Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age- and gender-specific reference intervals for serum glucose levels in school children measured by an Advia 1650 chemistry analyzer

Abstract The prevalence of diabetes mellitus among adults has increased in developed and developing countries. However, less attention has been focused on children, including establishing age- and gender-specific reference intervals for serum glucose levels. In this study, we sought to establish these interval values among Saudi children. In 2006, male and female school children from diverse socioeconomic levels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were selected for a cross-sectional study of blood glucose using a cluster sample design. Tanner stages were ascertained during physical examination. Blood samples from 1216 healthy school children aged 6 to 16 years – 514 (42%) boys and 702 (58%) girls – were analyzed for glucose using an Advia 1650 chemistry analyzer and a hexokinase assay. Reference intervals based on Tanner stages and age were established by calculating the mean and the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. The average blood glucose level was higher in boys than in girls. There were no significant differences between boys and girls at each Tanner stage. Therefore, the combined reference intervals for glucose levels, which were calculated to be (3.2–6.6), (3.4–6.6), (3.6–5.9), (3.6–6.9), and (3.2–6.4) for Tanner stages I, II, III, IV, and V respectively, can be used for both genders. However, significant differences were observed between boys and girls for BMI, height, and weight at all Tanner stages except stage IV. Unlike children in other developing countries, Saudi children do not have lower serum glucose levels than their Western counterparts. We believe that these findings reflect changing dietary habits and increasing affluence in Saudi Arabia. The reference intervals established in our study may aid in the early assessment of cardiovascular risk in Saudi pediatric populations.
Auralisation of stage acoustics for large ensembles

Computational room acoustics models are frequently used to derive room acoustical parameters, and also for auralisation of sound from stage to audience area of auditoria. Auralisation of sound on stage is much less common. This paper considers how auralisation can be implemented for a musician within a large ensemble. Using a computer model of an auditorium, impulse responses are derived from various source positions on the stage to the auralised position for the musician (also on the stage). For the playback, anechoic recordings of individual instruments within a small or large ensemble are convolved with the appropriatiately synchronised and spatialised impulse responses. The roomreflected sound for the musician’s own instrument or voice is auralised separately using a real-time convolution system previously developed for auralising the sound of one’s own voice in rooms. This paper describes the integration of these processes, which are illustrated using a case study.
The efficacy of PCR for early diagnosis and detection of asymptomatic cases of visceral leishmaniasis in human and dog

Introduction: This study was conducted to detect asymptomatic cases of visceral leishmaniasis in human and dog, using PCR and serology methods in Darab, Fars Province. Material and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional survey, blood samples were randomly collected from all children aged 10 years old; 10% of the adults and 20% of the dog owners were investigated. To determine the prevalence of infection rate of VL, direct agglutination tests (DAT) and PCR-based assays were applied. In addition, to identify the species of the parasite, the species-specific PCR on blood samples was used. Results: Of the 376 subjects investigated, 355 were children 10 years old and 21 subjects were adults. Overall, 5 (1.33%) subjects (2 males and 3 females) were found seropositive; they were aged 2-5 years. Of 23 dog samples, one case (4.3%) showed specific Leishmania antibodies equal to 1: 320 titer. Also, overall, 32 (8.5%) subjects and five dogs (21.7%) were found PCR-positive in the Leishmania KDNAspecific PCR and L.infantum was detected in all the samples. Conclusion: The results showed that PCR on blood with RV1 and RV2 primers is a valuable method for early diagnosis of VL in human and detection of asymptomatic cases especially in endemic regions.
Habitat preferences of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

