Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting Cardiovascular Risk in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Cardiovascular risk and obesity are becoming major health issues among individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors and obesity in youth with T1D in Lithuania. Methods. 883 patients under 25 years of age with T1D for at least 6 months were investigated. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and microvascular complications were evaluated, and the lipid profile and HbA1c were determined for all patients. Results. Study subjects' mean HbA1c was 8.5 ± 2%; 19.5% were overweight and 3.6% obese. Hypertension and dyslipidemia were diagnosed in 29.8% and 62.6% of participants, respectively. HbA1c concentration was directly related to levels of total cholesterol (r = 0.274, p < 0.001), LDL (r = 0.271, p < 0.001), and triglycerides (r = 0.407, p < 0.001) and inversely associated with levels of HDL (r = 0.117, p = 0.001). Prevalence of dyslipidemia increased with duration of diabetes (p < 0.05). Hypertension was more prevalent in overweight and obese compared to normal-weight patients (40.6 and 65.6 vs. 25.6%, respectively, p < 0.001). Frequency of microvascular complications was higher among patients with dyslipidemia (27.2 vs. 18.8%, p = 0.005) and among those with hypertension (25.9 vs. 23.2%, p < 0.001). Conclusion. The frequency of cardiovascular risk factors is high in youth with T1D and associated with diabetes duration, obesity, and metabolic control.
Varve Distribution Reveals Spatiotemporal Hypolimnetic Hypoxia Oscillations During the Past 200 Years in Lake Lehmilampi, Eastern Finland

We investigated 34 sediment cores to reconstruct spatiotemporal variations in hypolimnetic hypoxia for the past 200 years in Lehmilampi, a small lake in Eastern Finland. As hypoxia is essential for varve preservation, spatiotemporal changes in varve distribution were used as an indicator for hypolimnetic hypoxia oscillations. The hypoxic water volume was used as a variable reflecting hypolimnetic hypoxia and determined for each year by estimating the water volume beneath the water depth where shallowest varves were preserved. As a result, seven hypoxia periods, highlighting the variations in hypolimnetic hypoxia, are established. These periods may be influenced by bioturbation, lake infill, and lake level changes. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between hypolimnetic hypoxia oscillations and climatic factors. Diatom assemblage changes were also analyzed to estimate whether the hypoxia periods could be related to anthropogenic eutrophication. The diatom analyses suggest relatively stable nutrient conditions for the past 200 years in Lake Lehmilampi. Climate, on the other hand, seems to be an important driver of hypoxia oscillations based on correlation analysis. The role of individual forcing factors and their interaction with hypolimnetic hypoxia would benefit from further investigations. Understanding climatic and anthropogenic forcing behind hypolimnetic hypoxia oscillations is essential when assessing the fate of boreal lakes in a multi-stressor world.
The Impact of Teacher’s Self-Efficacy on Student’s Motivation towards Science Learning

Purpose: The study aims to identify the role of teachers’ self-efficacy towards motivating students’ learning process in intermediate colleges of Karachi, Pakistan. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a causal research design, purposive sampling as a sampling technique and questionnaire as a data collection method, data were gathered from selected intermediates colleges of Karachi. The data from 312 sample cases were then analyzed by employing PLS-SEM through SmartPLS3 and results were identified. Findings: The results of the current study showed that teachers’ self-efficacy has significantly positive effect on goal achievement active learning and learning environment. In addition, teachers’ self-efficacy was found to have significant positive impact on performance goal and science learning value. Conclusion and Implications: By the initiation of proper training and working over the embracement of self-efficacy, the motivation of the students towards the learning of science, can be improved. The professional courses and teacher education programs to develop the sense of self-efficacy are also proposed by the professionals.
Diversification or collapse of self-incompatibility haplotypes as outcomes of evolutionary rescue

