Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMMUNOLOGICAL AND VIROLOGICAL CHANGES IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS ( HIV ) PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS C VIRUS ( HCV ) CO-INFECTION ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY ( ART ) IN NORTH CENTRAL , NIGERIA

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are two viruses with similar characteristics having in common diversities in numerous subtypes and capacities for mutation. A total of 2,322 infected patients with HIV and 109 co-infected with HCV on ART were reviewed after every three months for fifteen months from June, 2013 through February, 2015 at ART hospitals in North Central, Nigeria. The determination of CD4+ count and viral load estimation were carried out using Flow Cytometry (Partec-cyflow, Germany) and PCR based Amplicor HIV-1 monitor version 1.5 (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Branchburg, NJ, USA) according to manufactures instructions. The results of the blood samples showed that ART therapy increased CD4+ count from 231.7±1.9401 to 466.8±2.0285cells/μl and viral load was suppressed from 17786.59±3316.36 to 1371.86±131.04copies/ml for HIV mono-infected patients while the mean CD4+ cell counts of co-infected individuals increased from 157.4±3.945 to 329.9±5.3998cells/μl and viral load decreased from 22821.62±4098.53 to 10246.82±2169.98copies/ml. The differences in the values were statistically significant (p<0.05). In conclusion, the reports revealed that at the end of the 9 th month of ART, the CD4+ counts and suppression of the viral particles and even the clinical picture of patients tend towards normalcy in HIV mono-infected but these analytes were not adequate even at the 15 th month in detecting the success of ART in co-infected patients, when their CD4+ counts were compared with the normal adult range (365–1,571cells/μl). Therefore, clinicians should give more attention and care to those patients co-infected in order to offer quality care.
INVESTIGATION OF SOME ENZYMES LEVEL IN BLOOD AND MILK SERUM IN TWO STAGES OF MILK YIELD DAIRY COWS AT ASSIUT CITY GHADA

Accepted: 6/8/2014 Lactation has a great impact on biochemical parameters in the blood of cows, reflecting on metabolic demands. A part of that test is determining enzyme activities in the serum. This study was conducted on 40 head of Friesian dairy cows apparently healthy, were divided into two groups the first is the early lactation (15 days to 2 months), and the second group is mid lactation (75 days to 4 months) collected blood samples and draw blood serum purified to measure some routine biochemical changes as total protein, albumin, globulin mathematically and total bilirubin are generally used for the evaluation of metabolic status and activity of enzymes Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT), and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Milk samples were taken from cows under study to measure the activity of enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, GGT), The study showed the presence of significant differences in both total protein, globulin mathematically, total bilirubin in two group, and a significant difference in the activity of AST, ALP in the blood serum in two stages and no significant difference in the activity of enzymes in the whey in two stage with the existence of marked increase activity of (ALT, ALP, GGT), and decrease activity of AST in milk than blood serum. The results indicated that AST activity appeared significantly lower in milk than that in blood (p= 0.0002) and =0.0035) in two stage of lactation respectively, also ALT, ALP, GGT was highly significant in milk than blood serum (P=0.0290, < 0.0001, <0.0001) in early lactation, and (p =0.0102, < 0.0001, < 0.0001) in mid lactation.
Critical Care Beds and Resource Utilization: Current Trends and Controversies

Abstract Recent studies have shown a dramatic increase in the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in recent decades. As technologies have become more complex, ICUs continue to grow in size and in specialization. The driving forces behind ICU bed expansion include not only the incorporation of advanced technologies but also other factors such as the increased utilization of ICU beds for patients who previously were not offered ICU care—those who may be terminally ill and those who are not critically ill. This expansion of ICU care in the United States sets it apart from other industrialized nations with comparably fewer ICU beds in relation to other hospital beds. The consequences of this expansion are now being felt in the form of unused beds, workforce shortages, and overuse of ICUs for patients who previously were not cared for in ICUs. ICUs are also now commonly used in the care of dying patients. In coming decades it is likely that changes will need to take place to forestall exorbitant costs and labor shortages. In addition to bringing in new forms of medical staff such as hospitalists and physician assistants, recent opinion papers have suggested that a de-escalation of ICU growth and a new tiered system of ICU care will be necessary in the United States.
4-(Ammoniomethyl)pyridinium dichloride

The title compound, C6H10N2 2+·2Cl−, contains a network of 4-(ammoniomethyl)pyridinium cations and chloride anions which are interconnected by N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. The crystal packing is also influenced by intermolecular π–π stacking interactions between identical antiparallel organic cations with a face-to-face distance of ca 3.52 Å.
Effi cacy and safety of a paired sedation and ventilator weaning protocol for mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care (Awakening and Breathing Controlled trial): a randomised controlled trial

