Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nutritional anaemia.

This discussion of nutritional anemia reviews definitions and epidemiology before focusing on the following: iron deficiency anemia (review of iron metabolism, iron requirements and recommended intake, and consequences, causes, treatment, and prevention of iron deficient anemia); folic acid deficiency anemia (review of folic acid metabolism, requirements, and recommended intake, and consequences, causes, and treatment of folic acid deficiency anemia); vitamin B12 deficiency anemia (review of vitamin B12 metabolism, requirements, and recommended intake, and consequences, causes, treatment, and prevention of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia); other possible causes of nutritional anemia; and the contribution of nutritional factors to causes of anemia. Nutritional anemia, the most widespread nutritional disorder in the world, affects mainly developing countries and to a lesser extent developed nations. It is estimated that 500 million to 1 billion individuals in the world are affected by nutritional anemia. In a healthy person, a state of nutritional balance exists: the amount of food eaten is equal to the amount of nutrients utilized in order to ensure the effective functioning of the body and maintain sufficient reserves. This balance may be upset under various circumstances: decrease in nutrition, increase in losses, increased needs, decreased absorption, and decreased utilization. When this balance is upset for 1 or more of the identified reasons, a nutrient deficiency arises. The body dips into its reserves to meet its needs. When these are exhausted, all the bodily functions in which this nutrient plays a part are affected. In the case of hematopoietic nutrients, the production of red corpuscles hemoglobin ceases. This is anemia. Among the elements which contribute to the formation and development of red corpuscles and to the synthesis of hemoglobin, the following should be noted: iron; other minerals, i.e., copper, zinc, magnesium, cobalt, molybdenum; vitamins, especially folic acid and vitamin B12; and amino acids. Nutritional anemia can only be overcome if its prevalence, and the respective prevalences of iron, folic acid, and/or vitamin B12 deficiencies, are accurately determined for various population groups through reliable epidemiological studies. Many factors contribute to the development of nutritional anemia including lack of food, certain customs and habits, and parasitoses. An increase in available foodstuffs, better utilization of resources, and better living conditions lead to more balanced nutrition.
Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication PrinciplesArea efficient TAM controller and wrapper design for embedded cores

IEEE 1500 is a standard under development which intends to improve ease of test reuse and test integration with respect to the core-based SoCs. The subject paper proposes developing test environment and test methodologies for digital embedded cores based system-on-a-chip (SoC). The digital cores used in the study were constructed from ISCAS 85 combinational and ISCAS 89 sequential benchmark circuits. The wrapper that separates the core under test from other cores is assumed to be IEEE 1500-compliant. The test access mechanism plays an important role in transporting the test patterns to the desired core and the core responses to the output pin of the SoC. The faults were injected using a fault simulator that generates tests for the core. The cores and test access mechanism were described using VHDL. The test access mechanism (TAM) provides the connection between the test sources, cores, and test sinks, and is crucial in any SoC design. The outcome was the fault coverage of all the cores being tested. Area overhead and power consumption are taken into account in our scheme. Some experiment results based on a sample SoC are reported, showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of area overhead.
Microfinance partnerships to improve access to durable water filters: results from six pilots in India and Cambodia

PATH collaborated with manufacturers and microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India and Cambodia to test the impact of consumer finance models on uptake and use of household water filters. Six pilots were implemented using different filters, partners, and loan plans. The pilots predominantly reached households from the middle three country-specific wealth quintiles. Purchase rates ranged from 5 to 44% among MFI members and increased with household wealth quintile. Cost recovery for the pilots ranged from 33 to 109%. The results suggest that MFI loans can have the potential, in certain contexts, to provide an effective and commercially sustainable means of increasing uptake of water treatment solutions for MFI member households.
Payment for Environmental Services and Other Institutions for Protecting Drinking Water in Eastern Costa Rica