Population structure of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus seems to vary depending on the habitat, as, on average, urchin density is higher on rocks, and size is larger in Posidonia oceanica seagrass. Here, we tested the hypothesis that P. lividus would choose P. oceanica rather than rocky habitat due to the greater availability of shelter and food in the seagrass. We conducted 2 experiments by using aquaria divided into 2 equal sections, each containing an array of 2 habitats: natural P. oceanica (P) and rocks (R) in the first experiment and natural (NP) and artificial (AP) P. oceanica in the second (to highlight the reason for preference). Each experiment included 2 experimental stages of no-choice (Stage 1) and choice (Stage 2): in the 2 no-choice treatments, sections were filled with the same habitat, and in the 2 choice treatments, sections were filled with P and R in Expt 1 and NP and AP in Expt 2. Under the null hypothesis that preference of habitat is random, the expected numbers of sea urchins that were distributed in the 2 sections of the habitat after 24 h were estimated by using formulae derived from maximal likelihood estimates. The results evidenced a preference by P. lividus for P. oceanica habitat rather than rocky habitat in the first experiment and for natural P. oceanica rather than artificial seagrass in the second experiment, thus suggesting that P. lividus individuals searched for a well-structured habitat where they could find both shelter and food.
Spatial structure and movement of blue cod Parapercis colias in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, inferred from δ13C and δ15N

Migrations and home range shifts by adult blue cod Parapercis colias provide an impor- tant means of dispersal among resident subpopulations within the Doubtful-Thompson Sound com- plex, a fjord system in southwestern New Zealand. In the present study we used stable isotope analy- sis (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) to investigate regional differences in the carbon sources for, and likely migration patterns among, subpopulations of P. colias. We found consistent differences in δ 13 C and δ 15 N of blood and muscle collected from outer coast (mean ± SE: blood, δ 13 C = -18.4 ± 0.2, δ 15 N = 11.5 ± 0.2; muscle, δ 13 C = -17.9 ± 0.1, δ 15 N = 13.0 ± 0.1) and inner fjord (mean ± SE: blood, δ 13 C = -19.9 ± 0.5, δ 15 N = 9.5 ± 0.3; muscle, δ 13 C = -19.3 ± 0.4, δ 15 N = 11.6 ± 0.2) locations, likely reflecting long-term (>1 yr) residency. Inner fjord fish had evidence of significant input of recycled carbon from chemoau- totrophic bacteria. On the outer coast, δ 15 N and δ 13 C reflected a diet likely supported primarily by new production from macroalgae and phytoplankton. To provide information on isotopic turnover rate of blood and muscle we translocated fish from the outer coast to an inner fjord site and measured change in δ 15 N and δ 13 C after 160 d. These data showed a depletion of 13 C and 15 N with shift in habi- tat and provided a basis for classifying likely migrants (<160 d) to each study site. The conclusion that populations of blue cod within Doubtful Sound are made up of long-term residents with some subsidy from the outer coast has implications for the efficacy of 2 newly established marine reserves in Doubt- ful Sound and others in Fiordland.
Market Dynamism and Firm Performance Relation: The Mediating Effects of Positive Environment Conditions and Firm Innovativeness

There has been a great interest in terms of environment and its effects in the organization. Apart from environmental conditions, market dynamism is emphasized as another important factor that affects firm performance. Organizations have to compete to survive in a changing environment. In our study, we expected to find out significant relationship through dependent variables (operational performance and market performance) and independent variable as market dynamism. Another goal of our study is to reveal the mediation effects of positive environment conditions and firm innovativeness to firm performance. It should be noted that, our study is based on a survey distributed to 327 people who work in companies in Turkey and analysis results represented the mediating effects of positive environment conditions on firm performance. The obtained data from the questionnaires are analysed through the SPSS statistical packaged software. Further, we compared relationship among the factor analysis, reliability, correlations and regressions. Consequently, our hypotheses are supported and positively related.
MACE prefiltering for neural network based automatic target recognition

A method for achieving improved target recognition rates with low false alarm rates is presented. The method combines frequency domain advantages of the minimum average correlation energy (MACE) filter with the superior classification abilities of multi-layer, feedforward networks. Results are provided on forward looking infrared (FLIR) images of real targets. A new evaluation metric is proposed that measures the quality of the results. <<ETX>>
A 4.5 mm/sup 2/ multiplier array for a 200 MFLOP pipelined coprocessor

