Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Maternal and child health care in Thailand].

Primary health care, especially in the area of maternal and child health care, in Thailand is mostly provided by non-professional village health volunteers. There are only about 7000 doctors in Thailand, the population of which is 50 million. While 80% of the population are engaged in agriculture in rural areas, most of the doctors reside and practice in Bangkok, the capital. Under Ministry of Public Health in the capital are 6 provincial health offices which include maternal and child health care centers. These maternal health care centers have about 100 beds, many midwives and some doctors. The fee for a normal child birth including three-day hospital stay is about $12 to $20. They also offer a 2-year training program in midwifery. Underneath the Provincial Health Office are District Health Offices followed by town health centers at the sub-District level and Village Health Volunteers (VHV) plus Village Health Communicators (VHC) at the village level. For villagers, closest available medical professionals are 1 or 2 midwives working in the town health centers. Their day to day primary health care heavily depends on VHV and VHC. VHV consist of men and women over 30 years of age who are interested in health care and who received 15-day intensive training. Each VHV has several VHC as assistance. for the past 20 years the Thai government has taken the policy of "2 children per family" via contraception since abortion is prohibited by law in Thailand. VHV plays an important role in educating villagers in the area of contraception. Lately the population increase rate has become too low.
Power Management in Wireless Power-Sipping Devices: A Survey

Proper operation of active circuits in a wirelessly powered system requires both sufficient power flow and voltage. Passive (battery-less) wireless systems, operating in the high-frequency band, pose a challenge: generating sufficient amount of supply voltage from very low-input-power flow. The answer to this problem involves implementation of a new class of power-sipping, voltage multiplying power management blocks, which have a wide variety of applications from implantable microelectronic devices (IMD) to internet of things (IoT) and radio-frequency identification (RFID). This paper presents a comprehensive literature survey on the rectification and voltage multiplication of low-input power signals in the frequency range of 100 MH z-1 GH z in remotelypowered systems which require up to several hundred ? A current and operate with less than 3 V supply voltage. The survey covers topologies of voltage multipliers, novel devices, and efficiency/voltage boosting techniques. Since existing voltage multipliers are designed with various process technologies, a comparison among available devices in various topologies is difficult. For a fair comparison between specifications of several state-of-the-art topologies, we have migrated and simulated some of them in one exemplar process technology under the same set of constraints. We observe that the voltage multiplier with cross-coupled configuration yields the best power conversion efficiency at an optimized input voltage; however, it drops immediately after this voltage is reached. We also found that the voltage multiplier with Schottky diodes, used in the Dickson topology, exhibits the lowest sensitivity. When input voltage increases to a level of more than 1 V, the Dickson voltage multiplier with ultra-low-power diodes maintains the highest efficiency, reaching around 80% in the wide input voltage range. To gain a perspective of practical implementation, we also explore various design issues.
The Myocardium-protective Gly-49 Variant of the β1-Adrenergic Receptor Exhibits Constitutive Activity and Increased Desensitization and Down-regulation*

The β1-adrenergic receptor (β1AR) is a major mediator of catecholamine effects in human heart. Patients with heart failure who were hetero- or homozygous for the Gly-49 variant of the β1AR (Gly-49-β1AR) showed improved long-term survival as compared with those with the Ser-49 genotype. Here, the functional consequences of this polymorphism were studied in cells expressing either variant. The Gly-49-β1AR demonstrated characteristic features of constitutively active receptors. In cells expressing the Gly-49-β1AR, both basal and agonist-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities were higher than in cells expressing the Ser-49 variant (Ser-49-β1AR). The Gly-49-β1AR was more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of the inverse agonist metoprolol and displayed increased affinity for agonists. Isoproterenol potency for adenylyl cyclase activation was higher on membranes expressing the Gly-49-β1AR than on those expressing the Ser-49-β1AR. After incubation with saturating concentrations of catecholamines or sustained stimulation, the Gly-49 variant showed a much higher desensitization, which largely prevailed over constitutive activity in terms of cAMP accumulation. The Gly-49-β1AR also displayed a more profound agonist-promoted down-regulation than the Ser-49 variant. The stronger regulation of the Gly-49-β1AR could explain the beneficial effect of the Gly-49 genotypes on survival, further supporting the concept that β1AR desensitization is protective in heart failure.
SYMPTOMATIC OCCULT HYDROCEPHALUS WITH "NORMAL" CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID PRESSURE.A TREATABLE SYNDROME.

THE term hydrocephalus refers to distention of the cerebral ventricles, usually as the result of obstruction somewhere along the pathway of the cerebrospinal-fluid circulation. Occult indicates that enlargement of the ventricles has occurred after union of the cranial sutures, and hence the head remains of normal size. Hydrocephalus is said to be noncommunicating or obstructive if the blockade of circulation is in the ventricular system and communicating or nonobstructive if there is a normal patency of the pathways from the ventricular system to the lumbar subarachnoid space. Its causes are numerous and include tumors encroaching on the ventricles, carcinomatosis of .
Autophagy mediates nonselective RNA degradation in starving yeast

During nitrogen starvation, a nonselective bulk degradation of cytosolic proteins and organelles including ribosomes, termed macro‐autophagy (hereafter termed autophagy), is induced. The precise mechanism of RNA degradation by this pathway has not been yet elucidated. In this issue of the The EMBO Journal, Huang et al characterize an autophagy‐dependent RNA catabolism in yeast and identify the enzymes responsible for the degradation process.
A novel presenilin 1 mutation associated with Pick's disease but not β‐amyloid plaques

Familial forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with tauopathy are mostly caused by mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule‐associated protein tau (MAPT). However, rare forms of familial tauopathy without MAPT mutations have been reported, suggesting other tauopathy‐related genetic defects. Interestingly, two presenilin 1 (PS1) mutations (Leu113Pro and insArg352) recently have been associated with familial FTD albeit without neuropathological confirmation. We report here a novel PS1 mutation in a patient with Pick‐type tauopathy in the absence of extracellular β‐amyloid deposits. The mutation is predicted to substitute Gly→Val at codon position 183 (Gly183Val) and to affect the splice signal at the junction of the sixth exon and intron. Further clinical‐genetic investigation showed a positive family history of FTD‐like dementia and suggested that Gly183Val is associated with a phenotypically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder. Our results suggest PS1 as a candidate gene for Pick‐type tauopathy without MAPT mutations.
Colorectal Cancers Screening in the General Population: Focusing

Colorectal cancers are common throughout the world, although their incidence varies across continents and countries. 28% of these cancers are rectal, and two-thirds of the remaining 72% are of left colonic location. Screening and prevention have proven effective in reducing the incidence of these cancers and their mortality. The best screening results in the so-called average-risk general population have been obtained in the USA, where the first-line endoscopy is the gold standard when in other countries, especially European ones; screening was done by the search for occult blood in the stool. This group, however, became heterogeneous due to the intervention of environmental factors and co-morbidities; a colonoscopy is then proposed to those subjects considered at average risk. Virtual colonoscopy has excellent sensitivity and specificity for one-centimeter polyps. The serrated polyps, pre-cancerous lesions predominating on the right, are more difficult to detect.
Controlled solvent-exchange deposition of phospholipid membranes onto solid surfaces

Controlled deposition of lipid bilayers plays a key role in creating supported membranes for biosensing devices and biophysical cell studies. The authors adopt a solvent-exchange method in order to deposit a phospholipid bilayer on solid substrates. The basic concept of deposition is to dissolve phospholipids in isopropanol-water mixtures and to increase water content gradually. Shortly before the onset of the micelle-to-vesicle transition, a lipid bilayer nucleates at the solid surface. They investigate the bulk phase behavior and surface coverage using small angle x-ray scattering and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. They find a sequence of transitions from inverted-monomeric-micellar and vesicle phases correlating with an increasing amount of lipid on the adsorption layer. Supported lipid bilayers, prepared using this approach, are homogeneous and fluid.
Delivery of proteins into living cells by reversible membrane permeabilization with streptolysin-O

The pore-forming toxin streptolysin O (SLO) can be used to reversibly permeabilize adherent and nonadherent cells, allowing delivery of molecules with up to 100 kDa mass to the cytosol. Using FITC-labeled albumin, 105–106 molecules were estimated to be entrapped per cell. Repair of toxin lesions depended on Ca2+-calmodulin and on intact microtubules, but was not sensitive to actin disruption or to inhibition of protein synthesis. Resealed cells were viable for days and retained the capacity to endocytose and to proliferate. The active domains of large clostridial toxins were introduced into three different cell lines. The domains were derived from Clostridium difficile B-toxin and Clostridium sordelli lethal toxin, which glycosylate small G-proteins, and from Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin, which ADP-ribosylates actin. After delivery with SLO, all three toxins disrupted the actin cytoskeleton to cause rounding up of the cells. Glucosylation assays demonstrated that G-proteins Rho and Ras were retained in the permeabilized cells and were modified by the respective toxins. Inactivation of these G-proteins resulted in reduced stimulus-dependent granule secretion, whereas ADP-ribosylation of actin by the C. botulinum C2-toxin resulted in enhanced secretion in cells. The presented method for introducing proteins into living cells should find multifaceted application in cell biology.
Blood component use in critically ill patients

Summary This prospective observational study was conducted to assess the current transfusion practice in critically ill patients. One thousand two hundred and forty‐seven consecutive critically ill patients admitted between February 1999 and October 1999 were included in the study. Overall 666 (53%) patients were administered red cells. Transfused patients had significantly higher intensive care unit␣mortality but also had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores and longer durations of stay. The average pretransfusion haemoglobin concentration was < 9 g.dl−1 in 75% of transfusion episodes. The common indications for transfusion were low haemoglobin (72%) and haemorrhage (25%). Overall, 202 (16%) and 281 (22%) of the patients were transfused platelets and fresh frozen plasma, respectively. The indications for transfusion were haemorrhage, low platelet counts, prolonged prothrombin time or to provide cover for invasive interventions. Most platelet transfusions were given at values in the order of 50–100 × 109.l−1. The pretransfusion platelet count varied according to the indications for transfusion. This study showed that transfusion practice is consistent and that in general there does not seem to be an excessive use of blood components in critically ill patients.
Concentration-Dependent Multiple Binding Sites on Saliva-Treated Hydroxyapatite for Streptococcus sanguis

The influence of bacterial cell concentration on estimates of the number of binding sites and the affinity for the adsorption of a strain of Streptococcus sanguis to saliva-treated hydroxyapatite was determined, and the possible presence of multiple binding sites for this organism was tested. The range of concentrations of available bacteria varied from 4.7 × 106 to 5,960 × 106 cells per ml. The numbers of adsorbed bacteria increased over the entire range tested, but a suggestion of a break in an otherwise smooth adsorption isotherm was evident. Values for the number of binding sites and the affinity varied considerably depending upon the range of available bacterial concentrations used to estimate them; high correlation coefficients were obtained in all cases. The use of low bacterial cell concentrations yielded lower values for the number of sites and much higher values for the affinity constant than did the use of high bacterial cell concentrations. When data covering the entire range of bacterial concentrations were employed, values for the number of sites and the affinity were similar to those obtained by using only high bacterial cell concentrations. The simplest explanation for these results is that there are multiple binding sites for S. sanguis on saliva-treated hydroxyapatite surfaces. When present in low concentration, the streptococci evidently attach to more specific high-affinity sites which become saturated when higher bacterial concentrations are employed. The possibility of multiple binding sites was substantiated by comparing estimates of the adsorption parameters from a computer-simulated isotherm with those derived from the experimentally generated isotherm. A mathematical model describing bacterial adsorption to binary binding sites was further evidence for the existence of at least two classes of binding sites for S. sanguis. Far fewer streptococci adsorbed to experimental pellicles prepared from saliva depleted of bacterial aggregating activity when low numbers of streptococci were used, but the magnitude of this difference was considerably less when high streptococcal concentrations were employed. This suggests an association between salivary components which possess bacterial-aggregating activity and bacterial adsorption to high-affinity specific binding sites on saliva-treated hydroxyapatite surfaces.
Self-Timed Read and Write Operations in STT-MRAM

Spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) is a promising memory technology because of its advantageous features, such as nonvolatility, scalability, high density, zero-leakage, and CMOS compatibility. However, one of its major drawbacks is the high overall energy consumption. To make matters even worse, the write process in STT-MRAM is of stochastic nature, i.e., the completion of a write operation is nondeterministic. However, if the read/write completion could be detected on the fly (i.e., dynamically) and the respective components could be turned-OFF immediately, the energy consumption can be reduced by a large extent. Therefore, we propose a technique where the read and write completion signals are generated asynchronously on the fly using a self-timed bitwise technique. With this approach, the memory consumes power only when it is in the actual operational mode. Experimental results show that this technique significantly reduces the energy consumption of read and write operations with negligible area overhead.
A stub tapped compact hybrid coupler with broad-band harmonic rejection

This paper presents a modified, stub tapped hybrid ring coupler for broadband harmonic suppression. In the new design, a tapped stub is used to realize 900 transmission line sections of the conventional coupler. The slow wave effect and the stopband produced by shunt open stub are utilized to achieve the size reduction and harmonic suppression respectively. Explicit design equations are derived using the ABCD-matrix. A prototype coupler operating at 1.0 GHz is designed, fabricated and measured for demonstration. The circuit area of the proposed coupler is only 45.6% of that of the conventional one. In addition, the proposed coupler has spurious pass-band suppression of up to at least nine harmonics.
Least-Mean-Square algorithm based adaptive filters for removing power line interference from ECG signal

The 50 Hz power line is one of the main sources of interference in ECG signal measurement, and it distorts the original ECG signal while recording. Recently, adaptive filtering has become one of the effective and popular methods for the processing and analysis of the ECG signal. In this study, we have used adaptive filters to remove the power line interference from the ECG signal. We have used different adaptive filter algorithms, such as, Least-Mean-Square (LMS), Block LMS (BLMS), Delay LMS (DLMS), Adjoint LMS, Filtered-X (XLMS), Normalized LMS (NLMS) and Fast Fourier Transform BLMS (FFT BLMS). We have used the Signal Processing Toolbox of the mentioned algorithms built in MATLAB®. It reveals that among all the adaptive filters, the adaptive NLMS filter removes the 50 Hz power line interference more effectively.
Design of Parallel-Coupled Dual-Mode Resonator Bandpass Filters

A circuit model for dual-mode resonators is proposed to develop a design procedure that facilitates the design of parallel-coupled dual-mode resonator filters. Based on the design procedure, a parallel-coupled dual-mode resonator filter can be designed in a way similar to the design of parallel-coupled line filters. Compared to the parallel-coupled line filter that uses half-wavelength line resonators, the use of dual-mode resonators not only achieves smaller size and better performance, but does not complicate the design and fabrication processes, as demonstrated in this paper. Accordingly, the parallel-coupled dual-mode resonator filter can be a good candidate for many practical applications that accept the Chebyshev or Butterworth response.
A new method for image fusion based on fuzzy neural network

In pervasive computing paradigm, the image data obtained by a variety of multimedia, information equipment. In order to make use of these information reasonably and efficiently, a new method for image fusion based on fuzzy neural network has presented in this paper. It can fuse massive data from the multi-sensor image. Here, fuzzy neural network is a parallel information processing model, there are more adaptive and self-organization, and can accomplish the complexity of real-time computing and mass data retrieval, it demonstrate its unique superiority of image understanding, pattern recognition and the handling of incomplete information. The fuzzy neural network system developed by us can be used in multi-sensor image fusion. Based on our experiments, it has been proved that the fusion is fast, effective, and can meet the real-time requirements of pervasive computing.
Molecular Pathology of Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a peripheral T-cell neoplasm of highly pleomorphic lymphoid cells. ATLL is usually widely disseminated, and it is caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). It is a disease with a long latency, and affected individuals are usually exposed to the virus very early in life. The cumulative incidence of ATLL is estimated to be 2.5% among HTLV-1 carriers. ATLL cells express CD2, CD3, CD5, CD4, and CD25, as well as CCR4 and FoxP3 of the regulatory T-cell marker. HTLV-1 is causally linked to ATLL, but infection alone is not sufficient to result in neoplastic transformation. A significant finding in this connection is that the Tax viral protein leads to transcriptional activation of many genes, while the HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper factor is thought to be important for T-cell proliferation and oncogenesis. Half of ATLL cases retain the ability to express HTLV-1 Tax, which is a target of HTLV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). An increase in HTLV-1-specific CTL responses is observed in some asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. Although HTLV-1-specific CTL are also present in the peripheral blood of ATLL patients, they do not expand sufficiently. We investigated the clinicopathological features and analyzed the staining of Tax-specific CTL and FoxP3. Tax-specific CTL correlated inversely with FoxP3, an increase in the ratio of CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages was associated with worse clinical prognosis, and ATLL cell lines proliferated significantly following direct co-culture with M2 macrophages. Several clinical variants of ATLL have been identified: acute, lymphomatous, chronic, and smoldering. Oligo-array comparative genomic hybridization revealed that genomic loss of 9p21.3 was a significant characteristic of acute-type, but not of chronic-type ATLL. Furthermore, we found that genomic alteration of CD58, which is implicated in immune escape, is more frequently observed in acute than in chronic ATLL. Interestingly, the chronic cases with cell cycle deregulation and disruption of immunosurveillance mechanism were associated with faster progression to acute ATLL. Immune evasion, microenvironment, and genetic alteration are therefore important in the multi-step progression of ATLL lymphomagenesis.
Toxicity of Chevron Escravos crude oil and chemical dispersant on guinea pig testicular function

Abstract Background: Chemical contaminants have been found to affect reproductive functions in mammals. This study investigated the effect of Chevron Escravos crude oil and Emulsol L.W. dispersant on the testicular functions of guinea pig. Methods: Eight groups of seven sexually mature male guinea pigs each were given 1250, 2500, or 5000 mg/kg of crude oil and dispersant for 7 days. The fluid and food intake and body weight of the animals were measured daily throughout the study. After the exposure period, sperm quality analysis was carried out, and fructose and lactate dehydrogenase were analyzed in tissue homogenate, while testosterone and estradiol were assayed in blood. The right testis was also processed for histological analysis. Results: The epididymal sperm number and fructose level of treated animals showed a significant dose-dependent decrease (p<0.05) compared with controls. Also, sperm motility and morphology were altered in the treated groups, while testosterone and estradiol levels were increased significantly (p<0.05) in the treated groups. Histological examination showed signs of toxicity in the treated animals. Conclusions: From the findings, it was evident that Chevron Escravos crude oil and Emulsol L.W. oil dispersant are able to cause acute testicular toxicity in guinea pigs. The possible mechanism of toxicity is suggested to be by stimulation of hormone production from the adrenal cortex, causing a negative feedback on gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the pituitary gland to suppress spermatogenesis.