Self-incompatibility systems in angiosperms are exemplars of extreme allelic polymorphism maintained by long-term balancing selection. Pollen that shares an allele with the pollen recipient at the self-incompatibility locus is rejected, and this rejection favors rare alleles as well as preventing self-fertilization. Advances in molecular genetics reveal that an ancient, deeply conserved, and well-studied incompatibility system functions through multiple tightly linked genes encoding separate pollen-expressed F-box proteins and pistil-expressed ribonucleases. We show that certain recombinant haplotypes at the incompatibility locus can drive collapse in the number of incompatibility types. We use a modified evolutionary rescue model to calculate the relative probabilities of increase and collapse in number of incompatibility types given the initial collection of incompatibility haplotypes and the population rate of gene conversion. We find that expansion in haplotype number is possible when population size or the rate of gene conversion is large, but large contractions are likely otherwise. By iterating a Markov chain model derived from these expansion and collapse probabilities, we find that a stable haplotype number distribution in the realistic range of 10–40 is possible under plausible parameters. However, small or moderate-sized populations should be susceptible to substantial additional loss of haplotypes beyond those lost by chance during bottlenecks. The same processes that can generate many incompatibility haplotypes in large populations may therefore be crushing haplotype diversity in smaller populations.
Anisotropy of (partial) isothermal remanent magnetization: DC-field-dependence and additivity

Anisotropy of isothermal remanent magnetization (AIRM) is useful for describing the fabrics of high-coercivity grains, or alternatively, the fabrics of all remanence-carrying grains in rocks with weak remanence. Comparisons between AIRM and other measures of magnetic fabric allow for description of mineral-specific or grain-size-dependent fabrics, and their relation to one another. Additionally, when the natural remanence of a rock is carried by high-coercivity minerals, it is essential to isolate the anisotropy of this grain fraction to correct paleodirectional and paleointensity data. AIRMs have been measured using a wide range of applied fields, from a few mT to several T. It has been shown that the degree and shape of AIRM can vary with the strength of the applied field, for example, due to the contribution of separate grain subpopulations or due to field-dependent properties. To improve our understanding of these processes, we systematically investigate the variation of AIRM and the anisotropy of partial isothermal remanence (ApIRM) with applied field for a variety of rocks with different magnetic mineralogies. We also test the additivity of A(p)IRMs and provide a definition of their error limits. While A(p)IRM principal directions can be similar for a range of applied field strengths on the same specimen, the degree and shape of anisotropy often show systematic changes with the field over which the (p)IRM was applied. Also, the data uncertainty varies with field window; typically, larger windows lead to better-defined principal directions. Therefore, the choice of an appropriate field window is crucial for successful anisotropy corrections in paleomagnetic studies. Due to relatively large deviations between AIRMs calculated by tensor addition and directly measured AIRMs, we recommend that the desired A(p)IRM be measured directly for anisotropy corrections.
Bioinformatic characterisation of genes associated with coenzyme A biosynthesis in mycoplasmas and expression and isolation of dephospho-coenzyme A kinase from Mycoplasma sp. Ms02

iii Opsomming . v Acknowledgements . vii List of Abbreviations . xii Chapter 1 – Introduction . 1 1.1 Background. 1 1.2 Aims and objectives . 3 1.3 Thesis layout . 3 Chapter 2 – Literature Review . 5 2.1 Mycoplasmas . 5 2.1.1 History . 5 2.1.2 Cell morphology . 6 2.1.3 Taxonomy and Phylogeny. 6 2.1. 4 Genome . 7 2.1. 5 Metabolic pathways . 9 2.1. 6 Host distribution and habitat . 10 2.1. 7 Pathogenicity . 10 2.1. 8 Ostrich-infecting mycoplasmas . 10 2.1. 9 Existing treatment of avian mycoplasmas . 11 2.2 Coenzyme A . 13 2.2.1 Coenzyme A and its relevance . 13 2.2.2 Coenzyme A biosynthesis . 15 2.2. 3 Enzymes involved in the coenzyme A biosynthesis pathway . 19 2.2. 4 Coenzyme A biosynthesis pathway as a drug target . 25 2.2. 5 Coenzyme A biosynthesis in mycoplasmas . 27 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
The Influence of Organizational Learning on Teacher Leadership

