Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of student’s scientific literacy skills through socioscientific issue’s test on biodiversity topics

The aim of this study was to describe student’s scientific literacy skills on biodiversity topics at grade X of senior high school. Dimension of scientific literacy that was asses is science’s competence and attitude towards science. The science competency tests and attitude rating scale based on biodiversity’s socio-scientific issue is used to measure scientific literacy skills. The result of study showed that student’s scientific literacy skills for science competence dimension are low (15.84% for class A and 19.50% for class B) and also for attitude toward science dimension (31.15% for class A and 37.05%). We concluded that student’s scientific literacy skills are low (23.49% and 28.55%).
Dishevelled 2 is essential for cardiac outflow tract development, somite segmentation and neural tube closure

The murine dishevelled 2 (Dvl2) gene is an ortholog of the Drosophila segment polarity gene Dishevelled, a member of the highly conserved Wingless/Wnt developmental pathway. Dvl2-deficient mice were produced to determine the role of Dvl2 in mammalian development. Mice containing null mutations in Dvl2 present with 50% lethality in both inbred 129S6 and in a hybrid 129S6-NIH Black Swiss background because of severe cardiovascular outflow tract defects, including double outlet right ventricle, transposition of the great arteries and persistent truncus arteriosis. The majority of the surviving Dvl2-/- mice were female, suggesting that penetrance was influenced by sex. Expression of Pitx2 and plexin A2 was attenuated in Dvl2 null mutants, suggesting a defect in cardiac neural crest development during outflow tract formation. In addition, ∼90% of Dvl2-/- mice have vertebral and rib malformations that affect the proximal as well as the distal parts of the ribs. These skeletal abnormalities were more pronounced in mice deficient for both Dvl1 and Dvl2. Somite differentiation markers used to analyze Dvl2-/- and Dvl1-/-;Dvl2-/- mutant embryos revealed mildly aberrant expression of Uncx4.1, delta 1 and myogenin, suggesting defects in somite segmentation. Finally, 2-3% of Dvl2-/- embryos displayed thoracic spina bifida, while virtually all Dvl1/2 double mutant embryos displayed craniorachishisis, a completely open neural tube from the midbrain to the tail. Thus, Dvl2 is essential for normal cardiac morphogenesis, somite segmentation and neural tube closure, and there is functional redundancy between Dvl1 and Dvl2 in some phenotypes.
Management of colonic volvulus: Experience in 75 patients

BACKGROUND: the diagnostic and therapeutic management of colonic volvulus remains nowadays controversial. The election of the type of surgery, its timing, or the use of non-operative decompression must be based on the experience of a multidisciplinary team, the clinical condition of the patient, and the type of volvulus. OBJECTIVES: the purpose of this study is to review our experience and results in the treatment of patients with colonic volvulus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: we performed a retrospective study of patients diagnosed of colonic volvulus between January 1990 and September 2008 in our institution. RESULTS: we included a total of 75 patients with a mean age of 72.7 years and, in most cases, with associated comorbidities and constipation. The most frequently involved segment was sigmoid colon (85.3%). A rectal tube insertion was used as the only therapeutic measure in 17 patients (22.4%), colonoscopic decompression in 17 (22.4%), and surgery in 41 patients (55.2%). Intestinal resection with primary anastomosis was the most common surgical option. Postoperative morbidity was 43%, being wound infections the most frequent complication. In the group of non-surgical treatment morbidity was 26.4%, albeit with a higher and early rate of recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: treatment of colonic volvulus present important morbidity and mortality rates, and its treatment must be individualized. Resective surgery with primary anastomosis in clinically stable patients is the most appropriate therapeutic option, offering the lower recurrence rates.
Effect of fever on capillary refill time

