Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of humidity on rotavirus prevalence among Nigerian infants and young children with gastroenteritis

Rotaviruses were detected by counterimmunoelectro-osmophoresis in the feces of 16 (13.8%) of 116 infants and young children with gastroenteritis during a 5-month period (September 1979 through January 1980) in Ife, Nigeria. The rate of rotavirus detection varied inversely with relative humidity and was highest in December (38.5% positive) when the humidity was lower. There was not such a distinct relationship with temperature or vapor pressure; and although the rate of rotavirus detection was higher in the drier months (November to January; 19.3% positive) than in the rainy season months (September and October; 8.5% positive), the average humidity was lower in the drier months than in the rainy months. Low relative humidity (49 to 78%) is apparently the most important environmental factor for rotavirus survival and spread in this area.
Total and out-of-pocket expenditures for prescription drugs among older persons.

PURPOSE The burden of prescription drug costs on Medicare beneficiaries has become a critical policy issue in improving the Medicare program, yet few studies have provided detailed and current information on that burden. The present study estimates total and out-of-pocket expenditures for prescription drugs and the burden of these costs in relation to income among the elderly population. We also compare spending and burden across major subgroups of the elderly population, as defined by socioeconomic and health characteristics, and we distinguish the impact of these factors by using multivariate models. DESIGN AND METHODS The study uses nationally representative data on Medicare beneficiaries from the 1997 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Cost and Use files. The study estimates out-of-pocket prescription drug spending and burden through ordinary least square, median, and logistic regression models with corrections for the complex survey design. RESULTS Our results show that in 1997, nearly 8% of the older population, more than 2.3 million people, spent greater than 10% of their income on prescription drugs. Despite pharmacy coverage, out-of-pocket cost burden fell most heavily on women and those with chronic health conditions. Burden was also higher among those with self-purchased supplemental coverage. IMPLICATIONS The impact of Medicare reform proposals on these subgroups has to be carefully evaluated.
A multi-wave study of organizational justice at work and long-term sickness absence among employees with depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVES Mental health problems are strong predictors of long-term sickness absence (LTSA). In this study, we investigated whether organizational justice at work - fairness in resolving conflicts and distributing work - prevents risk of LTSA among employees with depressive symptoms. METHODS In a longitudinal study with five waves of data collection, we examined a cohort of 1034 employees with depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms and organizational justice were assessed by self-administered questionnaires and information on LTSA was derived from a national register. Using Poisson regression analyses, we calculated rate ratios (RR) for the prospective association of organizational justice and change in organizational justice with time to onset of LTSA. All analyses were sex stratified. RESULTS Among men, intermediate levels of organizational justice were statistically significantly associated with a decreased risk of subsequent LTSA after adjustment for covariates [RR 0.49, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.26-0.91]. There was also a decreased risk for men with high levels of organizational justice although these estimates did not reach statistical significance after adjustment (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.20-1.10). We found no such results for women. In both sexes, neither favorable nor adverse changes in organizational justice were statistically significantly associated with the risk of LTSA. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that organizational justice may have a protective effect on the risk of LTSA among men with depressive symptoms. A protective effect of favorable changes in organizational justice was not found.
Natural History and Response to Treatment of HCV Infection Among Egyptian Survivors of Childhood Malignancy

Background: Children with cancer are at a high risk for hepatitis C virus infection due to immunosuppression secondry to chemotherapy and multiple transfusions of blood products. We aim to evaluate the presence of HCV infection in children with malignant diseases, risk factors, clinical course, laboratory, histopathological findings, and response to HCV treatment. Method: We described 31 patients referred to the pediatric hepatology clinic at Cairo University pediatric hospital and presenting with postmalignant virus C infection. Data collected included that of medical history, physical examination, and periodic evaluation clinically, laboratory, and histopathologically during their follow up. Results: The mean age at diagnosis of HCV infection was 8 ± 3.3 years, the period of follow up of the patients in the hepatology clinic ranged from 0.3 to 15 years with a mean of 2.6 ± 2.3 years. Risk factors for HCV acquisition were chemotherapy in 93.5%, blood transfusions in 83.9%, and operations in 64.5%. Out of the 31 cases, 51.6% had leukemia. At first presentation, serum ALT level was elevated in 83.9% and AST level was elevated in 80.6%. Liver biopsy was performed in 26 cases; 96.1% had mild to moderate activity, 32% had no fibrosis, and 68% had mild to moderate fibrosis. Eighteen cases received HCV treatment. The response to HCV treatment was 27.7%. Although hepatitis C infection acquired by childhood cancer survivors was presented initially with high rate of elevated liver enzymes and PCR positivity, it seems to have a relatively benign clinical course with mild to moderate chronic hepatitis.
Virologic responses and tolerance of peginterferon alfa plus ribavirin treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in different age categories

