Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Barriers to the use of maternity waiting homes in indigenous regions of Guatemala: a study of users' and community members' perceptions

Maternal mortality among indigenous women in Guatemala is high. To reduce deaths during transport from far-away rural communities to the hospital, maternity waiting homes (MWH) were established near to hospitals where women with high-risk pregnancies await their delivery before being transferred for labour to the hospital. However, the homes are under-utilised. We conducted a qualitative study with 48 stakeholders (MWH users, family members, community leaders, MWH staff, Mayan midwives and health centre and hospital medical staff) in Huehuetenango and Cuilco to identify barriers before, during and after the women's stay in the homes. The women most in need – indigenous women from remote areas – seemed to have least access to the MWHs. Service users' lack of knowledge about the existence of the homes, limited provision of culturally appropriate care and a lack of sustainable funding were the most important problems identified. While the strategy of MWHs has the potential to contribute to the prevention of maternal (as well as newborn) deaths in rural Guatemala, they can only function effectively if they are planned and implemented with community involvement and support, through a participatory approach.
Biotic homogenization can decrease landscape-scale forest multifunctionality

Significance Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of biodiversity in maintaining multiple ecosystem functions and services (multifunctionality) at local spatial scales, but it is unknown whether similar relationships are found at larger spatial scales in real-world landscapes. Here, we show, for the first time to our knowledge, that biodiversity can also be important for multifunctionality at larger spatial scales in European forest landscapes. Both high local (α-) diversity and a high turnover in species composition between locations (high β-diversity) were found to be potentially important drivers of ecosystem multifunctionality. Our study provides evidence that it is important to conserve the landscape-scale biodiversity that is being eroded by biotic homogenization if ecosystem multifunctionality is to be maintained. Many experiments have shown that local biodiversity loss impairs the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple ecosystem functions at high levels (multifunctionality). In contrast, the role of biodiversity in driving ecosystem multifunctionality at landscape scales remains unresolved. We used a comprehensive pan-European dataset, including 16 ecosystem functions measured in 209 forest plots across six European countries, and performed simulations to investigate how local plot-scale richness of tree species (α-diversity) and their turnover between plots (β-diversity) are related to landscape-scale multifunctionality. After accounting for variation in environmental conditions, we found that relationships between α-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality varied from positive to negative depending on the multifunctionality metric used. In contrast, when significant, relationships between β-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality were always positive, because a high spatial turnover in species composition was closely related to a high spatial turnover in functions that were supported at high levels. Our findings have major implications for forest management and indicate that biotic homogenization can have previously unrecognized and negative consequences for large-scale ecosystem multifunctionality.
Selective down‐regulation of the astrocyte glutamate transporters GLT‐1 and GLAST within the medial thalamus in experimental Wernicke's encephalopathy

Although earlier studies on thiamine deficiency have reported increases in extracellular glutamate concentration in the thalamus, a vulnerable region of the brain in this disorder, the mechanism by which this occurs has remained unresolved. Treatment with pyrithiamine, a central thiamine antagonist, resulted in a 71 and 55% decrease in protein levels of the astrocyte glutamate transporters GLT‐1 and GLAST, respectively, by immunoblotting in the medial thalamus of day 14 symptomatic rats at loss of righting reflexes. These changes occurred prior to the onset of convulsions and pannecrosis. Loss of both GLT‐1 and GLAST transporter sites was also confirmed in this region of the thalamus at the symptomatic stage using immunohistochemical methods. In contrast, no change in either transporter protein was detected in the non‐vulnerable frontal parietal cortex. These effects are selective; protein levels of the astrocyte GABA transporter GAT‐3 were unaffected in the medial thalamus. In addition, astrocyte‐specific glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) content was unchanged in this brain region, suggesting that astrocytes are spared in this disorder. Loss of GLT‐1 or GLAST protein was not observed on day 12 of treatment, indicating that down‐regulation of these transporters occurs within 48 h prior to loss of righting reflexes. Finally, GLT‐1 content was positively correlated with levels of the neurofilament protein α‐internexin, suggesting that early neuronal drop‐out may contribute to the down‐regulation of this glutamate transporter and subsequent pannecrosis. A selective, focal loss of GLT‐1 and GLAST transporter proteins provides a rational explanation for the increase in interstitial glutamate levels, and may play a major role in the selective vulnerability of thalamic structures to thiamine deficiency‐induced cell death.
Differences and Similarities: Brand Trust Offline and Online