Objective: To assess the effect of fever on capillary refill time in children. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care children’s hospital emergency department (ED). Participants: Convenience sample of 234 children age one month to five years presenting to the ED with a complaint of vomiting, diarrhea, or poor oral fluid intake. Interventions: None. Measurements: Before any therapy, capillary refill was measured according to a standard protocol. Rectal temperature was measured in children less than three years old, oral temperature in older children. Fluid deficit was calculated as the percentage difference between initial weight and stable weight following treatment. Main results: Among the 80 children with dehydration, defined as a deficit of ≥5% of body weight, mean capillary refill was 2.0 ± 1.0 seconds, versus 1.3 ± 0.5 seconds in the well hydrated group (P<0.001). Within each group, mean capillary refill time for febrile patients (temperature ≥38.3°C) was essentially the same as in those without fever. Using a two-second upper limit of normal, prolonged capillary refill had a sensitivity of 0.44 and specificity of 0.94 for diagnosing dehydration; the diagnostic performance did not differ when stratified by presence or absence of fever. Conclusions: Presence of fever does not have a clinically important effect on capillary refill time in children.
HIV seroprevalence in ophthalmic surgery patients at ESUT Teaching Hospital Enugu.

BACKGROUND Many patients at high risk of contracting HIV infection may not seek voluntary counseling and testing but may have an unrelated ocular problem. The study aims to highlight the need to offer HIV voluntary counseling and testing services to ophthalmic surgery patients so that seropositive patients can be identified early and managed appropriately. METHODS The medical records of patients who underwent major eye surgery at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital Parklane Enugu from October 2005 to September 2006 were reviewed. The patients were routinely screened for the presence of HIV infection after pretest counseling. Information was sought on patients' bio-data, type of surgery and HIV status using a protocol designed for the study. RESULTS A total of 133 patients had major eye surgeries during the study period; 67(50.4%) were males while 66 (49.6%) were females. The age range was 4 months to 82 years. Cataract extraction (54.9%), removal of eye (21.8%) and repair of penetrating injuries (15.1%) were the commonest operations. Four patients were HIV seropositive giving a prevalence of 3.0%. CONCLUSION Patients have been identified to be HIV positive with apparently unrelated eye diseases. Routine HIV voluntary counseling and testing services is advocated for all ophthalmic surgery patients so that seropositive patients can be identified and early appropriate management commenced.
Physical activity and television watching in relation to risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in men.

BACKGROUND Television (TV) watching, a major sedentary behavior in the United States, has been associated with obesity. We hypothesized that prolonged TV watching may increase risk for type 2 diabetes. METHODS In 1986, 37 918 men aged 40 to 75 years and free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer completed a detailed physical activity questionnaire. Starting from 1988, participants reported their average weekly time spent watching TV on biennial questionnaires. RESULTS A total of 1058 cases of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed during 10 years (347 040 person-years) of follow-up. After adjustment for age, smoking, alcohol use, and other covariates, the relative risks (RRs) for type 2 diabetes across increasing quintiles of metabolic equivalent hours (MET-hours) per week were 1.00, 0.78, 0.65, 0.58, and 0.51 (P for trend, <.001). Time spent watching TV was significantly associated with higher risk for diabetes. After adjustment for age, smoking, physical activity levels, and other covariates, the RRs of diabetes across categories of average hours spent watching TV per week (0-1, 2-10, 11-20, 21-40, and >40) were 1.00, 1.66, 1.64, 2.16, and 2.87, respectively (P for trend, <.001). This association was somewhat attenuated after adjustment for body mass index, but a significant positive gradient persisted (RR comparing extreme categories, 2.31; P for trend,.01). CONCLUSIONS Increasing physical activity is associated with a significant reduction in risk for diabetes, whereas a sedentary lifestyle indicated by prolonged TV watching is directly related to risk. Our findings suggest the importance of reducing sedentary behavior in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Impact of the American anti‐smoking campaign on lung cancer mortality

