Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender difference in the risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 2 and oral glucose tolerance test in dental students

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus, one of the major noncommunicable diseases, has emerged as a global societal catastrophe and is the leading cause of illness, disability, and death. The risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus type 2 such as age, gender, and family history are nonmodifiable factors while others such as smoking, diet, physical activity, and hypertension are modifiable factors. Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) provides a useful tool to identify the people at risk of developing the disease and to target those individuals for further screening and educating them for healthy lifestyle so that the occurrence of the disease can be delayed or prevented. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted on 102 BDS 1st year students (17 boys and 85 girls) of the age group 17–21 years. All the students were assessed for their risk to develop the disease using Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) and oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) using Glucometer (CareSens™II). Results: The study revealed that out of 102 students, 35.3% and 64.7% students were in low- and moderate-risk groups, respectively. No student belonged to the high-risk group. Percentage of girls in moderate risk was significantly higher than boys. Mean blood sugar in girls was more. Two girls were suffering from impaired fasting glucose. Seven students (6.9%) including 2 boys (11.8%) and 5 girls (5.9%) depicted flat GTT curve with all values below 100 mg/dl. Conclusion: Higher risk of disease in girls is largely due to their lack of exercise which is a modifiable factor and can thus be protected from the disease by adopting healthy lifestyle. History of the disease (nonmodifiable factor) is the risk factor in boys to be prone to the disease in their future and thus requires a regular screening and monitoring of blood sugar level.
Impaired Adaptive Motor Learning Is Correlated With Cerebellar Hemispheric Gray Matter Atrophy in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Patients: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Objective: To evaluate the degree to which recently proposed parameters measured via a prism adaptation task are correlated with changes in cerebellar structure, specifically gray matter volume (GMV), in patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD). Methods: We performed whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis on 3-dimensional T1-weighted images obtained from 23 patients with SCD [Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), 31 (SCA31), 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD), and sporadic cortical cerebellar atrophy (CCA)] and 21 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HC group). We quantified a composite index representing adaptive motor learning abilities in a hand-reaching task with prism adaptation. After controlling for age, sex, and total intracranial volume, we analyzed group-wise differences in GMV and regional GMV correlations with the adaptive learning index. Results: Compared with the HC group, the SCD group showed reduced adaptive learning abilities and smaller GMV widely in the lobules IV-VIII in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. In the SCD group, the adaptive learning index was correlated with cerebellar hemispheric atrophy in the right lobule VI, the left Crus I. Additionally, GMV of the left supramarginal gyrus showed a correlation with the adaptive learning index in the SCD group, while the supramarginal region did not accompany reduction of GMV. Conclusions: This study indicated that a composite index derived from a prism adaptation task was correlated with GMV of the lateral cerebellum and the supramarginal gyrus in patients with SCD. This study should contribute to the development of objective biomarkers for disease severity and progression in SCD.
Distinguishing Old From New Referents During Discourse Comprehension: Evidence From ERPs and Oscillations

In this EEG study, we used pre-registered and exploratory ERP and time-frequency analyses to investigate the resolution of anaphoric and non-anaphoric noun phrases during discourse comprehension. Participants listened to story contexts that described two antecedents, and subsequently read a target sentence with a critical noun phrase that lexically matched one antecedent (‘old’), matched two antecedents (‘ambiguous’), partially matched one antecedent in terms of semantic features (‘partial-match’), or introduced another referent (non-anaphoric, ‘new’). After each target sentence, participants judged whether the noun referred back to an antecedent (i.e., an ‘old/new’ judgment), which was easiest for ambiguous nouns and hardest for partially matching nouns. The noun-elicited N400 ERP component demonstrated initial sensitivity to repetition and semantic overlap, corresponding to repetition and semantic priming effects, respectively. New and partially matching nouns both elicited a subsequent frontal positivity, which suggested that partially matching anaphors may have been processed as new nouns temporarily. ERPs in an even later time window and ERPs time-locked to sentence-final words suggested that new and partially matching nouns had different effects on comprehension, with partially matching nouns incurring additional processing costs up to the end of the sentence. In contrast to the ERP results, the time-frequency results primarily demonstrated sensitivity to noun repetition, and did not differentiate partially matching anaphors from new nouns. In sum, our results show the ERP and time-frequency effects of referent repetition during discourse comprehension, and demonstrate the potentially demanding nature of establishing the anaphoric meaning of a novel noun.
A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PERCEPTIONS ABOUT VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION AMONG THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICE EMPLOYEES OF A MULTISPECIALTITY RURAL TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background The non-medical staff are involved in considerable interaction with the patients and their caretakers, in some instances more than physicians themselves. They are looked upon by the community as a source of knowledge and motivation for various health related matters. The effect of attitudes, norms and perceptions of support staff on community motivation various issues including blood donation is not widely studied. Objective To find the perception and views of this group of hospital staff about blood donation are also scarce. Methods A volunteer group of 23 non-medical hospital staff were studied using the ‘Free listing’ technique. Of these 7 most expressive participants were selected for ‘Pile Sorting’ exercise. Data was analyzed using Visual Anthropac, version 1.0 software. Result Of 119 responses listed, 15 commonest responses were used for pile sorting exercise. These then sorted into 5 clusters based on the perceptions of the respondents. The respondents were able to identify the domains with their thought process. Majority of the respondents believed that blood donation was mostly considered as a noble and life saving act. It was observed that there were several misconceptions regarding blood donation. The group also agreed to these misconceptions. Conclusion Such exercises help us to understand the different aspects of a topic (blood donation) as perceived by the target group. Such an understanding is vital to design any education programme for the group. Such studies help in providing the basis to for more representative quantitative studies.
Identification of Factors Associated With School Effectiveness With Data Mining Techniques: Testing a New Approach