Social media is a pervasive platform, and consumers increasingly want to connect with it. The growth of mobile devices has increased connectivity to social media, but accessing social media platforms has uncovered interesting results with gender differences between males and females. Trust models have evolved to take account of website interactivity, website environment design, and brand effect on brand trust. Themes on ability, benevolence, integrity, and predictability are also influencers on brand trust. Increasing access to social media is changing attitudes and behaviour to challenge established social and behavioural norms. Brands in the online and offline environments are exposed to risks, but the sheer level of interactivity and connectedness of social media increases the consequence of negative responses. However, the use of brand communities could be a way forward to negate the risk of brand contamination.
Reliability, Validity, and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Turkish Version of the Bournemouth Questionnaire

Study Design. Validation of a self-report questionnaire. Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Turkish version of the Bournemouth Questionnaire. Summary of Background Data. Low back pain is one of the most frequent disorders leading to activity limitation. This pain affects most of people in their lives. The most important point to evaluate patient's functional abilities and to decide a successful therapy procedure is to manage the assessment questionnaires precisely. Methods. One hundred ten patients with chronic low back pain were included in present study. To assess reliability, test-retest and internal consistency analyses were applied. The results of test-retest analysis were assessed by using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient method (95% confidence interval). For internal consistency, Cronbach alpha value was calculated. Validity of the questionnaire was assessed in terms of construct validity. For construct validity, factor analysis and convergent validity were tested. For convergent validity, total points of the Bournemouth Questionnaire were assessed with the total points of Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire by using Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Results. Cronbach alpha value was found 0.914, showing that this questionnaire has high internal consistency. The results of test-retest analysis were varying between 0.851 and 0.927, which shows that test-retest results are highly correlated. Factor analysis test indicated that this questionnaire had one factor. Pearson correlation coefficient of the Bournemouth Questionnaire with Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire was calculated 0.703 and it was found with Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale is 0.659. These results showed that the Bournemouth Questionnaire is very good correlated with Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale. Conclusion. The Turkish version of the Bournemouth Questionnaire is valid and reliable. Level of Evidence: 3
Prediction of decompression illness using bubble models.

The method of maximum likelihood was applied to models of bubble formation and evolution against data involving decompression illness (DCI). Equilibrium and non-equilibrium gas kinetic models were tested under the constraint of a finite tissue volume. The equilibrium model (leq), where the internal gas of a bubble is in partial pressure and mechanical equilibrium with the gas dissolved in tissue, assumed formation of a bubble upon any gas supersaturation. The non-equilibrium model (neq), where mechanical equilibrium is maintained but the exchange of gas between the bubble and the tissue is governed by a rate constant, assumed formation of a bubble at the metastable equilibrium state which requires a specific degree of gas supersaturation. In addition, another version of bubble evolution based on the diffusivity of gas in tissue (vl) was tested under similar finite volume constraints. Model parameters included liquid surface tension, the gas exchange rate constant, gas solubility, and the tissue time constant. The risk of DCI was based on the bubble radius (R) raised to powers ranging from 0 to 6. The data included 2,023 man-dives in 630 different dive profiles of air and nitrox gas mixtures with depth ranging from 1.75 to 7.09 bar and bottom time ranging from 2.8 to 300.2 min. There were 97 occurrences of DCI and 27 occurrences of marginal symptoms. Predictions of the neq and vl models were quite similar and suggested that the tissue primarily responsible for bubble formation leading to DCI in the present analysis has a perfusion rate of about 4.0 ml blood.100 ml-1.min-1. The best fit of the data for a single compartment of 10(-4) ml vol was obtained with the leq model and a risk based on R4, and an estimated time constant of 95.6 +/- 9.8 min.
Understanding Customer's Initial Trust in Internet Banking Services: A Field Study in Jordan