Customary statistics on smoking practices are limited because they do not correlate well with the frequency of smoking‐related diseases. Our study developed outcome measures based on lung cancer mortality and used them to assess the anti‐smoking campaign. Changes in mortality from lung cancer were used to assess significant smoking among 5‐year birth cohorts of white men born from 1901 to 1942. We used each cohort's lung cancer mortality rate at ages 40–44 to indicate its earlier smoking. A lung cancer mortality ratio was developed to describe each cohort's continued smoking from ages 40–44 to 55–59. These ratios were then compared with the durations of the cohorts' exposure to the anti‐smoking campaign that began in 1965. Lung cancer mortality in white men ages 40–44 peaked in 1970 and declined continuously thereafter, indicating that the anti‐smoking campaign promptly reduced significant smoking among younger men. However, the lung cancer mortality ratio indicates that only half of smokers in the specified birth cohorts were able to quit by ages 55–59, despite receiving ever more intense anti‐smoking messages. The anti‐smoking campaign produced moderate benefits among younger white male smokers but fewer benefits among older smokers because of the existence of a large number of inveterate smokers. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Impact of Information on Willingness to Pay and Quantity Choices for Meat and Meat Substitute

Abstract We evaluate the impact of different types of information on participants' willingness-to-pay (WTP) and quantity choices for both beef and soy burger meat. To this end, we conducted a lab experiment to elicit WTP with multiple-price lists and chosen quantities of two products in a basket. Participants were provided with explanatory messages regarding the impact of beef and soy on health and environment before successive rounds of WTP determinations and quantity choices. Results show a weak impact of successive rounds of messages on WTP for both beef and soy, while leading to higher relative variations for chosen quantities. These relative changes in both WTP and quantities are then combined for computing the value of information. Results show a relatively low value of information compared to the expenditure for beef. In the last section of the paper we evaluate the effect of the introduction of a beef burger labeled “Fed without GMO” on WTP and quantity choices. Results underline a weak impact of “Fed without GMO” label on changing participants' preferences.
Neurocognitive screening with the Brigance Preschool screen‐II in 3‐year‐old children with sickle cell disease

Neurocognitive deficits have been described in school age children with sickle cell disease (SCD), even in the absence of stroke or silent infarcts. However, the age of onset and factors contributing to this problem have not been well studied. We hypothesized that in children with SCD the failure rate with Brigance screening would be higher than in the normal population.
Silicalite nanoparticles that promote transgene expression

