Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transgenic malaria-resistant mosquitoes have a fitness advantage when feeding on Plasmodium-infected blood

The introduction of genes that impair Plasmodium development into mosquito populations is a strategy being considered for malaria control. The effect of the transgene on mosquito fitness is a crucial parameter influencing the success of this approach. We have previously shown that anopheline mosquitoes expressing the SM1 peptide in the midgut lumen are impaired for transmission of Plasmodium berghei. Moreover, the transgenic mosquitoes had no noticeable fitness load compared with nontransgenic mosquitoes when fed on noninfected mice. Here we show that when fed on mice infected with P. berghei, these transgenic mosquitoes are more fit (higher fecundity and lower mortality) than sibling nontransgenic mosquitoes. In cage experiments, transgenic mosquitoes gradually replaced nontransgenics when mosquitoes were maintained on mice infected with gametocyte-producing parasites (strain ANKA 2.34) but not when maintained on mice infected with gametocyte-deficient parasites (strain ANKA 2.33). These findings suggest that when feeding on Plasmodium-infected blood, transgenic malaria-resistant mosquitoes have a selective advantage over nontransgenic mosquitoes. This fitness advantage has important implications for devising malaria control strategies by means of genetic modification of mosquitoes.
Automata-based Representations for Infinite Graphs

New compact representations of infinite graphs are investigated. Finite automata are used to represent labelled hyper-graphs which can be also multi-graphs. Our approach consists of a general framework where vertices are represented by a regular prefix-free language and edges are represented by a regular language and a function over tuples. We consider three different functions over tuples: given a tuple the first function returns its first difference, the second one returns its suffix and the last one returns its infixes. The first-difference function is substantially a direct generalization to infinite multi-hyper-graphs of the representation introduced by Ehrenfeucht et al. for finite graphs. This representation, though very interesting for finite graphs, turns out to be quite unsatisfactory for infinite graphs. The other two functions we consider while preserving some interesting features of their representation also achieves a high expressive power. As a matter of fact, our formalism either with the suffix or infix function results to be more powerful than the equational graphs introduced by Courcelle and the simple graphs defined by Caucal. The monadic second order theories of these two classes of graphs are undecidable, but still many interesting graph properties are decidable. The use of a regular prefix-free language to represent the vertices allows (fixed the language of the edges) to express a graph by a labelled tree, moreover, the use of finite automata to represent the edges allows the verification of graph properties.
Dietary α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and n-3 long-chain PUFA and risk of ischemic heart disease.

BACKGROUND n-3 (omega-3) PUFA has been proposed as having health-promoting effects, primarily in relation to ischemic heart disease (IHD). Whether these benefits can be achieved by both α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) and n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) is debatable. OBJECTIVE The objective was to examine the association between ALA intake and risk of IHD in healthy subjects and to see if this was modified by intake of n-3 LC-PUFA or linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6). DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study of 3277 healthy Danish women and men free of known IHD. RESULTS Four hundred seventy-one cases of IHD were observed during a median follow-up period of 23.3 y. Higher intake of ALA was not significantly associated with decreased risk of IHD among women or men. Although the HR of IHD was stepwise decreased with increasing ALA intake in men [0.84 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.14) in the medium compared with the lowest tertile (reference) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.56, 1.24) in the highest compared with the lowest tertile], this change was far from significant (P-trend: 0.39). No evidence of effect modification by n-3 LC-PUFA or LA was observed. High n-3 LC-PUFA intake, in comparison with low intake, was inversely associated with risk of IHD; this trend was significant in women (P = 0.04; HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.97) but not in men (P = 0.15; HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.06). No associations were observed between intake of LA and risk of IHD. CONCLUSION This study suggests that there is no association between ALA intake and risk of IHD, but a high intake of n-3 LC-PUFA had a significant cardioprotective effect in women.
Aspectos espaciales de la creatividad y la innovación

Los objetivos del presente artículo son exponer las referencias históricas de las que emerge el concepto de ciudades creativas, describir el impacto de estas ciudades en el fortalecimiento del elemento financiero en la denominada economía posfordista y situar el papel que tienen en el capitalismo global corporativo. De tal modo que el artículo expone los antecedentes teóricos del concepto de ciudades creativas, que se enmarcan dentro de lo que la geografía económica denomina como sistemas regionales de innovación (SRI). Los resultados destacan la importancia de los aspectos espaciales de la creatividad y la innovación en el marco económico actual.
Study Some Mechanical Properties of Mortar with Sawdust as a Partially Replacement of Sand