The study of school effectiveness and the identification of factors associated with it are growing fields of research in the education sciences. Moreover, from the perspective of data mining, great progress has been made in the development of algorithms for the modeling and identification of non-trivial information from massive databases. This work, which falls within this context, proposes an innovative approach for the identification and characterization of educational and organizational factors associated with high school effectiveness. Under a perspective of basic research, our aim is to study the suitability of decision trees, techniques inherent to data mining, to establish predictive models for school effectiveness. Based on the available Spanish sample of the PISA 2015 assessment, an indicator of the school effectiveness was obtained from the application of multilevel models with predictor variables of a contextual nature. After selecting high- and low-effectiveness schools in this first phase, the second phase of the study was carried out and consisted of the application of decision trees to identify school, teacher, and student factors associated with high and low effectiveness. The C4.5 algorithm was calculated and, as a result, we obtained 120 different decision trees based on five determining factors (database used; stratification in the initial selection of schools; significance of the predictor variables of the models; use of items and/or scales; and use of the training or validated samples). The results show that the use of this kind of technique could be appropriate if mainly used with correctly pre-processed data that include the combined information available from all educational agents. This study represents a major breakthrough in the study of the factors associated with school effectiveness from a quantitative approach, since it proposes and provides a simple and appropriate procedure for modeling and establishing patterns. In doing so, it contributes to the development of knowledge in the field of school effectiveness that can help in educational decision-making.
Refining the Mouse Subtotal Nephrectomy in Male 129S2/SV Mice for Consistent Modeling of Progressive Kidney Disease With Renal Inflammation and Cardiac Dysfunction

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent worldwide and is associated with significant co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Traditionally, the subtotal nephrectomy (remnant kidney) experimental model has been performed in rats to model progressive renal disease. The model experimentally mimics CKD by reducing nephron number, resulting in renal insufficiency. Presently, there is a lack of translation of pre-clinical findings into successful clinical results. The pre-clinical nephrology field would benefit from reproducible progressive renal disease models in mice in order to avail of more widely available transgenics and experimental tools to dissect mechanisms of disease. Here we evaluate if a simplified single step subtotal nephrectomy (STNx) model performed in the 129S2/SV mouse can recapitulate the renal and cardiac changes observed in patients with CKD in a reproducible and robust way. The single step STNx surgery was well-tolerated and resulted in clinically relevant outcomes including hypertension, increased urinary albumin:creatinine ratio, and significantly increased serum creatinine, phosphate and urea. STNx mice developed significant left ventricular hypertrophy without reduced ejection fraction or cardiac fibrosis. Analysis of intra-renal inflammation revealed persistent recruitment of Ly6Chi monocytes transitioning to pro-fibrotic inflammatory macrophages in STNx kidneys. Unlike 129S2/SV mice, C57BL/6 mice exhibited renal fibrosis without proteinuria, renal dysfunction, or cardiac pathology. Therefore, the 129S2/SV genetic background is susceptible to induction of progressive proteinuric renal disease and cardiac hypertrophy using our refined, single-step flank STNx method. This reproducible model could be used to study the systemic pathophysiological changes induced by CKD in the kidney and the heart, intra-renal inflammation and for testing new therapies for CKD.
Tumor Associated Neutrophils. Their Role in Tumorigenesis, Metastasis, Prognosis and Therapy

