Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal women and its association with fasting blood sugar

Background: Vitamin D is indispensable for human body as it caters for both skeletal as well as extra-skeletal needs, especially in postmenopausal women. Aim of this study was to know the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among apparent healthy postmenopausal women and to find its association with fasting blood sugar.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study of postmenopausal women attending Gynae OPD of Sri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly, over a period of six months. Apparently healthy postmenopausal women were selected after satisfying inclusion-exclusion criteria and were subjected to fasting blood sugar and serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level. They were categorized as vitamin D deficient, insufficient or sufficient according to corresponding levels of <20ng/ml, 20-30ng/ml or >30ng/ml respectively. Upper reference level for fasting blood sugar was taken as 110mg/dl. Statistical analysis was done to see the association between vitamin D deficiency and fasting blood sugar.Results: Mean age of study group was 56.9 years and the average age of attainment of menopause was 50.3 years. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (57.4%) including insufficiency (13%) among postmenopausal women was high 70.4%, but there was no association between hypovitaminosis D and fasting blood sugar (p=0.949). Conclusions: Despite high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Indian postmenopausal women, there is no correlation between it and fasting blood sugar.
Serum IL-6 levels of atopic patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS)

Introduction: Atopy is a genetic tendency of allergic condition with specific clinical manifestations such as atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), and bronchial asthma (BA). Atopic individuals might experience other health problems that coincide with atopic manifestations, including the appearance of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) which is an oral mucosal disease that can also be influenced by allergies. This study was aimed to be the preliminary study regarding the level of IL-6 serum in atopic patients who were also having RAS. Methods: Thirty subjects were recruited and grouped into three groups with ten subjects each were group of atopic (dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, or bronchial asthma) with RAS, atopic without RAS, and control. Blood specimens were obtained with an approved institutional board review protocol. This research was cross-sectional research with consecutive sampling method conducted at Dr Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung. Results: There were significant differences in IL-6 log levels in all three groups (p < 0.001). The higher IL-6 levels in the group of atopic with RAS might be due to the influence of atopy because this condition can increase the acute inflammation of RAS. IL-6 is a pro-inflammatory marker found in the circulation of atopic and RAS patients. Conclusion: Serum IL-6 levels in the group of atopic patients with RAS is higher than in other groups. Keywords: Serum, IL-6, atopic, recurrent aphthous stomatitis
Risk Factors of Periodontitis associated Pregnancy and its Effect on Pregnancy Outcome

Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to assess risk factors of periodontitis associated pregnancy and its effect on pregnancy outcome. Subjects and Methods: This was an exploratory descriptive study which was conducted among (91) fulfilled criteria (freedom from any medical, gynecological and obstetrical history) pregnant women attending the antenatal care unit in Alwaleedia Health Centre –Asyut -Egypt from August 2017 to February 2018. Data collection tools were a 'Structured Interviewing questionnaire and an oral examination checklist conducted to a purposive sample and data were analyzed using SPSS software, descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Result: The present study showed that various levels of periodontal disease among pregnant women were associated with bio sociodemographic characteristics such as age, economic status and educational level, gestational age, obesity, previous dental history and lack of dental hygienic measures. Meanwhile, there was a significant relationship between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes (p<0.001). Conclusion: Age, economic status and educational level, gestational age, obesity, previous dental history and lack of dental hygienic measures are risk factors of periodontal diseases during pregnancy. Periodontitis associated pregnancy have adverse effect on pregnancy outcome. Recommendations: Activating the role of the maternity health nurse in branches of Obstetrics and antenatal clinics to enhance pregnant women's knowledge &attitude regarding oral health risks during pregnancy to ensure early disease detection and adverse outcomes prevention.
Nest-site characteristics and nesting success of the Malabar Gray Hornbill in the southern Western Ghats, India

ABSTRACr. -We quantified and characterized the nesting habitat of Malabar Gray Hornbills (Tockus griseus) Dec. 1993-May 1994 in the Anaimalai Hills of southern Western Ghats, India. Twenty-six nest-site variables were recorded in each of 27 nest plots to evaluate variability of nest-site selection. Malabar Gray Hombills selected nest trees of significantly larger diameter at breast height (DBH 60-89 cm), and greater height of the lowest limb than the associated values from randomly chosen trees. The number of trees of 60-74 cm DBH class was significantly higher in the nest site plots than in the random plots. Most nests were in tall live trees and were formed primarily by heart rot where a branch had broken. Comparison of relative abundance of potential nest cavities and availability of trees in different DBH classes in belt transects indicates that more cavities were formed in trees of larger diameter. Density of potential nest cavities was 10/ha. Malabar Gray Hornbills consistently chose smaller trees than sympatric Great Hornbills (Buceros bicornis). This study indicates the need of mature moist forest habitat for nesting by the Malabar Gray Hornbill. Received 13 Oct. 1995, accepted 14 Feb. 1996.
Making Big Data Smaller : Reducing the storage requirements for big data with erasure coding for Hadoop

