Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparative study on the Effect of Family Socio- Economic Status between Female and Male Students' Academic Achievement in College of Education and Behavioural Sciences and Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia

The main purpose of this study was to assess the comparative effect of family socioeconomic status on students’ (both female and male) academic achievements in one public universityHaramaya University, and College of Education and Behavioural Sciences in Eastern Ethiopia. The target population of the study comprised of four departments namely Adult Education and Community development (AECD), Educational Planning and Management (EdPM), Psychology and Special Needs and Inclusive Education of undergraduate students of 2014 academic year. A sample of these four departments was randomly selected based on sex. The research specific objectives were to establish the extent to which the family socioeconomic status in general and the family income in particular contribute to students’ academic achievement in College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia. Descriptive survey research design was employed in carrying out this study. The questionnaire was used to collect data in this study with a sample population of 172 consisting of 85 female and 87 male students from the total of 248 students who were in first year to second year by using stratified random sampling techniques. Data was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-version 16) whereas qualitative data was sorted out according to the research themes. The study findings indicate that the family income had not brought any significant effect on students’ academic achievement in the subject under study. The findings also showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between Total Family Income per Month (TFIPM) and student academic achievement, (n= 172, r =0.07), p > 0.01, two-tailed. However, it was shown that there was statistically significant negative relationship between sex and students academic achievement, (n=172, r = -0.37), P< 0.01, two-tailed. Moreover the stepwise multiple regression coefficient analysis indicated that 89% and 86% respectively of the influence of students’ academic achievement were not from educated and non educated family’s contribution as indicated by coefficients of determinations (1-R 2 ). The study finally recommended that there needed to be enhancing the adult education for families to enable them caters for education needs of their children. This can be done by enabling families’ access to educations so as to encourage their children in any level of education.
Human cytomegalovirus DNA replication: antiviral targets and drugs

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with severe morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals, in particular transplant recipients and AIDS patients, and is the most frequent congenital viral infection in humans. There are currently five drugs approved for HCMV treatment: ganciclovir and its prodrug valganciclovir, foscarnet, cidofovir and fomivirsen. These drugs have provided a major advance in HCMV disease management, but they suffer from poor bioavailability, significant toxicity and limited effectiveness, mainly due to the development of drug resistance. Fortunately, there are several novel and potentially very effective new compounds which are under pre‐clinical and clinical evaluation and may address these limitations. This review focuses on HCMV proteins that are directly or indirectly involved in viral DNA replication and represent already established or potential novel antiviral targets, and describes both currently available drugs and new compounds against such protein targets. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of Sorbitol Dehydrogenase: Effects on Vascular and Neural Dysfunction in Streptozocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

These experiments were undertaken to assess the role of sorbitol dehydrogenase in mediating sorbitol pathway-linked neural and vascular dysfunction in rats with strep-tozocin-induced diabetes. 2-methyl-4-[N N-dimethylsulfamoyl-piperazino]-pyrimidine (S-0773), a putative inhibitor of sorbitol dehydrogenase, was given in the drinking water to control and diabetic rats. After 5 weeks of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin levels were increased twofold and were unaffected by S-0773. Sorbitol levels in diabetic rats were increased 11- to 14-fold in ocular tissues and sciatic nerve; S-0773 increased sorbitol levels another 4-fold or more in these same tissues but had much smaller effects in other tissues. Diabetes-associated increases in fructose levels and lactate:pyruvate ratios in retina and in sciatic nerve were markedly attenuated by S-0773. S-0773 also attenuated, but did not completely normalize, impaired caudal nerve conduction and vascular dysfunction in ocular tissues, sciatic nerve, and aorta in diabetic rats. These observations, together with other evidence, suggest that sorbitol pathway-linked vascular dysfunction (in ocular tissues, peripheral nerve, and aorta) and electrophysiological dysfunction (in peripheral nerve) induced by diabetes are more closely linked to increased oxidation of sorbitol to fructose than to putative osmotic effects of elevated sorbitol levels or redox and metabolic imbalances associated with reduction of glucose to sorbitol by aldose reductase.
High-Gain and Broadband Transmitarray Antenna Using Triple-Layer Spiral Dipole Elements

A triple-layer transmitarray antenna has been designed, fabricated, and tested at X-band. Using a spiral-dipole element, a full transmission phase range of 360 ° is achieved for a transmission magnitude equal to or better than -4.2 dB. The transmission phase distribution of the transmitarray elements has been optimized to reduce the effects of the lossy elements with low transmission magnitudes on the antenna gain, leading to an average element loss as low as 0.49 dB. The measured gain of the transmitarray prototype is 28.9 dB at 11.3 GHz, resulting in a 30% aperture efficiency. Antenna bandwidths of 9% for 1-dB gain and 19.4% for 3-dB gain are achieved in this design.
Delay analysis of Admission Control mechanism for supporting QoS in 802.11e

IEEE 802.11e standard is developed for QoS provisioning in WLANs. Admission Control is a mechanism that controls stations to be served in WLANs. In practice, evaluation of admission control plays an important role for QoS support. The goal of this paper is to calculate the WLAN delays with ACs. The delay calculation can be used to guarantee the QoS of the VoIP and video streams, which is divided into three parts. One is the propagation delay. Another is that packets queue up in stations or APs. Lastly, the delay is taken due to collisions. For VoIP and video streams, the second delay is more important than other two delays. Consequently, we will focus on the calculation of the second delay. Some simulations and numerical results are provided and discussed in detail. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more accurate in calculating the delay of packets in WLANs.
Standard steroid treatment for autoimmune pancreatitis

Objective: To establish an appropriate steroid treatment regimen for autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). Methods: A retrospective survey of AIP treatment was conducted in 17 centres in Japan. The main outcome measures were rate of remission and relapse. Results: Of 563 patients with AIP, 459 (82%) received steroid treatment. The remission rate of steroid-treated AIP was 98%, which was significantly higher than that of patients without steroid treatment (74%, 77/104; p<0.001). Steroid treatment was given for obstructive jaundice (60%), abdominal pain (11%), associated extrapancreatic lesions except the biliary duct (11%), and diffuse enlargement of the pancreas (10%). There was no relationship between the period necessary to achieve remission and the initial dose (30 mg/day vs 40 mg/day) of prednisolone. Maintenance steroid treatment was given in 377 (82%) of 459 steroid-treated patients, and steroid treatment was stopped in 104 patients. The relapse rate of patients with AIP on maintenance treatment was 23% (63/273), which was significantly lower than that of patients who stopped maintenance treatment (34%, 35/104; p = 0.048). From the start of steroid treatment, 56% (55/99) relapsed within 1 year and 92% (91/99) relapsed within 3 years. Of the 89 relapsed patients, 83 (93%) received steroid re-treatment, and steroid re-treatment was effective in 97% of them. Conclusions: The major indication for steroid treatment in AIP is the presence of symptoms. An initial prednisolone dose of 0.6 mg/kg/day, is recommend, which is then reduced to a maintenance dose over a period of 3–6 months. Maintenance treatment with low-dose steroid reduces but dose not eliminate relapses.
Cash Balance Plans: What Do They Mean for Retirement Security?

The conversion of traditional defined benefit plans to cash balance plans is among the most controversial aspects of pension policy today. Because the controversy has focused on the treatment of older workers, however, the debate has generally ignored the long-term implications for retirement security. This article examines the potential impact of cash balance plans on workers who spend their entire careers in these plans, and focuses on the implications for mobile workers and for labor supply at older ages. The evidence suggests that cash balance plans can often provide more retirement security than traditional defined benefit plans or defined contribution plans.
Thunderstorm associated asthma: a detailed analysis of environmental factors

Abstract Objectives: To seek associations between meteorological factors, concentrations of air pollutants or pollen, and an asthma epidemic which occurred in London on 24 and 25 June 1994 after a thunderstorm. Design: Retrospective study of patients' accident and emergency department records, with bivariate and multivariate analysis of environmental factors and data collection for the two months surrounding the epidemic. Setting: The accident and emergency department of St Mary's Hospital in west central London. Subjects: 148 patients presenting with asthma between 1 June and 31 July 1994, of whom 40 presented in the 24 hours after the storm. Results: The asthma epidemic was significantly associated with a drop in air temperature six hours previously and a high grass pollen concentration nine hours previously. Non-epidemic asthma was significantly associated with lightning strikes, increase in humidity or sulphur dioxide concentration, a drop in temperature or high rainfall the previous day, and a decrease in maximum air pressure or changes in grass pollen counts over the previous two days. Conclusions: New episodes of asthma during the epidemic on 24 and 25 June 1994 were associated with a fall in air temperature and a rise in grass pollen concentration. Non-epidemic asthma was significantly associated with a greater number of environmental changes. This may indicate that the patients with thunderstorm associated asthma were a separate population, sensitive to different environmental stimuli. Key messages Key messages Non-epidemic asthma during June and July 1994 was significantly associated with lightning strikes, increase in humidity or sulphur dioxide concentration, a fall in temperature or high rainfall the previous day, and a decrease in maximum air pressure or changes in grass pollen concentration over the previous two days Patients with asthma associated with thunderstorms may be a separate population from other patients with asthma, sensitive to different environmental stimuli
Novel roles for the IgG Fc glycan

IgG antibodies trigger leukocyte activation and inflammation by forming immune complexes that crosslink activating Fcγ receptors (FcγRs). This is essential to combat infection, but detrimental if antibodies target or cross‐react with autoantigens. The high specificity and long serum half‐life of IgG antibodies confers tremendous therapeutic potential. Indeed, antibodies have been successfully employed to target cancers, autoreactive B cells, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Conversely, IgG antibodies can also initiate anti‐inflammatory responses. In the form of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), IgGs are routinely administered to treat inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Importantly, the N‐linked glycans on the IgG Fc are absolutely required for initiating these IgG effector functions. In fact, the Fc glycan composition dictates IgG affinity to individual FcγRs, and in a broader sense, binding to different FcγRs classes: activating, inhibitory, and anti‐inflammatory (dendritic cell‐specific ICAM‐3 grabbing nonintegrin, DC‐SIGN). The Fc glycan requirements to initiate and suppress inflammation will be discussed herein.
Effects of local immunization of hamsters with glucosyltransferase antigens on infection with Streptococcus sanguis

The effects of immunization with antigens of the Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferase (GTF) complex on oral challenge with two Streptococcus sanguis strains (H7PR3 and 34) in hamsters were studied. Antisera to S. mutans GTF complex were able to inhibit one-third (strain H7PR3) to one-half (strain 34) of the S. sanguis GTF activity which could be inhibited when these S. sanguis GTFs were incubated with antisera to S. sanguis GTF. Washed, intact cells of strains H7PR3 and 34 were able to remove a significant amount of enzyme inhibitory activity and immunoglobulin G antibody activity from antisera to S. mutans GTF. These results established the existence of an antigenic relationship between S. sanguis and S. mutans GTFs. The effect of injection of S. mutans strain 6715 GTF or phosphate-buffered saline, incorporated into complete Freund adjuvant, on oral challenge with S. sanguis was compared in 243 hamsters in nine experiments. Salivary and serum GTF inhibitory activity was present in all GTF-injected animals before challenge. After a 2- or 3-day challenge with S. sanguis H7PR3 (seven experiments) or 34 (two experiments), fewer bacteria were recovered from GTF-injected hamsters in every experiment. Significant differences were observed in six of the nine experiments. During the 7- to 21-day period after challenge, 33% of the phosphate-buffered saline-injected sham group (group I) still had S. sanguis recoverable from the molar surfaces, whereas only 19% of the S. mutans GTF-injected group (group II) remained infected with S. sanguis (P less than 0.01). These results suggest that immunization with GTF from S. mutans may influence the colonization potential of S. sanguis in the oral cavity.
Not all roads can be taken: development induces anisotropic accessibility in morphospace

Morphospaces are quantitative representations of phenotype space that are widely used in studies of morphological evolution. Do current conceptualizations of morphospaces, however, appropriately reflect the evolutionary dynamics of organisms depicted in these spaces? Most empirical morphospace studies implicitly consider variability of biological forms as isotropic, but such a view appears inadequate when the properties of development mediating phenotypic changes are considered. Here, a trilobite case study is used to visualize the constraints imposed by development on the accessibility structure of morphospace. Variability in the resultant morphospace is strongly anisotropic and reveals discordances between the apparent range of possible phenotypes and their actual accessibility. Homoplasy, directionality, and asymmetry of evolutionary transitions appear as natural consequences of anisotropic variability and point out the limitation of morphological distance for evolutionary inference. Measures of distance in morphospace should be used with considerable caution and must be complemented with developmentally meaningful measures of evolutionary accessibility.
Experimental investigation of distributed detection using a sensor network based on coupled oscillator arrays

This work presents a distributed detection system based on coupled oscillator arrays (COAs). The distributed detection is based on the synchronization phenomena. When the sensor elements detect an event they set the frequency of the oscillators to one value f1. If the sensors do not detect any event then the oscillators are set to fo. Due to the synchronization properties all the oscillator elements synchronize to a common frequency fS which can be used to indicate detection or non detection of the event. Experimental set-ups formed by two element and three element nodes have been carried out to verify the capability of COAs to be used as distributed detection systems.
Wireless Optogenetic Nanonetworks for Brain Stimulation: Device Model and Charging Protocols

In recent years, numerous research efforts have been dedicated toward developing efficient implantable devices for brain stimulation. However, there are limitations and challenges with the current technologies. They include neuron population stimulation instead of single neuron level, the size, the biocompatibility, and the device lifetime reliability in the patient’s brain. We have recently proposed the concept of wireless optogenetic nanonetworking devices (WiOptND) that could address the problem of long term deployment, and at the same time target single neuron stimulation utilizing ultrasonic as a mode for energy harvesting. In addition, a number of charging protocols are also proposed, in order to minimize the quantity of energy required for charging, while ensuring minimum number of neural spike misfirings. These protocols include the simple charge and fire, which requires the full knowledge of the raster plots of neuron firing patterns, and the predictive sliding detection window, and its variant Markov-chain based time-delay patterns, which minimizes the need for full knowledge of neural spiking patterns as well as number of ultrasound charging frequencies. Simulation results exhibit a drop for the stimulation ratio of ~ 25% and more stable trend in its efficiency ratio (standard deviation of ~0.5%) for the Markov-chain based time-delay patterns protocol compared with the baseline change and fire. The results show the feasibility of utilizing WiOptND for long-term implants in the brain, and a new direction toward precise stimulation of neurons in the cortical microcolumn of the brain cortex.
The effect of exercise training on resting metabolic rate in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE Exercise is a possible means to increase resting energy expenditure, which could offset age-related metabolic declines and facilitate weight management, both of which are particularly important for people who have type 2 diabetes mellitus. We sought to determine the effects of aerobic exercise training and resistance exercise training and the incremental effect of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on resting metabolic rate (RMR) in previously sedentary individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHODS After a 4-wk run-in period, 103 participants (72 male, 31 female, 39-70 yr, mean +/- SD body mass index = 32.9 +/- 5.7 kg x m(-2)) were randomly assigned to four groups for 22 wk: aerobic training, resistance training, combined aerobic and resistance exercise training, or waiting-list control. Exercise training was performed three times per week at community-based gym facilities. RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry for 30 min after an overnight fast. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance. These measurements were taken at baseline, at 3 months, and at 6 months of the intervention. RESULTS RMR did not change significantly in any group after accounting for multiple comparisons despite significant improvements in peak oxygen consumption and muscular strength in the exercising groups. Adjusting RMR for age, sex, fat mass, and fat-free mass in various combinations did not alter these results. CONCLUSION These results suggest that RMR was not significantly changed after a 6-month exercise program, regardless of modality, in this sample of adults with type 2 diabetes.
Combined neural network approach for mining order-preserving sub matrices from repeated dataset

Order-preserving sub matrices (OPSM's) have been shown useful in capturing concurrent patterns in data when the relative magnitudes of data items are more important than their correct values. For example, in analyzing gene expression profiles obtained from micro-array experiments, the comparative magnitudes are important both since they represent the change of gene activities across the experiments, and since there is naturally a high level of noise in data that makes the exact values non trustable. To manage with data noise, repeated experiments are often conducted to collect multiple measurements. This paper includes Eigen value decomposition combined for solving data mining from order preserving sub-matrices from repeated dataset. Experimental results shows this method gives far better results in terms of time and candidate pattern ratio.
Spiral wave induced numerically using electrical stimulation and comparison with experimental results

Experiments in vitro on a Microelectrode Array (MEA) platform show that electrical stimulation can provoke the generation of spiral waves in cardiac tissue. Nevertheless, the conditions leading to this artificial fibrillation state remain unclear. In order to have a better understanding of this phenomenon, a numerical simulation study has been conducted. The results obtained with a two-dimensional FitzHugh-Nagumo model proved that it is possible to create spiral waves by adding a stimulation current under certain conditions, which are made explicit.
Memory Phenotype of CD8+ T Cells in MHC Class Ia-Deficient Mice1

B6.Kb−Db− mice are devoid of class Ia but express normal levels of class Ib molecules. They have low levels of CD8 T cells in both the thymus as well as peripheral T cell compartments. Although the percentage of splenic CD8αα T cells is increased in these animals, ∼90% of CD8 T cells are CD8αβ. In contrast to B6 animals, most of the CD8 T cells from these mice have a memory phenotype (CD44highCD122high CD62Llow) including both CD8αβ and CD8αα subsets. In the thymus of B6.Kb−Db− animals, there is a decrease in the percentage of SP CD8 T cells, although most are CD44low, similar to that seen in B6 mice. The spleens from day 1-old B6 and B6.Kb−Db− mice have a relatively high proportion of CD44highCD62Llow CD8 T cells. However, by day 28 most CD8 T cells in B6 mice have a naive phenotype while in B6.Kb−Db− mice the memory phenotype remains. Unlike CD44high cells that are found in B6 animals, most CD44high cells from B6.Kb−Db− mice do not secrete IFN-γ rapidly upon activation. The paucity of CD8 T cells in B6.Kb−Db− mice might be due in part to their inability to undergo homeostatic expansion. Consistent with this, we found that CD8 T cells from these animals expand poorly in X-irradiated syngeneic hosts compared with B6 CD8 T cells that respond to class Ia Ags. We examined homeostatic expansion of B6 CD8 T cells in single as well as double class Ia knockout mice and were able to estimate the fraction of cells reactive against class Ia vs class Ib molecules.