Learning organization is an important element in educational institutions. Many studies have been conducted to identify the influence of learning organization and their impact on educational field. In this regard, the study aims to identify the influence of learning organization on teacher leadership. The design of this study uses quantitative approach and correlation methods. A set of questionnaire was used as research instrument to identify the practice of learning organization and teacher leadership. The respondents of the study consisted of 370 secondary school teachers. The findings show that learning organization influences teacher leadership. The implication of this study is to provide knowledge on what can influence teacher leadership. In conclusion, this study can be used as a starting point to identify other indicators that influence teacher leadership.
Generative Adversarial Networks for Image Steganography

Steganography is collection of methods to hide secret information ("payload") within non-secret information ("container"). Its counterpart, Steganalysis, is the practice of determining if a message contains a hidden payload, and recovering it if possible. Presence of hidden payloads is typically detected by a binary classifier. In the present study, we propose a new model for generating image-like containers based on Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Networks (DCGAN). This approach allows to generate more setganalysis-secure message embedding using standard steganography algorithms. Experiment results demonstrate that the new model successfully deceives the steganography analyzer, and for this reason, can be used in steganographic applications.
#MeToo in Japan and South Korea: #WeToo, #WithYou

ABSTRACT This article compares the impact of the #MeToo movement in South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, #MeToo inspired many women to go public with their accusations in numerous high-profile cases. Those accusations inspired the mobilization of mass demonstrations and demands for legal reform. In South Korea, the movement’s impact is evident in policy proposals and the revision of laws on sexual harassment and gender-based violence. In Japan, however, the movement has grown more slowly. Fewer women went public, and if they did, many remained anonymous. The movement remains limited to a small number of cases that resulted in the formation of a professional network to support women journalists. We argue that the different outcomes in these countries can be explained by the strength of women’s engagement in civil society and the nature of the media coverage in each case. In both countries, however, women continue to face a powerful backlash that includes victim-blaming and social and professional sanctions for speaking up.
Apoptosis and oxidative stress as relevant mechanisms of antitumor activity and genotoxicity of ZnO-NPs alone and in combination with N-acetyl cysteine in tumor-bearing mice

Background: Several in vitro studies have revealed that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were able to target cancerous cells selectively with minimal damage to healthy cells. Purpose: In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the antitumor activity of ZnO-NPs in Ehrlich solid carcinoma (ESC) bearing mice by measuring their effect on the expression levels of P53, Bax and Bcl2 genes as indicators of apoptotic induction in tumor tissues. Also, we assessed the potential ameliorative or potentiation effect of 100 mg/kg N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) in combination with ZnO-NPs. Materials and methods: ESC bearing mice were gavaged with three different doses of ZnO-NPs (50, 300 and 500 mg/kg body weight) alone or in combination with NAC for seven consecutive days. In addition to measuring the tumor size, pathological changes, zinc content, oxidative stress biomarkers and DNA damage in ESC, normal muscle, liver and kidney tissues were assessed. Results: Data revealed a significant reduction in tumor size with a significant increase in p53 and Bax and decrease in Bcl2 expression levels in the tissues of ZnO-NPs treated ESC bearing mice. Moreover, a significant elevation of MDA accompanied with a significant reduction of CAT and GST. Also, a marked increase in all comet assay parameters was detected in ZnO-NPs treated groups. On the other hand, the combined treatment with ZnO-NPs and NAC significantly reduced reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in liver and kidney tissues in all ZnO-NPs treated groups. Conclusion: ZnO-NPs exhibited a promising anticancer efficacy in ESC, this could serve as a foundation for developing new cancer therapeutics. Meanwhile, the combined treatment with ZnO-NPs and NAC could act as a protective method for the healthy normal tissue against ZnO-NPs toxicity, without affecting its antitumor activity.
Finnish children’s descriptions of lesbian and heterosexual parents