The amount of data stored in modern data centres is growing rapidly nowadays. Large-scale distributed file systems, that maintain the massive data sets in data centres, are designed to work with commodity hardware. Due to the quality and quantity of the hardware components in such systems, failures are considered normal events and, as such, distributed file systems are designed to be highly fault-tolerant. A common approach to achieve fault tolerance is using redundancy by storing three copies of a file across different storage nodes, thereby increasing the storage requirements by a factor of three and further aggravating the storage problem.A concrete implementation of such a file system is the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). This thesis explores the use of RAID-like mechanisms in order to decrease the storage requirements for big data. We designed and implemented a prototype that extends HDFS with a simple but powerful erasure coding API. Compared to existing approaches, we decided to locate the erasure-coding management logic in the HDFS NameNode, as this allows us to use internal HDFS APIs and state. Because of that, we can repair failures associated with erasurecoded files more quickly and with lower cost. We evaluate our prototype, and we also show that the use of erasure coding instead of replication can greatly decrease the storage requirements of big data without scarifying reliability and availability. Finally, we argue that our API can support a large range of custom encoding strategies, while adding the erasure coding logic to the NameNode can significantly improve the management of the encoded files.
Impact of serum level of vitamin D on term neonates with early onset sepsis

Abstract Background: Neonatal sepsis a major health challenge associated with major morbidity and mortality. Neonatal care improved recently. However, different challenges regarding management still exist. Vitamin D deficiencies was proposed as a predictor of neonatal sepsis. Objective: To highlight the impact of vitamin D levels on early onset sepsis in full term neonates. Methodology: It is a case control which carried out at the neonatal intensive care unit of Al-Azhar university hospital (Damietta), from March to April 2019. It included 50 full-term neonates with probable sepsis and 50 healthy controls of matched age and sex with no signs of sepsis. Results: vitamin D level showed significant negative correlation with sepsis, C-reactive protein (CRP), positive blood cultures; and significant positive correlations with Apgar score, hemoglobin concentration and platelets count. Regression analysis revealed that, higher CRP and lower vitamin D were associated risks of neonatal sepsis in univariate analysis. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that only lower vitamin D level is the predictor for early neonatal sepsis. Conclusion: Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in septic neonates with high sensitivity and specificity. Vitamin D supplementation to mothers during pregnancy could prevent early onset neonatal sepsis.
Reading Comprehension Instruction of Effective Grades 5 and 6 Saint Lucian Teachers

This study set out primarily to investigate the nature of reading comprehension instruction in Saint Lucia, and to examine the explanations of teachers with regard to the factors that they perceive contribute to Grade 6 students' failure in the main idea comprehension test in the national Common Entrance Examination in Saint Lucia. Four effective Grades 5 and 6 teachers (two per grade) from two Saint Lucian primary schools participated in a total of four individual semi-structured interviews and were observed in their regularly scheduled reading comprehension lessons. A total of 27 lessons were observed and audio tape-recorded to examine the nature of reading comprehension instruction in the classrooms. From this cohort of lessons, a sample of 16 lessons was randomly selected and transcribed to determine the presence of direct instruction in comprehension strategies, and the quality of instruction that took place. This quality was measured and described in terms of the elements of the Direct Instruction Model (Pearson Dole, 1987), the nature of questioning, and time allotted to instruction. This data was also used to make comparisons between Grades 5 and 6 classes. The results show that the four teachers perceived that there are four areas of blame for students' poor performance in reading comprehension: the teacher's inability to instruct, the students' poor decoding and comprehension abilities, the inadequacy of the main idea test, and the teaching materials available for teaching comprehension. However, the main factor perceived by teachers as contributing to the students' poor performance is teachers' inability to instruct. Nonetheless, the observation of the Grades 5 and 6 effective teachers' reading comprehension lessons showed that these teachers were indeed teaching a number of comprehension strategies. They relied predominantly on the question answering strategy in all their lessons which was mainly taught in combination with other strategies. However, it was the teaching of summarization through the main idea that was the dominant strategy more explicitly taught in 7 of the 16 lessons observed, appearing more frequently in the Grade 6 classes. An assessment of the quality of the reading comprehension instruction revealed that 11 of1 6 lessons, included all the four elements of direct instruction, and were rated as 'excellent' in quality. None of the lessons had fewer than two elements identified on the model. An assessment of the types of questions asked also showed that questioning was used both for the purpose of assessment and as an instructional strategy. The timing of the lessons support the quality of instruction, as 90% of the total time observed was allotted to instruction. The greater portion of that time went to guided practice (38%) and independent practice (33%) of reading comprehension strategies. This study shows that explicit comprehension instruction of strategies is evident in the reading comprehension classes of the 4 effective Saint Lucian Grades 5 and 6 teachers. It is…
Effects of carbamazepine on serum leptin, insulin levels and oxidative stress in epileptic patients

