Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Implementing Nursing Guidelines on Reducing Late Implanted Portal Catheters Complications among Chemotherapy Patients

Background : A totally implantable venous access device (TIVAD) provides patients with safe, effective, and long-term, convenient venous access (VA) for the administration of chemotherapy drugs (CD) . Aim: Evaluate the effect of implementing nursing guidelines (NG) on reducing late implanted portal catheter complications (LIPCC) among chemotherapy patients (CP) at Minia Oncology Center (MOC). Sampling: A purposive sampling of 70 adult patients connected to a portal catheter (PC). Tools: Two tools were used: The first tool, Patient Health Assessment (PHA), included two parts. First Part: Patient Demographic Data (PDD) Second Part: Patient's Medical Data (PMD). Second Tool: Portal Catheter Complications Observation Checklist (PCCOC). The first part, General Assessment (GA), included four main complications. Second Part: Grading Scale for Monitoring Extravasation (GSME). Results More than half of the intervention group (IG) was female. There was a lower percentage of renal diseases and hypertension among the intervention group. It was noticed that systematic infection (SI) was present in 5.71 % of the intervention group while it was present in 8.27 % of the control group (CG). at the first observation, it was noticed that systematic infection percent increased among control group at the second and third observation ( 48.57 %, 74.28 %) respectively but it decreased among intervention group at second and third observations (11.4%) comparing with control group . It was noticed that there was a highly significant correlation between local infection (LI) and the number of chemotherapy sessions per week among intervention group. Conclusion: The current study findings concluded that adhering to nursing guidelines resulted in a lower percentage of late complications (LC) among the intervention group compared to the control group. Recommendations : Replication of the current study on a larger probability sample for different geographical locations in order to generalize the results.
Difficulties in social cognitive functioning among pediatric patients with muscular dystrophies

Introduction Pediatric muscular dystrophies (MDs) are a heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. A neuropsychosocial approach is crucial for these patients due to associated cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric comorbidities; however, the social cognitive domain has not been adequately addressed. Methods This study aimed to analyze on social cognition performance in a pediatric MD patient cohort. This cross-sectional study included 32 pediatric patients with MD and 32 matched-healthy controls. The Social Perception Domain of the NEPSY-II, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test–Child and Happé’s Strange Stories Test were administered. General intelligence and behavioral and emotional symptoms were controlled for to eliminate covariables’ possible influence. The assessments were performed remotely. Results Children with MDs performed significantly worse on most of the social cognition tasks. The differences found between the groups could be explained by the level of general intelligence for some aspects more related to theory of mind (ToM) (TM NEPSY-II: F = 1.703, p = .197; Verbal task: F = 2.411, p = .125; RMET-C: F = 2.899, p = .094), but not for emotion recognition. Furthermore, these differences were also independent of behavioral and emotional symptoms. Discussion In conclusion, social cognition is apparently impaired in pediatric patients with MD, both for emotion recognition and ToM. Screening assessment in social cognition should be considered to promote early interventions aimed at improving these patient’s quality of life.
Opioids, microglia, and temporal lobe epilepsy

A lack of treatment options for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) demands an urgent quest for new therapies to recover neuronal damage and reduce seizures, potentially interrupting the neurotoxic cascades that fuel hyper-excitability. Endogenous opioids, along with their respective receptors, particularly dynorphin and kappa-opioid-receptor, present as attractive candidates for controlling neuronal excitability and therapeutics in epilepsy. We perform a critical review of the literature to evaluate the role of opioids in modulating microglial function and morphology in epilepsy. We find that, in accordance with anticonvulsant effects, acute opioid receptor activation has unique abilities to modulate microglial activation through toll-like 4 receptors, regulating downstream secretion of cytokines. Abnormal activation of microglia is a dominant feature of neuroinflammation, and inflammatory cytokines are found to aggravate TLE, inspiring the challenge to alter microglial activation by opioids to suppress seizures. We further evaluate how opioids can modulate microglial activation in epilepsy to enhance neuroprotection and reduce seizures. With controlled application, opioids may interrupt inflammatory cycles in epilepsy, to protect neuronal function and reduce seizures. Research on opioid-microglia interactions has important implications for epilepsy and healthcare approaches. However, preclinical research on opioid modulation of microglia supports a new therapeutic pathway for TLE.
Assessment of Senior Secondary School Physics Teachers' Knowledge of Multi-Choice Test Construction Procedures