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of age on the treatment comprising peginterferon plus ribavirin administered to patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Materials and Methods: A total of 314 patients with CHC treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin were classified into three categories according to age. The efficacy and safety outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Elderly patients yielded significantly lower rapid virological response and sustained virological response (SVR) (31.3% and 35.4%, respectively, P < 0.05) rates than younger patients. The discontinuation rate of the patients aged ≥ 60 years were significantly higher (29.2%, P = 0.004) than that of the younger patients. The elderly patients suffered from adverse events, such as fatigue (P = 0.005), neutropenia (P = 0.013), jaundice (P = 0.013), hepatocellular carcinoma (P = 0.013), and gastric cancer (P = 0.018), more frequently than the younger patients. In multivariable analysis, age was a negative factor that affected the SVR of the patients with CHC (odds ratio [OR] =0.983, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] =0.967–1.0, P = 0.05). The SVR rate of the patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype non-1 was significantly higher than that of the patients with HCV-1 (OR = 0.559, 95% CI = 0.349–0.895, P = 0.015). An early virological response could be considered as a powerful positive predictor to obtain an SVR (OR = 2.353, 95% CI = 1.411–3.922, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Increasing age negatively affected the efficacy of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in the treatment of patients with CHC. Elderly patients experienced poorer treatment tolerance and adherence, and as a result, treatment efficacy is poor.
Coupling asymmetry of heterotypic connexin 45/ connexin 43-EGFP gap junctions: Properties of fast and slow gating mechanisms

Although fast and slow gating mechanisms have been described in gap junctions (GJs), their relative contributions to dependence on transjunctional voltage, Vj, is still unclear. We used cell lines expressing wild-type connexin 45 (Cx45) and connexin 43 fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein (Cx43-EGFP) to examine mechanisms of gating in homo- and heterotypic GJs formed of these connexins. Macroscopically Cx45/Cx45 channels show high sensitivity to Vj. Cx45 channels demonstrate two types of gating: fast transitions between open and residual states and slow transitions between open and completely closed states. Single-channel conductance of the Cx45 channel is ≈32 pS for the open state and ≈4 pS for the residual state. Cx45/Cx43-EGFP heterotypic junctions exhibit very asymmetrical Vj gating with the maximum junctional conductance shifted to Vj positive on the Cx45 side. Conductance of single Cx45/Cx43-EGFP channels is ≈55 pS for the open state and ≈4 pS for the residual state, values consistent with the simple-series connection of Cx45 and Cx43-EGFP hemichannels. At Vj = 0, the slow gate of many Cx45 hemichannels is closed in both homotypic Cx45/Cx45 and heterotypic Cx45/Cx43-EGFP junctions. Fast and slow Vj gates of both Cx45 and Cx43 hemichannels close for relative negativity at their cytoplasmic end. Coupling mediated by Cx45/Cx43-EGFP junctions can exhibit asymmetry that can be strongly modulated by small changes in difference of holding potentials. Cx45/Cx43 junctions are likely to be found in brain and heart and may mediate rectifying electrical transmission or modulatable chemical communication.
SPC08-6: A Histogram-based Symbol Timing Synchronization Algorithm for OFDM Systems

A novel data-aided OFDM symbol timing synchronization method was proposed to reduce the computational cost and achieve more robust performance. The algorithm uses histograms to process the received signal's phase information for estimating symbol timing delay. In this paper, the histogram- based algorithm is extended further to cover MIMO-OFDM systems. In addition, detailed analysis is carried out to unveil the unique characteristics of the algorithm, in contrast to popular synchronization methods based on time-domain correlations. In particular, the algorithm converges on the mass center of a channel's power profile as the channel delay estimation. Good balance between performance and cost makes the algorithm a very attractive algorithm of choice for symbol timing synchronization.
The supra-additive natriuretic effect addition of quinethazone or bendroflumethiazide during long-term treatment with furosemide and spironolactone. Permutation trial tests in patients with congestive heart failure.