Here, we report on a new zeolite-based silicalite nanoparticle that can enhance the transfection efficiencies generated by poly ethylene imine–plasmid DNA (PEI–pDNA) complexes via a sedimentation mechanism and can enhance the transfection efficiencies of pDNA alone when surface functionalized with amine groups. The silicalite nanoparticles have a mean size of 55 nm. Functionalizing the silicalite nanoparticles with amine groups results in a clear transition in zeta potential from −25.9 ± 2.3 mV (pH 7.4) for unfunctionalized silicalite nanoparticles to 4.9 ± 0.7 mV (pH 7.4) for amine functionalized silicalite nanoparticles. We identify that silicalite nanoparticles used to promote non-viral vector acceleration to the cell surface are found in acidic vesicles or the cytoplasm but not the nucleus. An MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay showed that the silicalite nanoparticles were non-toxic at the concentrations tested for transfection. We show that surface functionalization of silicalite nanoparticles with amine groups results in a significant (230%) increase in transfection efficiency of pDNA when compared to unfunctionalized silicalite nanoparticles. Silicalite nanoparticles enhanced pDNA–PEI induced transfection of human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells by over 150%.
International financial reporting standards and conservatism in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the convergence of IFRS in ASEAN countries resulted in an improvement in financial-reporting quality, and in particular with regards the degree of conditional conservatism of financial reporting. Then, the authors investigate whether the convergence to IFRS and the degree of conditional conservatism is influenced by corruption as a proxy for the strength of ASEAN jurisdiction legal and enforcement systems. Design/methodology/approach The sample of this study is based on 22,085 firm-year observations from three ASEAN countries, namely, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore from 2008 to 2014. This study employs a panel least square regression to test the effect of IFRS on two measures of conservatism which are asymmetric timeliness and accrual-based loss recognition. The conservatism data are extracted from ORBIS, while data for corruptions are extracted from Corruption Perception Index (CPI) that was released by Transparency International. Findings This study finds Convergence of IFRS enhance conditional conservatism. The findings are robust for two measures of conservatism which are asymmetric timeliness and accrual-based loss recognition. The result on unconditional conservatism finds that IFRS reduce unconditional conservatism, which supports that the code-law structures of the ASEAN countries as characterized by unconditional conservatism is reduced after IFRS convergence. A further test indicates that corruption reduces conditional conservatism in more corrupt countries. Research limitations/implications This study focused on three ASEAN countries only, as they have consistent convergence dates to the IFRS. Therefore the result may not be generalized to other ASEAN countries. Practical implications The study provides implications to the regulators that IFRS enhance financial-reporting quality and reduce the randomness of decisions that are based on financial information as has been introduced by unconditional conservatism. Therefore it is important for the regulators to incorporate IFRS compliance into laws and regulations. Currently, IFRS compliance is not incorporated into laws and regulations for ASEAN countries, except for Malaysia. In Malaysia, Section 7 of the Financial Reporting Act 1997 (FRA) empowers the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board (MASB) to issue approved accounting standards for application in Malaysia. Under section 26D of the FRA, financial statements that are prepared or lodged with the Central Bank, Securities Commission or Registrar of Companies must comply with the standards issued by the MASB. Originality/value This paper extends the literature on the effect of IFRS on conservatism as it provides robust effect of IFRS on both conditional and unconditional conservatism. In addition, this study extends the literatures on the effect of corruptions in the relationship between IFRS and conditional conservatism.
Sustainability and Environmental Behaviour in Family Firms: A Longitudinal Analysis of Environment‐Related Activities, Innovation and Performance

Environmental behaviour plays an important role as concerns the public image and performance of firms, as well as for the achievement of sustainable development in society. This study investigates the behaviour of family firms regarding environment‐related activities, innovation and performance. Opposing goals are found to impact environmental behaviour of family firms, in particular the trade‐off between family firms' risk awareness and their aim of achieving socioeconomic wealth. We find that family firms initially lag regarding environment‐related activities, beneficial product, process and organizational innovations and performance. Yet, family firms catch up and show overall less volatility compared with other firms. Overall, we thus observe a convergence process between family and non‐family firms, which ultimately enables the two types of firm to achieve similar outcomes in terms of environment‐related activities, beneficial innovations and performance. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Promoting HPV Vaccination Online: Message Design and Media Choice

We investigated the effects of message framing and online media channel on young adults’ perceived severity of human papillomavirus (HPV), perceived barriers and benefits of getting HPV vaccination, and behavioral intention to get vaccinated. An experiment was conducted with 142 college students. We found an interaction effect: The loss-framed message posted on Facebook was more effective in increasing the number of people who expressed their willingness to get HPV vaccination than the gain-framed message presented on Facebook. However, this framing effect was not found when the identical message was presented on an online newspaper. People’s perceptions of severity of HPV and barriers of getting HPV vaccination were also influenced, depending on which media channel the information was circulated.
Family Caregiving for Adults with Schizophrenia and Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is common among those with schi- zophrenia, but little is known about family members’ roles in the care of relatives who have both schizophrenia and DM. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to examine DM knowledge and caregiver burden among 27 family caregivers of people with schizophrenia and DM. Findings indicate that DM knowledge was low. Objective caregiver burden was highest for providing assistance with daily living activities. Subjective burden was highest for preventing the care recipient from keeping people awake at night and dealing with the care recipient's non-adherence to DM care. Family caregivers are in need of education and support in the caregiving role.
Processing Respiratory Specimens with C18-Carboxypropylbetaine: Development of a Sediment Resuspension Buffer That Contains Lytic Enzymes To Reduce the Contamination Rate and Lecithin To Alleviate Toxicity

