Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Co‐Management Approach to Marine Conservation in Mohéli, Comoros Islands

Abstract: Many developing countries experience habitat degradation and unsustainable natural resource exploitation, with biodiversity and habitat conservation efforts often impeded by political instability and limited funding. Challenges in previous conservation efforts coupled with the current rate of marine habitat degradation and species declines warrant consideration of an innovative conservation approach. Co‐management of protected areas addresses biological, cultural, economic, and political concerns and empowers communities through collaboration and integration in conservation efforts. It provides flexibility for adaptive practices to address underlying socioeconomic factors affecting conservation efforts and may compensate for limited or missing scientific data. The ecosystems of the Comoros Islands in the West Indian Ocean, a biodiversity hotspot with high endemism and diverse tropical marine habitats, are adversely affected by existing ecological, socioeconomic, and political conditions. Mohéli Marine Park was designed to address threats to the marine environment and is a model for co‐management practices. We conducted a year‐long evaluation of the park implementation process, including community and fisher participation. After 3 years of operation with 80% local community control, the park maintains a small staff to monitor sea turtle nesting beaches, reef health, fisheries, and uninhabited islets and to guide ecotourists and educate visitors. Our analysis revealed successes and shortcomings of the co‐management approach. Successes included local communities empowered to participate in natural resource management, increased local involvement in conservation initiatives, and use of traditional knowledge when scientific information was unavailable. The Comoros example also illustrates that co‐management is not immune to social issues, inadequate government law enforcement, or political instability and is an incomplete substitute for sound science. Lessons learned are applicable elsewhere and offer a template for effective scientific research and monitoring, policy making, and management of protected areas in developing nations.
Functional Foods and Probiotics: Working Group Report of the First World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

From the *European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition; the †Latin American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition; the ‡Commonwealth Association of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition; the §North American Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition; the ¶Finnish Society for Nutrition; and the #Asian Pan-Pacific Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
Effectiveness of Triamcinolone with Lidocaine Injection to Ganglion Impar in Patients with Refractory Coccydynia

Coccydynia is a painful condition of coccyx often related to trauma, childbirth, hypo or hypermobility of sacrococcygeal joint tumours, psychological or unknown aetiology affecting mostly females leading to severe pain in coccyx often not responding to analgesics. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of triamcinolone and lidocaine injection to ganglion impar in patients with refractory coccydynia. This was a hospital based prospective study conducted in Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal from September 2014 to October 2015. Fifty patients (22 females & 28 males) suffering from refractory coccydynia were included in study. All the patients were treated with local injection to ganglion impar with triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg) and 2 ml lidocaine (2%) under fluoroscopic guidance. The outcome was assessed using VAS score on sitting measured before injection, at 1 week and 4 weeks after injection. The mean VAS score was found to be decreased significantly from 8.13±0.66 before procedure to 3.62±1.02 at 1 week and further decreased to 2.31±0.99 at 4 weeks (p< 0.001). It may be concluded from this study that in patients with refractory coccydynia not responding to conservative management including oral analgesics, injection to ganglion impar with triamcinolone acetonide and lidocaine is an effective alternative treatment option with minimal complications.
Third‐trimester uterine rupture following hysteroscopic uterine perforation

Background: As operative hysteroscopy becomes more common, long-term complications become apparent. Case: A 29-year-old woman had a hysteroscopic uterine septum resection. This was complicated by a small fundal puncture. In the ensuing pregnancy, uterine rupture occurred at 33 weeks and resulted in neonatal mortality and maternal morbidity. Conclusion: Uterine rupture may follow uterine perforation at operative hysteroscopy; patients contemplating pregnancy after such perforation warrant appropriate counseling. (Obstet Gynecol 1993;81:827–9)
Wavelets and Face Recognition

Face recognition has recently received significant attention (Zhao et al. 2003 and Jain et al. 2004). It plays an important role in many application areas, such as human-machine interaction, authentication and surveillance. However, the wide-range variations of human face, due to pose, illumination, and expression, result in a highly complex distribution and deteriorate the recognition performance. In addition, the problem of machine recognition of human faces continues to attract researchers from disciplines such as image processing, pattern recognition, neural networks, computer vision, computer graphics, and psychology. A general statement of the problem of machine recognition of faces can be formulated as follows: Given still or video images of a scene, identify or verify one or more persons in the scene using a stored database of faces. In identification problems, the input to the system is an unknown face, and the system reports back the determined identity from a database of known individuals, whereas in verification problems, the system needs to confirm or reject the claimed identity of the input face. The solution to the problem involves segmentation of faces (face detection) from cluttered scenes, feature extraction from the face regions, recognition or verification. Robust and reliable face representation is crucial for the effective performance of face recognition system and still a challenging problem. Feature extraction is realized through some linear or nonlinear transform of the data with subsequent feature selection for reducing the dimensionality of facial image so that the extracted feature is as representative as possible. Wavelets have been successfully used in image processing. Its ability to capture localized time-frequency information of image motivates its use for feature extraction. The decomposition of the data into different frequency ranges allows us to isolate the frequency components introduced by intrinsic deformations due to expression or extrinsic factors (like illumination) into certain subbands. Wavelet-based methods prune away these variable subbands, and focus on the subbands that contain the most relevant information to better represent the data. In this paper we give an overview of wavelet, multiresolution representation and wavelet packet for their use in face recognition technology.
Long‐term weight loss effects on all cause mortality in overweight/obese populations

