Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Weight and Food Intake in Patients under Hemodialysis

Background: Poor appetite is one of the nutritional problems of hemodialysis patients. We examined the effect of zinc supplementation on weight and dietary intakes in hemodialysis patients.Methods: In a single-blind randomized clinical trial, 61 hemodialysis patients were recruited and randomly divided into two groups of zinc supplements (capsules containing 50 mg elemental zinc) and control (placebo capsules containing cornstarch). The intervention lasted for 60 days. Thirty-eight patients (17 in zinc supplements and 21 in theplacebo group) completed the study. Weight, blood pressure, biochemical parameters including serum calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, blood urine nitrogen, and creatinine were measured and 24-hour food recalls were obtained before and after the intervention.Results: Weight of the subjects in the zinc group increased (2.4, 95% CI: -1.6 to 6.5 kg) and that of the control decreased (-0.85, 95% CI: -2.9 to 1.2 kg) during the intervention. Although none of these alterations was significant, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant. Changes in biochemical parameters and blood pressure were not significantly different between the two groups. The intake of protein (12.7% vs. 8.6% for zinc vs. control), carbohydrate (13.8% vs. 3.0% for zinc vs. control), and energy (8.9% vs. 4.7% for zinc vs. control) increased in both groups, although there was no significant difference between the groups.Conclusion: It was shown that zinc supplementation may increase weight gain and food intake in hemodialysis patients.
How and Under What Conditions Search for External Knowledge and Organizational Innovation are Complementary activities ?

This study examines how and under what conditions search for external knowledge and organizational innovation have a complementary effect on the firm’s innovative performance. While we propose that firms can marginally increase their innovative performance by engaging in both activities simultaneously, we also recognize that the effect of the joint occurrence of search for external knowledge and organizational innovation might vary significantly depending on what is the external search strategy that firms follow. Building on the organizational learning literature, we argue that the success or failure of an organizational innovation is contingent upon the different learning objectives that different external search strategies may involve. Based upon a sample of 9,508 companies expanding in twelve CIS countries, our results confirm this argument, suggesting that the complementary relationship between external search and organizational innovation on the innovative performance is likely to exist only for those firms that adopt a search breadth rather than search depth knowledge sourcing strategy. Further, the findings indicate that this effect is stronger for the radical than for the incremental innovative performance of the firm.
Unmet need for contraception among married adolescent girls and young women in Haramaya Health and demographic surveillance system, Eastern Ethiopia

Background The prevalence of unmet need for contraception is the highest in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Contraceptive use among young married or unmarried women is lower than that among older women in developing countries. Previous studies generalized the findings to all women of reproductive age and have not investigated psychosocial factors that influence contraceptive use. This study aimed to identify factors associated with unmet need for contraception among young married women in the Haramaya Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), eastern Ethiopia. Methodology A cross-sectional, community-based study of young married women aged 15–24 years was conducted. A simple random sampling method was used to select 550 young married women. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), factors associated with unmet need for contraception were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results The overall prevalence of unmet need for contraception was 154 (30.3%). Adolescents (15–19) (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.16–3.62), husbands' negative attitude toward contraception (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.05–4.46), and no previous use of contraception (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 2.29–6.71) were significantly and positively associated with unmet need for contraception. On the contrary, young women with secondary education or higher (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.28–1.084) were negatively and significantly associated with unmet need for contraception. Conclusion The prevalence of unmet need for contraception among young women in Haramaya was high. Unmet need was affected by age, husbands' attitude toward contraceptives, the educational status of women, and previous use of contraception. This study underscored the need to improve girls' educational status to empower them in making contraceptive use decisions with their partners. Programs should also engage male partners who are perceived as key decision-makers when it comes to contraceptive use.
Prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis in Dara District Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted in five selected peasant Associations of Dara Woreda of Southern Ethiopia from October, 2013 to June, 2014 to estimate the prevalence of bovine trypanosomiasis and to identify the prevalent trypanosome species, and the risk factors of the disease. Blood samples were collected from the ear vein of randomly selected 384 cattle. Thin blood smear and buffy coat techniques are employed to detect the presence of the parasite and the PCV was measured to evaluate the anemic condition of the animals. Out of the total number of cattle examined, 57 were found to be positive for Trypanosomiasis giving the overall prevalence of 14.8%, out of which 47.6% Trypanosoma congolense, 33.3% Trypanosoma vivax, 9.5% Trypanosoma brucei and 9.5% mixed infection (Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax) were identified. The maximum prevalence 28.4% was observed in Safa followed by Adame, Odola, Machisho and Kumato with the prevalence of 19.8, 11.5, 10.1 and 4.9%, respectively. Animals were grouped into three age categories, calves 3 years with the prevalence of 4.2, 8.5 and 20.5% respectively. Based on the body condition score, the prevalence of 8, 13 and 25.2% was recorded in good, medium and poor conditioned animals, and it was higher in females 15.7% than males 12.4%. The statistical analysis showed a significant association in the variation of age categories, body condition and among peasant associations (p<0.05). The result also showed a significant difference in packed cell volume (PCV) values between infected and non-infected cattle. In conclusion, the study showed that disease was higher in the area and had significant effect on the body condition and development of anemia. Therefore, the responsible organizations and the community should work on the control and prevention activities of the disease in environmental friendly manner. Key words: Cattle, Dara, prevalence, trypanosoma, trypanosomiasis
Sains Humanika Comparison of Adaptive Behaviour among Children with Learning Difficulties