Communities across the globe increasingly confront environmental and natural resource management decisions that require expenditures to protect and conserve ecosystems. These decisions typically require consideration of bio-physical, political, economic, and other factors. Institutional economic thinking and analysis provide a framework for assessing and understanding the relative benefits of alternative institutions for managing environmental and natural resources. Using an institutional economic analysis, this chapter provides an evaluation of two alternative policy instruments - a local payment for environmental services scheme and a national watershed conservation tax - for protecting drinking water in eastern Costa Rica.
Chemical composition and hydrolysis of organic nitrate aerosol formed from hydroxyl and nitrate radical oxidation of α-pinene and β-pinene

Abstract. Atmospheric organic nitrate (ON) is thought to play a crucial role in the formation potential of ozone and aerosol, which are the leading air pollutants of concern across the world. Limited fundamental knowledge and understanding of the life cycles of ON currently hinder the ability to quantitatively assess its impacts on the formation of these pollutants. Although hydrolysis is currently considered an important loss mechanism of ON based on prior field measurement studies, this process for atmospherically relevant ON has not been well constrained by fundamental laboratory studies. In this comprehensive study, we investigated the chemical composition and hydrolysis process of particulate ON (pON) formed from the oxidation of α-pinene and β-pinene by hydroxyl (OH⚫) and nitrate radicals (NO3⚫). For pON that undergoes hydrolysis, the hydrolysis lifetime is determined to be no more than 30 min for all systems explored. This is significantly shorter than those reported in previous chamber studies (i.e., 3–6 h) but is consistent with the reported lifetime from bulk solution measurement studies (i.e., 0.02–8.8 h). The discrepancy appears to stem from the choice of proxy used to estimate the hydrolysis lifetime. The measured hydrolyzable fractions of pON (FH) in the α-pinene + OH⚫, β-pinene + OH⚫, α-pinene + NO3⚫, and β-pinene + NO3⚫ systems are 23 %–32 %, 27 %–34 %, 9 %–17 %, and 9 %–15 %, respectively. While a very low FH for the NO3⚫ oxidation system is expected based on prior studies, FH for the OH⚫ oxidation system is surprisingly lower than predicted in past studies. Overall, the hydrolysis lifetime as well as FH obtained in this study serve as experimentally constrained parameters that are required in regional and global chemical transport models to accurately evaluate the impacts of ON on nitrogen budget and formation of ozone and aerosol.
Optimization of GaAs nanowire solar cell efficiency via optoelectronic modeling

We have developed a fully-coupled optoelectronic device model integrating two commercial software packages: COMSOL Multiphysics and Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus. This model is used to optimize GaAs nanowire solar cells containing a vertical p-n junction with passivating shell. We investigate the impact of the nanowire diameter, height, emitter thickness, square-array periodicity, and doping on the cell performance. This model allows quantitative optimization of device parameters. Under normal-incidence 1-sun AM1.5D illumination and with attainable material parameters, a design capable of reaching efficiency over 22.2% is reported.
English Language Learners and High-Stakes Tests: An Overview of the Issues

CENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS • ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE ON LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS • 4646 40TH ST NW • WASHINGTON DC 20016-1859 • 202-362-0700 Recent legislation and education initiatives in the United States have emphasized the role of high-stakes testing in reform movements designed to increase accountability for schools and improve student achievement. Because English language learners (ELLs) represent an increasing percentage of students enrolled in U.S. public schools (Kindler, 2002), this group of learners must be considered when such initiatives are implemented. Educators must make critical decisions concerning how to include ELLs in high-stakes tests in ways that are fair and that address their needs. Factors to consider include the selection of appropriate testing accommodations and the accurate interpretation of test results.
Automated Measurement of the Arteriolar-to-Venular Width Ratio in Digital Color Fundus Photographs