This systematic review assesses the long‐term effectiveness of weight loss on all cause mortality in overweight/obese people. Medline, Embase and Cinahl were searched (1966–2005). Cohort studies and trials on participants with body mass index ≥25 kg m−2, with weight change and mortality with ≥2‐year follow‐up, were included finally identifying 11 papers based on eight studies. There may be gender differences in the benefits for all cause mortality. The impact of weight loss in men on mortality was not clear with some studies indicating weight loss to be detrimental, while a recent cohort study showed benefits, if it were a personal decision. Other studies with no gender separation had similarly mixed results. However, one study indicated that overweight/obese women with obesity‐related illness, who lost weight intentionally within 1 year, had significantly reduced mortality rates of 19–25%. In contrast, studies of overweight/obese diabetics irrespective of gender showed significant benefit of intentional weight loss on mortality in a meta‐analysis, hazard ratios = 0.75 (0.67–0.83). There is some evidence that intentional weight loss has long‐term benefits on all cause mortality for women and more so for diabetics. Long‐term effects especially for men are not clear and need further investigation.
Bridging Faults in CMOS: Possibilities of Current Testing

Bridging faults have been shown to be a major failure mode in CMOS IC's [SHE85]. A model that takes into account the different resistance values of the bridge is presented. This model is used to estimate the IDDQ range of values to evaluate the possibility of current testing of this fault [NIG90]. A simple circuit is used as an example. This methodology is demonstrated to provide a greater domain of detectability of bridging faults than the classical approaches.
Modeling and controller design of a current-mode controlled converter

In this paper, the reduced-order dynamic modeling and controller design of a push-pull DC-DC converter with current-mode control are presented. First, the small-signal equivalent circuit of the converter and its corresponding transfer function model are found. Then the selection of slope compensation and the model reduction are performed using the concept of dominant energy mode. Based on the reduced converter models, a quantitative design procedure is derived to find the parameters of the closed-loop controller such that the prescribed regulating specifications can be matched. Theoretic bases, the design and implementation of the proposed controller are described in detail. The performance of the converter and the validity of the proposed controller are demonstrated by some simulation and experimental results. >
Directional differences of impulse spread in trabecular muscle from mammalian heart.

Trabecular bundles from the right ventricle of calf hearts were used. Electrical properties measured by the application of longitudinal current were compared to those measured by the application of transverse current. 2. The following data were obtained on the basis of classical cable analysis: (i) a ratio of 3‐0 for longitudinal to transverse conduction velocity, (ii) a ratio of 3‐6 for intra‐ to extracellular longitudinal resistance, (iii) a ratio of 12‐6 for intra‐ to extracellular transverse resistance, (iv) a ratio of 9‐4 for intracellular transverse to intracellular longitudinal resistance, (v) a ratio of 2‐7 for the extracellular transverse to the extracellular longitudinal resistance. 3. The disparity in conduction velocity could be explained on the sole grounds of differences in the resistivity of the intracellular and extracellular paths for current flow in the two directions, confirming theoretical predictions. 4. The value of the transverse internal resistance can be accounted for on the ground of frequent branching in a three‐dimensional network. There is no need to make the additional assumption of current flow through lateral low resistance pathways between parallel fibres.
A Memristor-Based Lorenz Circuit and Its Stabilization via Variable-Time Impulsive Control

In this paper, an off-the-shelf memristor emulator of the quadratic memristor is developed and applied to a Lorenz circuit. The impulsive stabilization of the chaotic system by variable moments of impulses is investigated. By B-equivalence method, the considered variable-time impulsive system can be reduced to the fixed-time impulsive one. The simulations of the chaotic behavior verify the effectiveness of the emulator-based memristive system. The stability simulations support the validity of the method.
The Influence of Moderate and High Dietary Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (LCPUFA) on Baboon Neonate Tissue Fatty Acids

