Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Study Circulating Cytokines and Histological Liver Damage in Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

1 Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 3Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 4Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 5Department of Pediatrics, Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Identification of Novel genotypes of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus ( RSV ) A strain circulating in Sudan

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in children and vulnerable adults, but little is known regarding RSV infection in Sudan. 224 throat swab specimens were collected from children less than 5 years old, with respiratory tract infections admitted at Khartoum Hospitals in winter season (20112012), were screened for RSV using direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA), Reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Nested RT-PCR. Nucleotide sequencing and bioinformatics analysis based on the G gene were done for nine cell culture isolated of RSV strains and were positive by DFA, RT-PCR and Nested RT-PCR. Out of 224 patients, RSV infections were detected in 136 (60.7%) patients, using DFA technique, 44 (19.6%) patients using RT-PCR and 14 (41.2%) patients, using Nested RT-PCR. Multiple sequence alignment of Sudanese RSV sequences showed, substitution of amino acid serine (S) to Cysteine (C) at position 11 in isolate176, In isolate 316 also there was substitution of amino acid Asparagine (N) to lysine (K) at position 73. Insertion of G at position 84 and A at position103 in isolate 377 cause frame shift mutations, when compared to other RSV G genes from database. The G protein novel mutations in isolates 176, 316 and 377 were damaging the protein in addition to change in functions and 3D structure of mutant protein of the Sudanese RSV strains, this may have implications for RSV vaccine development in Sudan.
Influence of NPK and bio fertilizers on growth , yield and quality of china aster ( Callistephus chinensis ( L . ) Nees ) for cut flower production

China aster [Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees], is one of the most popular commercial flower crop grown throughout the world. Nutrition plays an important role for higher quality and yield of China aster cut flowers. Therefore present study on influence of NPK and bio-fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of China aster cv. Poornima for cut flower production. Among the different treatments maximum Plant height (54.67 cm), plant spread (42.60 and 41.00 in N-S and E-W) was recorded in treatment received 100 per cent NPK + Azospirillum + PSB. Number of branches per plant (18.17), number of cut flowers per plant and number of cut flowers per ha (7.33 and 8.13 respectively) and Benefit cost ratio (5.83) was recorded in treatment received 75 per cent N and P + 100 percent K + Azospirillum + PSB. Leaf area per plant 17.67cm, stalk length (27.87 cm), flower diameter (6.09 cm) was recorded in treatment received 50 per cent N and P + 100% K + Azospirillum + PSB.
Satisfaction and Challenges facing Undergraduates with the Use of Online Public Access Catalogue in University Libraries in Gombe State , Nigeria

This study aimed at finding out the level of undergraduate students' satisfaction with Online Public Access Catalogueand the challenges faced. Quantitative research method was adopted for the study, using cross–sectional survey research design. The targeted population was two thousand, eight hundred and forty (2,840), the study centered on registered undergraduate students' in Federal University Kashere and Gombe State University Libraries. Out of this population, four hundred and forty-eight (448) samples were drawn. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics displayed in tables and charts. Inferential statistic using independent sample t-test was used for the null hypothesis formulated, tested at 0.05 level of significant by the used of Statistical Package for Social Science Version 23.0. The study revealed that the level of undergraduate students' satisfaction with OPAC in both libraries is low and the unique challenges faced are: lack of skills to use OPAC independently, inadequate OPAC terminals, and no hyperlink to library OPAC from the university website. The researchers recommend among others that the university libraries in Gombe State should provide different marketing strategies or services to make undergraduate students satisfy with OPAC, train them on how to use OPAC independently, also there should be hyperlink from the university website that will link undergraduates to information resources that are online or in soft copy.
Evaluating Lottery Tickets Under Distributional Shifts

The Lottery Ticket Hypothesis suggests large, over-parameterized neural networks consist of small, sparse subnetworks that can be trained in isolation to reach a similar (or better) test accuracy. However, the initialization and generalizability of the obtained sparse subnetworks have been recently called into question. Our work focuses on evaluating the initialization of sparse subnetworks under distributional shifts. Specifically, we investigate the extent to which a sparse subnetwork obtained in a source domain can be re-trained in isolation in a dissimilar, target domain. In addition, we examine the effects of different initialization strategies at transfer-time. Our experiments show that sparse subnetworks obtained through lottery ticket training do not simply overfit to particular domains, but rather reflect an inductive bias of deep neural networks that can be exploited in multiple domains.
The role of market orientation on the relationship between total quality management dimensions and organizational performance : A study on banks in Libya

