Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The importance of age in terms of fistula patency in chronic hemodialysis patients: 7-year follow-up

Background: Patients with kidney failure need dialysis until transplant or die. Hemodialysis is one of the preferred methods for these patients. Many studies have been conducted on the factors affecting the patency of arteriovenous fistulas, which are frequently used for hemodialysis. In this study, we investigated the importance of age. Methods: 442 patients (256 men, 186 women) who underwent arteriovenous fistula operation between May 2013 and Oct 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Surgical operations were performed by 5 different cardiovascular surgeons for hemodialysis in two different institutions in our region. The patients were divided into two groups, Group I (number of patients under 40 years old; n = 201) and Group II (number of patients over 40 years old; n = 241). The primary patency was the time interval between the formation of arteriovenous fistula and any intervention for initial thrombosis and recanalization. Secondary patency was not evaluated in this study. The effects of age on primary exposure rates were investigated for both groups. Results: Primary arteriovenous fistula patency rates were lower in patients over 40 years of age. For this reason, more care should be taken in surgery to create fistulas in patients over the age of 40, and the follow-up of patients should be done more tightly. Conclusion: Complicated external hernias occur in all age groups but are more common in older age and show preponderance in males. All patients present with irreducible swelling with no cough impulse. The indirect inguinal hernia is the most common type and herniorrhaphy is the most preferred operative procedure in the complicated hernia. Wound sepsis was the most common complication. Morbidity and mortality may be attenuated with proper surgical and post-operative management. Keywords: Arteriovenous fistula; hemodialysis; age; surgery; patency
What Determines the Entrepreneurial Intentions of Highly-Skilled Women with Refugee Experience? An Empirical Analysis in the Context of Sweden

One of the main challenges faced by refugee hosting states is the labour market integration of newcomers, which can be achieved to some extent through the creation of small businesses. This paper analyses the individual level determinants of the entrepreneurial intentions of highly-skilled women with refugee experience. The study adds a new perspective to the conversation about highly-skilled migrant women analysed so far, mostly as family reunion migrants joining economic migrants. It also contributes to the relatively new research on refugee entrepreneurship by adopting an unusual perspective for looking at highly skilled women. The empirical analysis embedded in the context of Sweden is two-fold. First, it is done in SPSS on the sample (N = 98) drawn from the 2017 Swedish Invandrarindex data set with the use of binary logistic regression. Second, the findings from the quantitative analysis are nuanced with the analysis of two case studies based on SSI with Syrian women having refugee experience. The results show that the gender variable does not predict the effect on entrepreneurial intentions. The findings confirm the importance of previous self-employment and leadership experience and indicate the potential importance of entrepreneurial role models, the cultural aspect of entrepreneurial intentions and the role of an encouraging environment in the host country.
Апробация методики «Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition»

Introduction. There is currently no universal comprehensive measurement tool for the assessment of children development in the Russian Federation (RF). The Bayley-III scales developed by American researchers are widely used as such a tool. Numerous research groups recognize the need to modify the original scales before using them in a new linguistic and socio-cultural environment. Methods. The authors (a) translated the original Bayley-III manual into Russian, (b) tested the tool by assessing cognitive, language, and motor development of 163 Russian children aged 2–11 months, and (c) made an indirect comparison of the mean scale scores of neuropsychological development and those obtained from the original American sample of children using Student’s t-test. Results. The modified version of the Bayley-III manual has been successfully tested in the RF. The indices of language and motor development of the children examined in this study did not statistically differ from the original American data (10 points). Higher scores were obtained for the cognitive scale (10.7 versus 10; p = 0.003). However, this effect was not very pronounced (Cohen’s d = 0.25). Discussion. The indices of neuropsychological development of Russian children fully comply with the original Bayley-III norms, which opens up new possibilities for its use in the RF. Slightly higher scores of the cognitive scale among Russian children do not generally affect the compliance with the original tool, since the difference was not significant. The results of this study can be extrapolated to full-term Caucasian children aged 2–11 months, whose parents have at least secondary education and average level of earnings. The widespread use of Bayley-III requires its further adaptation in larger and more representative samples of children from different regions of the RF with the additional assessment of social-emotional development as well as adaptive behavior.
A FUNDAMENTAL REVIEW AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF HEXENURONIC ACIDS AND THEIR IMPACT IN ELEMENTAL CHLORINE-FREE BLEACHING