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are now common ingredients in commercial infant formulas, however, the optimal levels have not been established. Our previous data showed that the current amount of DHA in U.S. term formulas, 0.3%w/w, is insufficient to normalize cerebral cortex DHA to levels in breastfed baboon neonate controls (Diau et al.: BMC Medicine 3: 11, 2005). Here, we report on the influence of higher formula DHA levels on 12-wk-old full-term baboon CNS and visceral organs. Fourteen nursery-reared baboons were randomized to one of three diets: control (C, no DHA-ARA); moderate LCPUFA (L, 0.33%DHA-0.67%ARA); high LCPUFA (L3, 1.00%DHA-0.67%ARA). DHA increased significantly in liver, heart, and plasma (all C < L < L3), RBC (C < L, L3), and CNS regions: precentral gyrus (C < L < L3), frontal cortex, inferior and superior colliculi, globus pallidus, and caudate (all C < L, L3). These data extend previous observations indicating that 1) tissue DHA is more sensitive to diet than ARA; 2) cerebral cortex DHA increases with higher levels of DHA than in present commercial formulas; and 3) basal ganglia and limbic system DHA saturate with levels of DHA currently available in formulas. These results imply that higher levels of DHA are necessary to normalize cortex DHA to those found in breastfed animals.
Role of molecular chaperones in neurodegenerative disorders

Many major neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington Disease and other polyglutamine expansion disorders, are associated with degeneration and death of specific neuronal populations due to accumulation of certain abnormal polypeptides. These misfolded species aggregate and form inclusion bodies and their neurotoxicity is associated with the aggregation. To handle a build-up of abnormal proteins cells employ a complicated machinery of molecular chaperones and various proteolytic systems. Chaperones facilitate refolding or degradation of misfolded polypeptides, prevent protein aggregation and play a role in formation of aggresome, a centrosome-associated body to which small cytoplasmic aggregates are transported. The ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic system is critical for reducing the levels of soluble abnormal proteins, while autophagy plays the major role in clearing of cells from protein aggregates. Accumulation of the aggregation prone proteins activates signal transduction pathways that control cell death, including JNK pathway that controls viability of a cell in various models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The major chaperone Hsp72 can interfere with this signalling pathway, thus promoting survival. A very important consequence of a build-up and aggregation of misfolded proteins is impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation system and suppression of the heat shock response. Such an inhibition of the major cell defense systems may play a critical role in neurodegeneration. Here, it is suggested that these changes may reflect a senescence-like programme initiated by the aggregated abnormal polypeptides. Pathways that control the fate of misfolded proteins, for example molecular chaperones or proteolytic systems, may become interesting novel targets for therapy of neurodegenerative disorders.
Combination chemotherapy versus melphalan and prednisolone in the treatment of multiple myeloma: an overview of published trials.

PURPOSE A meta-analysis was performed to compare survival after treatment with melphalan and prednisolone (M + P) with that after combination chemotherapy (CCT) in patients with multiple myeloma. METHODS Meta-analysis was performed on 18 published trials comprising 3,814 patients comparing M + P with CCT. Two-year survival percentages with observed and expected deaths at 2 years were calculated for each trial, and the overview methodology was applied to these figures. RESULTS Overall results from the 18 trials suggest that there is no difference in efficacy between the two treatments. This finding, however, masks a highly significant correlation between 2-year survival rates for M + P-treated patients in individual studies and the difference between the M + P and CCT 2-year survival rates for that study (r = .69; P = .0008). In separate overviews, those studies with a high M + P 2-year survival rate showed a survival difference in favor of M + P (P = .02), whereas those with a low rate suggested a difference in favor of CCT (P V .07). Comparison of the 2-year survival rates in the M + P treatment arms of each of the studies with available data showed an inverse correlation between survival and the proportion of patients with either poor performance status (P less than .001) or immunoglobulin A (IgA) M band (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS These results imply that M + P is superior for patients with an intrinsically good prognosis and inferior for those patients with a poor prognosis. If reliable prognostic factors can be established for this disease, they could be used to select therapy for individual patients.
Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Squat Jump Performance at Different Knee Starting Angles

La Torre, A, Castagna, C, Gervasoni, E, Cè, E, Rampichini, S, Ferrarin, M, and Merati, G. Acute effects of static stretching on squat jump performance at different knee starting angles. J Strength Cond Res 24(3): 687-694, 2010-The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of static stretching on leg extensor muscles during squat jump (SJ) at different knee starting angles. Seventeen male subjects (23 ± 3 years, 179 ± 5 cm, and 74 ± 6 kg) performed on a force platform 2 series (preceded or not [control condition] by 10-minute static stretching of quadriceps and triceps surae muscles) of SJs at different knee starting angles: 50°, 70°, 90°, and 110°. Squat jump height, peak force, maximal acceleration, velocity, and power were calculated for each jump. The angle that maximized power development was obtained from the power-angle relationship. The SJ height, peak force, and maximal velocity increased according to angle amplitude in both control and stretching conditions (p < 0.01), performance being significantly lower in the stretching condition (p < 0.01). Peak power was obtained at 90° in both control and stretching conditions, but was significantly lower (p < 0.01) after stretching. These results suggest that an acute bout of static stretching reduces power and force development during SJ, decrements being significantly higher at lower knee starting angles. Therefore, the use of static stretching may be questionable in those power activities requiring maximal power output at knee angles near full extension.
Phenotypic and functional analysis of B lymphopoiesis in interleukin‐7‐transgenic mice: expansion of pro/pre‐B cell number and persistence of B lymphocyte development in lymph nodes and spleen