Article history: Received 31 July 2016 Received in revised form 5 December 2016 Accepted 20 December 2016 Available online 23 December 2016 The main purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of Market Orientation (MO) on the relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) dimensions namely :( management leadership, customer focus, and continuous improvement) and Organizational Performance (OP). Due to inconsistency in the previous literature, a management tool needed to play the role as a mechanism that can explain the relationship between TQM dimensions and organizational performance in better way. Therefore, this study tried to introduce market orientation as the mechanism between TQM dimensions and organizational performance. Questionnaires were distributed to 400 branches of the Libyan banks. 230 questionnaires were returned and used in the analysis using the PLS-SEM. The results of this study revealed that TQM was positive and have also been proven to be significant predictors of organizational performance. More importantly, the results have also confirmed the mediating effect of Market Orientation on the relationships between TQM dimensions, and organizational performance.
MINERAL COMPOSITION OF THE DEEP SEA SEDIMENTS IN THREE SECTORS OF WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

During the International expedition of the research vessel Dmitry Mendeleyev three sectors of the Western Pacific Ocean were studied: Philippine Sea, Solomon Sea and Coral Sea . From these areas also the samples for the orientation were taken in order to do the mineralogical examination with them. Above all, X-ray diffraction technique was used beside the chemical analysis performed by electron microprobe analyzer. Quantitative evaluation of mineral components was carried out applying X-ray diffraction. Standardless technique based on the adiabatic principle enabled the quantitative determination directly from the X-ray diffraction diagram. Generally, sheet silicates – above all smectite, chlorite, mica (illite) − play the leading role in the mineral composition of collected samples of muds taken from the ocean floor. Besides, also minerals of terrigenous origin are present: quartz prevailing mostly over feldspars (plagioclase > K-feldspar). Amphiboles and pyroxenes occured, but not everywhere . Carbonate minerals (calcite >> aragonite) were found only in samples from Coral Sea.
Validation and comparison of simple noninvasive models for the prediction of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis

Correspondence and reprint request: Andrés Cárdenas, MD, MMSc, AGAF Faculty Member. Institute of Digestive Diseases and Metabolism. University of Barcelona. Hospital Clinic Villarroel 170, Esc 3-2. 08036 Barcelona, Spain Tel: (+34) 93 227 5513. Fax: (+34) 93 227 9850 E-mail: acardena@clinic.ub. es Validation and comparison of simple noninvasive models for the prediction of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
Photo-Induced Sodium salt of Partially Carboxymethylated Psyllium-g-Polyacrylonitrile : I . Synthesis and Characterization

An unreported photo-initiated graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) onto sodium salt of partially carboxymethylated psyllium (Na-PCMPSy, DS = 0.13) was studied using uranyl nitrate (UN) as a photo-initiator. The Optimal reaction conditions for affording maximum percentage of grafting were evaluated by successively varying various reaction parameters viz. concentrations of photo-initiator, nitric acid and monomer as well as reaction time, temperature and amount of substrate. At the optimum reaction conditions the maximum values of the grafting yields achieved were %G = 219.62 and %GE = 99.85. The influence of various reaction parameters on the grafting yields was studied. The reaction mechanism for photo-initiated synthesis of Na-PCMPSy-g-PAN was proposed. The photo-induced grafting copolymerization process was confirmed and the products were characterized by using FTIR, XRD and SEM techniques.
Benefits of micronized purified flavonoid fraction PAGE 95 in the reduction of symptoms after operation for hemorrhoidal disease

The etiology and pathophysiology of chronic venous disease (CVD) have been intensively studied in the past decades. The elucidation of mechanisms leading to CVD is a challenging task because acquired phenomena alone are presumably insufficient to explain the full clinical course of the disease. CVD genetic screening adopted the most appropriate methodology to find out which chromosomal and/or gene defects could be responsible for the predisposition. They include family studies, gene expression methods (eg, single candidate gene expression, DNA microarrays), or genotyping methods (eg, single nucleotide polymorphisms, mutations). Investigations have so far only partially produced coherent results and there must be further collaborations in order to successfully advance the field of venous disease genetics. More acute definitions and better classification of patients should avoid major bias. The present review offers a panoramic view on the genetic propensity of venous disorders based on literature. The venous system in humans is permanently submitted to high blood pressures, particularly in lower limb veins. Prolonged venous hypertension, due to standing, unknown among other mammalians, is responsible for diverse clinical aspects of chronic venous disease (CVD), mostly of primary etiology. Globally, CVD may affect more than 60% of the adult population, and its high costs, both at individual and societal levels, have been well documented. Research in recent years has dramatically improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of CVD. Prolonged venous hypertension is linked to all theories regarding CVD pathogenesis and chronic inflammation, which maintains a vicious circle of disease progression. Numerous inflammatory factors, cytokines, growth factors, and tissue enzymes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor growth factor  (TGF), and tissue inhibitors of the matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are involved in the loop, which ends with remodeling and fibrosis of the venous wall. These complex interacting events have been extensively studied. Chronic hypertension is transmitted to the capillaries, which ultimately leads to ulceration (see below for more details).
Iron-deficiency anemia due to chronic gastrointestinal bleeding.

