Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of platelet indices and their signiﬁcance in Preeclampsia

: Objective : to evaluate the platelet indices and their significance in assessment of severity of preeclampsia and their correlation with pregnancy outcome. Patient and methods : The present study was a prospective study that was done from January 2012 to March 2013 in EL-Galaa Teaching Hospital and comprised 200 pregnant women who were: 100 normotensive and 100 preeclampsia (68 cases were mild preeclampsia and 32 cases were sever preeclampsia), blood samples were analyzed for platelet indices and the pregnant women were followed up for both maternal and fetal outcome. Results : The present study found that the platelet count decreased, while MPV, PDW and PLcr increased with severity of preeclampsia, poor maternal prognosis and poor fetal prognosis. And from ROC curves we found that in differentiating mild from sever preeclampsia a PLT count cut-off value of 168,000 / mm 3 showed a sensitivity of 87.5 % and specificity of 72.1 %, a MPV cut-off value of 10.3 fl showed a sensitivity of 87.5 % and specificity of 85.3 %, a PDW cut-off value of 16.2 fl showed a sensitivity of 87.5 % and specificity of 85.3 % and a PLcr cut-off value of 29.7 % showed a sensitivity of 87.5 % and specificity of 83.8 %. We also found in predicting poor maternal prognosis a PLT count cut-off value of 116,000 / mm 3 showed sensitivity of 83.7 % and specificity of 88.5 %, a MPV cut-off value of 12.1 fl showed sensitivity of 83.7 % and specificity of 88.5 %, a PDW cut-off value of 18.7 fl showed sensitivity of 83.7 % and specificity of 88.5 % and a PLcr cut-off value of 34.7 % showed sensitivity of 83.7 % and specificity of 88.5 %. We also found that in predicting poor neonatal prognosis a PLT count cut-off value of 128,500 / mm 3 showed sensitivity of 92.3 % and specificity of 94.7 %, a MPV cut-off value of 11.3 fl showed sensitivity of 92.3 % and specificity of 94.7 %, a PDW cut-off value of 17.8 fl showed sensitivity of 92.3 % and specificity of 94.7 % and a PLcr cut-off value of 32.9 % showed sensitivity of 92.3 % and specificity of 94.7 %. Conclusion : We found a relationship between platelet indices and severity of preeclampsia and pregnancy outcome.
Strongyloidiasis and Infective Dermatitis Alter Human T Lymphotropic Virus-1 Clonality in vivo

Human T-lymphotropic Virus-1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that persists lifelong by driving clonal proliferation of infected T-cells. HTLV-1 causes a neuroinflammatory disease and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Strongyloidiasis, a gastrointestinal infection by the helminth Strongyloides stercoralis, and Infective Dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH), appear to be risk factors for the development of HTLV-1 related diseases. We used high-throughput sequencing to map and quantify the insertion sites of the provirus in order to monitor the clonality of the HTLV-1-infected T-cell population (i.e. the number of distinct clones and abundance of each clone). A newly developed biodiversity estimator called “DivE” was used to estimate the total number of clones in the blood. We found that the major determinant of proviral load in all subjects without leukemia/lymphoma was the total number of HTLV-1-infected clones. Nevertheless, the significantly higher proviral load in patients with strongyloidiasis or IDH was due to an increase in the mean clone abundance, not to an increase in the number of infected clones. These patients appear to be less capable of restricting clone abundance than those with HTLV-1 alone. In patients co-infected with Strongyloides there was an increased degree of oligoclonal expansion and a higher rate of turnover (i.e. appearance and disappearance) of HTLV-1-infected clones. In Strongyloides co-infected patients and those with IDH, proliferation of the most abundant HTLV-1+ T-cell clones is independent of the genomic environment of the provirus, in sharp contrast to patients with HTLV-1 infection alone. This implies that new selection forces are driving oligoclonal proliferation in Strongyloides co-infection and IDH. We conclude that strongyloidiasis and IDH increase the risk of development of HTLV-1-associated diseases by increasing the rate of infection of new clones and the abundance of existing HTLV-1+ clones.
Flagellin glycosylation in Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051