The objective of this study is to explore the nature of adaptive behaviour in terms of fine and gross motor skills in children with learning difficulties. This research aims to find whether there are any differences between the fine and gross motor skills among the children from the age of four to fourteen with learning difficulties. This study used Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales Classroom Edition survey questionnaire to explore the differences in the adaptive behaviour of children with learning difficulties in the motor skills domain. A quantitative within-participants experimental design was employed to assess the adaptive behaviour among children with learning difficulties in motor skill domain. The independent variable was the motor skills consisting of two levels which are the fine motor skills and gross motor skills. The dependent variable was the difference in adaptive behaviour of the children with learning difficulties. Paired-samples t-test was used to study the differences between the variables. It was evident that the paired sample t-test conducted implied that there was no significant difference between the variables which are the fine and gross motor skills. Future researchers could also compare other demographic factors such as age, gender or cultural background that influences the adaptive behaviour of children with learning difficulties in various domains besides motor skills such as socialisation and communication domains.
THE INFLUENCE OF WETLAND MEDIA IN IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF POLLUTANT REMOVAL DURING WATER TREATMENT: A REVIEW

Biochar is used for water treatment as a low-cost adsorbent with high efficiency. It has a large pore volume and is environmentally friendly. Recently, biochar has been a popular topic in the field of environmental management and wastewater treatment. There has been a rising interest in biochar due to its low-cost production, environmental stability and potential effects on several ecosystem functions. A high number of studies have shed light on the potential use of biochar as a sorbent as well as the application of biochar to adsorb pollutants in wastewater and enhance the efficiency of constructed wetlands. The removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions was examined and biochar was found to efficiently remove more heavy metal ions from these solutions than activated carbon. This study has shed light on the role of biochar in water treatments and provided an updated review to produce biochar from different biomass feedstock around the world.
Genome-wide characterization of the chitinase gene family in wild apple (Malus sieversii) and domesticated apple (Malus domestica) reveals its role in resistance to Valsa mali

Chitinases are responsible for catalyzing the hydrolysis of chitin and contribute to plant defense against fungal pathogens by degrading fungal chitin. In this study, genome-wide identification of the chitinase gene family of wild apple (Malus sieversii) and domesticated apple (Malus domestica) was conducted, and the expression profile was analyzed in response to Valsa mali infection. A total of 36 and 47 chitinase genes belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase 18 (GH18) and 19 (GH19) families were identified in the genomes of M. sieversii and M. domestica, respectively. These genes were classified into five classes based on their phylogenetic relationships and conserved catalytic domains. The genes were randomly distributed on the chromosomes and exhibited expansion by tandem and segmental duplication. Eight of the 36 MsChi genes and 17 of the 47 MdChi genes were differentially expressed in response to V. mali inoculation. In particular, MsChi35 and its ortholog MdChi41, a class IV chitinase, were constitutively expressed at high levels in M. sieversii and domesticated apple, respectively, and may play a crucial role in the defense response against V. mali. These results improve knowledge of the chitinase gene family in apple species and provide a foundation for further studies of fungal disease prevention in apple.
Optimizing Gestational Weight Gain With the Eating 4 Two Smartphone App : Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Monitoring

Background Approximately 50% of women gain excessive weight in pregnancy. Optimizing gestational weight gain is important for the shortand long-term health of the childbearing woman and her baby. Despite this, there is no recommendation for routine weighing in pregnancy, and weight is a topic that many maternity care providers avoid. Resource-intensive interventions have mainly targeted overweight and #12 3 4 5 #6 #7 #7 8 #9 #10
Clinical characteristics and short-term recovery of hyposmia in hospitalized non-severe COVID-19 patients with Omicron variant in Shanghai, China