Aims: chronic gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the general population. The objectives of this study were to determine the most frequent gastrointestinal lesions in IDA, the frequency and localization of potentially bleeding lesions, the value of the clinical history in diagnosis, the value of fecal occult blood testing, and the most appropriate diagnostic procedure for these patients. Methods: we prospectively studied 80 patients older than 40 years with IDA, using upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) endoscopy and colonoscopy, beginning with the former (group A) or the latter (group B) depending on the clinical findings. Barium enema was done when colonoscopy was incomplete or unsatisfactory. If all these tests were negative, conventional barium contrast study of the small intestine and arteriography were done, if necessary. Results: upper GI endoscopy found at least one lesion in 50 patients (72%), 13 in association with a colonic lesion (26%). Colonoscopy detected at least one lesion in 31 patients (45%), among whom 11 had another upper GI lesion (35.5%). Barium enema was positive in 4 out of 24 patients (17%). Barium contrast study of the small intestine detected lesions in 1 out of 7 patients (14%), and arteriography in 1 out of 4 patients (25%). The most common upper GI lesions were of peptic origin (esophagitis in 10, gastroduodenal erosions in 10, and peptic ulcer in 8). Neoplasms (17 cancers and 3 polyps) were the most common colonic lesion. Thirteen out of 38 patients (34%) with a potentially bleeding benign upper GI lesion had another lesion in the colon. The fecal occult blood test was positive in 9 out of 10 patients with colonic cancer and in 5 out of 9 with gastric cancer (74% positive predictive value). Nonsteroid antiinflammatory drug use did not correlate with the presence, location or type of lesion. The reliability of the clinically suspected origin of bleeding was 96% sensitivity, 43% specificity and 74% positive predictive value in group A, and 34%, 93% and 80% respectively in group B. Conclusions: lesions that cause chronic bleeding were more frequently located in the upper digestive tract than in the colon. There was a high prevalence of neoplasms in patients with IDA. One-third of the patients with a potentially bleeding benign lesion in the upper digestive tract had another lesion in the colon. A positive fecal occult blood test correlated highly with neoplastic lesions, and the presence of blood in the stool did not indicate whether bleeding originated in the upper or lower GI tract. Clinical history was of limited value in predicting the location of a bleeding lesion, but can be suggestive of a prior upper GI tract exploration. These patients need a complete study of both the upper and lower GI tracts. In patients in whom the aforementioned explorations are negative, the small bowel should be studied.
Why Do Some Firms Become Debt-Free ?

We identify and examine a substantial number of firms that are debt-free. Debt-free firms are smaller, have fewer tangible assets and fewer credit ratings, and yet have relatively greater cash holdings and better stock-quality ranks than levered firms, suggesting that borrowing constraints and relative market conditions contribute to firms’ extreme debt conservatism. Debt-free firms also pay exceptionally high dividends, which reflects their efforts to mitigate the adverse effect of the agency problem and to maintain accessibility to equity capital on favorable terms. Small debt-free firms are able to raise equity on attractive terms for their investments as their high dividends establish good reputations for them in the capital markets. Large debt-free firms’ high dividends, on the other hand, substitute for debt in addressing the agency problem between managers and shareholders of current free cash flow as these firms generate more cash flows relative to their investment needs. JEL Classification: G32
Matrix Mechanics as Regulatory Factors and Therapeutic Targets in Hepatic Fibrosis

The hallmark of liver fibrosis is excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and deposition that improve liver matrix remodeling and stiffening. Increased matrix stiffness is not only a pathological consequence of liver fibrosis in traditional view, but also recognized as a key driver in pathological progression of hepatic fibrosis. Cells can perceive changes in the mechanical characteristics of hepatic matrix and respond by means of mechanical signal transduction pathways to regulate cell behavior. In this review, the authors first classify causes of liver matrix stiffening during fibrotic progression, such as higher degree of collagen cross-linking. The latest advances of the research on the matrix mechanics in regulating activation of HSCs or fibroblasts under two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment is also classified and summarized. The mechanical signaling pathways involved in the process of hepatic matrix stiffening, such as YAP-TAZ signaling pathway, are further summarized. Finally, some potential therapeutic concepts and strategies based on matrix mechanics will be detailed. Collectively, these findings reinforce the importance of matrix mechanics in hepatic fibrosis, and underscore the value of clarifying its modulation in hopes of advancing the development of novel therapeutic targets and strategies for hepatic fibrosis.
Comparative performance of four immunological test kits for the detection of Paralytic Shell fi sh Toxins in Tasmanian shell fi sh Juan Jos