The main purpose of this study was to assess the senior secondary school physics teachers' knowledge of multiple-choice test construction. The study employed a survey type research design and the sample consisted of 50 senior secondary school teachers in Ilorin South, East, and West Local Government Areas, which were randomly selected as the sample for this study. Questionnaire was used as instrument that probed teachers' knowledge and their perceived use of test construction strategies. The reliability index of the instrument; Physics Teachers’ Knowledge of Test Construction Procedure (PTKTCP) was determined using Cronbach's alpha approach, which enables one to estimate internal consistency when the scoring of items on a test is not limited to 1 point (for correct) or 0 points (for incorrect response). The collected data were analysed using mean, independent t-test and ANOVA to test if there was a significant difference among the teachers on all the scales. Findings from this study indicated that most teachers consider the preparation of test blueprints important during test construction and that there are no gender differences or influences of teachers' level of experience on their knowledge of multiple-choice test construction procedures. The study recommended that teachers in training colleges of education and universities should be exposed to the technicalities in preparing test blue print in order for their assessment instrument to be valid. Keywords: Assessment, test construction, multiple-choice test, teachers, physics, senior secondary schools
Assessment of functional fitness impacted by hospital rehabilitation in post-stroke patients who additionally contracted COVID-19

Background The aim of the study was to assess the effects of rehabilitation in post-stroke patients, or post-stroke patients with simultaneous COVID-19 infection, in relation to: improved locomotion efficiency, improved balance, reduced risk of falling as well as the patients’ more effective performance in everyday activities. Methods The study involved 60 patients in the early period (2–3 months) after a stroke. Group I consisted of 18 patients (30.0%) who, in addition to a stroke, also contracted COVID-19. Group II consisted of 42 patients (70%) post-stroke, with no SARS-CoV2 infection. The effects were assessed on the basis of: Tinetti test, Timed Up & Go test and Barthel scale. Results Both groups achieved a statistically significant improvement in their Barthel score after therapy (p < 0.001). The Tinetti test, assessing gait and balance, showed that participants in Group I improved their score by an average of 4.22 points. ±4.35, and in Group II, on average, by 3.48 points ± 3.45 points. In the Timed Up & Go test over a distance of 3 m, significant improvement was achieved in both groups, as well but the effect was higher in Group I (p < 0.001). Conclusions Hospital rehabilitation in the early period after stroke improved locomotion efficiency and balance, and reduced the risk of falls in post-stroke patients, both with and without COVID-19 infection.
Melanoma Antigen Family A (MAGE A) as Promising Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Bladder Cancer

Simple Summary The Melanoma Antigen Gene (MAGE) belongs to the larger family of cancer testis antigens. The MAGEA family were the first tumor-associated antigens identified at the molecular level whose expression was consistent in most human cancers and germinal cells. Aberrant expression of MAGEA family is noted in a majority of human malignancies, where they are associated with increased cancer cell proliferation, survival, and resistance to various therapies. This makes them an ideal biomarker and attractive therapeutic target in designing novel therapies. This review mainly focuses on the opportunities for the development of MAGEAs as promising biomarkers and their therapeutic implications in bladder cancer. Abstract The Melanoma Antigen Gene (MAGE) is a large family of highly conserved proteins that share a common MAGE homology domain. Interestingly, many MAGE family members exhibit restricted expression in reproductive tissues but are abnormally expressed in various human malignancies, including bladder cancer, which is a common urinary malignancy associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The recent literature suggests a more prominent role for MAGEA family members in driving bladder tumorigenesis. This review highlights the role of MAGEA proteins, the potential for them to serve as diagnostic or prognostic biomarker(s), and as therapeutic targets for bladder cancer.
How did problem-based learning with the TPACK approach (PBL-TPACK) enhance physics learning outcomes?

This study aimed to determine the average score category of students’ physics learning outcomes and the effect of the PBL-TPACK on students’ physics learning outcomes. This research is a type of quantitative research with a comparative approach. The research design used was a randomized pretest-posttest design. The sample was randomly selected, and two class groups were chosen as the research sample. The data collection technique was carried out using a test technique. The data collection instrument was a test instrument with multiple choice questions of 30 test items with five alternative answers. The results showed that the average score of students’ physics learning outcomes taught by the PBL-TPACK was included in the high category. In contrast, the DI-TPACK was included in the low sort, and there is a significant difference in average physics learning outcomes between students taught through the PBL-TPACK and those taught through the DI-TPACK. The PBL-TPACK has a positive effect on students’ physics learning outcomes.
Retrograde procedural memory is impaired in people with Parkinson’s disease with freezing of gait