Tumor Associated Neutrophils (TANs) are engaged into the tumor microenvironment by cytokines and chemokines, can be distinguished according to their activation and cytokine status and effects on tumor cell growing in N1 and N2 TANs. N1 TANs exert an antitumor activity, by direct or indirect cytotoxicity. N2 TANs stimulate immunosuppression, tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis by DNA instability, or by cytokines and chemokines release. In tumor patients, either a high number of TANs and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) do correlate with poor prognosis, and, so far, TAN counts and NLR can be regarded as biomarkers. Owing to the pivotal role of TANs in stimulating tumor progression, therapeutic strategies to target TANs have been suggested, and two major approaches have been proposed: (a) targeting the CXCL-8/CXCR-1/CXCR-2 axis, thereby blocking TANs or (b) targeting substances produced by polymorpho-nuclear cells that promote tumor growth. Many studies have been accomplished either in vitro and in animal models, whereas clinical studies are restrained, presently, due to the risk of inducing immunosuppression. In this review, we deeply discuss the anti-tumorigenic or pro-tumorigenic activity of TANs. In particular, TANs relevance in tumor prognosis and in vitro therapeutic strategies are widely described. On-going clinical trials, aimed to inhibit neutrophil recruitment into the tumor are also accurately debated.
Quantifying the Metabolic Signature of Multiple Sclerosis by in vivo Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Current Challenges and Future Outlook in the Translation From Proton Signal to Diagnostic Biomarker

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) offers a growing variety of methods for querying potential diagnostic biomarkers of multiple sclerosis in living central nervous system tissue. For the past three decades, 1H-MRS has enabled the acquisition of a rich dataset suggestive of numerous metabolic alterations in lesions, normal-appearing white matter, gray matter, and spinal cord of individuals with multiple sclerosis, but this body of information is not free of seeming internal contradiction. The use of 1H-MRS signals as diagnostic biomarkers depends on reproducible and generalizable sensitivity and specificity to disease state that can be confounded by a multitude of influences, including experiment group classification and demographics; acquisition sequence; spectral quality and quantifiability; the contribution of macromolecules and lipids to the spectroscopic baseline; spectral quantification pipeline; voxel tissue and lesion composition; T1 and T2 relaxation; B1 field characteristics; and other features of study design, spectral acquisition and processing, and metabolite quantification about which the experimenter may possess imperfect or incomplete information. The direct comparison of 1H-MRS data from individuals with and without multiple sclerosis poses a special challenge in this regard, as several lines of evidence suggest that experimental cohorts may differ significantly in some of these parameters. We review the existing findings of in vivo 1H-MRS on central nervous system metabolic abnormalities in multiple sclerosis and its subtypes within the context of study design, spectral acquisition and processing, and metabolite quantification and offer an outlook on technical considerations, including the growing use of machine learning, by future investigations into diagnostic biomarkers of multiple sclerosis measurable by 1H-MRS.
The Fear of Losing—Nonsuicidal Self-Injury as a Protective Mechanism in Eating Disorders

Background: This study examined the moderating role of loss aversion (LA) on the relationship between impulsivity, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal attempts, and ideations among Eating Disorder (ED) patients. Methods: Data was collected on 81 ED patients and 37 healthy controls. ED patients were divided into 2 groups: 25 AN-Rs, 56 AN-BPs and BNs. Measurements of trait impulsivity, LA, NSSI, suicide attempts, and suicide ideations were collected. Results: The rate of attempting suicide was highest in the AN-BP/BN (34.8%), lower in the AN-Rs (8%), and the lowest in the controls (2.7%). Suicide ideation was also higher in AN-BP/BN compared to both AN-R and controls. NSSI was higher in the AN-BP/BN group compared to both AN-R and control groups. LA scores were lower among participants with EDs compared to controls. BMI and depression were positively associated with suicide ideation and NSSI. Impulsivity was associated to suicide attempt and suicide ideation. Contrary to our hypothesis, LA scores were positively correlated with NSSI and SI. A stepwise regression revealed that contradictory to our hypothesis, higher LA predicted NSSI prevalence severity of NSSI and suicide ideation. Limitations: (1) Cross-sectional design; (2) Relatively small sample size of clinical subjects and only female participants; (3) Heterogeneity of treatment status. Conclusions: EDs are associated with lower levels of LA compared to general population. Although high LA is considered a protective factor against “high damage” decisions, it may serve as a facilitator of lower risk decisions which help the individual soothe and communicate his or her own suffering such as NSSI.
Understanding the Contribution of HRM Bundles for Employee Outcomes Across the Life-Span

Using the Job Demands-Resources model literature and the life-span theory as scholarly frameworks, we examined the effects of job demands and job resources as mediators in the relationship between bundles of used HRM practices and employee outcomes. In addition, we tested for age differences in our research model. Findings confirmed the hypothesized original 2-factor structure representing maintenance and development HRM practices. Structural Equation Modeling analyses showed that the maintenance HRM bundle related directly and negatively to employee outcomes, without moderating effects of age. However, job resources appeared to mediate this relationship in a positive way as it also did for the development HRM bundle. Whereas this study showed the ‘driving power’ of the actual use of HRM bundles through job resources, regardless of the employee’s age, this study also suggests a ‘dark side’ of HRM. In particular, we found that development HRM bundles may also increase job demands, which, in turn, may result in lower levels of beneficial employee outcomes. These empirical outcomes demonstrate the strength of the driving power eliciting from job resources preceded by any HRM bundle. Moreover, this effect appears to apply to employees of all ages. Our moderated-mediation model appeared robust for several control variables. Overall, this study provides an extension of the well-known Job Demands-Resources model by including maintenance and development bundles of HRM practices used by employees that have a differential effect on job demands and job resources which in turn have an impact on employee outcomes.
Islamic Fasting: An Effective Strategy for Prevention and Control of Obesity