Abstract Comparisons of children's perceptions of lesbian mothers to children's perceptions of heterosexual parents are limited. To investigate whether children's descriptions of their parents vary by family type (lesbian versus heterosexual) and biological relatedness, we interviewed 29 Finnish children raised by lesbian mothers or heterosexual parents. Parents also completed surveys about division of childcare responsibilities and six parenting dimensions. We found no systematic differences between the parent types. A clustering of parents based on the descriptions indicated neither family type, parent gender, or biological relatedness systematically explained the variation in children’s descriptions of parents. Implications of our findings are discussed. Contrary to earlier findings, perceptions were similar across parent types, suggesting that perceptions might be shaped primarily by parents’ actual behavior and not by social categories such as gender and relatedness.
Monitoring the bacterial contamination during different stages of beef carcass preparation at Beni-Suef abattoir, Egypt

In an attempt to monitor the levels of bacterial contamination during different stages of beef carcass preparation at Beni-Suef abattoir, Egypt, 20 beef carcasses were examined. Each carcass was represented by swabs from the abdomen, neck, shoulder, thigh and thorax, collected after dehiding, after evisceration and after complete preparation. Each swab was examined for the total mesophilic, psychrophilic and staphylococcal counts, MPN of coliforms, fecal coliforms and E. coli. The mesophilic counts in the examined swabs of abdomen, neck, shoulder, thigh and thorax after dehiding were 3×106, 3×106, 5×106, 7×105, 3×106, while after evisceration, they changed to 2×107, 5×106, 4×106, 5×105, 2×106 CFU/cm2, respectively. Moreover, they accounted for 5×105, 5×106, 7×106, 2×105, 5×106 CFU/cm2 after preparation, respectively. The staphylococcal counts in the examined swabs were 7×102, 7×102, 8×102, 7×102, 8×102 after dehiding, 6×102, 9×102, 6×102, 6×102, 4×102 CFU/cm2 after evisceration, respectively. While, they were 4×102, 9×102, 10×102, 6×102, 3×102 CFU/cm2 after preparation, respectively. As regard to coliforms (MPN) in the examined swabs after dehiding, they were 2×10, 4×102, 2×102, 4×102, 2×102, while 9, 3×102, 1×102, 3×102, 1×102 after evisceration, and <3, 3×102, 8×10, 2×10, 3×10 m.os. /cm2 after preparation, respectively. The sources of contamination with the determined bacteria were discussed throughout the study.
The Factors Causing Student's Reluctance in English Oral Performance in Classroom Activities

The purpose of this research is to investigate student's reluctance in performing English orally in classroom activities. The research was designed as a case study. To collect data, the research involved a student who was currently studying in the sixth semester. The student was enrolled at the English education study program of Tanjungpura University in academic year 2016/2017. In this research, the participant was observed for 10 times completed with an observation checklist and a field-note for each observation. After that, the researcher gave her questionnaires and an interview guide.The finding showed that the participant was reluctant to use English in the classroom activities because she seemed to have no motivation to speak in English because she was shy and did not get motivation from her classmates to speak in English. She also had no motivation to make an effort in expressing her ideas in English.She was also shy and afraid of making mistakes because she was worried if she used incorrect grammar. Then, she was also confused which tenses to use when speaking. Finally, it was reported that she did not have adequate numbers of words to express her ideas, because she was panic when speaking in English.
A mixed model applied to joint analysis in experiments with coffee blends using the least squares method

The aim of the present study was to propose a mixed model for a sensory analysis of four experiments with blends of different standards of quality, including the species Coffea Arabica L. and Coffea Canephora. Each experiment differed in the proportions used to formulate the blends and the concentrations used in preparing the beverages, these being 7% and 10% coffee powder for each 100 ml of water. The response variables under analysis were the sensory characteristics of the beverage found in an assessment made by a group of trained tasters, considering taste, bitterness and a final score. Each description followed a numerical rating scale of intensity that ranged from 0 to 10. The model was implemented using the least squares method; this led to the conclusion that including random parameters in the model, represented by the experiments, made it possible to compare the effect of each component simultaneously for each of the experiments.
Thermodynamic analysis of Kerr-Newman black holes

In this paper we calculate the Hawking temperature of a black hole described by the Kerr-Newman metric, starting from the surface gravity, the area of the event horizon and the angular velocity of the black hole. To do this we apply the laws of black hole thermodynamics: we first set the energy conservation through a relationship between the mass M, the charge Q and the angular momentum J, then we implement the Hawking’s theorem of areas by setting an upper bound to the energy and we get finally the surface gravity of the black hole. In addition, we study the relationship between the black hole parameters (mass M, angular momentum J, electric charge Q) and the Hawking temperature.
The Investigation of Protective Effect of Quercetin in Rats Exposed to Oxidative Stress by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo- p -Dioxin

In this study, 28 Wistar Albino male rats were randomly divided into four equal groups. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was intraperitoneally administered at the dose of 2 μg/kg/week, quercetin was administered at the dose of 20 mg/kg/day by gavages, and quercetin+TCDD were intraperitoneally administered at the doses of 20 mg/kg/day and 2 μg/kg/week, respectively. All applications were performed for 8 weeks. At the end of the eighth week, the rats were sacrificed and their heart and vascular tissues were taken for biochemical analysis (reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels) by spectrophotometric method. As a result of the study, TCDD significantly decreased antioxidant activities and increased lipid peroxidation in rats. In contrast, quercetin significantly prevented the toxic effects of TCDD via increasing SOD, CAT, GSH and GSH-Px levels but decreased the formation of TBARS. Therefore, it can be suggested that quercetin has the potential for treatment against the toxicity caused by TCDD or other environmental contaminants and can decrease the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, especially in humans.
A Putative Microcin Amplifies Shiga Toxin 2a Production of Escherichia coli O157:H7

How the gut microflora influences the progression of bacterial infections is only beginning to be understood. Antibiotics are counterindicated for E. coli O157:H7 infections, limiting treatment options. An increased understanding of how the gut microflora directs O157:H7 virulence gene expression may lead to additional treatment options. This work identified E. coli strains that enhance the production of Shiga toxin by O157:H7 through the secretion of a proposed microcin. Microcins are natural antimicrobial peptides that target specific species, can act as alternatives to antibiotics, and mediate microbial competition. This work demonstrates another mechanism by which non-O157 E. coli strains may increase Shiga toxin production and adds to our understanding of microcins, a group of antimicrobials less well understood than colicins. ABSTRACT Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen implicated in various multistate outbreaks. It encodes Shiga toxin on a prophage, and Shiga toxin production is linked to phage induction. An E. coli strain, designated 0.1229, that amplified Stx2a production when cocultured with E. coli O157:H7 strain PA2 was identified. Growth of PA2 in 0.1229 cell-free supernatants had a similar effect, even when supernatants were heated to 100°C for 10 min, but not after treatment with proteinase K. The secreted molecule was shown to use TolC for export and the TonB system for import. The genes sufficient for production of this molecule were localized to a 5.2-kb region of a 12.8-kb plasmid. This region was annotated, identifying hypothetical proteins, a predicted ABC transporter, and a cupin superfamily protein. These genes were identified and shown to be functional in two other E. coli strains, and bioinformatic analyses identified related gene clusters in similar and distinct bacterial species. These data collectively suggest that E. coli 0.1229 and other E. coli strains produce a microcin that induces the SOS response in target bacteria. Besides adding to the limited number of microcins known to be produced by E. coli, this study provides an additional mechanism by which stx2a expression is increased in response to the gut microflora. IMPORTANCE How the gut microflora influences the progression of bacterial infections is only beginning to be understood. Antibiotics are counterindicated for E. coli O157:H7 infections, limiting treatment options. An increased understanding of how the gut microflora directs O157:H7 virulence gene expression may lead to additional treatment options. This work identified E. coli strains that enhance the production of Shiga toxin by O157:H7 through the secretion of a proposed microcin. Microcins are natural antimicrobial peptides that target specific species, can act as alternatives to antibiotics, and mediate microbial competition. This work demonstrates another mechanism by which non-O157 E. coli strains may increase Shiga toxin production and adds to our understanding of microcins, a group of antimicrobials less well understood than colicins.