Background Freezing of gait (FOG), is associated with impairment of different cognitive functions. Previous studies hypothesized that FOG may be due to a loss of automaticity. Research question To explore whether FOG is associated with impairment in cognitive functions, focusing on retrograde procedural memory, the memory responsible for the automatic, implicit stored procedures that have been acquired in earlier life stages. Methods In this cross-sectional, case–control study, 288 people with typical Parkinson’s disease (PD) from the Luxembourg Parkinson’s Study were assigned to Freezers (FOG+) and non-Freezers (FOG−) based on the MDS-UPDRS 2.13 (self-reported FOG episodes) and 3.11 (FOG evaluated by clinicians during gait assessment). Both groups were matched on age, sex and disease duration. Global cognition (MoCA), retrograde procedural memory and visuo-constructive abilities (CUPRO), psychomotor speed and mental flexibility (TMT) were assessed. Furthermore, we repeated our analyses by additionally controlling for depression (BDI-I). Results Besides lower global cognition (MoCA; p = 0.007) and mental flexibility (TMT-B and Delta-TMT; p < 0.001), FOG+ showed a lower performance in retrograde procedural memory (CUPRO-IS1; p < 0.001) compared to FOG−. After controlling additionally for depression, our main outcome variable CUPRO-IS1 remained significantly lower in FOG+ (p = 0.010). Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that besides lower global cognition and mental flexibility scores, FOG+ showed lower performance in retrograde procedural memory compared to matched FOG-control patients, even when accounting for factors such as age, sex, disease duration or depression. Significance In the context of limited treatment options, especially for non-invasive therapeutic approaches, these insights on procedural memory and FOG may lead to new hypotheses on FOG etiology and consequently the development of new treatment options.
Improvement in Multi-Angle Plane Wave Image Quality Using Minimum Variance Beamforming with Adaptive Signal Coherence

For ultrasound multi-angle plane wave (PW) imaging, the coherent PW compounding (CPWC) method provides limited image quality because of its conventional delay-and-sum beamforming. The delay-multiply-and-sum (DMAS) method is a coherence-based algorithm that improves image quality by introducing signal coherence among either receiving channels or PW transmit angles into the image output. The degree of signal coherence in DMAS is conventionally a global value for the entire image and thus the image resolution and contrast in the target region improves at the cost of speckle quality in the background region. In this study, the adaptive DMAS (ADMAS) is proposed such that the degree of signal coherence relies on the local characteristics of the image region to maintain the background speckle quality and the corresponding contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Subsequently, the ADMAS algorithm is further combined with minimum variance (MV) beamforming to increase the image resolution. The optimal MV estimation is determined to be in the direction of the PW transmit angle (Tx) for multi-angle PW imaging. Our results show that, using the PICMUS dataset, TxMV-ADMAS beamforming significantly improves the image quality compared with CPWC. When the p value is globally fixed to 2 as in conventional DMAS, though the main-lobe width and the image contrast in the experiments improve from 0.57 mm and 27.0 dB in CPWC, respectively, to 0.24 mm and 38.0 dB, the corresponding CNR decreases from 12.8 to 11.3 due to the degraded speckle quality. With the proposed ADMAS algorithm, however, the adaptive p value in DMAS beamforming helps to restore the CNR value to the same level of CPWC while the improvement in image resolution and contrast remains evident.
From ‘sustainable tourism’ to ‘sustainability transitions in tourism’?

although sustainable tourism research is a rich and diverse field, it still suffers from a few important shortcomings. Negligible attention has been given to various possible pathways to sustainable tourism (as opposed to sustainable tourism as a ‘goalpost’) and there is an insufficient understanding of how the interconnections and interdependencies within tourism as a complex system shape the pursuit of sustainability. What is therefore needed is a sharper focus on the actual processes that must unfold for a transition to sustainable tourism to take place, and a better conceptualisation of the tourism industry as a multi-actor and multi-dimensional socio-technical sys-tem. We argue here that the sustainability transitions agenda, which has developed over the last two decades at the interface of innovation studies, evolutionary economics, studies of technology and science, and various other fields, offers a promising way forward for the desired pathway towards sustainable tourism to be comprehensively understood and more effectively followed. in order to set the scene for the individual contributions to this collection, we elaborate on this argument by highlighting the key strengths of the sustainability transitions agenda and identifying their potential to help tourism scholars move the work on sustainable tourism in new, unprecedented, and imperative directions. our overarching aim is to lay the foundations for bridging the gap between (sustainable) tourism research and the sustainability transitions literature to move this combined agenda forward.
Growth performance, carcass composition, and immunophysiological indices in juvenile great sturgeon (Huso huso) fed on commercial prebiotic, Immunoster