This multiplier array is used in the floating point coprocessor that is part of several PA-RISC processor chips. This coprocessor is single- and double-precision IEEE compliant and is implemented in a 3-level-metal 0.8 /spl mu/m CMOS process. The floating point unit is comprised of a pipelined ALU, a pipelined multiplier, a divide and square-root unit, a 32/spl times/64 b register file and a control unit. Each of these units operates independently, allowing concurrent operations. The latency is nominally 20 ns for addition, multiplication and data conversions with a new issue every 10 ns. The latency of a single-precision divide or square-root is 80 ns. <<ETX>>
Non-linear dynamics simulation study of a reactive distillation process for the ultra-low sulfur diesel production

Non-Linear Dynamics Simulation Study of a Reactive Distillation Process for the Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Production J. Carlos Cárdenas-Guerra*, Teresa López-Arenas, Salvador Hernández, Héctor Hernández-Escoto, Susana Figueroa-Gerstenmaier, J.A. Reyes-Aguilera Departamento de Ingenierías Química, Electrónica y Biomédica, Universidad de Guanajuato, Loma del Bosque No. 103, León, Gto. , 37150, México Departamento de Procesos y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Av. Vasco de Quiroga No. 4871, Ciudad de México, 05348, México Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Guanajuato, Gto. , 36050, México carlos.cardenas@ugto.mx
Smooth Uncemented Femoral Stems Do Not Provide Torsional Stability Of Femurs With Cortical Defects

This study was performed in paired, forty canine femora. The study was divided into two phases. First reamed femurs with 50% circular defect and contralateral control intact femurs were tested to determine the weakening imposed by the defect. Secondly, the effect of stem bypass distance of one, two and three diaphyseal diameters beyond the defect on bone strength were tested. Pairs were torsionally stressed to failure on the testing system. Both paired t-test and analysis of variance were used for data analysis.
Using Perceptual Hash Algorithms to Identify Fragmented and Transformed Video Files

Over the last decades the amount of generated video content has increased exponentially. Easy access to video recording equipment and the Internet has given anyone the ability to create and share video material with the world almost instantaneously. With the enormous amount of content available the problem of managing it become relevant. In situations such as copyright control, media management or digital forensics there is a need to perform automatic video search. In this master thesis we investigate this problem. Using perceptual hash algorithms we create PYVIDID, a Python based video identification system able to match and search query videos to a large database. PYVIDID can also match both fragmented and transformed video files back to its original source. We also discuss possible application areas for a content based video identification system. Overall our results clearly shows that perceptual hash algorithms can indeed be used for video identification with high accuracy. We achieve good results regarding both accuracy and speed for both original, fragmented and transformed video files.
THE POTENTIAL OF DESIGN-BY-ANALOGY METHODS TO SUPPORT PRODUCT, SERVICE AND PRODUCT SERVICE SYSTEMS IDEA GENERATION

Design-by-Analogy (DbA) is the process of developing solutions for design problems through the mapping of attributes, relations and purposes that a source problem or situation may share (or at least partially share) with an existing target solution or situation. There is a range of available DbA methods that have been developed to assist designers during the ideation stage to identify potentially useful analogies to solve design problems. However, generally these methods have been developed and applied in the product domain rather than in the service and product service systems domains. The purpose of this article is to identify the characteristics and nature of products, services and product service systems; to provide an overview of existing DbA methods and their drivers to evaluate the potential transferability of DbA across domains.
All-solution processed regular organic solar cells using a new inkjet-printable cathode : Organische zonnecellen : van lab tot fab

Disclaimer This document contains a student thesis (bachelor's or master's), as authored by a student at Eindhoven University of Technology. Student theses are made available in the TU/e repository upon obtaining the required degree. The grade received is not published on the document as presented in the repository. The required complexity or quality of research of student theses may vary by program, and the required minimum study period may vary in duration.
Light-controlled growth of the maize seedling mesocotyl: Mechanical cell-wall changes in the elongation zone and related changes in lignification