Background Olfactory dysfunction is a common neurological symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19). Little is known about hyposmia after COVID-19 infection with Omicron variant in Chinese population. Objective To investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics and recovery of hyposmia in hospitalized non-severe COVID-19 patients with Omicron variant in Shanghai, China. Methods Three hundred and forty-nine Chinese non-severe COVID-19 patients with Omicron variant were consecutively enrolled in a designated hospital to investigate the incidence of hyposmia in hospitalization and the recovery rate 1 month later. The visual assessment scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the severity of hyposmia. We compared the demographic, clinical features and treatment outcomes, as well as laboratory parameters between patients with and without hyposmia. Results The cross-sectional survey showed that 22 (6.3%) hospitalized patients with non-severe COVID-19 had hyposmia. Patients with hyposmia were younger (61.5 vs. 72.0, p = 0.002), had more related clinical symptoms (sore throat, cough, poor appetite, diarrhea, myalgia and taste impairment, etc.), a higher proportion of moderate clinical type (31.8 vs. 13.5%, p = 0.028) and longer duration of hospitalization (11 vs. 8 days, p = 0.027) than those without hyposmia. Whereas, there were no significant differences regarding gender, comorbidity and nucleic acid conversion time between the two groups. Laboratory subgroup analyses demonstrated that patients with hyposmia had slightly low serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels. However, both of the levels were not associated with hyposmia occurrence in multivariate regression analyses. Further follow-up study disclosed that 16 of 22 (72.7%) hyposmia patients had recovered olfaction 1 month later. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels were similar between hyposmia recovered patients and those with persistent hyposmia. Conclusion Although the incidence of hyposmia after Omicron variant infection is relatively low and the short-term recovery rate is quite high, patients with hyposmia are prone to have a higher proportion of both upper and lower respiratory tract involvements, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, contributing to a longer duration of hospitalization.
PERM1 regulates energy metabolism in the heart via ERRα/PGC−1α axis

Aims PERM1 is a striated muscle-specific regulator of mitochondrial bioenergetics. We previously demonstrated that PERM1 is downregulated in the failing heart and that PERM1 positively regulates metabolic genes known as targets of the transcription factor ERRα and its coactivator PGC-1α in cultured cardiomyocytes. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of loss of PERM1 on cardiac function and energetics using newly generated Perm1-knockout (Perm1–/–) mice and to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its transcriptional control. Methods and results Echocardiography showed that ejection fraction and fractional shortening were lower in Perm1–/– mice than in wild-type mice (both p < 0.05), and the phosphocreatine-to-ATP ratio was decreased in Perm1–/– hearts (p < 0.05), indicating reduced contractile function and energy reserves of the heart. Integrated proteomic and metabolomic analyses revealed downregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and upregulation of glycolysis and polyol pathways in Perm1–/– hearts. To examine whether PERM1 regulates energy metabolism through ERRα, we performed co-immunoprecipitation assays, which showed that PERM1 bound to ERRα in cardiomyocytes and the mouse heart. DNA binding and reporter gene assays showed that PERM1 was localized to and activated the ERR target promoters partially through ERRα. Mass spectrometry-based screening in cardiomyocytes identified BAG6 and KANK2 as potential PERM1’s binding partners in transcriptional regulation. Mammalian one-hybrid assay, in which PERM1 was fused to Gal4 DNA binding domain, showed that the recruitment of PERM1 to a gene promoter was sufficient to activate transcription, which was blunted by silencing of either PGC-1α, BAG6, or KANK2. Conclusion This study demonstrates that PERM1 is an essential regulator of cardiac energetics and function and that PERM1 is a novel transcriptional coactivator in the ERRα/PGC-1α axis that functionally interacts with BAG6 and KANK2.
The Macroeconomic Effects of International Uncertainty

This paper proposes a large-scale Bayesian vector autoregression with factor stochastic volatility to investigate the macroeconomic consequences of international uncertainty shocks in G7 countries. The curse of dimensionality is addressed by means of a global-local shrinkage prior that mimics certain features of the well-known Minnesota prior, yet provides additional flexibility in terms of achieving shrinkage. The factor structure enables us to identify an international uncertainty shock by assuming that it is the joint volatility process that determines the dynamics of the variance-covariance matrix of the common factors. To allow for first and second moment shocks we, moreover, assume that the uncertainty factor enters the VAR equation as an additional regressor. Our findings suggest that the estimated uncertainty measure is strongly connected to global equity price volatility, closely tracking other prominent measures commonly adopted to assess uncertainty. The dynamic responses of a set of macroeconomic and financial variables show that an international uncertainty shock exerts large effects on all economies and variables under consideration. JEL Classification: C30, E52, F41, E32
A case series of dermatomyositis following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