Flagellin glycosylation impacts, in several documented cases, the functionality of bacterial flagella. The basis of flagellin glycosylation has been studied for various Gram-negative bacteria, but less is known about flagellin glycans of Gram-positive bacteria including Paenibacillus alvei, a secondary invader of honeybee colonies diseased with European foulbrood. Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051 swarms vigorously on solidified culture medium, with swarming relying on functional flagella as evidenced by abolished biofilm formation of a non-motile P. alvei mutant defective in the flagellin protein Hag. Here, the glycobiology of the polar P. alvei flagella was investigated. Analysis on purified flagellin demonstrated that the 30-kDa Hag protein (PAV_2c01710) is modified with an O-linked trisaccharide comprised of one hexose and two N-acetyl-hexosamine residues, at three sites of glycosylation. Downstream of the hag gene on the bacterial chromosome, two open reading frames (PAV_2c01630, PAV_2c01640) encoding putative glycosyltransferases were shown to constitute a flagellin glycosylation island. Mutants defective in these genes exhibited altered migration in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as well as loss of extracellular flagella production and bacterial motility. This study reveals that flagellin glycosylation in P. alvei is pivotal to flagella formation and bacterial motility in vivo, and simultaneously identifies flagella glycosylation as a second protein O-glycosylation system in this bacterium, in addition to the well-investigated S-layer tyrosine O-glycosylation pathway. M ax P la nc k In st itu te o f C ol lo id s a nd In te rfa ce s · A ut ho r M an us cr ip t MPIKG Public Access Author Manuscript
BOUND COMPLEMENT AND IMMUNOLOGIC INJURY OF BLOOD VESSELS

Rats and guinea pigs were depleted of complement (C') by treatment with heat aggregated human γ-globulin (agg HGG), zymosan, anti-β1C globulin, and carrageenan. Although antigen and antibody were bound to vascular structures, Arthus reactions were inhibited. This inhibition was characterized by the lack of C' binding to walls of vessels, the lack of polymorphonuclear (PMN's) cellular infiltrates, and the lack of significant vascular damage. When the same animals were followed for several hours thereafter, levels of serum C' began to rise, C' was bound in tissues, PMN infiltrates appeared, and immunologic vasculitis developed. Blood counts, chemotaxis of PMN's induced by lysates of PMN granules, together with studies on motility and phagocytosis by PMN's obtained from C' depleted rats, failed to establish any abnormality in these cells which would account for inhibition of Arthus reactions. The specificity of C' depletion in terms of effects in the first four reacting components of guinea pig C' was studied. Treatment with agg HGG led to loss of activity in all components, whereas zymosan and anti-β1C globulin predominately affected the third component (C'3c). Carrageenan mainly affected the first two reacting components of C'. Thus, the availability of the 3c component, or a subsequently reacting component, correlated with the attraction of PMN's to immune reactants in vivo. Various antibodies with different C' fixing capacities in vitro were tested for their ability to induce immunologic vasculitis in normal animals. In rats, only those antibodies which fixed C' in vitro possessed biological activity, whereas in guinea pigs, all antibodies tested, regardless of C' fixation in vitro, induced Arthus reactions. For a given antibody in rats the vasculitis-inducing property was reflected in its ability to bind C' in vascular structures. Rats depleted of circulating PMN's by specific antibody were tested for Arthus activity. Although concentrations of immune reactants and C' were readily detected in vascular structures, no PMN infiltration occurred and significant vascular damage was averted.
Plasma rich in growth factors membrane as coadjuvant treatment in the surgery of ocular surface disorders