Growth performance, carcass composition, and immunophysiological indices in juvenile great sturgeon (Huso huso) fed on commercial prebiotic Immunoster (IS) were investigated. After a four-week acclimatization period, 270 great sturgeon juveniles weighing 95.68 ± 10.05 g were randomly distributed into 9 fiberglass tanks in three replicates and kept at a density of 30 fish per tank for a period of 8 weeks at water temperature 20.55 ± 5.11C and dissolved oxygen 6.73 ± 0.35 mg L -1 . IS was added at two levels of 1% and 3% to the basal diet in place of cellulose. At the end of the trial, blood sampling and carcass analysis were conducted. Weight, length, body weight increase (BWI), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and condition factor (CF) were significantly affected by IS 3% compared with IS 1% and the control (P<0.05). There was significant difference (P<0.05) in crude protein of carcass between the experimental groups. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) showed significantly higher levels in experimental treatments compared with the control (P<0.05). Immunoglobulin M (IgM) level and lysozyme activity in IS 1% group were higher than the control group. It can be concluded that IS can enhance growth performance and improve some immunophysiological indices of great sturgeon.
Psychometric Properties of the Motivation Towards English Scale in University Students

Motivation is one of the necessary components for learning and mastering English as a foreign, second, or additional language in places where English is not the native language. For this reason, a review of the instruments used to assess motivation towards English has been carried out, which shows that only a few instruments have good psychometric tests. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Motivation towards English Scale. The total sample size was 541 undergraduate students, of whom 41.4% (n = 224) were male and 58.6% (n = 317) were female. Analyses indicated that the internal structure of the scale provided a good fit to the two-dimensional model with RMSEA= . 06; GFI= . 98; CFI= . 97, TLI= . 95, and SRMR= . 07, and factor loadings ranging from . 643 to . 797. Reliability for the first factor Alpha and Omega was . 835 and for the second factor a coefficient of . 77 for Alpha and Omega. The study demonstrated adequate psychometric properties of the Motivation towards English Scale, making this instrument reliable, useful, and concise. Received: 1 September 2023 / Accepted: 5 December 2023 / Published: 5 January 2024
Rebuilding Affordable Housing in New Orleans: The Challenge of Creating Inclusive Communities

The challenge of rebuilding New Orleans and providing housing for its residents is immense, with tens of thousands of families displaced, their former homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair. The situation is especially difficult for families who lived in the poor, mostly African American neighborhoods that bore the brunt of the flood damage. The challenge going forward is even greater if New Orleans is to avoid old patterns of concentrating assisted housing and poor families in a few isolated communities. In this essay, we draw on evidence from innovative housing programs and development initiatives to outline a strategy that would allow New Orleans to recreate itself as an economically diverse, inclusive city that offers its low-income residents authentic opportunities. With careful planning by and for all, New Orleans can bring back its families and offer them homes in vibrant mixed-income communities.
Beyond Courses: Towards Supporting Goal-Oriented Learning in MOOC Platforms

Existing Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms limit their course offering to degree programs and certifications. The course design of existing MOOCs adopts a one-size-fits-all pedagogy where all learners watch the same video lectures and complete the same assignments regardless of their learning goals or background. However, research shows that MOOC learners may have none-traditional learning goals, such as exploring a course or learning specific concepts within a course. The design of current MOOC platforms lacks support to learners who want to utilize MOOCs as modularized resources instead of regular courses. Learners need to manually locate the educational materials that address their learning goals which can be time-consuming and sometimes confusing. To support the diverse needs of MOOC learners, we introduce a customized learning approach, CustomLearn, which facilitates goal-oriented learning in MOOC platforms. Our approach of customizing learning proposes four learning goals: Exploring (explore a subject), Conforming (learn popular topics in a subject), Mastering (being expert in a subject), and Personalizing (creating a personalized study plan). These learning goals use subjects to deliver customized learning plans that span multiple courses. Thus, the customized learning approach organizes similar courses to make the educational materials easily accessible by learners. To assess our proposed customized learning approach, we developed an early prototype of CustomLearn and used it to conduct a user study with MOOC learners to evaluate the viability of CustomLearn and learners' acceptability of heterogeneous study plans. Our evaluation indicated that CustomLearn is a viable approach, evident by participants' high perceptions of the usefulness of CustomLearn and their willingness to use and recommend it if offered by MOOC platforms. Additionally, most participants found heterogeneous study plans acceptable for learning any topic as long as these plans maintain high instructional quality.