Methods In four tertiary-care hospitals, we randomly assigned 336 mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care to management with a daily SAT followed by an SBT (intervention group; n=168) or with sedation per usual care plus a daily SBT (control group; n=168). The primary endpoint was time breathing without assistance. Data were analysed by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00097630.
New proposal algorithm for localization at WSN

finding the exact nodes positioning is a principal problem for reducing the overall localization time duration for all nodes in network. Different methods are applied to try to reduce the convergence time of network but as well to conserve a good performance and energy in sensor nodes. The localization techniques need to have some nodes in network that know their positions and then those will help in identifying the location of other nodes. In this paper are demonstrated some existing algorithms and it is introduced as well a theoretical proposal in order to somehow reduce interference in wireless communication. The experimental results allow us to compare our algorithm performance with other algorithms. Keywords-localization, algorithms, sensor nodes, interference.
Graphene and graphene oxide in the oil and gas industry

The increase in the global population is generating a higher demand for energy materials. According to the forecasts of the International Energy Agency, energy demand shall increase by about 35% over next 20 years as compared to the present state. The main energy carriers nowadays are fossil fuels, i.e. oil, natural gas and coal and they do not have any substitutes which would satisfy the rapidly growing energy demand. The oil and gas E&P industry is faced with the very difficult task of finding the means to meet these high demands and therefore it is looking to various innovative technological solutions, e.g. in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is about both the nanomaterials themselves and the tools to make and characterize them. Owing to their small dimension and highly developed surface, nanoparticles are very active chemically. The change of physicochemical properties with the finer comminution of the matter results from the need to limit the extension of crystalline lattices to microscopically finite size and the increased participation of surface atoms [42]. The dynamic development of nanotechnology over recent decades has mainly been connected with technological developments in material engineering, chemical engineering and physical analytical methods, especially with the invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) in 1981 and the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in 1986. The division of nanomaterials most frequently used or described in patents by the top ten enterprises in the field of the oil and gas industry are presented in Figure 1. The analysis of the presented data reveals that carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers are the most frequently applied nanomaterials referred to in patents registered by leading companies in the field of oil and gas industry. Another such popular nanomaterial is nanoclay, and in the third place nanosilica [40].
Considering Power Losses of Switching Devices in Transient Simulations through a Simplified Circuit Model

A simple model is proposed to simulate IGBT’s losses with standard electromagnetic simulation programs. A method for extracting the model parameters from manufacturers power losses computing programs is proposed. The model is validated by comparing the obtained results with those provided by the manufacturers. The simulations take into account different manufacturers (such as Semikron, ABB and Mitsubishi) and rated powers ranging from 20 kVA to 3 MVA. The power losses provided by simulations are quite accurate and the additional computational cost is negligible.
Compact Model of Amorphous InGaZnO Thin-Film Transistors Based on the Symmetric Quadrature of the Accumulation Charge

A physically based compact model of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors, suitable for CAD simulators, is proposed. It is based on a particularly simple form of the charge-sheet model: the symmetric quadrature of the accumulation charge. The model accounts for both trapped and free charges by means of multiple-trapping-and-release and percolation in the conduction band. The model is simple, symmetric, accurately accounts for the below-threshold, linear, and saturation regimes via a unique formulation. Finally, it leads to simple and accurate expressions of the quasi-static terminal charges based on the Ward-Dutton partition.
Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment

The fermentation process in which organic material is degraded and biogas (composed of mainly methane and carbon dioxide) is produced, is referred to as anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion processes occur in many places where organic material is available and redox potential is low (zero oxygen). This is typically the case in stomachs of ruminants, in marshes, sediments of lakes and ditches, municipal land fills, or even municipal sewers.
Simulation of Alumina Nanopores as High Spatial Resolution Electron Multipliers

An electron multiplier (EM) is a device that can multiply incident electrons in a process that involves electron bombardment of a secondary emissive material, resulting in a large shower of electrons. Several types of this device have been fabricated up to now for different purposes. The modern type of EMs is microchannel plates, which provide higher spatial resolution. In recent years, porous aluminum oxide membranes have been used to produce cheaper microchannel plates, carrying out etching process to widen the pore to several micrometers. The nanopores of these membranes have not been utilized as EMs because of their high aspect ratio, which causes attenuation of the secondary emission. No study has been conducted to evaluate the impact of geometrical characteristics of these nanopores on their electron multiplying performance. In this paper, finite element calculations along with Monte Carlo simulation were used to model the aluminum oxide nanopores as EMs. The obtained results showed that in an optimized condition, these nanopores can multiply the incident electrons. This investigation can help to develop an EM based on low-cost porous aluminum oxide membranes, which can provide a higher spatial resolution.
A novel pH sensitive N‐succinyl chitosan/alginate hydrogel bead for nifedipine delivery