Hexenuronic acids (HexA) has been the subject of much research since the mid-1990s when it was discovered that these functional groups can contribute to the measured kappa number of the pulp, as well as to how a pulp respond to various bleaching agents. The goal of this paper is to review and critically analyze the scientific literature concerning HexA. Most quantification methods utilize UV/Vis spectroscopy, in conjunction to selective HexA hydrolysis, to measure the concentration of these structures in pulp. The strengths and weakness of these methods are discussed. HexA contributes approximately 15 to 50% of the measured kappa number for most hardwood pulps, as opposed to ≤ 10% for softwoods. The formations of these groups, as well as their depletion, during kraft pulping are a strong function of wood species (hardwood vs. softwood) and effective alkali (EA). The activation energies for HexA generation and removal are similar to those related to bulk delignification and hemicellulose degradation. Thus, the manipulation of cooking temperature is difficult to suppress HexA formation while promoting delignification and HexA removal. HexA are not removed in considerable quantities during oxygen delignification or peroxide bleaching stages. These unsaturated structures are degraded when exposed to chlorine dioxide (ClO2). HexA groups contribute to the overall ClO2 consumption during ECF bleaching of hardwood pulps. Experimental evidence from the literature suggests that hypochlorous acid generated from the initial reactions of ClO2 with lignin is the primary agent responsible for HexA removal. Hot A-stages when applied ahead of ECF bleaching can reduce the amount of HexA entering into the bleach plant by 30 to 90%. Part of the kappa number drop observed during the hot A-stage is caused by HexA removal, but some lignin is removed as well. Most applications of hot A-stages are combined with the D0 into a single operation, (A/D0) or “hot D0-Stage. ” Such processes can be very effective at reducing the total ClO2 needed for ECF bleaching of hardwood pulps (20 to 50%). The cost savings in bleaching with operating a HexA hydrolysis process is a function of the HexA level in the pulp and the additional steam requirements of the hydrolysis stage (i.e., temperature and consistency).
Removal of anionic phenol red from water solution in the batch system by using N,N-dimethylacrylamide and 3-acrlylamidopropil-trimethyl ammonium chloride-based polymeric hydrogels

p(DMAAm-co-APTMACl) based hydrogels were synthesized at different molar ratios by the redox polymerization technique using N,N-Dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) and 3-acrlylamidopropil-trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTMACl) monomers and a crosslinker. In this study was aimed to improve the swelling properties and dye sorption of the prepared hydrogels. The balance swelling values of hydrogels were determined by the gravimetric method in deionized water and different pH values, and their structural characterizations were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. Sorption efficiencies and sorption capacities of the synthesized hydrogels were determined using aqueous solutions containing phenol red dye at 25°C. In sorption studies, the effects of different concentrations (5-50 ppm) and different pH values (2-12) on sorption were examined. When the swelling analysis in deionized water was examined, it was determined that there was a significant increase in the balance swelling value of p(DMAAm-co-APTMACl) based hydrogel as the mole ratio of APTMACl increased. In addition, the increase in the molar ratio of APTMACl was found to increase the phenol red dye sorption capacity and removal percentage. It was observed that p(DMAAm-co-APTMACl) (2:8) based hydrogel had a maximum sorption capacity in the range of 5-50 ppm and reached 122.2 mg/g. Experimental data showed that the synthesized p (DMAAm-co-APTMACl) based hydrogel was effective in removing dye from wastewater and could be increased of dyestuff removal by synthesizing at different molar ratios.
INCREASING YIELD OF SUSCEPTIBLE AND RESISTANT RICE BLAST CULTIVARS USING SILICON FERTILIZATION

Rice blast is one of the most critical limiting factors for rice plant growth performance. Silicon has been shown to have positive effects in controlling several plant diseases. The study aimed to investigate the impact of silicon levels on rice yield, silicon content, and panicle blast in rice plants. The study was set up as a 2 x 5 factorial experiment with three replications and arranged in a randomized complete block design. The first factors were two rice cultivars, MARDI Siraj 297 (resistant) and MR 263 (susceptible). The second factors were five levels of calcium silicate (0 g, 4 g, 8 g, 12 g, and 16 g) applied to 40 kg soil per pot. The standard fertilizers, i.e., N, P2 O5, and K2 O, were applied four times at the recommended dosage. High virulent of Pyricularia oryzae conidia (4 x 104 conidia ml-1) was sprayed using a hand sprayer (30 ml pot-1) at the time of fully completed panicle development (65 days after planting). Observed parameters were plant growth (height and culm length), yields (spikelets per panicle, grain filling percentage, and harvest index), panicle blast severity, and silica content in leaf, stem, and panicle. The results showed that silicon application reduced panicle blast severity, leading to higher yield per plant. The increase of the rice yield was a result of a significant increae in panicle per m2 , spikelet per m2 , and percentage of filled grain. Panicle blast greatly affected the performance of spikelet number per m2 , percentage of filled grain, grain weight, and yield per plant for the susceptible cultivar. Application of calcium silicate 10 g 40 kg-1 soil per pot at panicle initiation is recommended to reduce panicle blast severity hereby improve grain yield.
Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Among Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected patients’ access to healthcare. Patients with malignant tumors have experienced treatment interruptions and difficulties in seeking medical attention, and these have affected their mental health. The objective of this review is to evaluate the current evidence on the prevalence of depression and anxiety in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, WHO COVID-19 database, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, Wanfangdata, CQVIP, and CBM electronic databases for relevant studies published from the first available day to June 30, 2020. Two researchers independently screened the literature based on predetermined criteria and assessed the risk of bias in each study. Random-effects meta-analyses was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with malignant tumors. The review protocol has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020196421). Results: Nine eligible studies on 2,335 patients with malignant tumors were included, all of which were cross-sectional studies. The pooled prevalence of anxiety was 52.94% (95% CI: 36.98%-68.91%, I2=98.6%) in 9 studies, and the pooled prevalence of depression was 43.25% (95% CI: 25.85%-60.85%, I2=98.8%) in 6 studies.Conclusions: Evidence shows that a considerable proportion of patients with malignant tumors suffered from emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to solve the problem of interruption or delay of treatment and strengthen psychological interventions for patients with malignant tumors during the pandemic.
Central Bank Communication and Policy Interest Rate