Some mechanical properties of mortar (compressive strength and hardness) with sawdust replacement of sand were investigated. Cubes of 50 mm × 50 mm were prepared, the compressive strength tests were done for a replacement levels ranging (5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 75) % by volume a reference mix were also prepared for comparison this test was done after 7, 14, and 28 days while hardness test were done after 28 day for a replacement levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 25) % by volume. Result showed that the compressive strength of the specimen were decreased with higher sawdust content, hardness values were decreased slightly in the replacement levels 0, 5, 10 % while the values began to decrease noticeably in the replacement levels 15 and 25 % the hardness values were (59, 57.5, 56, 47.77 , 45.2) N/mm 2 respectively A cost analysis was done, this analysis was based on a unit of mortar (1.0 m 3 ) made from conventional materials and a modified concrete made by substituting materials with sand using sawdust Keyword: Sawdust, Compressive strength, Micro hardness, Lightweight concrete, Waste materials mortar.
Design of Circular Parts Size Inspection System Based on Improved RHT Algorithm

An improved algorithm for circular parts detection was proposed based on RHT (randomized Hough transformation). At first, sub-pixel edge detection based on the Zernike moments was chosen to detect edge and get the more accurate target edge positioning. Then, a regular hexagon window, whose center was the candidate circle's center, was selected as search constraints to reduce the computation time and increase the calculation speed. At last, the marginal gradient direction information was used as constraint conditions to limit retrieval object. Thus invalid computation was reduced and the detection speed was accelerated. The proposed algorithm was used to detect circular parts size. Experimental results show that the measurement error is less than 4.5%. And the performances of the non-contact inspection system can meet the demands of on-line and real time measurement with high accuracy in the production line.
A Comparative Study of Two Different Doses of Epidural Neostigmine Coadministered with Lignocaine for Post Operative Analgesia and Sedation

Background: Adjuvants have been used to prolong analgesic effects of epidural local anaesthetics. We studied two different doses of neostigmine. Patients & Methods: A randomized double blind study was conducted on ninety adult females scheduled for lower intra abdominal surgeries. The study was designed to compare two doses of epidural neostigmine co administered with lignocaine, with regard to its analgesic efficacy and its effect on sedation in postoperative period. Patients were divided into three groups of 30 each. Group I received lignocaine 1% (9ml) with normal saline (1ml), group II lignocaine1% (9ml) with neostigmine 100μg in saline (1ml) and group III received lignocaine 1% (9ml) with neostigmine 200μg in NS (1ml). Group I served as a control. In operating room, after putting epidural catheter, general anesthesia was administered with propofol (2mg kg-1), succinylcholine (2mg kg-1) and maintained with O2, N2O, relaxant technique. At the end of surgery, patients were reversed. Epidural analgesic medication was administered to after proper recovery from anesthesia. Intensity of pain relief on VAS, duration of analgesia, level of sensory block, motor blockade, sedation by sedation score and complications were assessed. Results: The addition of neostigmine resulted in significant longer duration of analgesia (dose independent) and sedation (dose dependent). Sensory and motor blockade were identical in all three groups. There was no incidence of respiratory depression, pruritus, bradycardia or hypotension in any group. Two patients in control group and one, receiving neostigmine (200μg), developed nausea/vomiting. Conclusion: Co administration of epidural neostigmine and lignocaine appears to be a useful technique for postoperative analgesia as it increases the duration of analgesia and provides desirable sedation at the same time.
A new CDMA-based bandwidth request method for IEEE 802.16 OFDMA/TDD systems

This paper proposes an efficient bandwidth request method for a non-real-time polling service and best effort service in the IEEE 802.16 system. The proposed method produces a bandwidth request code to indicate the channel quality and the necessary number of slots. The base station allocates uplink bandwidth depending on the bandwidth request code. Thus, the proposed method can omit the transmission procedure of the bandwidth request message. The performance analysis results show that the proposed method can reduce the delay for the uplink data transmission.
A communicative approach to community development: the effect of neighborhood storytelling network on civic participation

Abstract This study draws upon communication infrastructure theory to investigate how communication networks stimulate civic participation within a community development context. According to the communication infrastructure theory (CIT), local communication resources enable citizens to engage in collective action for the common good. The CIT proposes neighborhood storytelling networks (NSNs) as core communication assets: interpersonal discussion, connection to community organizations, and connection to local media, including traditional mass media and the Internet. To examine the relationship between NSN and civic participation, data were collected from a probabilistic, representative sample through a mail survey in a southeastern state (N = 1154) in the US. Analysis reveals that individual sociodemographic characteristics and community context factors predicted connections to the NSN in a distinct way and such connections yielded positive relationships with civic participation. These results carry important theoretical, practical, and policy-related implications.
Discharge of red nucleus neurons during voluntary muscle contraction: activity patterns and correlations with isometric force.

