Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis on Chemical Components of Woods to Predict Ethanol Production Values

This paper deals with analysis on chemical components of woods to predict ethanol production values. The aim is expected to give a reliable value of ethanol production, eliminating the effort needed to directly measure this ethanol production from each wood species. Since the data of wood chemical components is widely available, this result will be valuable in determining a potential use of a wood species as bio-ethanol feedstock. Saccharification and fermentation processes by enzymatic hydrolysis were applied for xylems derived from49 branch trees of Cibodas, 32 branch trees of Purwodadi, and 19 branch trees of Bali Botanical Gardens in Indonesia. Three major wood components were analysed, i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The results show varied relationships between ethanol production and chemical components of wood. The content of cellulose in wood was not exactly related to its ethanol production. This trend was also occurred for the relationship between hemicellulose and ethanol production. However, lignin content in woods gave an expected trend where the less lignin content, the higher the ethanol production.Furthermore, the ratios of cellulose-hemicelluloses and cellulose-lignin have been quantified. The result showed that the celullose-lignin ratio can potentially be used to predict the value of ethanol production which is expressed by linear regression y = 0.0616x + 0.8341; where R² = 0.4127, x = ethanol production and y = cellulose-lignin ratio. Gymnostoma sumatranum with cellulose content of 43.8% and lignin content of 24.1% (celullose-lignin ratio of 1.8) has actual ethanol production of 12.1 mg/100mg wood meal, compared to 15.7 mg/100mg wood meal resulted from above equation. Therefore, by using its cellulose-lignin ratio, the woods having high ethanol production can be screened from literatures.
Evaluation of serum arginase in overweight women under the acute effect of physical exercise-exploratory study

Introduction: Obesity is a multifactorial condition related to the increase of serum arginase, favoring endothelial dysfunction. Physical exercise is a protective factor for endothelial homeostasis. Thus, knowing whether the level of arginase is modified by a physical exercise session is important. Objective: To verify the level of arginase in women with excess weight before and after a physical exercise session and evaluate the association between the level of arginase and the BMI of these patients. Methods: Exploratory study, which used the serum bank of a randomized clinical trial, in which sedentary women 18 to 30 years old, BMI > 24.9 kg/m2 were included. Women with diseases that could alter the levels of arginase were excluded. The volunteers were randomized to the intervention group a light intensity exercise session (EG) and a control group (CG). The serum arginase of 11 women in the CG and 9 in the EG was measured before and 24h after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS 20 program using the unpaired Student’s t-test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Statistical significance is defined as p < 0.05. Results: The patients’ BMI was = 29 ± 4.7 kg/m2. The intra-group analysis showed no variation in serum arginase before and after the intervention, as well as in the intergroup comparison using the arginase delta. There was no correlation between the level of arginase and BMI. Conclusion: A session of physical exercise did not change the levels of serum arginase in overweighted women.
Investigation of the Anti-TB Potential of Selected Phytochemicals of Nigella Sativa using Molecular Docking Approach

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the foremost causes of human mortality across the world. In general, it is a curable disease and several drugs are available in market for its treatment, however, because of the drug resistance to the currently available anti-TB drugs, the development and/or discovery of new drugs with better efficacy against TB cannot be overlooked. In the present study, we performed virtual screening of the major phytochemicals of the plant Nigella sativa for investigating their potential to inhibit some novel drug targets of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which included- pantothenate kinase, type 1 (MtPanK), β-ketoacyl ACP synthase I (MtKasA), and decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose 2′-epimerase 1 (MtDprE1). Methods: The screening of the phytochemicals was investigated through a molecular docking approach using Auto dock vina and the molecular interactions in the protein-ligand complexes were visualized and analysed through PyMol and BioVia Discovery Studio Visualizer. Results: Our in silico observations reveal that, out of the nine selected phytochemicals screened, five compounds, namely α-hederin, dithymoquinone, nigellidine, thymoquinone and thymol binded to one or more of the selected target enzymes with significant docking scores. α-hederin binded to MtDprE1 and MtKasA with a docking score of −8.5kcal/mol and −7.9kcal/mol, respectively, dithymoquinone binded to MtKasA, MtDprE1 and MtPanK with a docking score of −6.5kcal/mol, −8.2kcal/mol and −9.2kcal/mol, respectively and nigellidine binded to MtDprE1 and MtPanK with a docking score of −8.1kcal/mol and −8.2kcal/mol, respectively. Further, thymol as well as thymoquinone were observed to bind MtKasA with a docking score of −6.6kcal/mol. Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that the five phytochemicals of N. sativa, including α-hederin, dithymoquinone, nigellidine, thymoquinone and thymol, are worth studying further for their anti-TB activity, however, additional biological studies are warranted to validate these findings.
The Potential of Differentiation-Related Gene-1 (DRG1) as a Biomarker for Metastasis of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Introduction: Breast cancer is major burden worldwide and the majority of breast cancers express estrogen receptors (ER) suggesting a high dependence on estrogen hormone. Age is among the major determinants of breast cancer development, however, although Western Kenya is one of the areas with high breast cancer cases, age distribution of ER-positive breast cancer in the sub-region remains largely undocumented. Differentiation-related gene-1 (DRG1) is a metastasis suppressor and thus a potential biomarker for predicting level of metastasis but its potential application in assessing extent of metastasis of ER positive breast cancer has not been fully explored. This study therefore investigated the age distribution and the potential of expression of DRG1 in assessing metastasis of ER positive breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Breast cancer tumour blocks archived in safe cabins in the histology laboratory section, Moi Teaching and Referral hospital, Eldoret, Kenya were used. Clinico-pathological parameters such as histology grade, tumor size, which are associated with metastatic cancer, were assessed using the archived clinico-pathological reports and/or histological analysis of the tumour blocks. Expression of DRG1 and Ki-67 proteins were determined using immunohistochemistry. Results: ER positive breast cancer was predominant among women aged 40 and 50 years. No association was observed between immunohistochemical expression of DRG1 and parameters such as histology grade, tumor size or expression of Ki-67 protein expressed DRG1 (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that expression of DRG1 protein is not associated with parameters that indicate breast cancer metastasis. Thus, DRG1 expression is not a potential biomarker candidate for ER positive breast cancer metastasis. However, since the small sample size was used, further research using larger prospective study is necessary to support the present findings.
A Multifaceted Literature Review of WhatsApp: Opportunities and Challenges in Mobile-Assisted Language Learning

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the role of technology has become even more significant in education, especially in English Language Learning/Teaching (ELL/T). Although, now a good number of tools, platforms and resources are competitively available to make E-learning easier and more effective, WhatsApp is still one of the most prevalent tools in Mobile-assisted Language Learning (MALL). The purpose of this study is to provide a multifaceted review of the latest articles on using WhatsApp in ELL/T. Thus, a review of the literature was conducted to identify the most recent articles (from 2019 to 2020), which led to the inclusion of 16 relevant studies. Results reported the key opportunities and challenges associated with the use of WhatsApp in ELL/T from four aspects categorized as Language Aspects, Technological Aspects, Psychological Aspects and 21 st Century Skills. Findings from this study will certainly help academicians, practitioners and researchers in the fields of MALL, and English Language Teaching (ELT) to gauge their trajectories toward using WhatsApp more effectively.
The Impact of Online Mentoring in Implementing RADEC Learning to the Elementary School Teachers’ Competence in Training Students’ Critical Thinking Skills: A Case Study During COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to describe the impact of online mentoring activities in implementing the RADEC (Read, Answer, Discuss, Explain, and Create) learning model on the competence of elementary school teachers in training students’ critical thinking skills. The method was a pre-experiment with a one-group pretest-posttest design involving 25 elementary school teachers in Indonesia. The teachers received online mentoring in implementing RADEC learning model. The research instrument was a questionnaire to measure teachers’ knowledge and skills in training critical thinking. The data processing technique was carried out by calculating the mean and the percentage of each item to obtain a description of the teachers’ knowledge and skills in training students’ critical thinking before and after treatment. The data were analyzed inferentially with a paired sample t-test using SPSS version 22 software to see the impact of the treatment on teachers’ competence in training critical thinking. Based on the results of the paired-sample t-test, for both the knowledge and skills aspects, the probability value (sig) was 0.00 <0.05. This result means that there was a significant difference in the knowledge and skills of teachers in training students’ critical thinking skills before and after mentoring activities. The study results indicate that the online mentoring in implementing the RADEC learning model improved teachers’ competence in training elementary school students’ critical thinking skills.
Okun's Law and Regional Spillovers: Evidence from Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Areas

The purpose of this paper is to examine the strength of the relationship between unemployment and GDP, the importance of regional spillovers and to determine the extent to which this relationship has been stable in Virginia metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) during the Great Recession. Our results indicate a substantially weaker relationship between unemployment and GDP in Virginia than that estimated for the U.S. economy and suggest that regional spillovers are very important in local labor markets and in defining the relationship observed at the national level. The MSA level data further supports asymmetries in Okun's law. the weaker relationship between GDP and unemployment at the local level suggests that while federal fiscal and monetary policies to stimulate aggregate demand during periods of economic recovery may be effective, over time, in reducing the unemployment rate, local economic development policies are not effective in achieving the substantial short term reduction in unemployment needed during recovery. The strong business cycle effects observed in a state like Virginia, relative to the U.S., suggests that countercyclical policies are fundamentally important and should be targeted more generally to exploit regional spillovers.
Dermatological Manifestation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients in Iraq

Background: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a growing pandemic around the globe that was initially discovered in Wuhan in December 2019. Despite the relatively high incidence of cutaneous manifestations in COVID-19, their role in early recognition and disease progression has not been fully investigated. Aim of this study: To report the possible incidence of the cutaneous lesion in COVID 19 patients and to describe various cutaneous manifestations and their correlation with other clinical features in Covid-19 positive patients to facilitate diagnosis and prognostications toward this virus. Methods: This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study. Skin lesions photography and their analysis were collected by dermatologists from 18 cities in Iraq between September 2020 to January 2021. The data were processed using statistical package SPSS version 23. Results: A total of 3117 confirmed COVID-19 cases were included in this study. Around 268 patients developed skin lesions with age ranged between 8 to 84 years. Of these skin lesions, 46.2% developed during the illness with minority erupting during the prodromal phase, whilst 38.8% appeared after hospitalization. The most common skin lesion was in the form of urticarial 36.74% followed by herpetic lesions 28.4%, maculopapular rash 11.74% and the remainder being candidiasis, oral thrush, chilblains, and other skin conditions. The most affected area was the torso (46%) followed by limbs, face, fingers, and toes. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the high incidence rate of dermatological lesions in different phases of COVID-19 with urticarial rash being the most frequent clinical pattern.
The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Women with Depression: Changes in Early Maladaptive Schemas of Behavioral Mistrust and Abandonment Instability

Few studies have examined the influence of cognitive therapy on schemas in women with psychological disorders. This study explores the effect of mindfulness therapy on early maladaptive schemas of behavioural mistrust and the abandonment instability of 60 women with depression who had been referred to a psychological clinic. The methodology of this study was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design. All participants were randomly placed into experimental (30 individuals) and control (30 individuals) groups and answered Young's Early maladaptive schema questionnaire before and after the treatments. The experimental group received a cognitive intervention program based on mindfulness therapy during eight sessions (90 minutes). Covariance analysis was conducted, and the result indicated the positive effect of mindfulness therapy on the experimental group, not the control group. The result suggested that mindfulness treatment positively affects the early maladaptive schemas of behavioural mistrust and abandonment instability in women with depression.
Self-Efficacy, Teacher Leadership and Teacher Professionalism in Secondary School

The article was to determine the effect of self-efficacy on teacher professionalism, the effect of teacher leadership on teacher professionalism, and the effect of self-efficacy on teacher leadership. The research was conducted at 14 secondary school in West Jakarta, Indonesia by using survey method and testing the hypothesis with path analysis. Sample of this study consisted of 85 teachers selected by simple random sampling. The data collection technique was conducted by using an online questionnaire which was google form. The variable of self-efficacy includes learning strategies, class management, and student engagement. Then, the variable of teacher leadership includes four dimensions, namely collective leadership, leadership opportunity, leadership engagement, and supra-practitioner. Meanwhile, the teacher professionalism variable includes four domains, namely professional skills, autonomy in decision making, collaborative practice and commitment. The result shows that there was a positive direct effect of the self-efficacy variable on the teacher professionalism variable, there was a positive direct effect of the teacher leadership variable on the teacher professionalism variable and there was a positive direct effect of the self-efficacy variable on the teacher leadership variable. The result of the study was discussed by considering the relevant literature and implications were made. Keywords: Teacher Leadership, Teacher Professionalism, Secondary School
Long noncoding RNA VPS9D1-AS1 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

The VPS9D1 antisense RNA1 (VPS9D1-AS1, lncRNA MYU) can act as an oncogene or an antioncogene in different malignancies. In the present study, we demonstrated that VPS9D1-AS1 is significantly upregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and assessed its biological function and clinical prognosis. RNA-sequencing was conducted in four pairs of ESCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues (NATs). Compared with controls, lncRNA VPS9D1-AS1 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues, cell lines and plasma. VPS9D1-AS1 upregulation significantly correlated with the histopathological grade and clinical stage of ESCC. Analyses revealed poor prognosis in ESCC patients with high VPS9D1-AS1 expression. VPS9D1-AS1 knockdown led to the inhibition of tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion in vivo and vitro. VPS9D1-AS1 silencing downregulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways by acting on key proteins such as β-catenin and c-Myc. However, the expressions of these proteins increased after the addition of pathway agonist CT99021. Therefore, taken together VPS9D1-AS1 is highly expressed in ESCC and its expression can lead to poor prognosis. In conclusion, this study suggested that VPS9D1-AS1 acts as a vital part in facilitating ESCC progression and can be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of patients with ESCC.
Surgical Outcomes of Adult Chiari Malformation Type 1: Experience at a Tertiary Institute

Background Chiari type I malformation (CM1) is a herniation of the caudal cerebellum and/or medulla oblongata into the upper spinal canal, occurring in pediatric and adult populations. We aimed to analyze the surgical outcomes of adult patients with CM1 consecutively treated with a posterior fossa decompression and duraplasty (PFDD) in a tertiary institution. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 45 adult patients with CM1 who underwent PFDD at the Neurosurgery Department of our institution between January 2012 and December 2017. Radiological evaluation was based on pre- and postoperative syrinx/cord ratio, syrinx length, and regression of the ectopic cerebellar tonsils on coronal and sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, and clinical assessment of the patients was performed with the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale (CCOS). Results Of the 45 patients included in the study, 25 (four men, 21 women) were diagnosed with symptomatic CM1 with an age average of 36.6±11.4 (18-66) years. Headache was the most common symptom (72.0%), while pinprick losses were prevalent in 13 (52.0%) patients. The mean postoperative CCOS score was 14.7±2.0 (8-16). Symptoms improved in 20 patients (80.0%) at the last follow-up. The mean regression in ectopic tonsils on midsagittal and coronal images were 9.1±1.8 (range: 0-16.5) mm and 8.3±1.2 (0-12.0) mm, respectively (p<0.05). The syrinxes had regressed completely or significantly in 7 (87.5%) of eight patients with syrinx. Conclusion Our findings showed that PFDD is sufficient to relieve most of the major symptoms and resolve the syrinx cavity without additional surgical interventions. The CCOS keeps its measurability of assessment of the clinical outcomes. A reliable radiological evaluation should be performed on midsagittal and coronal MRI images.
What Are the Correlates of Global Variations in the Prevalence of Opioid Use Disorders? An Analysis of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2019

Introduction The recent opioid crisis in North America has brought the problem of opioid use disorders (OUD) into clinical and public health focus, with experts warning that other countries or regions may be at future risk of experiencing such crises. The existing literature suggests that a wide range of social, cultural and economic factors may be associated with the onset, course and outcome of OUD in individuals. The current study uses data on the estimated prevalence of OUDs across 115 countries, obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2019, to examine the bivariate and multivariate associations between national prevalence of OUD and these factors. Methods Data on the estimated prevalence of OUDs was obtained via a database query from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Collaborative Network database for the year 2019. Recent (2018-2019) data on 10 relevant variables identified in the literature (gross national income, economic inequality, urbanization, social capital, religious affiliation and practice, unemployment, divorce, cultural individualism, and prevalence of depression) were obtained from the GBD, World Bank and Our World in Data databases. After transformation to a normal distribution, bivariate and univariate analyses were conducted to identify the significance and strength of the associations between these variables and the prevalence of OUD. Results Of the 10 variables studied, all variables except the divorce rate and religious affiliation were significantly correlated with the prevalence of OUD on bivariate analyses, though the strength of these associations was in the poor to fair range. On multivariate analysis, a significant association was observed only for the prevalence of depression, with trends towards a positive association for cultural individualism and unemployment, and a protective trend observed for religious practice. Discussion Though subject to certain limitations inherent in cross-sectional analyses, these results suggest that certain variables may be associated with a higher prevalence of OUD at the national level. Replication and refinement of these analyses may prove useful in identifying countries or regions at risk of a future opioid epidemic or crisis, which could facilitate the institution of preventive measures or early intervention strategies.