The aim of this study is to develop a unified model of initial trust for the adoption of internet banking services (IBS) in developing countries. In particular, three groups of factors have been investigated: trust literature, diffusion of innovation theory, and national culture, in order to reveal their effect on forming a customer’s initial trust in IBS. We collected data using a survey and then analysed it using structural equation modelling. According to the obtained results, initial trust in internet banking services was significantly affected by: (i) factors obtained from the trust literature, which are disposition to trust, organisational structural assurance, and reputation. (ii) Relative advantages, which was adopted from the diffusion of innovation theory. (iii) Uncertainty avoidance, which is a dimension of national culture. Also, analysis of results showed a high impact of initial trust in IBS on the intention to use it. However, unlike developed countries, we found that some factors not to have noticeable influence on initial trust in IBS, such as: technical structural assurance and individualism versus collectivism.
HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 70 IS NOT INCREASED IN WOMEN WITH SEVERE PREECLAMPSIA

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine if heat shock protein 70 (Hsp 70), a marker of cellular stress, is elevated in pregnancies complicated by severe preeclampsia. Methods: Maternal blood was collected from women with severe preeclampsia (n=47) matched for delivery gestational age to normotensive pregnant controls (n=51). Hsp 70 concentrations were measured by standard ELISA techniques. Data were analyzed with the Student's t-test and chi-square test. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measured was Hsp 70 concentrations. Our hypothesis prior to data collection was that HSP 70 would be increased in women with severe preeclampsia. Results: Compared with normotensive women, those with severe preeclampsia had similar maternal age, parity, delivery gestational age, maternal weight, and ethnicity. There was no difference in mean concentrations of Hsp 70 between women with severe preeclampsia and controls (35.4±96.7 vs. 30.1±11.5, p=0.80). Similar numbers of women with severe preeclampsia (n=28) and controls (n=30) had Hsp 70 concentrations below the 0.02 ng/dL level of detection (chi-square value=0.024, p=0.88). Conclusion: Hsp 70 concentrations are not elevated in women with severe preeclampsia.
Characterization of chronic daily headaches in children in a multidisciplinary headache center

Background: Chronic daily headaches (CDH) occur in >4% of the adult population. The criteria for CDH, however, are controversial. In children, the characterization of frequent headaches and CDH is limited. Methods: A Headache Center to characterize headaches in children (3 to 18 years old) was established. Over 34 months, 577 children have been evaluated. With use of a definition of ≥15 headaches per month, 200 (34.6%) children had CDH. Results: The average age at the first headache in these children was 9.3 ± 3.6 years, whereas the average age at presentation to the Headache Center was 12.5 ± 3.1 years. Sixty-eight percent were girls, 88% were Caucasian, and 11% were African American. Ninety-two percent clinically had migraine headaches, whereas 60.5% met the International Headache Society migraine criteria. The pain was pulsatile in 79%, 63.5% had nausea with or without vomiting, and 59.5% had photophobia and phonophobia. Three subcategories emerged, with 37% having frequent headaches but not daily, 43.5% having episodic daily headaches, and 19.5% having a continuous headache. Conclusion: The features of CDH in children most closely match those of migraine. A clear division of these children using frequency identifies three groups: frequent headaches (15 to 29), daily intermittent, and daily continuous. The daily continuous group is the most unique; however, the nature of these headaches continues to remain migrainous.
Overlap of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache in the International Headache Society Classification