Objectives: To assess the effect of carbamazepine (CBZ) monotherapy in male adult epileptic patients on serum leptin, insulin levels, body mass index and oxidative stress represented by serum malondialdehyde (MDA) in comparison to healthy controls. Patients and methods: To achieve the aims of the current study, a case-control study design was adopted. A total of 38 male adult patients with primary generalized epilepsy, on continuous CBZ monotherapy, for at least six months before participation in the study, were collected over the period from Sept. 2010 to Jan. 2011. Forty apparently healthy male volunteers without previous history of epilepsy were recruited as controls. Fasting blood samples were taken and sera were separated and used to measure serum levels of leptin and insulin, and MDA. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the squared height in meters. Results: The results of this study revealed that there was insignificant difference in BMI, serum leptin and insulin between male epileptic adult patients and their matched control subjects. The results also revealed that male epileptic adult patients had a significantly higher (p<0.001) serum MDA compared to their matched control subjects. Conclusion: Carbamazepine is a relatively low risky antiepileptic drug (AED) in terms of obesity, while it can cause oxidative stress as reflected by an elevated serum MDA in comparison to controls.
A multicenter, randomized, phase II/III study of dendritic cells loaded with allogeneic tumor cell lysate (MesoPher) in subjects with mesothelioma as maintenance therapy after chemotherapy: DENdritic cell Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma (DENIM) trial.

Background Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive, treatment resistant neoplasm. The current treatment, consisting of antifolate and platinum-based chemotherapy, improves the median overall survival with only 3 months. Adjuvant bevacizumab generates an additional 2 months survival benefit. Checkpoint inhibitors (CI) have shown promising clinical effects in only a minority of patients. A possible reason is that MPM patients have low numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cells. Dendritic cell (DC) therapy can induce an immune response and activate tumor-specific CD8+ T-cells. Allogeneic mesothelioma tumor-lysate loaded DC therapy has proven effective in mice and safe and feasible in humans. We have designed a randomized, phase II/III, multicenter, open-label trial to examine the efficacy of DC therapy in humans with histologically proven MPM. Methods In this open-label, multicenter, randomized phase II/III trial patients will be randomized to receive either DC therapy plus best supportive care (BSC) or BSC alone according to the discretion of the local investigator after first line chemotherapy treatment. The primary end point will be overall survival. The secondary endpoints will be safety and tolerability, progression-free survival, overall response rate and quality of life. Discussion This phase II/III trial will determine whether DC therapy in patients with MPM is safe and effective as a maintenance treatment and subsequently might be a new treatment option for MPM.
Using Unsupervised Learning to Improve the Naive Bayes Classifier for Wireless Sensor Networks

Online processing is essential for many sensor network applications. Sensor nodes can sample far more data than what can practically be transmitted using state of the art sensor network radios. Online processing, however, is complicated due to limited resources of individual nodes. The naive Bayes classifier is an algorithm proven to be suitable for online classification on Wireless Sensor Networks. In this paper, we investigate a new technique to improve the naive Bayes classifier while maintaining sensor network compatibility. We propose the application of unsupervised learning techniques to enhance the probability density estimation needed for naive Bayes, thereby achieving the benefits of binning histogram probability density estimation without the related memory requirements. Using an offline experimental dataset, we demonstrate the possibility of matching the performance of the binning histogram approach within the constraints provided by Wireless Sensor Network hardware. We validate the feasibility of our approach using an implementation based on Arduino Nano hardware combined with NRF24L01+ radios.
Pediatric thoracic anesthesia: airway management for lung isolation and postoperative analgesia