A decreased ratio of the width of retinal arteries to veins [arteriolar-to-venular diameter ratio (AVR)], is well established as predictive of cerebral atrophy, stroke and other cardiovascular events in adults. Tortuous and dilated arteries and veins, as well as decreased AVR are also markers for plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity. This work presents an automated method to estimate the AVR in retinal color images by detecting the location of the optic disc, determining an appropriate region of interest (ROI), classifying vessels as arteries or veins, estimating vessel widths, and calculating the AVR. After vessel segmentation and vessel width determination, the optic disc is located and the system eliminates all vessels outside the AVR measurement ROI. A skeletonization operation is applied to the remaining vessels after which vessel crossings and bifurcation points are removed, leaving a set of vessel segments consisting of only vessel centerline pixels. Features are extracted from each centerline pixel in order to assign these a soft label indicating the likelihood that the pixel is part of a vein. As all centerline pixels in a connected vessel segment should be the same type, the median soft label is assigned to each centerline pixel in the segment. Next, artery vein pairs are matched using an iterative algorithm, and the widths of the vessels are used to calculate the AVR. We trained and tested the algorithm on a set of 65 high resolution digital color fundus photographs using a reference standard that indicates for each major vessel in the image whether it is an artery or vein. We compared the AVR values produced by our system with those determined by a semi-automated reference system. We obtained a mean unsigned error of 0.06 (SD 0.04) in 40 images with a mean AVR of 0.67. A second observer using the semi-automated system obtained the same mean unsigned error of 0.06 (SD 0.05) on the set of images with a mean AVR of 0.66. The testing data and reference standard used in this study has been made publicly available.
[Screening in specific categories of neonates exposed to congenital hypothyroidism].

Zaburzenia czynności tarczycy w okresie płodowym i pourodzeniowym u noworodków przedwcześnie urodzonych prowadzą do zaburzeń dojrzewania tkanki nerwowej, szkieletu i innych tkanek ustroju. Nieprawidłowości wynikające z braku hormonów tarczycy w tym okresie powodują trwałe zmiany, które nie znikają nawet po wyrównaniu czynności tarczycy w późniejszym czasie. W dotychczas istniejącym programie badań przesiewowych u wcześniaków oznaczano TSH w 3–5 dobie życia, a następnie po 3 tygodniu życia. Wartości TSH są wówczas często niskie, gdyż niedojrzały układ podwzgórzowo-przysadkowy wydziela niedostateczne ilości TSH nawet w sytuacji, gdy fT4 i fT3 są obniżone. W związku z potrzebą wczesnego rozpoznawania i leczenia niedoczynności tarczycy pierwotnej i wtórnej u wcześniaków i dzieci z niską masą urodzeniową (small for gestational age, SGA) rekomenduje się oznaczenia TSH i fT4 w 3–5 dobie życia u wcześniaków i dzieci z SGA niezależnie od badania przesiewowego w celu włączenia leczenia l-tyroksyną przed ukończeniem drugiego tygodnia życia wtórnej lub pierwotnej niedoczynności tarczycy.
Combining structure, governance and context: A configurational approach to network effectiveness

This study explores the way in which network structure (network integration), network context (resource munificence and stability), and network governance mode relate to net -work effectiveness. The model by Provan and Milward (Provan, Keith G., and H. Brinton Milward. 1995. A preliminary theory of interorganizational network effectiveness: A comparative study of four community mental health systems. Administrative Science Quarterly 40 (1):1–33) on the effectiveness of designed and goal-directed interorganizational networks is extended and tested on the basis of 39 crime prevention networks (Safety Houses) in the Netherlands. Ten cases were subjected to in-depth analysis through documentation reviews, interviews, observations, and a survey among network participants. In the other 29 cases semistructured interviews were conducted with the network managers. The data for all 39 cases were analyzed with crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The results revealed two different configurations for network effectiveness. Effective networks are centrally integrated networks that have been in existence for at least 3 years (age) and which show a high degree of stability. In addition, they either have considerable resources at their disposal or they have been set up with a network administrative organization. The results confirm core insights from Provan and Milward’s earlier study but also show that administrative resources can serve as a substitute for financial resources (and vice versa). The article concludes with suggestions for the further development of a configurational theory of network effectiveness.
Genotyping of a Homogeneous Group of Yersinia pestis Strains Isolated in the United States

