Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trichoscopy as a Simple Diagnostic Tool for Trichotillomania; An Observational Study

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). Background and objective: Trichotillomania is a chronic illness characterized by hair bearing areas with patchy alopecia due to compulsive urge to pull the hair. Scalp is the most frequently affected area for pulling hair. Typically, patients may have only small areas of baldness, in severe cases, tonsure appearance of baldness is noticeable. This study aimed to observe trichoscopic patterns and their significance in the diagnosis of trichotillomania. Methods: An observational study conducted between march 2018 and march 2020 on 19 alopecic patients attending outpatient department in Tripoli central Hospital. Dermoscope was used to save the images of the affected alopecic patients. Results: In this current study, most of the patients belonged to adolescent, and child age group and most of them were females Most common symptom was black dots over the scalp (94.7%) followed by V shape (78.9%) and broken hair (73.6%). The lowest one was for coiled hair (15.7%). Conclusion: Trichoscopy techniques can be utilized in this condition, and help forming and confirming the diagnosis on the basis of its characteristics finding. Hence, trichoscopic assessment should be conducted in every case of alopecia.
Analyzing the effects of consumers' demographic characteristics on the preferences of fresh fruit and vegetables supply chains

Consumer purchasing habits are affected by various demographic, socio-economic and socio-cultural factors along with the product, price, distribution channel, and advertisement. Diversified and alternative supply chains offer so many advantages to consumers in agricultural product markets. Consumers prefer different outlets for agricultural products because of their personal differences that are formed by the effects of demographic, socio-economic and socio-cultural factors. The impacts of consumer demographic variables on their preference for fresh fruit and vegetables have been insufficiently studied in local literature. Therefore, it has been determined in this research for a deep evaluation. Target population was the consumer’s residing in the city central of Antalya. The effects of demographic characteristics on preferences of outlets in fresh fruit and vegetables supply chains were tested by using the chi-square test. The results indicated that consumer age and marital status had no significant correlation with the preferences. On the other hand, the test results showed that gender, education, income and female employment status did have a significant correlation with the preference for outlets in fresh fruit and vegetables supply chains.
The effects of energy intake during pregnancy in doe rabbits on pup birth weight, milk output and maternal body composition change in the ensuing lactation

SUMMARY A study was made in rabbits on the effects of energy intake during pregnanoy on pup birth weight and survival, and on doe body composition and milk output in the ensuing lactation. In addition the experiment examined the effects of varying crudeprotein intakes during lactation on the rate of fat loss of does and the resultant energetic efficiency of milk production. Forty-seven multiparous cross-bred does were used. They were offered one of two diets in pregnancy, either diet HE (14·8 MJ digestible energy (DE)/kg D.M. ) to appetite or diet LE (12·9 MJ DE/kg D.M.) at maintenance levels. After parturition seven does on each treatment were slaughtered and their body composition analysed (control groups). In lactation the remaining does were evenly allocated to receive either diet LE (195 g crude protein (CP)/kg D.M. ) or diet HP (240 g CP/kg D.M.) to appetite. Litter sizes were standardized to six pups and litter growth rates were used as an indirect estimate of milk production. Does were then killed, at random, on day 9 or day 18 of lactation to give an estimate of changes in body composition as lactation progressed. Does offered diet HE during pregnancy had higher carcass fat levels at parturition than their counterparts offered diet LE (496 cf. 370 g/kg carcass D.M. respectively). Litter size was unaffected by dietary treatment during pregnancy but litter weights at birth were significantly greater in HE does (442 cf. 398 g respectively). Pup mortality at birth, however, was also much higher in these animals (28 cf. 9% respectively). Voluntary food intake in early lactation (day 1—9) was depressed by feeding diet HE during pregnanoy. Milk composition was affected by pregnancy diet, with does offered diet HE producing milk containing significantly higher fat levels (HE 123 g fat/kg milk cf. LE 105 g fat/kg milk). Doe carcass composition changes revealed that fat was usually mobilized in early lactation and gained as lactation progressed independent of dietary treatment. The protein content of the fat-free dry matter appeared to be relatively unaffected by the dietary treatments imposed. The data were used to derive an estimate of the partial efficiency of dietary energy utilization (fc) for milk output and maternal tissue gain. The line of best fit was described by the equation ER = 0·65 (±0·17) MEI-1–25, where ER = milk energy output + carcass energy change and MEI = metabolizable energy intake in MJ.
Detection Rats Technology for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in High-Risk Populations

Prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in prisoners in Tanzania and other sub-Saharan African countries is considered to be higher than in other populations thus prisons are important source of TB transmission. Control of TB in prisons through appropriate screening and diagnosis is challenging in most low-income countries such as Tanzania that is among world’s 22 countries with high burden of TB. Commonly used TB diagnostic test (smear microscopy) have low sensitivity, and most advanced GeneXpert method is rather expensive for developing countries. SUA-APOPO TB detection rats’ technology is most promising and increases TB case detection by over 40% in hospitals in Dar es Salaam Tanzania and Maputo Mozambique. This paper reports on improved TB detection in a selected prison in Tanzania using TB detection rats. Sputum samples (n = 11,424) were collected from 5,840 patients whom 3,491 were men, 2,349 were women. Of these, 386 patients were children altogether seeking diagnosis of TB at Ukonga prison dispensary from January 2013 to October 2015) and Keko prison dispensary from February to October 2015). Samples were routinely examined by Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) staining and later tested by rats APOPO TB laboratory, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro. Rats’ positive samples were concentrated and confirmed by fluorescent microscopy (LED-FM) or ZN microscopy. A total of 709 individuals (12%) were diagnosed as smearpositive TB by the prison hospital, whereas rats detected an additional 302 TB patients. This increased the case detection in the prison population by 43%. The use of rats’ technology increased the prevalence of smear-positive TB in prisons from 12% to 17.3% (n = 1,011) that is higher than prevalence reported in prisons elsewhere using microscopy. This finding shows that detection rats’ technology can help reduce the burden of TB in developing countries. There is need to expand application of this technology to other risk populations including miners.This technology can improve workforce, livelihood and socio-economy by reducing TB related expenses.
Maintaining a Pine Legacy in Itasca State Park

ABSTRACT: Itasca State Park, located in the northern central portion of Minnesota, is challenged with maintaining a pine forest covertype, yet regeneration failures may allow much of the park to succeed to northern hardwoods. Efforts to improve pine regeneration and growth have included deer exclosures and prescribed burning to reduce competing vegetation. We revisited Itasca's Mary Lake deer exclosure 66 years after establishment to compare stand development, structure, and white pine (Pinus strobus L.) regeneration and growth with that of adjacent plots that have been: (1) untreated and (2) recently repeatedly under-burned. Overstory structure and composition was similar among all three treatments, and mid- and understory structures were similar in the treatments subject to deer browse. Sapling and midstory white pine were only present in the exclosure. White pine regeneration was present in all treatments and most abundant in the burned treatment, but was restricted to the smallest height class and consistently overtopped by the shrub layer. Regeneration, sapling, and midstory layer tree densities were highest within the deer exclosure, as was white pine height growth. The untreated plot lacked young pine and will likely succeed to northern hardwoods with a shrub understory. The three-fire sequence of the burned treatment increased the abundance of white pine regeneration at this site, but may require additional measures to control competing vegetation to allow that regeneration to ascend into the sapling layer.
The Veterans Health Administration System of Care for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Costs, Benefits, and Controversies

The Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) Polytrauma System of Care, developed in response to a new cohort of patients back from Iraq and Afghanistan, is described with particular focus on the assessment and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mild TBI). The development of systemwide TBI screening within the VHA has been an ambitious and historic undertaking. As with any population-wide screening tool, there are benefits and costs associated with it. The purpose of this article is to identify and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the VHA's TBI clinical reminder and subsequent evaluation and treatment processes. Complicating factors such as increased media attention and other contextual factors are discussed.
Phytochemical Screening and Comparative Study of Antioxidant Activity of Cuminum Cyminum L. and Nigella Sativa L

Herbal medicines are useful in healing and curing a variety of diseases from the ancient period. The phytochemicals present in the medicinal plants possess a defence mechanism against various diseases. Phytochemicals are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plant source. Spices are building blocks of flavour in foods. This studyis focused on two important spices, cumin and black cumin. Cumin and black cumin are recognized for their antioxidant properties. So, this study is designed to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of cumin (Cuminum cyminum) and black cumin (Nigella sativa). Cumin and black cumin seeds are extracted to examine antioxidant properties and qualitative screening. Cumin extract showspresence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, terpenoids phenol, tannin and absence of protein, glycoside, cardic glycoside, fixed oil, fats and carbohydrates. It is identified by qualitative screening. Antioxidant properties are assayed using DPPH free radical scavenging. The DPPH method shows highest antioxidant activity for cumin seed followed by black cumin. This study suggests that both cumin and black cumin can be used as potential sources of natural antioxidant.
Microbial population dynamics related to temporal variations in nitrification in three arable fields