Transgenic mice in which mouse interleukin (IL)‐7 cDNA is expressed under the control of the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (Eα) promoter develop a lymphoproliferative disease characterized by the early polyclonal expansion of T cells followed in many cases by the development of lymphomas of immature B cells. Here, we have analyzed B cell development in these transgenic mice. Phenotypic analysis using monoclonal antibodies to B220, IgM, IgD, c‐kit, IL‐7 receptor, MHC class II, AA4.1, CD19, CD23, CD25, CD40 and CD43 shows that B lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow is dramatically altered and the number of pro/pre‐B and immature B cells is significantly increased. Interestingly, pro/pre‐B and immature B cells persist in the spleens of adult transgenic mice and are also present in lymph nodes and blood. Cell cycle analysis of lymph node cells shows that subpopulations of developing B cells retain the cell cycle profiles of their bone marrow counterparts. Limiting dilution analysis shows that the number of clonable pre‐B cells is significantly increased and that at limiting dilution, growth of transgenic pre‐B cells is still dependent on exogenous IL‐7. Using semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization, the level of IL‐7 transcripts in the spleen was found to decrease between 2 and 4 weeks in control mice with levels in transgenics mice being approximately 50 times greater. These transgenic mice represent an interesting model with which to study the effects of IL‐7 overexpression in the bonemarrow and raise interesting questions regarding the regulation of B lymphopoiesis in normal mice.
Transforming growth factor-β1-509C/T polymorphism might be associated with chronic periodontitis risk

It is unclear whether there is significant association between TGF-β1-509C/T polymorphism and chronic periodontitis risk. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis. We conducted a search through PubMed, Embase and the Web of Science. The associations between TGF-β1-509C/T polymorphism and chronic periodontitis risk as estimated using the OR and 95% CI. A total of 7 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. In the overall analysis, a significant association between the TGF- β1-509C/T polymorphism and chronic periodontitis risk was identified (OR=0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-1.00). When stratified by ethnicity, the TGF-β1-509C/T polymorphism showed a significant contribution to chronic periodontitis risk in the Asians (OR=0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.99). However, Caucasians with the TGF-β1-509C/T polymorphism did not show positive result (OR=0.94; 95% CI, 0.67-1.32). In the nonsmoker subgroup, no significant association was detected (OR=0.83; 95% CI, 0.60-1.15). In conclusion, this study suggested that TGF-β1-509C/T polymorphism was associated with chronic periodontitis risk.
The Role of Single-stranded DNA and Polymerase α in Establishing the ATR, Hus1 DNA Replication Checkpoint*

Using a nucleus-free DNA replication system we have investigated the roles of Xenopus ATR (XATR) and Hus1 (Xhus1) as the DNA replication checkpoint sensors. Like XATR, Xhus1 is required for the checkpoint-dependent phosphorylation of Xchk1 and associates with chromatin in an initiation-dependent manner. While removal of replication protein A inhibits chromatin association of both XATR and Xhus1, removal of polymerase α only disrupts chromatin association of Xhus1. In addition, chromatin association of XATR and Xhus1 are independent of each other. Finally, like XATR, Xhus1 associates with chromatin in unperturbed S phase and dissociates from chromatin following completion of DNA replication.
A novel algorithm to mitigate the effect of clipping in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing underwater communication acoustic sensor system

Distinctive features of underwater communication channel pose significant challenges to effective underwater acoustic communication. Due to bandwidth limitation, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is widely used for its high spectrum efficiency. However, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing also has its shortcomings, one of which is the relatively high peak-to-average power ratio, which leads to saturation in the power amplifier and consequent distortion of the signal. Clipping is the most commonly used method to address the high peak-to-average power ratio; however, it introduces additional noise resulting in degradation of the system’s performance. This article proposes a compressed sensing technique for mitigation of the clipping noise, which exploits pilot and data tones instead of reserved tones, thus making it distinct from the previous works and improves data rate. Moreover, in contrast with previous works, the channel is also estimated using compressed sensing technique, which provides more accurate channel characteristics for estimating the clipping noise than traditional methods like least square or minimum mean squared error. The better performance of the proposed Iterative compressed sensing algorithm is proved in simulations as well as in a pool experiment using acoustic wave sensors.