ABSTRACT Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of deadly plague, is considered a reemerging infectious disease and a significant biological terrorism threat. The present project focused on epidemiological investigation of the genetic variability of well-documented strains of Y. pestis from the United States by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with insertion sequences IS100 and IS285 as probes. We examined 37 U.S. Y. pestis strains and isolates of a single ribotype, ribotype B, recovered between 1939 and 1998 from patients, animals, and fleas. Our results showed that all isolates had similar PFGE patterns, but minor differences such as missing, additional, and shifted bands were found among almost all strains if they came from different parent strains. The 37 strains and isolates were divided into 26 PFGE types. RFLP analysis with IS100 as a probe divided these strains and isolates into 16 types, with 43% belonging to IS100 type 1. Typing with IS285 as a probe was less specific and led to only four RFLP types, with 81% belonging to type 1. Similarity analysis with BioNumerics software showed that all strains shared ≥80, 86, and 91% similarities on dendrograms prepared from digitized PFGE, IS100 RFLP analysis, and IS285 RFLP analysis images, respectively. Our results demonstrate that PFGE offers an increased ability to discriminate between strains (Simpson's index of diversity, 0.98) and therefore can significantly improve epidemiological studies related to the origin of new plague isolates.
Targeting YAP and Hippo signaling pathway in liver cancer

Importance of the field: The Hippo signaling pathway plays pivotal roles in controlling both cell growth and organ size, emerging as a new paradigm in tumor suppression. Yes-associated protein (YAP) functions as a potent transcription co-activator and is a major downstream target tightly regulated by the Hippo pathway. Inactivation of the Hippo signaling induces YAP-mediated activation of various target genes that functionally causes cellular proliferation and outgrowth of organ size. Recently, YAP has been implicated as a bona fide oncogene in solid tumors, but little is known about its exact molecular mechanism in carcinogenesis. Areas covered in this review: We discuss the latest important findings in the Hippo signaling pathway and the possible means of developing potential cancer therapeutics by targeting multiple sites along the Hippo pathway. What the reader will gain: An overview of the emerging roles of YAP and Hippo signaling in oncogenesis and the possible ways of developing cancer therapies against the pathway components, downstream targets or interconnected pathways. Take home message: YAP is a key oncogenic driver in liver carcinogenesis and deregulation of the Hippo pathway causes tumor formation and malignancy. Targeting YAP and cognate downstream signaling targets may have clinical utility in cancer therapies.
Formalization of Expert Knowledge About the Usability of Web Pages Based on User Criteria Aggregation

The Choquet integral based on fuzzy measure is a generalization of the weighted average operator. Due to flexibility in the aggregation of information and ability to take into account possible uncertainties in data the integral has been gaining popularity in the application of multicriteria decision making. In this paper an application of fuzzy integral is considered in the method of expert knowledge formalization about the usability of web pages. Also the problem of identification of fuzzy measures for aggregating user criteria is presented. Examples of assessments for 9 main usability criteria of web pages and results of web pages evaluation of 25 sites of leading universities in the world according QS ranking are provided.
A Novel Structure and Access Mechanism for Mobile Data Broadcast in Digital Ecosystems

Digital ecosystems offer cost-effective digital services that attract and benefit the species within them (i.e., humans, organizations, and computers). As a cornerstone technology for digital information delivery, data broadcast provides a strong backbone for the digital ecosystem infrastructure. Its scalability feature is highly significant for various digital ecosystem applications, including mobile broadcast services. This paper proposes a novel structure and access for mobile data broadcast. The proposed scheme addresses the tradeoff for minimizing query-access and tuning times by specifying a new message structure. Correspondingly, a new access and processing mode for mobile clients is required. We study the effectiveness of the proposed approach in minimizing query-access time while maintaining low tuning time. The results of our experiments are used to make comparisons with existing approaches. The results affirm the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.
On design and fabrication of a prototype teleoperated mobile surveillance robot