Central bank communications play an important role in the monetary policy. In the inflation-targeting frameworks, central bank communications might guide public to shape inflation expectations and then determine actual inflation rates through which the policy interest rates policy would manage them. This paper studied the impact and central bank monetary policy communications on the policy interest rate. Unlike other studies, this paper uses two stages. First, we estimate the impact of central bank communication on the inflation expectation gap. Second, we use the estimated value of inflation expectation gap to predict the policy interest rate. The study found evidence that economic agents analyse the Governor Board of Central Bank of Indonesia meeting decisions every month to shape their inflation expectation. Therefore, the difference between inflation expectation and actual inflation tends to narrow. The inflation expectation gap affects the policy interest rates in Indonesia. In other words, the policy interest rates can control the inflation rate and anchor expectations as required by the inflation-targeting framework.
Bayesian principal component analysis of Nigerian indigenous normal feather chickens' body linear measurements

The indigenous chicken is a store house of unique genes that could be used in other parts of the world for improving other breeds. This study was carried out using bayesian principal component analysis and aimed objectively at determining the effect of sex on Nigerian indigenous normal feather chickens' body dimension, describing their body shape, and predicting their body weights from body measurements using orthogonal conformation traits derived from the principal components score. The parameters measured at 16 weeks of age were body weight, body length, breast girth, thigh length, shank length, shank diameter, keel length, wing length, wing span, and tail length on 233 randomly selected adult chickens. Sexual dimorphism was observed in all the traits with higher values recorded for males. Bayesian correlations among body weight and biometric traits were positive (r = 0.09 to 0.651 and 0.017 to 0.579 in male and female chickens respectively). The descriptive statistics showed that the mean body weight was 1.8085 ± 0.263 kg for males and 1.403 ± 0.226 kg for females. The first two principal components (PCs) were extracted for the males, both PCs components account for 72.21%. For the females, three PCs were extracted and they account for 77%. The first PC in each case accounted for the greatest percentage of the total variation. The use of orthogonal body shape characteristics derived from components' scores was more appropriate than the use of original traits in body weight prediction as multi-collinearity problems were eliminated. This led to simultaneous analysis of these body measurements rather than on individual basis. These components could be used as selection criteria for improving body weight of indigenous Nigerian chickens.
Acinetobacter baumannii Infections and Antibiotic Resistance in Hospitalized Patients in an Education and Research Hospital: A Six-Year Analysis

Introduction: Acinetobacter baumanii causes difficulties in the treatment of nosocomial infections due to increasing resistance worldwide. With an increase in resistant infections, the use of colistin has come to the fore. We aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profile of A. baumanii strains isolated from clinical specimens as hospital-acquired colonizations and infection agents and to evaluate the clinical and microbiologic responses and adverse effects of antibiotic regimens used in patients who were isolated because of having infectious agents. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of 326 adult patients with nosocomial A. baumannii colonizations and infections was conducted between January 2012 and December 2017 in Niğde Education and Research Hospital. In addition, a total of 212 adult patients who received at least 72 hours of antimicrobial therapy were evaluated. Standard and automated methods were used to identify isolated strains and antibiotic susceptibility. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile change over the 6-year period was evaluated. Adverse effects, and clinical and microbiologic response were evaluated in patients receiving antimicrobial therapy. Analysis of the variables was performed using SPSS 22.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, United States). Results: When antimicrobial resistance rates were examined, it was seen that imipenem (99.7%), ampicillin sulbactam (81.6%), cefoperazone sulbactam (60.3%), netilmicin (89.4%), tobramycin (88.4%), gentamicin (83.1%), amikacin (91.6%) and tigecycline (33.7%) had resistance rates; colistin resistance was not detected in the isolates. Resistance rate to other antibiotic groups was 100%. The resistance rates of ampicillin sulbactam, cefoperazone sulbactam, gentamicin, amikacin, and tigecycline were found to be statistically significant (p< 0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of nephrotoxicity, and clinical and microbiologic response among patients in whom colistin was used in combination with carbapenem, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefoperazone/sulbactam, and tigecycline (p> 0.05). Conclusion: In accordance with the global data, antimicrobial resistance rate in A. baumanii isolates was found to be high in our study. Treatment regimens in which colistin is used with other antimicrobial agents have no superiority in terms of efficacy and adverse effects. There is a clear need for new and effective antimicrobial agents in the treatment of resistant A. baumanii infections.
West Lake staging: A new staging system orchestrated by X-ray and MRI on knee osteoarthritis