Cell extension in the mesocotyl elongation zone (MEZ) of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings is inhibited by light. The growth inhibition by blue light in the MEZ was reversible upon transfer to darkness. This experimental system was used for investigating the modification of mechanical cell-wall properties and the role of cell-wall lignification in cell elongation. The occurrence of lignin in the cortex and vascular bundle tissues of the MEZ was demonstrated by the isolation of diagnostic monomers released after thioacidolysis of the cell walls. Concomitantly with the inhibition of growth, blue light induces an increase in cell-wall stiffness (tensile modulus) as well as an increase in extractable lignin in the outer MEZ tissues (cortex + epidermis). Both effects are reversed when growth is resumed in the MEZ in darkness after a period of growth inhibition induced by 3 h light. In the vascular bundle light produces no comparable change in lignin content. Appearance and disappearance of phenylpropanoid material in MEZ cell walls in the light, or in darkness following a brief light treatment, respectively, can be visualized under the fluorescence microscope by characteristic changes in autofluorescence of tissue sections upon excitation with UV radiation. It is concluded from these results that light-induced lignification of primary walls is involved in cell-wall stiffening and thus inhibition of elongation growth in the MEZ of maize seedlings. Resumption of growth upon redarkening may be initiated by wall loosening in the uppermost MEZ region which displaces the lignified cell walls towards the lower mesocotyl region.
Protective Effects of Chitosan, Ascorbic Acid and Gymnema Sylvestre Against Hypercholesterolemia in Male Rats

This study was designed to test chitosan and the mixture of chitosan, ascorbic acid and Gymnema sylvestre (10:2:1) as lipid-lowering and the antioxidative activities on hypercholesterolemic rats. The plasma lipid levels, transaminases (ALT and AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA) and whole blood reduced glutathione (GSH), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in erythrocytes and plasma glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) were examined. The hypercholesterolemia-induced diet was manifested in the elevation of total lipids (TL), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C levels, ALT, AST, LDH activities and MDA content and depletion of GSH and enzymic antioxidants. Supplementation of hypercholesterolemia-induced diet with three levels of chitosan and three levels of the mixture significantly lowered the plasma levels of TL, TC, TG and LDL-C. ALT, AST and LDH activities slightly decreased in treated groups compared with hypercholesterolemic group (HC). Furthermore, the content of GSH significantly increased while MDA significantly decreased in treated groups compared with HC group. In add ition, chitosan and mixture groups improved enzymic antioxidants compared with HC group. In general, the results indicated that, the mixture supplements are better than chitosan. These results suggested that the hypocholesterolemic effect of chitosan and the mixture supplements might be due to their abilities to lower plasma cholesterol level as well as to slow down the lipid peroxidation process and to enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity.
A Survey on Privacy Preserving in Authentication Protocol for Shared Authority Based Cloud Computing

: Cloud computing is rising as a prevailing information interactive paradigm to appreciate users information remotely keep in an internet cloud server. Cloud services offer nice conveniences for the users to fancy the on-demand cloud applications while not considering the native infrastructure limitations. throughout the information accessing, completely different users is also in a very cooperative relationship, and so information sharing becomes important to attain productive edges. however security and privacy problems have become key considerations in information sharing among the multiple users in cloud storage. so as to avoid of these things, a system is projected during which a shared authority primarily based privacy-preserving authentication protocol (SecCloud) to resolve privacy and security issue for cloud storage.
Measuring Temporal Locality Variation Across Program Inputs