The additive natriuretic effects of single doses of quinethazone (50 mg) or bendroflumethiazide (5 mg) have been studied in patients with advanced congestive heart failure receiving longterm treatment with furosemide (160 mg) and spironolactone (100 mg) daily. Three permutation trial tests were performed. In the first trial including 12 patients a significant increase of renal sodium, chloride, potassium and water excretion and osmolal clearance was found after supplementary administration of quinethazone or bendroflumethiazide. In the second trial including 6 patients the response to supplementary quinethazone (50 mg) was definitely superior to that of additional furosemide (80 mg). Accordingly the response to supplementary quinethazone cannot be explained as a dose addition effect of drugs acting on the same renal tubular receptors, but must represent an effect addition of diuretics acting by different mechanisms or at different sites in the nephron. The third trial compared in 6 patients the effects of quinethazone (50 mg) + spironolactone (100 mg), of furosemide (160 mg) + spironolactone (100 mg), and of quinethazone (50 mg) + furosemide (160 mg) + spironolactone (100 mg). In terms of natriuresis, chloruresis, cation excretion and weight loss the responses to the combination of all three drugs were significantly larger than the sums of the effects of other treatments. It is concluded that the combined effects of the drugs represent a supra-additive effect addition (or a supra-additive summation). A tentative explanation of the mechanism of this effect in terms of inhibition of renal tubular sodium transport is given. Since the combined effects of all three drugs involve a tendency to development of hypokalaemia, hypochloraemia and alkalosis, it is recommended that the supplementary use of quinethazone or bendroflumethiazide in this setting is combined with the administration of potassium chloride.
A close correlation between electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry from tooth enamel and cytogenetic dosimetry from lymphocytes of Hiroshima atomic-bomb survivors.

PURPOSE To estimate gamma-ray doses received by Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors using electron spin resonance (ESR) of tooth enamel and to compare the results with cytogenetic data. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tooth enamel ESR was performed for 100 teeth donated from 69 Hiroshima survivors, and conventional cytogenetic examinations were conducted for 61 of the tooth donors. To evaluate possible contamination from dental X-ray exposure, which primarily affects the tooth's buccal surface, each tooth was divided into buccal and lingual parts for subsequent independent enamel isolation and ESR measurement. RESULTS Almost 20 teeth showed considerably larger buccal doses than lingual doses, but most of these discrepant teeth were incisors and canines. The results are probably attributable to solar light exposure. In contrast, the buccal and lingual doses found in molars were similar. Conventional translocation data of lymphocytes and ESR-estimated doses of 40 donors of molars showed the dose-response for translocations to be almost the same as that expected from in vitro gamma-ray irradiation experiments. CONCLUSIONS Both tooth enamel ESR and lymphocyte cytogenetics are useful measures for individual biodosimetry of acute radiation exposure, even half a century after the exposure occurred.
Analysis and design of double-ring crossover junction with arbitrary diagonal port impedances

A planar four-port double-ring crossover junction with arbitrary diagonal port impedances is designed and realized. The circuit consists of two concentric rings connected with four transmission line sections. It allows the two pairs of diagonal ports of the junction to have different characteristic impedances. Based on the transmission-line theory, design equations are formulated and design curves are provided. Two microstrip circuits are realized to validate the idea. One operates at 2.45 GHz and the other at 5.2 GHz. Both circuits have excellent performance such as good return loss and isolation. The measured total power loss is less than 4.8%. The measured results agree very well with simulation counterparts.
The Pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 Sustains Vitamin B6 Biosynthesis as a Function of Heat Stress1[OPEN]

Expression of PDX1.2 is regulated by the HSFA1 transcription factor family and is an important abiotic stress tolerance strategy in most eudicots that is not utilized by monocots such as grasses. Plants sense temperature changes and respond by altering growth and metabolic activity to acclimate to the altered environmental conditions. The B vitamins give rise to vital coenzymes that are indispensable for growth and development but their inherent reactive nature renders them prone to destruction especially under stress conditions. Therefore, plant survival strategies would be expected to include mechanisms to sustain B vitamin supply under demanding circumstances. Here, using the example of vitamin B6, we investigate the regulation of biosynthesis across eudicot and monocot species under heat stress. Most eudicots carry a pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 that is a noncatalytic homolog of the PDX1 subunit of the vitamin B6 biosynthesis protein machinery, PYRIDOXINE BIOSYNTHESIS PROTEIN1. Using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) as models, we show that PDX1.2 is transcriptionally regulated by the HSFA1 transcription factor family. Monocots only carry catalytic PDX1 homologs that do not respond to heat stress as demonstrated for rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays), suggesting fundamental differences in the regulation of vitamin B6 biosynthesis across the two lineages. Investigation of the molecular mechanism of PDX1.2 transcription reveals two alternative transcriptional start sites, one of which is exclusive to heat stress. Further data suggest that PDX1.2 leads to stabilization of the catalytic PDX1s under heat stress conditions, which would serve to maintain vitamin B6 homeostasis in times of need in eudicots that carry this gene. Our analyses indicate an important abiotic stress tolerance strategy in several eudicots, which has not been evolutionarily adapted (or is not required) by monocots such as grasses.
Batch And Continuous Processing In The Production Of Pharmaceutical Granules