Abstract To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the surgical use of plasma rich in growth factors fibrin membrane (mPRGF) in different ocular surface pathologies. Fifteen patients with different corneal and conjunctival diseases were included in the study. Patients were grouped according to the use of mPRGF as graft (corneal and/or conjunctival) or dressing; they were also grouped according to the surgical subgroup of intervention (persistent corneal ulcer [PCU], keratoplasty, superficial keratectomy, corneal perforation, and pterygium). Best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), inflammation control time (ICT), mPRGF AT (PRGF membrane absorption time), and the healing time of the epithelial defect (HTED) were evaluated throughout the clinical follow-up time. Safety assessment was also performed reporting all adverse events. mPRGF showed a total closure of the defect in 13 of 15 patients (86.7%) and a partial closure in 2 patients (13.3%). The mean follow-up time was 11.1 ± 4.2 (4.8–22.8) months, the mean ICT was 2.5 ± 1.1 (1.0–4.0) months, the mean mPRGF AT was 12.4 ± 2.0 (10.0–16.0) days, and for the global HTED the mean was 2.9 ± 1.2 (1–4.8) months. Results showed an improvement in BCVA in all patients, with an overall improvement of 2.9 in Vision Lines. The BCVA significantly improved (P < .05) in the groups of corneal graft and dressing. In the PCU subgroup (6 patients), the healing time of epithelial defect was significantly reduced (P < .05) in patients treated only with the mPRGF in comparison to those which mPRGF therapy was associated to the amniotic membrane. The IOP remained stable (P > .05) throughout the clinical follow-up time. No adverse events were reported after mPRGF use. The mPRGF is effective and safe as coadjuvant treatment in surgeries related with ocular surface disorders, being an alternative to the use of amniotic membrane. The mPRGF accelerates tissue regeneration after ocular surface surgery thus minimizing inflammation and fibrosis.
Current Standard and Future Perspectives in Non-Surgical Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive liver tumor with a poor 5-year survival rate. Many HCCs are not amenable to surgical resection, because of tumor size, location, or because of the patient's poor liver function, a common obstacle to HCC therapy, because HCCs almost always develop in chronically inflamed livers. Summary: In recent years, many efforts have been made to improve patient survival by conducting clinical trials investigating local and systemic treatment options for patients with unresectable tumors. These treatment options include radiofrequency ablation (RFA), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), selective internal radiotherapy with yttrium-90 (SIRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), proton beam therapy, molecular targeted therapy, and checkpoint inhibition. In this “to-the-point” article, we review the current standard and summarize the most recent findings in unresectable HCC treatment. Key Points: (1) RFA is currently the preferred treatment for patients with tumor burden restricted to the liver and not eligible for surgical resection; (2) TACE is utilized in patients who are not eligible for RFA because of tumor location and/or number of tumor lesions; (3) SIRT might improve treatment responses achieved by TACE and is feasible in patients with portal vein thrombosis; (4) new radiation therapy treatment modalities such as SBRT and proton beam therapy show promising results for local tumor control; and (5) sorafenib remains the first-line systemic treatment option after several large clinical trials have failed to show superiority of other molecular targeted therapies in HCC patients.
The sociology of cancer: a decade of research

Abstract Biomedicine is often presented as the driving force behind improvements in cancer care, with genomics the latest innovation poised to change the meaning, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and lived experience of cancer. Reviewing sociological analyses of a diversity of patient and practitioner experiences and accounts of cancer during the last decade (2007–17), we explore the experiences of, approaches to and understandings of cancer in this period. We identify three key areas of focus: (i) cancer patient experiences and identities; (ii) cancer risk and responsibilities and (iii) bioclinical collectives. We explore these sociological studies of societal and biomedical developments and how sociologists have sought to influence developments in cancer identities, care and research. We end by suggesting that we extend our understanding of innovations in the fields of cancer research to take better account of these wider social and cultural innovations, together with patients, activists' and sociologists' contributions therein.
The Value of Green: The Effect of Environmental Rankings on Market Cap

This study empirically examines the relationship between environmental rankings and market cap value. The financial indicators of the Altman Z-Score are used to build a model for market cap value. The data used is from 2000-2008 for 100 of the companies included in Newsweek’s Top 500 Green Rankings 2009. The results support the hypothesis that companies with high environmental rankings have higher market cap values than comparable companies with lower rankings. This shows that either investors are including environmental factors in their stock price valuations, or that a high environmental rank indicates other intangible variables that contribute to a company's value.
Levels of Depression Symptoms and the Risk Factors of Anxiety in High School Students

Objective:To examine the relationship between demographic variables and levels of depression symptoms in high school students,and to explore the risk factors of anxiety.Methods:1,561 Chinese adolescents from two urban and one rural high schools in Hunan completed a demographic form,which included the following variables:sibling status,gender,place of residence,and socioeconomic status.Participants then completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D). Results:The adolescents who were rural,female,non-single,and had lower levels of paternal or maternal education reported higher levels of depression symptoms compared with their demographic counterparts.In addition,the Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis showed that gender was uniquely associated to the depression symptoms.Conclusion:There are significant differences among the levels of depression symptoms of high school students who had different demographic background.As female is the main risk factor of anxiety in adolescents,there is a need for corresponding and appropriate intervention.
Morphometric Study Of Mastoid Canal And Suprameatal Triangle Of Human Egyptian Skull , With Gender Determination

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the anatomical variations of mastoid canal, mastoid groove and suprameatal triangle and to evaluate the use of mastoid process as atool for sex determination in unidentified skeleton. Material and methods: The mastoid region of 100 dry human skulls were observed for prescence of mastoid canal and groove.If any, ametallic wire was passed through the canal for its confirmation and then the length was measured. Inspection of suprameatal spine for its shape and size and determine the depth of suprameatal triangle or depression (deep or shallow). The following measurements were taken using vernier caliper:mastoid triangle measurements,mastoid length and mastoid breadth. Results: Mastoid canal was present in 28% of total 100 skull either unilaterally or bilaterally.mastoid groove was present in 24% of total 100 skull.both mastoid canal &groove were present in 8% of total 100 skull.suprameatal triangle was deep in 46% of total skulls and it was shallow in 30% of total skulls.The most prevalent type of supameatal spine was crest type (46%) while triangular type was present in 26% of total skulls.There were a highly significant difference between both sex (p< 0.01) as regard mastoid triangle measurements,mastoid length and mastoid breadth. Conclusion: It was possible to conclude that mastoid canal,mastoid groove and the suprameatal triangle presents anatomical variations that may help neurosurgeons and otologic surgeones during surgical procedures which involve access to structure in posterior cranial fossa and mastoid air system. [Saadia Ahmed Shalaby, Essam Mohammed Eid, Omar Abd-Alaziz Allam,Naglaa Ali Sarg and Amal Ghonaimi Metwally. Morphometric Study Of Mastoid Canal And Suprameatal Triangle Of Human Egyptian Skull,With Gender Determination. Nat Sci 2016;14(4):67-73]. ISSN 1545-0740 (print); ISSN 2375-7167 (online). http://www.sciencepub. net/nature. 8. doi:10.7537/marsnsj14041608.
Plasma Levels of B Vitamins and Colorectal Cancer Risk: The Multiethnic Cohort Study

B vitamins, such as folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, play an important role as coenzymes in one-carbon metabolism and may affect colorectal cancer risk. We aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationships of plasma folate, pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP, the active form of vitamin B6), vitamin B12, methylmalonic acid, homocysteine, and cysteine with colorectal cancer risk, accounting for suspected modifiers (alcohol intake, MTHFR C677T genotype, and plasma C-reactive protein) and potential confounders. We conducted a case-control study nested within the Multiethnic Cohort study and analyzed prospectively collected blood samples from 224 incident colorectal cancer cases and 411 controls matched on age, sex, race/ethnicity, study site, date/time of blood draw, and hours of fasting. We found an inverse association between plasma PLP levels and colorectal cancer, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for increasing quartiles of 1.00, 0.84 (0.51-1.40), 0.62 (0.37-1.03), and 0.49 (0.29-0.83), with P trend = 0.009. This association was not explained by an association with plasma folate, seemed to be stronger at low levels of alcohol intake and among individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype, and was independent of plasma C-reactive protein levels. An inverse association with plasma folate was also observed among individuals with a low level of alcohol intake. These data suggest an independent role for vitamin B6 in reducing colorectal cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(8):2195–201)
AFFECTIVE EVENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE

We propose that consideration of affective events theory can enrich our understanding of leader-member exchange (LMX) development. Drawing from previous research, we argue that high-quality LMX relationships progress through three stages: role taking, role making, and role routinization. Affective events theory indicates that emotions are relevant at each of these three stages, although their influence is manifested in different ways and at different levels of analysis. During the initial role-taking stage, leaders’ affective expressions serve as affective events influencing member emotions through the processes of emotional contagion and affective empathy, which determine the progress of further relationship development. Next, during the role-making stage, leaders and members are both sources of affective events, and they may gradually become affectively entrained such that their affective states tend to fluctuate in a common rhythm. This pattern of dyadic-level affect helps to build high-quality LMX rel.
Statistical task modeling of activities of daily living for rehabilitation

Stroke survivors suffering from cognitive deficits experience difficulty completing their daily self-care activities. The latter are referred to as activities of daily living (ADL). The resulting loss of independence makes them rely on caregivers to help them go through their daily routine. However, such reliance on caregivers may conflict with their need for privacy and willingness to keep a control over their life. A possible solution to tackle this issue is the development of an assistive or rehabilitation system.
Involvement of Carbohydrate, Protein and Phenylanine Ammonia Lyase in Up-Regulation of Secondary Metabolites in Labisia pumila under Various CO2 and N2 Levels

A split plot factorial 2 × 3 experiment was designed to examine and characterize the relationships among secondary metabolites (total phenolics, TP; total flavonoids, TF), carbohydrate content, C/N ratio, protein synthesis and L–phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL; EC 4.3.1.5) activity in the Malaysian medicinal herb Labisia pumila (Blume) Fern-Vill. under different CO2 concentrations (400 = ambient and 1,200 µmol mol−1 CO2) and three levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 90 and 270 kg N ha−1) for 15 weeks. The interaction between CO2 and nitrogen levels imposed a significant impact on plant secondary metabolite production, protein, PAL activity and fructose levels. Highest TP and TF were recorded under 1,200 µmol mol−1 CO2 when N fertilizer was not applied; lowest values were obtained at 400 µmol mol−1 CO2 fertilized with the highest N level. Concurrently, fructose contents increased tremendously. Increase in fructose content might also enhance erythose-4-phosphate production (substrate for lignin and phenolic compounds), which shares a common precursor transdalolase in the pentose phosphate pathway. PAL activity was noted to be highest under 1,200 µmol mol−1 CO2 + 0 kg N ha−1 coinciding with subsequent recording of the lowest protein content. The results implied that the increase in plant secondary metabolites production under the tested conditions might be due to diversion of phenylalanine for protein synthesis to production of secondary metabolites. It was also found that the sucrose to starch ratio was also high under high levels of nitrogen fertilization, indicating an enhanced sucrose phosphate synthase activity (SPS; EC 2.4.1.14) under such condition.
An evolutionary hybrid scheduler based in Petri net structures for FMS scheduling

Addresses a hybrid scheduling methodology for flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) that uses Petri nets (PNs) as a modeling tool and several successfully employed scheduling methods: conflict-solving based on heuristic dispatching algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) heuristic search, problem decomposition and evolutionary approximation algorithms as search tools. PNs have been traditionally employed in scheduling approaches based on discrete event simulation and more recently, the combination of PNs and AI heuristic search has produced interesting results. PNs also allow easy structural analysis towards a decomposition of the problem. In this paper PNs are employed as a representation paradigm and a decomposition-construction scheduling method is based on them. A PN-based AI systematic heuristic search is used to solve sub-problems which are progressively joined by an evolutionary building procedure. Experimental results based on a preliminary implementation of the method are presented.
A study on the performance factors for wireless lighting control networks

Modern lighting control system is heralding a radical change since the development of LED lighting and the universalization of Internet. An advanced lighting system is started to be controlled anywhere anytime without being constrained in time and space through internet, and can be automatically controlled depending on the ambient light environment. In addition, range of lighting controls began to be fine as a single unit lighting in the room, and it began to use wireless communication instead of wired communication technologies described for the individual lighting control. However, the number of lights to be controlled is too many and dense. In this paper, we summarized the considerations of lighting control system using wireless technology and lighting elements that should be considered by applying the ad hoc mode or infrastructure mode of wireless communication technology.