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (Group 1) seriously impacted the Tasmanian shellfish industry during 2012 and 2015, necessitating product recalls and intensive paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) product testing. The performance of four commercial PST test kits, AbraxisTM, EuroproximaTM, ScotiaTM and NeogenTM, was compared with the official AOAC LC-FLD method for contaminated mussels and oysters. Abraxis and Europroxima kits underestimated PST in 35e100% of samples when using standard protocols but quantification improved when concentrated extracts were further diluted (underestimation 18%). The Scotia kit (cut off 0.2e0.7 mg STX-diHCl eq/kg) delivered 0% false negatives, but 27% false positives. Neogen produced 5% false negatives and 13% false positives when the cut off was altered to 0.5e0. 6 mg STX-diHCl eq/kg, the introduction of a conversion step eliminated false negatives. Based on their sensitivity, ease of use and performance, the Neogen kit proved the most suitable kit for use with Tasmanian mussels and oysters. Once formally validated for regulatory purposes, the Neogen kit could provide shellfish growers with a rapid tool for harvesting decisions at the farm gate. Effective rapid screening preventing compliant samples undergoing testing using the more expensive and time consuming LC-FLD method will result in significant savings in analytical costs. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Conflict Management and Employee Commitment among Academic Staff in Public Universities in South East , Nigeria

The seeming non recognition and the reluctance to wade into interpersonal conflict in the studied Universities necessitated this study. The broad objective was to determine the type of relationship that exists between conflict management and employee commitment among academic staff in selected Public Universities in the South East. The study employed a survey research design; questionnaire was the instrument of data collection. The population of the study was 460 and the sample size was 210 arrived at using Krejcie and Morgan formula. A total of 190 copies of questionnaire were analysed. The hypothesis was tested using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at 5% level of significance. The findings revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and employee commitment with a correlation coefficient of 871 (r =.871 < .05) and that there is a significant positive relationship between integrating style and employee commitment with a correlation coefficient of 902 (r =.902 < .05). It was concluded therefore that the style adopted in managing conflict and the emotional level of the people involved has an effect on the how fast and well the conflict will be managed. Sequel to this, it was recommended among other things that the academic staff of the studied universities should always put the feeling of others into consideration while resolving conflict, the people in conflict should be open minded and ready to hear out the other person so as to take the best possible and rational decision while managing conflict and that emotions should be kept in check and regulated so as to be sensitive to certain issues.
Extraction of Remaining Teeth and Same Day Loading of Neoss Proactive Dental Implants with a Full-arch Fixed Provisional Bridge. A Survival Analysis

Removal of remaining teeth and same day loading of an implant-supported full-arch bridge may be a sensible treatment modality for many patients presenting with a severely diseased partial dentition. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyse 30 consecutive patients (21 female/ 9 male, mean age 61.9 + 11.1 years) subjected to removal of all remaining teeth, placement of four to six implants and loading of a full-arch provisional bridge the same day. A total of 156 dental implants (Proactive Straight, Neoss Ltd, Harrogate, UK) 3.5 to 5 mm in diameter and 9 to 13 mm in lengths were placed in 21 maxillae and 14 mandibles. Provisional acrylic bridges were fabricated in the in-house dental laboratory and fitted after a few hours from the surgical procedures using screw retention. The fabrication of the definitive prostheses was initiated between three to six months from the implant placement. A total of four implants failed in three patients during the initial healing period with provisional bridges in place, giving a cumulative survival rate of 97.3 % during a mean follow-up period of 3.5 + 1.0 years (range 2–5 years). Two failures occurred in the maxilla as a result of fracture of the provisional bridge and two in the mandible due to infection. These three patients had new implants placed and could maintain the repaired or a new provisional bridge during the additional healing period. A total of seven provisional acrylic bridges fractured. No implant failures were observed after placement of the permanent fixed bridges. Few minor other complications occurred during the follow-up. It is concluded that the evaluated treatment concept resulted in a high implant survival rate and few complications after a follow-up of 2 to 5 years. Although not quantified, the positive effects on self-esteem and psychosocial wellbeing was obvious. Keyword: Dental Implants, Full-Arch Bridge, Follow-Up Study, Extraction Sockets, Immediate Loading, Screw-Retained Prosthesis