Purpose: To investigate the differences on X-ray and MRI among each stage of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and further propose a new staging system called West Lake (WL) staging. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with KOA. Stage I, II, III, and IV were divided based on stepwise treatment strategy of Knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Joint space widths (JSW) were measured on X-rays, whereas cartilage injuries (CI) and bone marrow lesions (BML) were evaluated on MRI. The differences of them across the groups were calculated by T-test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were rendered to obtain the areas under the curves (AUC), Youden index and corresponding cut-off points. Results: Eventually, there were significant differences on JSW, CI, and BML between stage II/III and III/IV, while no significant differences between stage I/II. In stage II/III, the AUC of JSW, CI, BML was 0.99, 0.76, 0.71 and the Youden index was 0.94, 0.38, 0.45, meanwhile the cut-off points were ≤5.1 mm, >1, >2. In stage III/IV, the AUC of JSW, CI, BML was 0.96, 0.79, 0.74 and the Youden index was 0.84, 0.58, 0.38, meanwhile the cut-off points were ≤3.2 mm, >3, >4. Conclusion: The WL staging was described as follows: Stage I, X-ray shows no joint space narrow, normal MRI or MRI shows cartilage degeneration and only 1 or 2 sections are involved in BML. Stage II, X-ray shows joint space narrow, MRI shows cartilage defect but no full-thickness cartilage defect, meanwhile 3 or 4 sections are involved in BML. Stage III, X-ray shows serious joint space narrow even JSW disappeared, MRI shows full-thickness cartilage defect, more than 4 sections are involved in BML.
Investigation of Mycoviral double-stranded (ds) RNA in Rhizoctonia solaniIsolates from Cotton in Aydin Province/Turkey

Pathogenic forms of Rhizoctonia solani are known to attack many species of higher plants from different families. It is one of the causal agent of the damping-off and root rot of cotton. Thecurrentdamping-offmanagementpracticesare not satisfactoryforpreventingyieldlosses in cottonproduction. Hypovirulence, causedbyparticularmycoviruse species, is used in the management of certain plant diseases. The existence of mycoviral dsRNAs in the isolates of R. solani has been previously determined in various countries. ThisstudyaimedtoinvestigatedsRNAcontent in thecottonisolates of R. solanicollectedfromAydin Province. In total, 64 R. solani isolates collected from cotton seedlings exhibiting light damping-off symptoms were subjected to dsRNA analysis. The dsRNA electrophoretic pattern with the size of 12-18 kb were detected in six R. solani isolates. The virulence of these six isolates were compared with a dsRNA-free isolate in apple assay. Two R. solani isolates having dsRNA content caused smaller lesions in the inoculation point on apple fruit, which may be the indication of hypovirulence.
Diurnal Variation of Seasonal Precipitation over the CONUS: A Comparison of Gauge Observations with TRMM Data

Diurnal variation of precipitation is a fundamental periodic signal of local climate. Comprehensive study of diurnal variation of precipitation is helpful in studying the formation of local climate and validating satellite precipitation products. In this study, a comparison is drawn between precipitation gauge observations and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 data on diurnal variation of precipitation. First, using the K-means clustering algorithm, stations with gauge observations and pixels with TRMM data are divided into different groups according to the diurnal variation of precipitation, respectively. In each group, the stations have similar diurnal variation of precipitation. Then maps of diurnal variation of precipitation for gauge observations and TRMM data are obtained. According to these maps, the diurnal variation of precipitation over the contiguous United States (CONUS) presents seasonal variability in both gauge observations and TRMM data. In addition, the diurnal variation of precipitation shows clustered features in space. However, the spatial patterns of the obtained maps do not match, and the TRMM satellite data perform poorly in capturing the hourly precipitation event. Finally, the possible mechanism behind the prevailing nocturnal precipitation over the middle of the CONUS is discussed, with the prevailing nocturnal precipitation judged likely to be strongly related to the mountain-plains solenoid (MPS) circulation.