Background/Objective The most significant adverse events following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are myocarditis and pericarditis. Myositis and dermatomyositis have been reported following SARS-CoV-2 infection, but vaccine-induced dermatomyositis (DM) has not been reported. Our case series aimed to characterize new onset dermatomyositis or disease-related flares following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Materials and methods A total of 53 patients from our institution with a new or pre-existing diagnosis of DM were recruited and consented. Phone interviews were conducted to obtain vaccination status and symptoms following vaccination. Electronic medical records were reviewed to extract age, sex, autoantibody profiles, comorbidities, immunomodulatory therapies, creatine kinase (CK) values, and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination dates from the provincial vaccination registry. For patients who reported disease flares, records were reviewed for the onset and nature of symptoms, extent of organ involvement and changes in immunomodulation. Results On average, patients received 2.62 vaccine doses (range 1–3 doses). A total of 3 of 51 patients (5.88%) experienced dermatomyositis symptoms following vaccination. Two patients were newly diagnosed with dermatomyositis, one requiring hospitalization. Reported symptom onset following vaccination ranged from 1 to 30 days. Of note, all of these patients had normal CK values, even though there was muscle biopsy-confirmed myositis in one patient. Eight patients in the cohort (15.1%) had asymptomatic CK elevation (<1.5 X ULN). Conclusion New onset dermatomyositis or flare up of pre-existing dermatomyositis may be a rare complication in SARS-CoV-2 vaccination although no studies can support a true correlation. Several pathophysiologic mechanisms are proposed.
Jurnal Teknologi Evolution of Frequency Composition for Atrial Arrhythmias

In the United States of America, cardiac arrhythmias remain the leading cause of sudden death with more than 300,000 cases per year [1, 2]. The majority of sustained cardiac arrhythmias are atrial fibrillation and these contribute a major cause of stroke[3-6]. Irregular electrical pulses can be determined inside the atria. Frequency analysis is used to measure changes in the dominant frequency (DF). Welch method is used here to obtain the frequency spectrum of the signals. The 2D frequency strength plotting allows us to identify the evolution of the frequency composition of the signal with time. In physiological studies, we should see a general frequency increase during stimulation. That means the frequency at pre-stimulation should be lower than during stimulation and this should return to pre-stimulation state after simulation stops. The reason is that stimulation of the ganglia is supposed to promote atrial conduction in AF. The initiation and maintenance of AF is significantly enhanced by simultaneous parasympathetic stimulation In physiological studies, we should see a general frequency increase during stimulation. That means the frequency at prestimulation should be lower than during stimulation and this should return to pre-stimulation state after simulation stops. The reason is that stimulation of the ganglia is supposed to promote atrial conduction in AF. The initiation and maintenance of AF is significantly enhanced by simultaneous parasympathetic stimulation.
Altered hippocampal functional connectivity after the rupture of anterior communicating artery aneurysm

Background and purpose Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) predisposes hippocampal injury, a major cause of follow-up cognitive impairment. Our previous study has revealed an abnormal resting-state brain network in patients after the rupture of anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm. However, the functional connectivity (FC) characteristics of the hippocampus and its relationship with cognitive performance in these patients remain unknown. Methods This study ultimately included 26 patients and 19 age- and sex-matched controls who completed quality control for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The mean time series for each side of the hippocampus was extracted from individuals and then a seed-to-voxel analysis was performed. We compared the difference in FC strength between the two groups and subsequently analyzed the correlations between abnormal FC and their cognitive performance. Results The results of bilateral hippocampus-based FC analysis were largely consistent. Compared with the healthy controls, patients after the rupture of ACoA aneurysm exhibited significantly decreased FC between the hippocampus and other brain structures within the Papez circuit, including bilateral anterior and middle cingulate cortex (MCC), bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus, and left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG). Instead, increased FC between the hippocampus and bilateral insula was observed. Correlation analyses showed that more subjective memory complaints or lower total cognitive scores were associated with decreased connectivity in the hippocampus and several brain regions such as left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and frontotemporal cortex. Conclusion These results extend our previous findings and suggest that patients with ruptured ACoA aneurysm exist hypoconnectivity between the hippocampus and multiple brain regions within the Papez circuit. Deactivation of the Papez circuit may be a crucial neural mechanism related to cognitive deficits in patients after the rupture of ACoA aneurysm.