It seems possible that soil potential nitrification rates (PNRs) are determined by the size and structure of both the eubacterial and nitrifier populations. We have examined this possibility by comparing the structure of the eubacterial community with the subcomponents and dynamics of the ammonium‐oxidizer population, within and between three arable fields. PNRs were significantly different between the three fields and also showed significantly different temporal patterns within each field. The use of eubacterial primers in polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (PCR–DGGE) analyses indicated that the bacterial community structure in each field was significantly different from that in the others, and that the bacterial components of these communities changed with time through the season. In contrast, PCR–DGGE analyses specific to ammonium oxidizers suggested that the populations in all three fields were similar in types and did not vary with time. Competitive PCR suggested that there were large and biologically significant differences in the size of the nitrifier population between the three fields, but that within each individual field populations did not change over time. Sequencing identified the ammonium oxidizers in the Nitrosospira spp. cluster. There was also no relation between the size of the nitrifier populations and PNR. Functional expression, as PNR, apparently responded to changes in eubacterial community structure.
Comparing the usefulness and applicability of different water footprint methodologies for sustainable water management in agriculture

The lack of sustainability of our water resources threatens food security in many places worldwide. Different water footprint (WF) methodologies were investigated for their ability to improve water management at various scales. Methodologies according to the Water Footprint Network (WFN), life cycle assessment (LCA) and hydrological‐based approaches were assessed, and a working example is given for apples produced in South Africa. A fundamental viewpoint was defined and the knowledge hierarchy applied to investigate the approaches and information generated. WFs reported simply as a volume of water used per mass of crop produced cannot indicate the sustainability of the water use unless interpreted within the local hydrological and environmental context. The WFN methodology appears most useful to resource managers due to its quantitative nature and ability to compare blue and green water consumption versus water availability. The LCA approach may be best for comparisons of the impact of different products. None of the methodologies provides a single metric that can be used to inform wise consumer choices as it is not possible to incorporate all the complexities associated with water use into a single number that can be used to inform sustainable water use. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimates of genetic variability in vegetable amaranth (A. tricolor) over different cuttings

The present investigation was carried out to study different selection parameters for foliage yield and its important yield contributing traits in 29 strains of vegetable amaranth (A. tricolor). The data were recorded for plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), branches/plant, leaves/plant, leaf size (cm 2 ), and protein content (mg/100 mg) in each cutting separately. Foliage yield (kg) was recorded on plot basis comprising 4 cuttings. The highest foliage yield per plot was recorded for strain AV-38, followed by AV-23 and AV-31. In general, protein content was high in the 2 nd cutting in all strains. The heritability estimates were in general high for all the characters in all the cuttings and ranged from 74.87% to 93.33%. Genetic advance was maximum for foliage yield (42.50%), followed by leaf size (31.02%) and stem diameter (21.13%). It was concluded that foliage yield could be increased substantially in vegetable amaranth through indirect selection based on the characters leaf size and stem diameter.
Retinoic acid receptor α2 is a growth suppressor epigenetically silenced in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

Retinoic Acid Receptor 2 Is a Growth Suppressor Epigenetically Silenced in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells. Retonoic acid (RA) receptor (RAR) 2 has been shown to be underexpressed in human breast cancer cells, including MCF-7 cells, and recent reports have suggested that hypermethylation of the RARalpha2 promoter and 5'-UTR is the underlying cause. Here we show that RARalpha2 is also underexpressed in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, at both the message and the protein level, relative to normal or nuntumorigenic breast epithelial cells. Bisulfite sequencing of the CpG island in the RARalpha2 promotor revealed highly penetrant and uniform cytosine methylation in MCF-7 cells. Pretreatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, azacytidine, followed by treatment with RA and a histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A, resulted in partial promoter demethylation and RAR 2 induction, which strongly suggested that promoter hypermethylation is responsible for RARalpha2 underexpression. We compared the outcome of ectopic expression in MCF-7 cells of matched levels of RARalpha2 and RARbeta2. On the basis of a clonogenic assay, RARalpha2 displayed ligand-dependent growth-suppressive activity similar to that of RAR 2; thus, 10 and 20 nM RA inhibited clonogenic growth by 52 and 80%, respectively, in RAr 2-transfected cells compared with 75 and 77%, respectively, in RARalpha2-transfected cells. We conclude that the silencing of the RARalpha2 promoter by hypermethylation may play a contributory role in the dysregulation of RA signaling in mammary tumorigenesis.
Sea temperature variability and Paracentrotus lividus (Echinoidea) population fluctuations

Observations and censi of the echinoid Paracentrotus lividus over 40 y at Lough Hyne marine nature reserve have revealed population fluctuations of >4 orders of magnitude. The P. lividus population has been anomalously low since the mid 1980s. The population age–size structure has also changed considerably and is now dominated by older individuals. Sea temperature is a known and important determinant of spawning (and recruitment) in this species. In certain years sea surface temperatures (SST) may not reach critical values for P. lividus mass-spawning to be triggered. In addition, toxic dinoflagellate blooms may have been responsible for large-scale mortalities within short periods. Years of anomalously low SSTs match the timing of critical decreases in the Lough Hyne P. lividus population. Years with low maximum SSTs coincide with the timing of major El Niňo Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. We suggest a SST and possibly ENSO link to unfished (Lough Hyne) P. lividus population changes and propose such links as potential aggravating factors in the decline of the fisheries.
Changes of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities and pigment composition of some manufactured black teas (Camellia sinensis L.)