Discharges of red nucleus neurons were analyzed in the cat during voluntary muscle contractions performed under isometric and anisometric conditions. The observations established: (1) that neurons of the red nucleus modulate their firing in advance of the motor output under both conditions; (2) that increased activity of these neurons is specific to the direction of the force exerted ; (3) that this increase is primarily related to the magnitude of the rate of force change generated by the animal.
Beyond the 19th World Conference on Health Promotion and Education

Background A hopeful journey into health was celebrated during the 19th World Conference of the International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) initiated together with the Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research (CCHPR) from 10 to 15 June 2007 in Vancouver, Canada. Aims One of the main goals of this conference was to assess and determine the relevance of the Ottawa Charta-the historical document that was adopted in 1986 by an international World Health Organisation (WHO) conference-in the 21st century. These aims are reflected in the present work.
A New Numerical Approach for the Laminar Boundary Layer Flow and Heat Transfer along a Stretching Cylinder Embedded in a Porous Medium with Variable Thermal Conductivity

The study presents an axisymmetric laminar boundary layer flow of a viscous incompressible fluid and heat transfer over a stretching cylinder embedded in a porous medium. A suitable similarity transformation is employed to transform the partial differential equations corresponding to the momentum and heat equations into nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The resultant ordinary differential equations are then solved using a successive relaxation method (SRM). The effects of significant parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles have been analyzed graphically. The obtained results are also compared with previously published results in some special cases and were found to be in excellent agreement. The skin friction as well as the heat transfer rate at the surface are increased as the values of the curvature parameter increase.
Polydioxanone Versus Polypropylene Closure For Midline Abdominal Incisions.

BACKGROUND Midline laparotomy is the most common technique of abdominal incisions because it is simple, provides adequate exposure to all four quadrants, and is rapid to open. A major problem after midline laparotomy remains the adequate technique of abdominal fascia closure. This study was conducted to see the role of Polydioxanone and Prolene for midline abdominal closure in terms of postoperative wound infection and wound pain. METHODS This study was carried out at surgical unit II, Federal Government Services Hospital Islamabad. Patients were equally divided in two groups, i.e., A and B. Groups A and B patients undergone midline abdominal closure with Polydioxanone number 1 and Polypropylene number 1 sutures respectively. RESULTS Total 620 patients were included in this study. Post-operative wound pain score according to Visual analogue scale (VAS) was compared in terms of no pain (0), mild pain (1-3), moderate pain (4-6), severe pain (7-9). In group A (Polydioxanone), the frequency and percentages of no, mild, moderate and severe pain were 101 (32.6%), 95 (30.6%), 81 (26.1%) and 33 (10.6%) respectively, where as in group B (polypropylene) it was 82 (26.5%), 43 (13.9%), 59 (19%) and 126 (40.6%) respectively. Similarly, the frequency and percentages of post-operative wound infection in group A (Polydioxanone) and group B (polypropylene) was 105 (33.9%) and 208 (67.1%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS Polydioxanone results in less wound pain and wound infection when compared to Polypropylene.
On the effects of real time and contiguous measurement with a digital temperature and voltage sensor

The proposed digital sensor measures both temperature and voltage simultaneously in field. The sensor is ring oscillator (RO)-based and its design is fully digital. Its measurement time is shorter than the conventional analog sensors' and it can be placed at any place such as the boundary of a CPU core, GPU core, or Memory. This paper investigates the accuracy of the sensor derived from reduction of temporal and spatial variations. The variations are evaluated by the measurement of a fabricated test chip. When the measurement time is long like the analog sensors, the variations during measurement has a great influence on sensor' accuracy. The comprehensive evaluations show that the total measurement error is smaller than the analog sensors' and it implies the importance of real time and contiguous measurement.
Impact of the pattern layout on radio-frequency performance of thin-film SOI power MOSFETs

This paper describes guidelines for designing thin-film SOI power MOSFETs for linear-amplification applications. The linear-amplification characteristics and DC performance depend on the grand interconnection pattern. We prefer to put the grand pattern on the drain (output) side. There are optimum finger lengths which provide the best linear amplification characteristics. Finger length also depends on the operating frequency and total gate width.
A 40 nm CMOS Derivative-Free IF Active-RC BPF With Programmable Bandwidth and Center Frequency Achieving Over 30 dBm IIP3

An 8th-order Cheybshev-II ladder active-RC BPF was fabricated in a 40 nm CMOS low-leakage digital process. A new technique to design for zero capacitance spread (ZCS) is reported to enable the application of integrator frequency compensation (IFC). Combined with wideband op-amps employing a current-reusing, split-path feed-forward compensation (FFC) technique, significant power savings is achieved in a standard 40 nm CMOS process. The BPF measures a center frequency (CF) of 85-225 MHz and four programmable bandwidth-to-center frequency (BW/CF) ratios of 5%-40%. Both the CF and BW/CF ratio are digitally programmable. It also measures a maximum in-band IIP3 of 31 dBm at 0 dB gain and a maximum in-band frequency-response deviation of 0.2 dB while consuming 33 mA from a 1.5 V supply.
Modeling rational, psychological, and social behavior toward diffusion of new technology using agent-based simulation: the case of the public utility jeepney (PUJ) fleet in Metro Manila