An indigenous prototype mobile teleoperated robot has been designed and fabricated for urban surveillance [1]. This class of mobile robots finds its application in hazardous area exploration, explosives handling, disarming mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), remote monitoring and urban surveillance for law enforcement. This paper is a brief description of the design and fabrication process followed for development of the prototype robot. Robot telecontrol, real-time location identification and real-time video transfer are the main design characteristics along with development of a graphical user interface for controlling robot operation.
Essential role for T cells in human B‐cell lymphoproliferative disease development in severe combined immunodeficient mice

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐positive B‐cell lymphoproliferative disease (BLPD)‐like lesions develop in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice inoculated with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from EBV‐seropositive donors. We used this model to investigate the pathogenesis of EBV‐associated BLPD. Tumour incidence fell from 81% to 11% when only B cells were inoculated, suggesting a key role for T cells in tumour formation. This was further underlined by the reduction in tumour incidence from 76% to 7% when PBMCs were depleted of CD4 positive (+ve) helper T cells. Tumour outgrowth was also reduced when PBMC were depleted of CD8 +ve, CD45RA +ve or CD45RO +ve T cells. The majority of PBMC‐derived tumours analysed by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) expressed mRNA for interleukin (IL) 2, 4, 6, 10 and interferon (IFN) γ. This is the cytokine pattern seen in activated T cells and includes B‐cell growth factors. In situ hybridization studies confirmed that the tumour cells themselves express the growth factors, which is consistent with autocrine‐stimulated tumour growth.
Integrated read assist-sense amplifier scheme for high performance embedded SRAMs

Embedded memories have become a dominant block in modern SOCs and often constitute more than half the die area. Sense amplifiers are crucial circuits in memories as they are largely responsible for the read operation. The scaling of CMOS technology deep into the sub-micron range has created numerous challenges for SRAMs; notably in that conventional sense amplifier architectures suffer from mismatch and process variability. This paper presents a novel sensing schemes featuring a read assist circuit that enhances the SRAM cell operation and robustness. Schematic and post layout simulation results show a 60% speed improvement and 62% power saving as compared to conventional sensing schemes.
High functional levels of thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor are associated with an increased risk of first ischemic stroke

Summary. Background and objective: Several studies have suggested that thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) levels are associated with the risk of arterial thrombosis, but results have been contradictory. We studied functional TAFI levels and TAFI gene polymorphisms in 124 patients with a recent ischemic stroke and 125 age‐ and sex‐matched controls to establish the role of TAFI in ischemic stroke. Methods and results: Functional TAFI levels, defined as TAFI‐related retardation (RT), the difference in clot lysis time (LT) in the absence or presence of a specific activated TAFI inhibitor (potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor [PCI]), were higher in patients than controls (19.5 ± 4.2 vs. 17.7 ± 3.7 min, P < 0.005). Clot LTs in the presence of PCI, which were independent of TAFI, were also increased in ischemic stroke patients. This indicates that in these patients fibrinolysis is impaired not only by high TAFI levels, but also by other mechanisms. Individuals with functional TAFI levels in the highest quartile had an increased risk of ischemic stroke compared with the lowest quartile [odds ratio (OR) 4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6–9.8]. In an unselected group of 36 of the 125 stroke patients functional TAFI levels were also measured at 3 months, and were persistently high. This indicates that increased functional TAFI levels after stroke are not caused by an acute phase reaction. No difference was found between patients and controls with respect to TAFI genotype distribution. Conclusions: Increased functional TAFI levels, resulting in decreased fibrinolysis, are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke.