Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family Practice in Turkey: Views of Family Practice Residents

Abstract Turkey's family practice training program is aimed at providing further training to clinically proficient family physicians who serve the community. A survey conducted in 2001 revealed that there was a need for providing additional training and more time in a specially dedicated family practice placement for family practitioners. Recent changes in the Turkish health care system have also impacted the training environment of family practice residents. Clearly, training needs to change with time. The aims of this study are to investigate the attitudes of resident family practice physicians regarding their training in the health care system in order to gather their views on the hospital learning environment, and to estimate their burnout levels. For this research, the design included a 1-phase cross-sectional study. This study was undertaken in 2008 in departments of family medicine at universities (n = 21) and training and research hospitals of the Ministry of Health (n = 11). Approximately 250 family practice residents in Turkey were approached. In total, 174 residents participated (70% response rate). The survey instruments included a questionnaire with 25 queries and 2 scales: The Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure and the Maslach Burnout Questionnaire–Human Services Survey. The average age of the participants was 32.2 years (standard deviation, 4.5 years; range, 24–57 years). The gender distribution was 57.6% women and 42.4% men. Marital status was 34.7% single, 62.9% married, and 2.4% divorced/widowed. In our results, residents affirmed that university hospitals were the best facilities for residency training. Their future plans confirmed that most would like to work in family health centers. This sample showed average levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Perceptions of professional autonomy, quality of training, and social support were below average. It may be concluded that certain milestones in the development of family practice in Turkey have been fulfilled. The new regulation for postgraduate training has increased the share of family practice training to 50% (18 months). Establishment of educational family health centers has been planned. Introduction of the formative and summative assessment processes in family practice training is anticipated. It is expected that an assessment such as the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (International) (mRCGP[INT]) examination would be helpful for Turkish residents in reaching these goals.
Christmas disease in a Hovawart family resembling human hemophilia B Leyden is caused by a single nucleotide deletion in a highly conserved transcription factor binding site of the F9 gene promoter

Hemophilia B is a classical monogenic, X-chromosomal, recessively transmitted bleeding disorder caused by genetic variants within the coagulation factor IX gene (F9). Although hemophilia B has been described in dogs, it has not yet been reported in the Hovawart breed. Here we describe the identification of a Hovawart family transmitting typical signs of an X-linked bleeding disorder. Five males were reported to suffer from recurrent hemorrhagic episodes. A blood sample from one of these males with only 2% of the normal concentration of plasma factor IX together with samples from seven relatives were provided. Next-generation sequencing of the mother and grandmother revealed a single nucleotide deletion in the F9 promoter. Genotyping of the deletion in 1,298 dog specimens including 720 Hovawarts revealed that the mutant allele was only present in the aforementioned Hovawart family. The deletion is located 73 bp upstream of the F9 start codon in the conserved overlapping DNA binding sites of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF-4α) and androgen receptor (AR). The deletion only abolished binding of HNF-4α, while AR binding was unaffected as demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay using human HNF-4α and AR with double-stranded DNA probes encompassing the mutant promoter region. Luciferase reporter assays using wildtype and mutated promoter fragment constructs transfected into Hep G2 cells showed a significant reduction in expression from the mutant promoter. The data provide evidence that the deletion in the Hovawart family caused a rare type of hemophilia B resembling human hemophilia B Leyden.
Adaptive regulation of detoxification enzymes in Helicoverpa armigera to different host plants

Cotton plants produce gossypol as a major secondary metabolite to resist insect herbivores and pathogens. Helicoverpa armigera may employ multigene families of detoxification enzymes to deal with this metabolite. So far, the strength of the transcriptional response to gossypol detoxification in the cotton bollworms remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the genomewide transcriptional changes that occur in cotton bollworm larvae after one generation feeding on various host plants (cotton, corn, soybean and chili) or an artificial diet. Six genes potentially involved in detoxification of xenobiotics were highly upregulated in bollworms fed on cotton, and the expression of five of these differed significantly in insects that fed on gossypol diet compared with the artificial diet. When these six genes were downregulated using RNA interference, downregulation only of CYP4L11, CYP6AB9 and CCE001b led to reduced growth of bollworm larvae feeding on gossypol diets. These data suggest that the three genes are involved in response of H. armigera to gossypol of cotton. Our results proved that H. armigera may have a broad mechanism for gossypol detoxification.
STAT1 and NF-κB Inhibitors Diminish Basal Interferon-Stimulated Gene Expression and Improve the Productive Infection of Oncolytic HSV in MPNST Cells

Interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) encode diverse proteins that mediate intrinsic antiviral resistance in infected cells. Here it was hypothesized that malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) cells resist the productive infection of oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) through activation of the JAK/STAT1 pathway and resultant upregulation of ISGs. Multiple human and mouse MPNST cells were used to explore the relationship between STAT1 activation and the productive infection of Δγ134. 5 oHSVs. STAT1 activation in response to oHSV infection was found to associate with diminished Δγ134. 5 oHSVs replication and spread. Multiday pretreatment, but not cotreatment, with a JAK inhibitor significantly improved viral titer and spread. ISG expression was found to be elevated prior to infection and downregulated when treated with the inhibitor, suggesting that the JAK/STAT1 pathway is active prior to infection. Conversely, upregulation of ISG expression in normally permissive cells significantly decreased oHSV productivity. Finally, a possible link between NF-κB pathway activation and ISG expression was established through the expression of inhibitor of kB (IκB) which decreased basal STAT1 transcription and ISG expression. These results demonstrate that basal ISG expression prior to infection contributes to the resistance of Δγ134. 5 oHSVs in MPNST cells. Implications: Although cancer-associated ISG expression has been previously reported to impart resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, these data show that basal ISG expression also contributes to oncolytic HSV resistance. Mol Cancer Res; 14(5); 482–92. ©2016 AACR.
Risk factor analysis of the development of new neurological deficits following supplementary motor area resection.

OBJECT Supplementary motor area (SMA) resection often induces postoperative contralateral hemiparesis or speech disturbance. This study was performed to assess the neurological impairments that often follow SMA resection and to assess the risk factors associated with these postoperative deficits. METHODS The records for patients who had undergone SMA resection for pharmacologically intractable epilepsy between 1994 and 2010 were gleaned from an epilepsy surgery database and retrospectively reviewed in this study. RESULTS Forty-three patients with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy underwent SMA resection with intraoperative cortical stimulation and mapping while under awake anesthesia. The mean patient age was 31.7 years (range 15-63 years), and the mean duration and frequency of seizures were 10.4 years (range 0.1-30 years) and 14.6 per month (range 0.1-150 per month), respectively. Pathological examination of the brain revealed cortical dysplasia in 18 patients (41.9%), tumors in 16 patients (37.2%), and other lesions in 9 patients (20.9%). The mean duration of the follow-up period was 84.0 months (range 24-169 months). After SMA resection, 23 patients (53.5%) experienced neurological deficits. Three patients (7.0%) experienced permanent deficits, and 20 (46.5%) experienced symptoms that were transient. All permanent deficits involved contralateral weakness, whereas the transient symptoms patients experienced were varied, including contralateral weaknesses in 15, apraxia in 1, sensory disturbances in 1, and dysphasia in 6. Thirteen patients recovered completely within 1 month. Univariate analysis revealed that resection of the SMA proper, a shorter lifetime seizure history (<10 years), and resection of the cingulate gyrus in addition to the SMA were associated with the development of neurological deficits (p=0.078, 0.069, and 0.023, respectively). Cingulate gyrus resection was the only risk factor identified on multivariate analysis (p=0.027, OR 6.530, 95% CI 1.234-34.562). CONCLUSIONS Resection of the cingulate gyrus in addition to the SMA was significantly associated with the development of postoperative neurological impairment.
Growth rate of Trochus niloticus (L., 1767) fed different food types

To better understand the growth rate of the top shell Trochus niloticus in captivity, a feeding experiment was conducted using F1 top shells measuring 11 mm. Trochus were fed on six different diets, including algae attached to rocks, algae in a coral tank, cultured algae Navicula sp. , Nitzschia sp. , dried algae (Spirulina), and equal proportions of Navicula and Nitzschia. Results showed that while all the trochus grew well when fed on all these diets, trochus that fed on algae living on rocks and in coral tanks showed the highest growth rate. Another experiment was conducted using top shells sized 27–28 mm and four types of feeds: dried algae + N1, dried algae + soya bean powder, dried algae + N1 + soya bean powder, and dried algae + N1 + soya bean + detritus. Result showed that trochus fed a mixture of dried algae + N1 + soya bean + detritus showed the highest growth rates, and trochus fed dried algae + N1 + soya bean grew the slowest.
Stability of strong travelling waves for a non-local time-delayed reaction–diffusion equation

The paper is concerned with a non-local time-delayed reaction–diffusion equation. We prove the (time) asymptotic stability of a travelling wavefront without a smallness assumption on its wavelength, i.e. the so-called strong wavefront, by means of the (technical) weighted energy method, when the initial perturbation around the wave is small. The exponential convergent rate is also given. Selection of a suitable weight plays a key role in the proof.
Methylation Patterns of SOX3, SOX9, and WNT4 Genes in Gonads of Dogs with XX (SRY-Negative) Disorder of Sexual Development

Ovotesticular or testicular disorder of sexual development in dogs with female karyotype and lack of SRY (XX DSD) is a common sexual anomaly diagnosed in numerous breeds. The molecular background, however, remains unclear, and epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, have not been studied. The aim of our study was comparative methylation analysis of CpG islands in promoters of candidate genes for XX DSD: SOX9, SOX3, and WNT4. Methylation studies were performed on DNA extracted from formalin-fixed/paraffin-embedded or frozen gonads from 2 dogs with ovotesticular and 2 dogs with testicular XX DSD as well as control females (n = 4) and males (n = 2). Bisulfite-converted DNA was used for CpG methylation analysis using quantitative pyrosequencing. Promoter regions of SOX9 and WNT4 showed similar CpG methylation in each group, ranging from 0 to 5.5% and from 39 to 74%, respectively. The SOX3 promoter showed significantly higher methylation in the ovotesticular XX DSD cases and the testicular XX DSD and control males, suggesting that SOX3 methylation may play a role in canine XX DSD pathogenesis.
DO LARGE EMPLOYERS PAY MORE? THE CASE OF FIVE DEVELOPING AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Using comparable data sets for five African countries, we evaluate possible explanations for the employer-size wage effect across these countries. Our results indicate that, apart from observable worker characteristics, most theories cannot explain very much of the wage premium received in larger firms. Moreover, we find that the employer-size wage effect does not differ greatly across the five African countries. As is the case with other developing nations, however, the effect is larger than that found in the industrialised world, though unlike the industrialised world it is larger for white collar workers than for blue collar workers. Data for one of the African countries, in conjunction with other evidence, suggest that this may in part be the result of skill-biased technology having a greater effect on the firmi¯s size-wage distribution across skill groups in developing countries.
Debt and Economic Growth in an Oil Rich Economy: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of debt on economic growth in Saudi Arabia based on autoregressive distributed lags (ARDL) approach for the period of 1969–2013. The result indicates that variables are cointegrated and null hypothesis was rejected at the 5% significance level. The coefficients of long-run result reveal that public debt affects economic growth in a positive and statistically significant manner. Furthermore, inflation was found to also enhance economic growth in the oil rich kingdom. Despite the overwhelming evidence in the literature suggesting debt stifles growth, our study recommend that policymakers maintain the current level of debt-to-GDP in the country.
Association of Low-Grade Albuminuria With Adverse Cardiac Mechanics: Findings From the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) Study

Background— Albuminuria is a marker of endothelial dysfunction and has been associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The reasons for this association are unclear but may be attributable to the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and intrinsic myocardial dysfunction. Methods and Results— In the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) Study, a population- and family-based study of hypertension, we examined the relationship between urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and cardiac mechanics (n=1894, all of whom had normal left ventricular ejection fraction and wall motion). We performed speckle-tracking echocardiographic analysis to quantify global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain, and early diastolic (e′) tissue velocities. We used E/e′ ratio as a marker of increased left ventricular filling pressures. We used multivariable-adjusted linear mixed effect models to determine independent associations between UACR and cardiac mechanics. The mean age was 50±14 years, 59% were female, and 46% were black. Comorbidities were increasingly prevalent among higher UACR quartiles. Albuminuria was associated with global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, global radial strain, e′ velocity, and E/e′ ratio on unadjusted analyses. After adjustment for covariates, UACR was independently associated with lower absolute global longitudinal strain (multivariable-adjusted mean global longitudinal strain [95% confidence interval] for UACR Quartile 1 = 15.3 [15.0–15.5]% versus UACR Q4 = 14.6 [14.3–14.9]%, P for trend <0.001) and increased E/e′ ratio (Q1 = 25.3 [23.5–27.1] versus Q4 = 29.0 [27.0–31.0], P=0.003). The association between UACR and global longitudinal strain was present even in participants with UACR < 30 mg/g (P<0.001 after multivariable adjustment). Conclusions— Albuminuria, even at low levels, is associated with adverse cardiac mechanics and higher E/e′ ratio.
Online Learning in Higher Education: Comparing Teacher and Learner Perspectives

Higher education teachers’ and learners’ experiences of online teaching and online learning are tempered by their respective perceptions of their online educational environments. While much research has been undertaken in recent years to explore students’ or teachers’ perceptions of online education, less research has been conducted that investigates the perceptions of both groups in parallel contexts. Utilizing a mixed methods research approach, focus groups and questionnaires were administered to three cohorts of students and their teachers, across three institutions. Results are presented in terms of teachers’ and students’ perceptions of preferred online learning environments, including their most and least agreed upon perceptions, and their perceptions of the major skills needed by online teachers. Finally, implications for course design, professional development and future research are considered.
Case study : Solar Access onto Chamberlain Square , Birmingham

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Resistance of winter wheat cultivars to eyespot and characterisation of causal agents of the disease

Palicová J., Matušinský P., Dumalasová V. , Hanzalová A. , Bížová I. (2018): Resistance of winter wheat cultivars to eyespot and characterisation of causal agents of the disease. Plant Protect. Sci., 54: 24–30. The reaction of ten winter wheat cultivars grown in the Czech Republic to inoculation with oculimacula yallundae and oculimacula acuformis was evaluated in a small plot trial. In a parallel field trial the natural occurrence of stembase disease complex in six of the tested cultivars was assessed. Lower severity of eyespot (and/or stem-base diseases) was observed in cultivars possessing the resistance gene Pch1 (cvs Hermann, Annie, Princeps, Manager, and Rebell) in plots inoculated with oculimacula spp. as well as in natural field conditions. A total of 468 wheat stem bases from the Czech Republic was screened by PCR to study the frequency of eyespot causal agents. The plants were colonised significantly more often by both species oculimacula yallundae and o. acuformis together than separately.
Diversity and anticancer activity of endophytic fungi associated with the medicinal plant Saraca asoca

Cancer remains a major health issue worldwide due to the high rate of its morbidity and mortality. Search for tumor selective, novel anticancer compounds with lesser side-effects remains a major focus of cancer research. Endophytic fungi, owing to their chemical diversity, are an attractive source of bioactive metabolites. In the present study, we have explored the endophytic fungal population associated with a traditional Indian medicinal plant, Saraca asoca for their cytotoxic potentialities. Taxonomic identities and phylogenetic relationships of the fungal isolates were investigated using molecular techniques. 37 fungal species obtained from S. asoca were grouped into 22 genera of which the most dominant genus was Camarosporium followed by Pestalotiopsis and Fusarium. Fermentation extracts of all fungal isolates were assessed for their cytotoxic effects towards three human cancer cell lines, HeLa, HepG2 and PC3. 18 fungi exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activities among which Pestalotiopsis sp. 6 exhibited the most significant cytotoxicity towards all three cell lines used. Apoptosis inducing effect of Pestalotiopsis sp. 6 ethyl acetate culture extract (PS6) on HeLa cell line was further assessed by in vitro assays. PS6 induced mitochondria dependent apoptotic cell death in HeLa cells in a dose dependent manner. The study suggests these fungal extracts to be potential sources of secondary metabolites which can serve as promising lead molecules for the development of novel anti-cancer agents.
Minerality in Wine: Towards the Reality behind the Myths

Tasting minerality in wine is highly fashionable, but it is unclear what this involves. The present review outlines published work concerning how minerality in wine is perceived and conceptualised by wine professionals and consumers. Studies investigating physico-chemical sources of perceived minerality in wine are reviewed also. Unusually, for a wine sensory descriptor, the term frequently is taken to imply a genesis: the sensation is the taste of minerals in the wine that were transported through the vine from the vineyard rocks and soils. Recent studies exploring tasters’ definitions of minerality in wine support this notion. However, there are reasons why this cannot be. First, minerals in wine are nutrient elements that are related distantly only to vineyard geological minerals. Second, mineral nutrients in wine normally have minuscule concentrations and generally lack flavour. Results of reviewed studies overall demonstrate marked variability in both wine professionals’ and wine consumers’ definitions and sensory-based judgments of minerality in wine, although there is some consensus in terms of the other wine attributes that associate with the term mineral. The main wine composition predictors of perceived minerality involve a complex combination of organic compounds dependent on grape ripeness and/or derived from wine fermentations and redox status.
SHORT COMMUNICATION Effect of antibiotic concentration and exposure time on the release of endotoxin by microorganisms

Antibiotics represent a key component of treatment for severe bacterial infection. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative organisms is now well recognized to be a potent microbial toxin that plays a critical role in the initiation of the proinflammatory events that contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenza and Escherichia coli were exposed to 0.5 MIC and 5 MIC of Imipenem, Aztreonam, Gentamicin and Polymyxin B for 2 and 5 h. Variable amounts of endotoxin were released after exposing the organism to antibiotic. Aztreonam at a concentration of 0.5 MIC with exposure period 5 h, induced the release of substantial amounts of endotoxin from all organisms and decreased amounts of endotoxin by Gentamicin while Imipenem and Polymyxin B induced the release of negligible values under the same conditions.