A novel N‐succinyl chitosan(Suc‐Chi)/alginate hydrogel bead was prepared by the ionic gelation method for the controlled delivery of nifedipine. The structure and surface morphology of the hydrogel were characterized by FTIR and SEM, respectively. Factors influencing the swelling ability of the hydrogel bead were also investigated, such as the ratio of Suc‐Chi and alginate (X1), the weight ratio of drug to polymer (X2), the volume ratio of alginate/Suc‐Chi to CaCl2 (X3), crosslinking time (X4), CaCl2 concentration (X5). In addition, the delivery behavior of nifedipine from the hydrogel bead was studied. The amount of nifedipine released from the hydrogel bead at pH 1.5 was relatively low (11.6%), while this value approached 76% at pH 7.4. The results clearly suggested that the Suc‐Chi/alginate hydrogel bead may be a potential polymeric carrier for drug delivery in the intestinal tract. The release of nifedipine from the hydrogel bead at various pH values was analysed by a semi‐empirical equation and it was found that the drug release mechanisms were either ‘anomalous transport’ or ‘case‐II transport’. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DES equivalent signals derived from the accelerometric records of the European database

The Leveled Energy Multifrequential Analysis for Deriving Equivalent Signals (LEMA_DES) was applied at the accelerometric records of the European database integrated with records from K-NET and COSMOS databases. More than 6500 equivalent signals were obtained, among which about 88% of middle to high reliability. The comparison among natural reference accelerograms and LEMA_DES derived ones demonstrate that the differences of Arias intensity values and PGAs are within one order of magnitude. The computed relative errors are generally in the range 10%-100%, without bias in its distribution. The equivalent cycles resulting for the LEMA_DES signal vs. epicentral distances show regularly increase from 2 up to 9 for magnitude varying in the range 5-7. These findings encourage the use of the LEMA_DES derived signals for laboratory testing and numerical modeling as well as for drawing up a catalogue based on the European accelerometric one.
Clinico-biological characterization and outcome of primary nodal and extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era

To study the main clinico-biological characteristics and the outcome of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) according to the primary site (nodal vs. extranodal), we included 262 patients consecutively diagnosed with DLBCL in a single institution, 5 years before and after immunochemotherapy was considered as the standard treatment. Altogether 116 patients received CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone) and 146 rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP). The primary site was the lymph node in 140 patients (53%), Waldeyer's ring (WR) in 22, gastrointestinal (GI) in 33, and other extranodal in 67. The addition of rituximab significantly improved the CR rate in nodal, but not in extranodal, lymphomas. Patients receiving R-CHOP showed higher OS than those treated with CHOP alone (5-year OS: 71% vs. 48%). This difference was maintained in primary nodal (5-year OS: 69% vs. 37%, p < 0.0001), but was not observed in primary extranodal (75% vs. 65%, p = 0.45) lymphomas. The IPI, treatment, and primary site were the main variables for OS in multivariate analysis. In nodal cases, IPI and treatment maintained value, whereas only IPI predicted OS in extranodal cases. In conclusion, immunochemotherapy treatment dramatically improved the outcome of patients with nodal DLBCL; however, its effect was less in primary extranodal cases, so the prognosis of patients with nodal and extranodal lymphomas has been equalized in the rituximab era.
Core Parameter Uncertainty Analysis on HTGR UAM Benchmark with DeCART / MUSAD / CAPP

Recently, MUSAD (Modules of Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis for DeCART) [1,2] code has been developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) for quantifying a sensitivity and uncertainty induced by the covariance of the nuclear data. The code can produce a sensitivity and uncertainty for few-group cross sections (XS) based on the generalized perturbation theory (GPT) using generalized adjoint solutions and group constants generated by DeCART (Deterministic Core Analysis based on Ray Tracing) [3]. In this study, a two-step procedure [4] for an uncertainty analysis of VHTR core parameters was established with DeCART/MUSAD/CAPP code system. In the first step, homogenized few-group XSs and their uncertainties are prepared based on a generalized perturbation theory. DeCART/MUSAD code was applied in this step. In the next step, CAPP code [5] produces various core parameters and their uncertainties can be obtained from the outputs with statistical processing. For the core simulation step, modules for producing covariance matrix and random sampling of few-group XSs have been implemented into the MUSAD code. The performance of the DeCART/MUSAD/CAPP code system was confirmed with the benchmark proposed by IAEA CRP on HTGR UAM [6].
Isothiazole Derivatives as Novel HIV Replication Inhibitors