A quasicontinuous granulation and drying process to avoid scale-up problems is introduced in this work. Consistent and reproducible granule quality is a key factor in robust dosage form design and fits ideally the prerequisites of a drug quality system for the twenty-first century and the Food and Drug Administration's Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative. In scale-up, factors that simulate or reproduce the laboratory scale must be considered. This system provides a new possibility for industrial manufacturing and galenical development of pharmaceutical solids. The quasicontinuous method described in the present work, and the laboratory and production batches and the granulating equipment used to produce them, are the same. Once a robust process has been defined in the laboratory, it is merely repeated as many times as necessary to achieve the desired final batch size. The quasicontinuous process gives new possibilities to simplify manufacturing procedures and to validate them faster. The quality of the resulting granules and tablets compared with classical methods is equal until better. In many cases, existing products have been transferred to the multicell process without formulation changes. The quasicontinuous production concept for high-shear granulation and fluid-bed drying offers many advantages over the classical methods used to produce pharmaceutical granules. The wet massing process may be monitored by the power consumption of the mixer motor for each subunit, as in classical high-shear granulation processes. The air volume, temperature, and humidity of each of the drying cells may be controlled individually to avoid overheating of temperature-sensitive materials. All processing variables must be precisely controlled by a computer, and the data must be collected for documentation. As such, product quality and reproducibility for each subunit is assured.
“Who's on the team today?” The status of briefing amongst operating theatre practitioners in one UK hospital

Accidents in health care are mainly due to systemic communication errors. Errors occur more frequently in the operating theatre (OT) than other clinical settings. Hence, it is important that preventive communication practices are adopted in OT teams. Formal team pre-briefing has been shown to improve safety in high risk settings such as aviation, but such briefing is not common practice in OT teams. This paper reviews key literature demonstrating the value of briefing in high-risk practices; presents and analyses the results of a questionnaire survey on the status of briefing after its introduction to OT teams in one UK hospital; and analyses processes that frustrate widespread adoption of briefing. In comparison with other OT practitioners, surgeons generally reported differing perceptions of the meaning and value of briefing, often holding broad notions of what constitutes a “brief”, but also showing scepticism towards briefing. However, surgeons who had introduced briefing reported positive results such as greater efficiency, shared understanding, and increased team morale. Collaborative briefing that extends beyond the technical to include the interpersonal could be initiated in principle by any member of the OT team, but a number of factors inhibit this, and surgeons play a pivotal role in establishing briefing.
Salmonella vaccines in poultry: past, present and future

Salmonella species are important zoonotic pathogens that cause gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. Poultry products contaminated with these pathogens are one of the major sources of human Salmonella infections. Vaccination of chickens, along with other intervention measures, is an important strategy that is currently being used to reduce the levels of Salmonella in poultry flocks, which will ultimately lead to lower rates of human Salmonella infections. However, despite numerous studies that have been performed, there is still a need for safer, well-defined Salmonella vaccines. This review examines the different classes of Salmonella vaccines that have been tested, highlighting the merits and problems of each, and provides an insight into the future of Salmonella vaccines and the platforms that can be used for delivery.
A virtual laboratory for fuzzy logic controlled DC motors

Direct current (DC) motors have currently a wide usage in industrial applications. This resulted in the necessity of making the speed controls of DC motors in a sensitive manner. Conventional controllers have poorer performances due to the non-linear features of DC motors like saturation and friction. Fuzzy logic controllers (FLC) are widely used in controlling poorly-defined, nonlinear and imprecise systems. FLC courses are being given in many universities at the graduate and/or postgraduate levels due to FLC achievements in these areas. The education of a FLC driver in a lab environment is a time-consuming and expensive task. In this study, a virtual lab is prepared for the FLC of a permanent magnet direct current (PMDC) motor, which is a part of the electrical machines course. It is a software having a flexible structure and a graphical user interface (GUI). The virtual lab allows as a software tool monitoring the system’s reaction in different operation conditions through graphs by changing the PMDC motor and controller parameters. Key words: Fuzzy logic, DC motor, virtual laboratory, educational tool, software tool.
A Noisy-Robust Approach for Facial Expression Recognition

Accurate facial expression recognition (FER) requires reliable signal filtering and the effective feature extraction. Considering these requirements, this paper presents a novel approach for FER which is robust to noise. The main contributions of this work are: First, to preserve texture details in facial expression images and remove image noise, we improved the anisotropic diffusion filter by adjusting the diffusion coefficient according to two factors, namely, the gray value difference between the object and the background and the gradient magnitude of object. The improved filter can effectively distinguish facial muscle deformation and facial noise in face images. Second, to further improve robustness, we propose a new feature descriptor based on a combination of the Histogram of Oriented Gradients with the Canny operator (Canny-HOG) which can represent the precise deformation of eyes, eyebrows and lips for FER. Third, Canny-HOG’s block and cell sizes are adjusted to reduce feature dimensionality and make the classifier less prone to overfitting. Our method was tested on images from the JAFFE and CK databases. Experimental results in L-O-Sam-O and L-O-Sub-O modes demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method. Meanwhile, the recognition rate of this method is not significantly affected in the presence of Gaussian noise and salt-and-pepper noise conditions.