The specific activity of two principal enzymes, viz. polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (PO), responsible for formation of brown compounds known as theaflavins was studied in fermented or black teas. PPO and PO activities were assayed via a spectrophotometric method, while the theaflavin group of pigments was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Although the highest activities of both PPO and PO were observed on rolling, decrease of the former and increase of the latter are the result of mechanical injury, leading to the oxidative polymerization (enzymatic browning) of fermented black tea
An observational study to compare between conventional condom balloon catheter with CG balloon

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a life-threatening complication of delivery. The most common cause of PPH is uterine atony. Intrauterine balloon tamponade has been suggested as an effective, easily administered minimally invasive treatment option to control uterine bleeding while preserving the mother’s ability to bear additional children.Methods: Twenty women with normal vaginal delivery were studied over a period of six months, 10 were inserted conventional balloon tamponade and rest 10 were inserted CG balloon and outcome studied in terms of time to assemble, leakage, expulsion, lumen occlusion, volume of fluid used, time to arrest bleeding, cost, drainage port, inflation deflation interval.Results: Most of the women were para 4 or more, unbooked belonging to age group of 20-30. Mean time to assemble Condom balloon tamponade was 1.8min and that in CG balloon was 1.2 minute. There was leakage and expulsion in two and lumen occlusion in three in the conventional balloon catheter. In the second group there was no leakage ,lumen occlusion or expulsion . There is uterine drainage port present in CG balloon which is characteristic of it which helps in determining the actual blood loss in real time. The inflation deflation interval and mean volume of fluid are almost same in both the groups.Conclusions: Both conventional balloon and CG balloon are effective and lifesaving in low resource setting with few advantages of CG balloon over conventional balloon tamponade.
Changes in α-estradiol receptor and progesterone receptor expression in the locus coeruleus and preoptic area throughout the rat estrous cycle

We have previously shown that the locus coeruleus (LC) is essential for triggering surges of LH. Since LC neurons are responsive to estradiol, which induces progesterone receptor (PR) expression, this study aimed to investigate whether LC neurons express the -estradiol receptor (ER) and PR as well as comparing such responses to that observed in the preoptic area (POA). Female rats were perfused at 10, 14 and 16 h on each day of the estrous cycle, and a blood sample was collected for estradiol, progesterone and LH measurements. ER- and PR immunoreactive (ir) neurons were detected in POA and LC by immunocytochemistry (ICC). Higher plasma estradiol levels were observed on the day of proestrus, when a smaller number of ER-ir POA neurons were detected. An increase in the number of ER-ir neurons were observed at 16 h of proestrus and estrus. The number of PR-ir neurons increased in POA only at 16 h of proestrus, and remained unchanged during all other days and times. The profile of ER-ir and PR-ir neurons in LC changed over the estrous cycle, with a lower expression on metestrus morning and reaching a peak on diestrus afternoon before declining on the day of proestrus. However, on estrus afternoon, ER-ir neurons increased, while PR-ir neurons decreased which may be related to the prolactin surge of estrus. These data show that LC neurons express ER and PR and seem to be more sensitive to variations in estradiol than POA. Also, the fluctuation in ER and PR observed for LC neurons seems to accompany the hormonal events that occur during the estrous cycle. This profile of ER and PR expression might be related to the ability of estradiol and progesterone in regulating the activity of LC neurons, which could be associated to the control mechanisms of LH and prolactin release.
Pathogenicity of the causative agent of viral nervous necrosis disease in striped jack, Pseudocaranx dentex (Bloch & Schneider)

The pathogenicity of the agent causing viral nervous necrosis (VNN) of striped jack, Pseudocaranx dentex (Bloch & Schneider), was examined in striped jack and other selected marine fish species. Fish were exposed to purified striped jack nervous necrosis virus (SJNNV) (0·1–100 ng ml−1) or homogenates of diseased striped jack larvae. Striped jack larvae (3·5 and 4·4 mm total length) were susceptible to the virus, but juveniles (78 mm) were not. The viral antigens were detected by indirect ELISA and the characteristic pathological changes, i.e. vacuolation in the retina and brain, were reproduced in the affected larvae. The infection was also established in healthy larvae by cohabitation with the diseased larvae. Larvae of red sea bream, Pagrus major Temminck & Schlegel, yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata Temminck & Schlegel, and goldstriped amberjack, Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, were not susceptible to SJNNV.