A series of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isothiazoles has been screened against HIV-1 (IIIB) and HIV-2 (ROD) at sub-toxic concentrations in acutely infected MT-4 cells. Among the tested compounds, only 3-mercapto-5-phenyl-4-isothiazolecarbonitrile was found to inhibit the replication of HIV-1 (IIIB) and HIV-2 (ROD) at 50% effective concentrations (EC50) of 7.8 and 9.7 μg/ml, respectively. The presence of a thioalkyl chain or dialkylamino function in the 3-position caused a loss of anti-HIV activity. New 4-cyano-5-phenylisothiazoles with other substituents in the 3-position have also been synthesized and studied as potential anti-HIV agents. Our results have demonstrated that 5-phenyl-3-(4-cyano-5-phenylisothiazol-3-yl) disulphanyl-4-isothiazolecarbonitrile and S-(4-cyano-5-phenylisothiazol-3-yl)-O-ethyl thiocarbonate are effective against both HIV-1 (IIIB) (EC50=13.6 and 15.2 μg/ml, respectively) and HIV-2 (ROD) (EC50=17.4 and 13.4 μg/ml, respectively).
Fluorescent antibody studies on cross reactions between human and simian malaria in normal volunteers.

Summary By using the fluorescent antibody technique, the sera from five normal volunteers infected with the B strain of Plasmodium cynomolgi were allowed to react with the homologous parasite, and with the heterologous parasites of the Chesson and Venezuelan strains of P. vivax. Although there was considerable cross reaction between the two species of malaria plasmodia, the maximum antibody titers with the homologous parasite, P. cynomolgi B strain, tended to be higher than with the heterologous parasites of either strain of P. vivax. This suggested the possibility that perhaps not only certain antigens are shared by the two species but that the simian parasite may possess a different antigen or antigens. Cross reaction experiments were conducted using the sera from two volunteers infected with Chesson strain P. vivax and two with Venezuelan strain P. vivax. The sera from the four P. vivax volunteers were allowed to react with the homologous and heterologous strains of P. vivax, and with the heterologous species, B strain P. cynomolgi. All of these reactions resulted in essentially the same maximum antibody titers with no significant difference. It was not possible to differentiate the Chesson and Venezuelan strains of P. vivax by virtue of their cross reactivity.
Accounting for Progressive Damage in Large Scale Seismic Risk Assessment of RC Buildings

Seismic Risk Assessment of RC Buildings Blank line 11 pt Blank line 11 pt P.C. Miglietta Centre for Post-Graduate Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (ROSE School), Pavia, Italy Blank Line 9 pt B. Borzi European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering (EUCENTRE), Pavia, Italy Blank Line 9 pt P. Ceresa Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori (IUSS), Pavia, Italy
School-based management in Oman: school community’s views and understanding

School based management (SBM) has been introduced recently in public schools of Oman. The aim of this policy is to decentralize the authorities from Ministry of Education to the local schools. In line with this aim, this study had the attempt to investigate the views of school community regarding SBM as a management tool. This paper used the qualitative approach, using multiplecase study in which data were collected through interviews, observation and documents analysis. The participants in this study were school community (principals assistant, senior teachers, and teachers) of four purposefully selected schools in Batinah Governorate of Oman. Data revealed that participants expressed divergent views concerning the SBM system in Oman. They considered the SBM system is a complex and multifaceted concept comprising many elements and these elements can be interpreted differently, have different emphasis and serve different purposes.
Semen quality and cryopreservation in adolescent cancer patients.

BACKGROUND Adult cancer patients are routinely offered pre-treatment sperm cryopreservation. However, only recently has the welfare of adolescent cancer sufferers gained momentum, including their infertility, and unsurprisingly relatively little is known about their semen quality and feasibility of cryopreservation. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 238 adolescent cancer patients referred to our centre between 1991 and 2000, from post-pubertal age up to 19 years 11.9 months, were included. Their semen was processed after appropriate counselling. Semen cryopreservation was possible in 205 of the initial 238 patients referred (86.1%). The pathology of the cancer cases included Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), testicular, leukaemia, and others. The mean sperm counts were broadly uniform across the disease and age groups, except for the AML group. There was no cancer group analysed in which sperm could not be stored. Semen volume was broadly uniform across the disease groups, except the ALL and Ewing's sarcoma groups, which showed relatively lower and higher mean semen volumes respectively. Older adolescent patients appeared to have a higher mean semen volume. CONCLUSIONS Semen cryopreservation was possible in most adolescent cancer cases regardless of age or diagnosis. In all cases the quality of the semen was potentially useful for assisted conception procedures. An offer to freeze sperm in all patients aged >12 years should be made. Adequate support and counselling of both the boys and their parents is essential.