In most developing countries, over-aged vehicles play a significant role in energy demand and air pollution, which make the transportation sector a suitable choice for investigating opportunities to mitigate climate change. Apparently, people heterogeneity, social influence, and network configuration affect diffusion of innovation. This study presents an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the rational decision-making, psychological behavior, and social interaction of people to explore their reaction to policy scenarios toward adopting technological changes over time. The aim of model is to assist policymakers for energy and environmental policy design based on consumers’ behavior. The jeepney owners in the old public utility jeepney (PUJ) fleet in Metro Manila are chosen as case study to prove the applicability of the model. The results show that rational, psychological, and social interaction of owners could not lead to diffusion of technology without intervention of policy instruments. However, by implementing incentive-based policies, the entire jeepney fleet could be renovated before the end of simulation horizon and the government could launch a 5-year plan to combat pollution of the fleet. The model could be applied to evaluate and prioritize strategies for reducing the future energy requirements and emissions in other fleets and regions.
Assessing the Contributions of Private Health Facilities in a Pioneer Private-Public Partnership in Childhood Immunization in Nigeria

The vision of Nigeria’s immunization program is to reach and sustain routine immunization coverage of greater than 90% for all vaccines by 2020. In order to achieve this, Abia state embarked on a unique private-public partnership (PPP) between private health facilities and the Abia state ministry of health. The aim of this partnership was to collaborate with private health facilities to provide free childhood immunization services in the state - the first of its kind in Nigeria. This is a retrospective study of the 2011 Abia state, Nigeria monthly immunization data. In the 4 local governments operating the PPP, 45% (79/175) of the health facilities that offered immunization services in 2011 were private health facilities and 55% (96/175) were public health facilities. However, 21% of the immunization services took place in private health facilities while 79% took place in public health facilities. Private health facilities were shown to have a modest contribution to immunization in the 4 local governments involved in the PPP. Efforts should be made to expand PPP in immunization nationally to improve immunization services in Nigeria.
Three layers of working memory: Focus-switch costs and retrieval dynamics as revealed by the N-count task

Two experiments explored the process of switching items in and out of the focus of attention using a new paradigm, the N-count task (adapted from Garavan, 1998; N varied from 1 to 4). This task yielded a focus size of one, indicated by a substantial focus-switch cost for 2-count. Additionally, the focus-switch costs in response time increased with working memory load, indicating an effortful search process occurring at a speed of about 240 ms/item. Maintaining and switching to and from a passive load did not increase the focus-switch costs or decrease memory accuracy, indicating that there is no crosstalk between passive and active items. The results support a concentric theory of working memory: a small focus at its core, a surrounding area of (at least) three readily available items referred to as the outer store, and a still wider region of passive storage, possibly more long-term memory than working memory.
[Analysis of protamine content in patients with asthenozoospermia].

OBJECTIVE To study the significance of the change of protamine content in the management of male infertility. METHODS Sperm nuclear proteins extracted from 199 infertile patients were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis and scanning microdensitometry. RESULTS Forty-two (21%) cases of the total number had normal sperm nuclear proteins and 157 (79%) had aberrant ones, which mainly presented the interruption of HPRR and abnormality of P2 protamine. Thirty patients were selected at random from 157 abnormal cases for clinical treatment. After the treatment, the sperm nuclear proteins were extracted and analyzed and the results demonstrated that 11 cases (36.6%) improved markedly, 5 (16.6%) restored to normal and the other 16 (46.6%) remained unchanged. CONCLUSION There is a reduced level or selective absence or even complete selective absence of protamines in infertile patients. Protamines may act as a parameter for evaluating the treatment effect of infertile males and protamine content can be influenced by a certain or several factors.
Coupled inductors for parallel operation of interleaved three-phase voltage source grid-connected inverters

In this paper, coupled inductors for parallel operation of interleaved three-phase voltage source grid-connected inverters are introduced. When DC-link capacitors of each inverter are shared and interleaving method is employed, more severe circulating currents which are zero-sequence components are emerged than the other cases. In order to suppress carrier frequency zero-sequence components of circulating currents, the filter inductors of each same phase are coupled. Moreover, this technique has additional advantages; 1) Reduction of current ripples of both coupled inductors and outputs of coupled inductors; 2) Reduced size and weight of total filter inductors; 3) Efficiency improvement of conventional topology. The experimental results are shown to verify the advantages of proposed method.