ABSTRACT The C18-carboxypropylbetaine (CB-18) procedure for processing respiratory specimens for the detection of mycobacteria was shown to provide significant increases in sensitivity by smear and culture. However, the procedure also produced increased contamination, a loss in liquid culture sensitivity, and a reduction in smear specificity. Because of these observations, the toxicity of CB-18 and the nature of the contamination were characterized. Preincubation in 1 mM CB-18 impacted viability in a time-dependent fashion, but the magnitude of the loss was species and isolate dependent.Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were the most susceptible, losing 20 to 30% of the CFU within 30 min and 30 to 60% after 3 h, whereas Mycobacterium avium andMycobacterium fortuitum isolates were unaffected by CB-18. In liquid culture, when the concentration of CB-18 exceeded 5 μg/ml, there was an impact on growth characteristics for the most susceptibleM. tuberculosis isolate. In contrast, M. fortuitum isolates were able to grow in 100 μg of CB-18 per ml. In liquid culture, the deleterious effects of CB-18 were enhanced in the presence of antibiotics, whereas growth on solid media was not similarly affected. Supplementation of the resuspension buffer with 0.15% lecithin alleviated toxicity. Initial attempts to modify the CB-18 procedure to control contamination incorporated acids or alkalis; however, losses in culture sensitivity occurred. Studies to identify these contaminants led to the development of a sediment resuspension buffer that contained lytic enzymes to combat contamination and lecithin to alleviate toxicity. This formulation included lysozyme, zymolyase, and Cytophaga and Trichodermaextracts and was seen to reduce contamination to acceptable levels (<5%).
L2 postgraduate students’ conceptions of English academic writing: Perspectives of mainland Chinese students

Although countless L2 students need to write in English for academic purposes and there is consensus in the literature that conception of writing is an aspect of writing expertise, the conceptions of English academic writing of L2 postgraduate students remain under-researched. This paper reports on a study that examines mainland Chinese postgraduate students’ conceptions of English academic writing through individual interviews. It defines conceptions of writing as writers’ general understanding of writing, beliefs about writing development, and attitudes towards writing-related support. The study found that students: tend to understand English academic writing as the written form of advanced general English, believe in self-directed practice for writing progress, and are more interested in writing support that targets draft improvement than long-term writing development. The findings are interpreted by considering the possible problems observed in student conceptions of writing. Pedagogical implications are suggested in order to better respond to these problems and students’ needs in English writing.
PARALLEL RACE FORMATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF MIMICRY IN HELICONIUS BUTTERFLIES: A PHYLOGENETIC HYPOTHESIS FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCES

Mimicry has been a fundamental focus of research since the birth of evolutionary biology yet rarely has been studied from a phylogenetic perspective beyond the simple recognition that mimics are not similar due to common descent. The difficulty of finding characters to discern relationships among closely related and convergent taxa has challenged systematists for more than a century. The phenotypic diversity of wing pattens among mimetic Heliconius adds an additional twist to the problem, because single species contain more than a dozen radically different‐looking geographical races even though the mimetic advantage is theoretically highest when all individuals within and between species appear the same. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) offers an independent way to address these issues. In this study, Cytochrome Oxidase I and II sequences from multiple, parallel races of Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene are examined, to estimate intraspecific phylogeny and gauge sequence divergence and ages of clades among races within each species. Although phenotypes of sympatric races exhibit remarkable concordance between the two species, the mitochondrial cladograms show that the species have not shared a common evolutionary history. H. erato exhibits a basal split between trans‐ and cis‐Andean groups of races, whereas H. melpomene originates in the Guiana Shield. Diverse races in either species appear to have evolved within the last 200,000 yr, and convergent phenotypes have evolved independently within as well as between species. These results contradict prior theories of the evolution of mimicry based on analysis of wing‐pattern genetics.