Using questionnaire data from two recent surveys, headache sufferers were classified as having either migraine, episodic, or chronic tension-type headache using the International Headache Society criteria. Of 410 subjects with a headache history of 2 years or more, 147 or 35.9% were assigned Code 1.7 (migrainous disorder not fulfilling the above criteria) or Code 2.3 (headache of the tension-type not fulfilling above criteria). In 79 of these 147 subjects (53.7%), either of the above codes would have been equally valid. Separate scores for “migraine” and “tension” symptoms may provide a way to handle this overlap and aid in choosing optimal therapy.
Transcriptional Profile of CYP3As and Functional Expression of CYP3A29 from Piglets

Expression profile of CYP3A individuals from piglets and characterization of CYP3A29 were investigated. Real-Time PCR showed that the liver and small intestines present the highest expression levels of CYP3A29, a human CYP3A4 homolog. The CYP3A29 was functional expressed in Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system together with NADPH p450 reductase (NPR) and cytochrome b5. For nifedipine oxidation (NOD) activity, recombinant CYP3A29 system showed similar enzyme kinetic parameters (Km = 14.1 ~ 25.3 muM) to human recombinant CYP3A4, and a little variant to liver microsomes (Km = 29.6 ~ 45.2 muM) from piglets. The NOD activity of recombinant CYP3A29 was strongly inhibited by ketoconazole (KET) and troleandomycin (TAO), and was slightly changed by inhibitors for other p450 enzymes from human. These results provided in detailed information of the characterizations of CYP3A29. We conclude from these results that caution should be hold when specific inhibitors or probes for human p450 enzymes are employed to investigate the veterinary drug metabolism.
Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Acanthamoebae are ubiquitous in nature. They can be found in unprocessed and domestic tap water, under ice in 21C water of northern fresh lakes, seawater, chlorinated swimming pools, hot tubs, insect vectors such as cockroaches and flies, soil, dust, and sewerage. They survive temperature extremes, from – 201C to 421C. Pathogenic strains tolerate higher temperatures than nonpathogenic strains. Acanthamoebae can also be isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs in asymptomatic individuals.
Increase in liver antioxidant enzyme activities in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract: Aims: Steatosis may increase oxidative stress, which is counteracted by cellular enzymatic (cytosolic and mitochondrial superoxide dismutases (Cu/Zn‐SOD and Mn‐SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase) and non‐enzymatic antioxidant systems. We aimed to determine, in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the level of antioxidant defenses (1) in liver biopsies, to demonstrate the existence of oxidative stress; (2) in erythrocytes and plasma, to determine whether their antioxidant defenses reflect liver oxidative stress.
The morphological consequences of neonatal treatment with capsaicin on primary afferent neurones in adult rats.

A comparison was made using our work and that reported in the literature of the losses of myelinated and unmyelinated fibres in a variety of nerves and also of losses of nerve cells in dorsal root ganglia, after treatment of neonatal rats with capsaicin. In L3 and L4 dorsal roots 85-93% of unmyelinated fibres and 9-33% of myelinated fibres were lost after 50-100 mg/kg capsaicin neonatally. In rats treated with 85 mg/kg capsaicin, percentage losses of unmyelinated (89%) and myelinated (36%) fibres of L4 dorsal roots were remarkably similar to the calculated losses of small dark (92%) and large light (34%) neurones respectively in these ganglia. Studies with monoclonal antibody RT97 which labels the large light neurones only, confirmed that some RT97 negative cells (i.e. small dark neurones) remain after capsaicin treatment. At present no evidence exists to suggest that the cell death of small dark neurones or C fibres after neonatal capsaicin treatment is completely selective for subgroups of these neurones, either in relation to sensory modality, or in relation to immunocytochemical cell markers and peptide content. However much more data is required to establish whether this cell death is really nonselective as regards immunocytochemical markers.
Not the Time to Abandon the Food Frequency Questionnaire: Point