Thoracic anesthesia for non-cardiac surgery in children remains a niche practice with significant physiologic and anatomic constraints that distinguish it from a similar practice in adults. Specialized knowledge of one lung ventilation techniques, various regional anesthesia techniques, and multimodal approaches to post procedure analgesia, is essential to ensure safety and high-quality care. This review addresses airway management and acute postoperative pain topics in children undergoing non-cardiac thoracic surgery.
Comparison of Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin in Reduction of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Introduction High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has emerged to be a very useful and reliable clinical marker of primary as well as secondary cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Elevated hs-CRP contributes to underlying atherogenesis and worsens disease prognosis. Along with their lipid-lowering properties, statins also contribute to the alleviation of micro-inflammation and reduces pro-inflammatory markers. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin in lowering hs-CRP levels in statin-naive patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods In this prospective, open-label randomized trial, group A was given rosuvastatin 40 mg daily and group B was given atorvastatin 20 mg daily along with standard post-ACS therapy. Lipid profile (mg/dL), hs-CRP (mg/L) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (mm/Hr) were recorded and measured as the baseline (before starting therapy) and then again after four weeks. The data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results With four weeks of treatment, both group A and B showed statistically significant reduction in serum hs-CRP levels (p<0.0001). In group A, there was a mean 51% decrease in hs-CRP levels, and in group B, a 35% reduction was seen. Group A showed markedly low hs-CRP levels than group B after four weeks of therapy (18.46 ± 6.35 vs. 24.67 ± 8.45) (p<0.0001). Group A showed mean 16% decrease in ESR levels as compared to 14% decrease in group B. Group A showed lower ESR levels than group B after four weeks of therapy (19.59 ± 11.83 vs. 20.52 ± 12.13) (p<0.0001). Conclusion Rosuvastatin showed a 50% decrease and atorvastatin showed a 35% reduction in serum hs-CRP levels in statin-naive ACS patients. Rosuvastatin has a more effective role in reducing micro-inflammation in ACS patients.
MET receptor amplification drives resistance to Anti-EGFR therapies

Mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor (MET) amplification has been suggested either as a de novo or acquired mechanism of resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapy. However, even if MET amplification has been widely described in the preclinical setting, only a few clinical data have confirmed the role of MET in the resistance to anti-EGFR treatment. A 60-year-old man presenting cholangiocarcinoma with EGFR amplification had a tumor response to anti-EGFR therapy. A new on-purpose tumor biopsy performed during tumor progression confirmed the known EGFR amplification as well as a new MET amplification. This clinical observation highlights the role of MET amplification as a mechanism of resistance to EGFR inhibitors.
Estrogen and its neuroprotective action: a brief review

Estrogens have been shown to affect the nervous system in many different ways. As the age advances especially in post menopausal women a significant decline in Cognition is observed. The low estrogen levels in postmenopausal females makes them vulnerable to neurodegenerative disorders. Estrogen has a neuroprotective role and this has been extensively studied in in-vitro or in rodents but the exact mechanism of action especially in humans is not completely understood. Several hypothesis have been documented by scientist to explain the neuroprotective mechanism of estrogens, they either 1) influence levels of neurotransmitter like GABA, Acetylcholine etc. 2) influence cerebral blood flow 3) alter growth proteins levels associated with axonal growth or lower the neurotoxic effects of β-amyloid. In this review, the author has tried to briefly describe the possible mechanism of action of estrogen in the nervous system, which may be significant in protecting against damage caused by ageing. Keywords: Estrogen, Aging, Brain function
The Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Among Board-Certified Medical Doctors In Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders. A pooled analysis showed a global prevalence of 11.2%. Few studies looked at the prevalence of IBS in health care providers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of IBS among board-certified physicians and surgeons. Methods Board-certified physicians and surgeons in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete a web-based survey. It included questions regarding participant demographics, specialty, practice type and hours worked per week. The Rome IV-validated questionnaire was used to identify subjects with IBS. The primary outcome of the study was the prevalence of IBS among physicians. Secondary outcomes included exploring the effect on IBS prevalence of age, gender, marital status, work hours, specialty, gastroenterology subspecialty and working in a public versus private hospital. Results The final analysis included 594 subjects, with 419 males and a median age of 41. The vast majority (86%) were married. Nearly 90% worked in a public hospital exclusively, and the median number of hours worked per week was 48. The overall prevalence of IBS was 16.3%. In a binary logistic regression model, age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.931, P < 0.0001), gender (OR = 0.504, P = 0.003) and work hours (OR = 2.397, P < 0.0001) significantly predicted the presence of IBS. Marital status and specialty did not predict IBS prevalence. Discussion This cross-sectional study shows that the prevalence of IBS among physicians in Saudi Arabia to be 16.3%. IBS was more common in females, those who worked longer hours and younger physicians. There was no association between practicing certain specialties and IBS. However, the lack of difference in our cohort may be attributed to the relatively small sample size from each specialty.