A balanced and energy-restricted diet, exercise and behavior modification are the usual approaches used for obesity. Islamic fasting, which has the components of energy restriction and behavior modification, could be a safe nutritional approach for the prevention and treatment of obesity. For this reason, the effect of Islamic Fasting, an abstention from Foods, fluids and sex from dawn to sunset, on food intake, body weight and blood chemistry was studied in ten healthy adult male human subjects. Foods and Fluids intake before and in the first and fourth week of Fasting were recorded. Body weight of th e participants was noted before and at the last day of Fasting. Blood samples before, in the second and fourth week of Fastin g and two weeks after Fasting were collected. The daily reduction in energy (Food intake) ranged from 200-1500 Kcal with an average value of 857± 410 Kcal. During the four weeks of Fasting, loss in body weight ranged from 0.5-6.0 Kg with an average value of 3.2±1.7 Kg. There were no significant differences in glucose, total protein, triglyceride and total, HDL and LDL cholesterol in the blood samples collected before, during and after the Fasting. The data suggest that Islamic Fasting is nutritionally safe and could be used as an effective strategy for prevention and control of obesity
Quality of Fathering and its Relationship with Family Background, Demographics, and Characteristics of Present Family : a Study of Seventh-day Adventist Fathers and Fathers from a National Sample

Problem . Fathers have been assumed to play an important role in the socialization and education of their children. The need to understand the influence and the role of effective fathers becomes especially important in a generation which views fatherlessness as one of the most harmful demographic trends. The Seventh-day Adventist Church considers fatherhood vital for the normal functioning of the family. The present study investigated how selected variables from family background, demographics, and characteristics of present family are related to fathering as measured by self-report of fathering dimensions, practices, and satisfaction. Method . Two groups of fathers participated in this study. The target sample consisted of 192 fathers from the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists and a reference sample from the National Center for Fathering, comprised of 1,509 religious fathers from North America. Data were collected by means of the Personal Fathering Profile questionnaire. To test the hypotheses, t -tests, analysis of variance, correlation, and regression analysis were used. Results . The results obtained in this study showed that fathers absence during childhood and divorce of parents affect negatively the future quality of fathering of their sons. Religious affiliation, education, time spent in interaction with children, having family worship, and marital interaction showed positive relationships with most of the measures of fathering quality in both samples. The fathering practices associated with the greatest fathering satisfaction were: spiritual development, marital interaction, and showing affection for the SDA sample, and modeling, showing affection, and marital interaction for NCF. The SDA fathers showed slightly higher overall scores in quality of fathering compared to the NCF fathers. Conclusions . Fathering quality is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of psychological, behavioral, and emotional components. The following variables were identified as positive resources for good fathering: presence of father during childhood, completeness of family, religious affiliation, education, time spent with children, family worship, and marital interaction. Effective fathers are expected to supply love, emotional security, protection, balance, gender model, and spiritual guidance for their children, in order to see them develop to their full human potential. To fulfill this goal, fathers should be involved, consistent, aware of their children's needs, and nurturant.
PENGARUH SISTEM PENGENDALIAN INTERN DAN KAPASITAS SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA TERHADAP KUALITAS INFORMASI LAPORAN KEUANGAN DENGAN FAKTOR EKSTERNAL SEBAGAI VARIABEL MODERATING

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh sistem pengendalian intern dan kapasitas sumber daya manusia terhadap kualitas informasi laporan keuangan dengan faktor eksternal sebagai variabel moderating. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan memberikan kuesioner kepada semua pengelola keuangan pada Dinas Sosial Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Responden penelitian berjumlah 44 orang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sistem pengendalian intern berpengaruh negatif terhadap kualitas informasi laporan keuangan, kapasitas sumber daya manusia berpengaruh positif terhadap kualitas informasi laporan keuangan dan faktor eksternal dapat memoderasi pengaruh sistem pengendalian intern terhadap kualitas informasi laporan keuangan. Sedangkan faktor eksternal tidak dapat memoderasi pengaruh sumber daya manusia terhadap kualitas informasi laporan keuangan. Kata kunci: sistem pengendalian intern, kapasitas sumber daya manusia dan kualitas informasi laporan keuangan.