In a recent editorial, Kristal et al. ([1][1]) asked whether it is time to abandon the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for studies of diet and cancer. They highlighted three recent “developments” to cast doubt on the value of the FFQ. The first is the “growing lack of consistency both
Antithrombin, protein C and protein S levels in 127 consecutive young adults with ischemic stroke

Objectives ‐ The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of antithrombin, protein C and protein S deficiencies in consecutive ischemic stroke patients under 45. Material and methods ‐ We studied 127 consecutive patients with a mean age of 34.4 years admitted for an ischemic stroke, over a 2‐year period, after exclusion of those with arterial dissection. Antithrombin, protein C and protein S levels were measured in all patients at the acute stage of the ischemic stroke and measurements were repeated in case of abnormality. Results ‐ We found abnormal levels in 9 patients. Seven had an acquired cause of deficiency (pregnancy, oestrogen, acute inflammation). Two had no obvious acquired cause of deficiency but further controls were normal. Conclusions ‐ Hereditary deficiencies of coagulation inhibitors are rare in ischemic stroke patients under 45 and their systematic detection seems to be of poor interest.
Response Inconsistency of Patient-Reported Symptoms as a Predictor of Discrepancy Between Patient and Clinician-Reported Depression Severity

The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which discrepancy between self-reported and clinician-rated severity of depression are due to inconsistent self-reports. Response inconsistency threatens the validity of the test score. We used data from a large sample of outpatients (N = 5,959) who completed the self-report Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II) and the clinician-rated Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). We used item response theory based person-fit analysis to quantify the inconsistency of the self-report item scores. Inconsistency was weakly positively related to patient–clinician discrepancy (i.e., higher BDI-II scores relative to MADRS scores). The mediating effect of response inconsistency in the relationship between discrepancy and demographic (e.g., ethnic origin) and clinical variables (e.g., cognitive problems) was negligible. The small direct and mediating effects of response inconsistency suggest that inaccurate patient self-reports are not a major cause of patient–clinician discrepancy in outpatient samples. Future research should investigate the role of clinician biases in explaining clinician–patient discrepancy.
Methionyl-transfer ribonucleic acid deficiency during G1 arrest of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The mesl- mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cease division and accumulate in the G1 interval of the cell cycle when deprived of methionine or shifted from 23 to 36 degrees C in the presence of methionine. Synchronous cell cycle arrest results from a deficiency of charged methionyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (methionyl-tRNAMet) as shown by direct measurement of the in vivo pools of methionine, S-adenosylmethionine, and methionyl-tRNAMet. The deficiency of methionyl-tRNAMet in these cells is the consequence of a lesion in a single gene, mes1. mes1 appears to be the structural gene for the methionyl-tRNA synthetase because some revertants of this mutation exhibited a thermolabile methionyl-tRNA synthetase in vitro. A sufficient hypothesis to explain these and previous results is that the control of cell division by S. cerevisiae in response to nutrient limitation is mediated through aminoacyl-tRNA or subsequent steps in protein biosynthesis.
Effectiveness of lumbar zygapophysial joint blockage for low back pain.

AIM Zygapophysial joints have been a well-recognized source of low back pain. This paper compares the efficacy of lumbar zygapophysial joints blockage and medical therapy in terms of pain relief, loss of working days and recurrence of pain in a population with mechanical low back pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS 80 patients suffering from low back pain were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Patients in Group I were given diclofenac sodium, thiocolchicoside and were recommended bed rest. Patients in Group II received zygapophysial joints blockage by prilocaine, bupivacaine and methylprednisolone acetate. Both of the groups were evaluated with a Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire and visual analog scale for pain. RESULTS Posttreatment VAS and ODQ scores were significantly lower than pretreatment scores. The decrease in these scores in Group II was greater than those of Group I. CONCLUSION Blockage of the lumbar facet joints is a rapid and effective way to reduce pain originating from lumbar facet joints.