized somatodendritic STUB1 protein expression in PCs was lost, resulting in aberrant STUB1 localization in the distal PC dendritic arbors. Conclusions This study confirms a dominant inheritance pattern in STUB1-ataxia in addition to a recessive one and documents its association with cognitive and behavioral disability, including autism. In the most extensive analysis of cerebellar pathology in this disease, we demonstrate disruption of STUB1 protein in PCs as part of the underlying pathogenesis.
A comparison of efficacy of single topical permethrin and oral ivermectin in the treatment of scabies

Background Scabies is a common health problem worldwide. Among available topical treatment modalities, 5% permethrin is the most effective scabicide with few side effects. Ivermectin is the only oral scabicide available. It is effective, inexpensive and easy to administer with no known drug interactions and limited side effects. Objective To compare the efficacy of topical permethrin and oral ivermectin in treatment of scabies. Patients and methods In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 120 patients of scabies were enrolled and randomly divided in 2 groups of 60 each. Topical 5% permethrin whole body application for 10-12 hours and oral ivermectin as 200µg/kg were used in groups A and B, respectively. In both groups, history, examination and microscopy were carried out at day 0, 7 and day 14. Response to treatment was judged on following parameters: decrease in severity of pruritus, nonappearance of new lesions and absence of burrows. Each parameter was scored and sum total of individual scores was used to determine the efficacy. Results Mean age in group A (permethrin) was 29.45 + 9.72 years and in group B (ivermectin) was 31.45 + 12.78 years. In both groups, 66.7% patients showed complete cure. Conclusion There is no significant difference regarding efficacy of topical permethrin and oral ivermectin when used in treatment of scabies.
Effect of malaria incidence and rainfall pattern on crop productivity among farming households: Evidence from North-Central, Nigeria

This study was conducted to establish a direct link of malaria incidence and rainfall pattern on farmer’s productivity. In a cohort of farming households in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, rainfall pattern, malaria incidence and household farming activities were carefully monitored on a weekly basis over an 8 months period (May to December, 2012). Malaria diagnosis was confirmed among febrile household members using Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein II (PfHRP2) malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) kit (Parachek®). Data was collected on the factors of production as well as on the number of kilograms produced by the households for a range of crops such as maize, sorghum, cowpea, cassava, pepper, and yams. Data was also collected on febrile episodes among family members and other relatives within the households and on rainfall pattern. Descriptive statistics and production function were used to analyze the data. A total of 72 households participated in the study involving 432 household members. Malaria incidence was varied with rainfall pattern and crop productivity. Most of the farmers operate on a small scale and mainly cultivated cassava and yam. Malaria affected at least three-quarter of the household’s members. The study area recorded an average malaria prevalence of 103 per 1000, 7 rainy days and 256 mm of rainfall. Rainfall days and intensity was highest in the months of October and July respectively. Land, family labour, seed, and fertilizer are the major factors influencing crop production in the study area. The study revealed that cassava, yam, maize and pepper outputs were higher for households with a low incidence of malaria compared to high incidence households except for sorghum. Number of rain days in the study area is important to mosquito breeding which translate to increased malaria incidence thereby having negative effect on crop productivity. Creating awareness on the use of mosquito net and targeted seasonal malaria control strategies should be applied during the peak malaria prevalence period to reduce malaria incidence and enhance agricultural productivity in the study area.
Estimating the Covariance of Fragmented and Other Related Types of Functional Data

Abstract We consider the problem of estimating the covariance function of functional data which are only observed on a subset of their domain, such as fragments observed on small intervals or related types of functional data. We focus on situations where the data enable to compute the empirical covariance function or smooth versions of it only on a subset of its domain which contains a diagonal band. We show that estimating the covariance function consistently outside that subset is possible as long as the curves are sufficiently smooth. We establish conditions under which the covariance function is identifiable on its entire domain and propose a tensor product series approach for estimating it consistently. We derive asymptotic properties of our estimator and illustrate its finite sample properties on simulated and real data. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Complications of Bone Plating Following Different Facial Bones Fractures

The Aim of our study was to evaluate the complication of bone plating fixation used for treatment of multiple type of facial fracture, reconstruction procedure and bone graft in maxillofacial trauma. This prospective study was performed on 42 patients to evaluates complications of the bone plates had been used in fixation of multiple facial fractures, between October 2013 and March 2015, The age of the patients ranged from 17 – 65 years The mean age of the patients was (31.7± 9.4) years. There were 31 males and 11 females, with male to female ratio (2.81:1), patients were followed up for minimum 6 months. Seventy-one plates were inserted over 17 months. Among the 42 patients there were 45 fracture sites, 26 (57.8%) were mandibular fractures, 15 (33.3%) were ZMC fractures, and four (8.9%) were maxillary; it is worth mentioning that some patients had fracture at more than one site. Complications due to fracture fixation with bone plating were 33 represented 46.5% of the total 71 plates inserted, which included Infection/wound dehiscence 15 (21.1%), Discomfort/ palpability 9 (12.7%), Plate exposure 4 (5.6%), hardware failure (broken plate & loosening screw) 1 (1.4%), Cold/heat intolerance 3 (4.2%) and Pain (TMJ) account for one plate (1.4%). According to this study, there will be a need for hardware removal in a portion of patients treated with metallic osteosynthesis devices. This study states that the infection is most common reason for plate removal, followed by discomfort due to cold/heat climate, particularly in those facial regions that provide only thin soft tissue cover over the plate.
Small diameter blood vessels with controllable micropore structure induced by centrifugal force for improved endothelialization

The micropore structure is prerequisite for fast and durable endothelialization of artificial small diameter blood vessels (ASDBVs). Although some methods, such as salt leaching, coagulation, and electrospinning, have been developed to construct micropores for ASDBVs, the uncontrollability of the structure and the complicated procedures of the process are still the issues to be concerned about. In this study, a compact device based on the principle of centrifugal force is established and used to prepare polyurethane (PU) ASDBVs with micropore structures by blasting different porogens. It is found that the glass beads could construct micropores with regular round shape, uniform distribution, and controllable size (60–350 µm), which significantly improves the endothelialization of PU‐based ASDBVs, especially when the pore size is about 60 µm. This method is easy‐accessible and wide‐applicable, which provides a new pathway for the research and development of ASDBVs.
Seroprevalence of Brucellosis within sheep and goat flocks in Alkamil province in Saudi Arabia

Indigenous non-vaccinated sheep and goats in Alkamil Province of Saudi Arabia were screened for the seroprevalence of brucellosis using the rose bengal test (RBT) and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA). The study was conducted from April to November 2013 and samples were collected from all the five administratively divided districts of Alkamil. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the areas of sampling, species and sex of animals and the serological techniques used have influence on the data on the prevalence of brucellosis. The prevalence of brucellosis in sheep was more than in goats but the males and females were statistically equal in susceptibility to brucella infection. Both the RBT and I-ELISA were found to be sensitive enough for detection of antibodies of brucella while I-ELISA was more sensitive for the detection of infection.