Since a program may have an infinite number of inputs, it is difficult to measure the exact performance under all possible uses. In this paper, we use the notion of reuse distance and reuse signature to measure the variation of data locality across program inputs. We use two classes of programs. The first is integer programs from SPEC 2000 benchmark set, including Vpr, Mcf, Parser, Perl, Gzip, and Bzip. For this set we test the current version from their open-source web sites instead of (or in addition to) the ones in the benchmark set. The second class is commonly used interactive programs, including Latex, Ghostview, and Gnuplot. We compare the reuse signature of 126 inputs for these 9 programs and show different degrees of locality variation. For most programs, the reuse signature is mostly consistent across inputs, indicating that the reuse pattern can be exploited in system design and optimization. * The figures in this paper are generated by pdflatex and can be printed clearly on paper even though they may not display well on screen.
Cloning and expression of the recombinant NP 24 I protein from tomato fruit and study of its antimicrobial activity

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) constitutes a homogeneous family, members of which are produced by plants in response to different kinds of stress. NP24 protein is one of such salt-induced protein from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and it belongs to TLPs family. NP24 is a 24 kDa (207 amino acid) antimicrobial TLP found in tomato fruits. One isoform (NP24I) of NP24 was discovered in the outer pericarp of tomato fruit and is reported to play a possible role in ripening of the fruit in addition to its antimicrobial activity. In this study, the total RNA was isolated successfully from the outer pericarp of ripe (red) tomato fruit. cDNA was prepared and the gene coding for NP24I protein was amplified using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The gene was then cloned into Mach1TMT1® Escherichia coli cells, then subcloned into the over-expression vector pET-28a (+) using BL21 expression bacteria. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed that the gene was over-expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies. Optimization of the recombinant NP24I protein solubility was achieved by cold induction through decreasing both expression temperature and Isopropyl-beta-thio galactopyranoside (IPTG) concentration. The recombinant NP24I protein was purified using Ni-NTA resin, and then the antimicrobial activity of the purified recombinant NP24I protein was tested. The aims of this work were to study the cloning and expression of NP24 protein from local tomato cultivar in a prokaryotic system and to test the activity of the recombinant NP24, as well as to prove the activity of native protein on the bacterial as well as fungal growth.
EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT, CYTOTOXIC, ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF CHLOROFORM EXTRACT OF PHYLLANTHUS ACIDUS.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical properties, antimicrobial and cytotoxic as well as antioxidant activities of the chloroform extract.of Phyllanthus acidus fruit. Phytochemical screening showed confirmation of saponin, alkaloid, tannin and flavanoid. Antioxidant activity of PACF (Phyllanthus acidus chloroform extract) was assessed by using 1,1-diphenyl-2- picryl- hydrazyl radical(DPPH),reducing power, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity and antioxidant activity increased in a concentration dependent manner. In DPPH radical scavenging assay IC 50 value found 2745.86 µg mL −1 and compared to ascorbic acid with 13.37 µg mL −1 . In brine shrimp lethality bioassay it showed good result with LC 50 value 4.46 μg/ml. Antibacterial activity of plant extract was carried out using disc diffusion method with eleven pathogenic bacteria. This extract showed narrow spectrum activity aligned with Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Sarcina lutea at concentration of 500 µg/disc in comparison with standard kanamycin. The range of zone of inhibition of chloroform extract was 0.5 to 2.5 mm.
Mutations in Retroviral Genes Associated with Drug Resistance

Drug resistance is the inevitable consequence of incomplete suppression of HIV replication. The rapid replication rate of HIV and its inherent genetic variation have led to the identification of many HIV variants that exhibit altered drug susceptibility. The growing number of drug resistance mutations listed in this revised table stands as a testimony to the genetic flexibility of HIV. This table, updated in May 2004, lists 791 HIV-1 mutation/drug combinations, of which 28 occur in Gag, 253 occur in Protease, 3 in Integrase, 320 in RT, and 187 in Env. Although the tables are quite comprehensive, the reader should be reminded that the HIV-1 mutations described are predominantly found in clade B virus and not in other HIV genotypes. Twenty-five mutations in HIV-2 RT have been added this year, as well as 2 mutations in SIV RT.