Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Integrated Tool to Calculate and Map Bilateral Asymmetry on Three-Dimensional Digital Models

The observation and the quantification of asymmetry in biological structures are deeply investigated in geometric morphometrics. Patterns of asymmetry were explored in both living and fossil species. In living organisms, levels of directional and fluctuating asymmetry are informative about developmental processes and health status of the individuals. Paleontologists are primarily interested in asymmetric features introduced by the taphonomic process, as they may significantly alter the original shape of the biological remains, hampering the interpretation of morphological features which may have profound evolutionary significance. Here, we provide a new R tool that produces the numerical quantification of fluctuating and directional asymmetry and charts asymmetry directly on the specimens under study, allowing the visual inspection of the asymmetry pattern. We tested this show.asymmetry algorithm, written in the R language, on fossil and living cranial remains of the genus Homo. show.asymmetry proved successful in discriminating levels of asymmetry among sexes in Homo sapiens, to tell apart fossil from living Homo skulls, to map effectively taphonomic distortion directly on the fossil skulls, and to provide evidence that digital restoration obliterates natural asymmetry to unnaturally low levels.
Arms imports in the wake of embargoes

Do states circumvent embargoes by supplying weapons across borders to sanctioned countries? We report evidence that arms imports systematically increase in the neighborhood of conflict states under an embargo. Using several alternative research-design specifications, we contend that this pattern is consistent with arms exporters shifting the arms trade to neighbors of conflict states under sanctions, where it is easier to move arms clandestinely across the border. Despite the lack of direct evidence of clandestine cross-border trafficking, this research contributes to the development of more sophisticated screening tools to identify potential non-compliers with arms embargoes for direct follow-up investigations.
Effect of Nettle Extract and Pumpkin Seed on Prostate Specific Antigen and Urinary Symptoms in Patients Taking Alfa-blocker for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Introduction: We aimed to compare the effect of nettle extract and pumpkin seed on Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and international prostate symptoms score (IPSS) in patients taking alfa-blocker for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 90 outpatients were studied in three groups, including men over 40 years of age with benign prostatic enlargement. The first group (Urtidin) contained consumers of nettle extract from Barijessence Company called Urtidin tablets with tamsulosin; the second group took tablets containing pumpkin seed extract called Prosta Barij and tamsulosin; the third group (Control) received only tamsulosin for three months. Patients were not randomly assigned to the groups PSA, IPSS, and related factors were evaluated and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: 89 patients completed the study (30/89 in Urtidin group with a mean age of 62.4±7.39 years, 29/89 in Prosta Barij group with a mean age of 65.9±7.32 years, and 30/89 in the control group with a mean age of 64.7±8.64 years). The results showed that nettle and pumpkin seed extracts affect PSA in patients taking tamsulosin for BPH. Also, after the intervention, IPSS had a significant decrease compared with baseline in both drug treatment groups. There was no significant difference in these three types of treatment. Conclusion: It seems that the desired herbal products did not have a synergistic effect with alpha blockers in the control and treatment of BPH but they can affect the serum PSA level.
Impact Of Microbial Synergism On Second Generation Production Of Bioethanol From Fruit Peels Wastes

Fruit peels annually accumulate in huge amounts; fruit wastes are rich in lignocellulosic component which can be recovered into mono simple carbohydrates able to utilize for bioethanol production. The enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses is known to be a key to the second-generation biofuel, the challenge is the still expensive enzymes involved in the saccharification process, loss of the most hemicellulose pentose sugars which were non-fermentable as base, beside the presence of hampers lignin thus require to resolve its problem. As part of study, followed the cost-effective means for bioethanol producing from four fruit peels (Banana, Orange, Mango and Watermelon), yielding of enzymes from co-fungal cultivation carried by Aspergillus niger and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, followed by co-fermentation of the saccharified sugars using yeast belong to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus which contributed for bioethanol production in 8 L lab-scale reactor. The fermented sugars recovering was reached to 27.77 g.l-1 from banana peels which were found to be good exploited as potential raw source, co-fungal enzymatic hydrolysis followed by yeast co-fermentation led to substantial yield by 10.74 g.l-1, the adding of calcium oxide increased the purity which leads finally to 97.5 wt % of pure bioethanol. Thrust towards fossil fuels replacement with renewable clean fuels such as bioethanol by using fruit peels residuals which are considered renewable energy source may also help in CO2 mitigation.
Estradiol and COVID-19: Does 17-Estradiol Have an Immune-Protective Function in Women Against Coronavirus?

Objective: Female sex hormones have a pro-inflammatory effect, which may help to minimize inflammation. Estrogen's immunoregulatory properties play a significant role in the bi-directional neuroendocrine-immune activity in females. As a result, sex hormones can play a role in men's high mortality rate from coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). It is aimed to clarify the role of 17-estradiol (E2) in the battle against COVID-19. Materials and methods: Until April 2021, a study on PubMed was performed. COVID-19, 17-estradiol (E2), immunoregulatory properties, pregnancy, menopausal symptoms, hormonal therapy, ER/expression on immune cells, and mortality were some of the concepts used in the search. Results: Regulation of pro-inflammatory immune processes against COVID-19 appears to be associated with increased immune function (pro-inflammatory), anti-inflammatory regulation, and antiviral defense. Women with a severe coronavirus infection had higher serum IgG antibody levels than men, and their IgG production was faster in the early stages of infection. 17-estradiol (E2) levels of blood will increase by 100-fold during pregnancy. COVID-19 in pregnant women had a 15-fold lower mortality rate than other women. While menopause replacement therapy (MRT) for pre/post-menopausal women and its effectiveness in reducing COVID-19 infection is debatable. Conclusion: MRT may be considered as a viable treatment option for pre/post-menopause women with coronavirus, referring to the fact that sex hormones reduce inflammatory responses and modulate ACE2 expression. The task's difficulty and achieving the desired outcome seem to be challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Family & Reproductive Health is the property of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
The Reactivity of Human and Equine Estrogen Quinones towards Purine Nucleosides

Conjugated estrogen medicines, which are produced from the urine of pregnant mares for the purpose of menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT), contain the sulfate conjugates of estrone, equilin, and equilenin in varying proportions. The latter three steroid sex hormones are highly similar in molecular structure as they only differ in the degree of unsaturation of the sterane ring “B”: the cyclohexene ring in estrone (which is naturally present in both humans and horses) is replaced by more symmetrical cyclohexadiene and benzene rings in the horse-specific (“equine”) hormones equilin and equilenin, respectively. Though the structure of ring “B” has only moderate influence on the estrogenic activity desired in HRT, it might still significantly affect the reactivity in potential carcinogenic pathways. In the present theoretical study, we focus on the interaction of estrogen orthoquinones, formed upon metabolic oxidation of estrogens in breast cells with purine nucleosides. This multistep process results in a purine base loss in the DNA chain (depurination) and the formation of a “depurinating adduct” from the quinone and the base. The point mutations induced in this manner are suggested to manifest in breast cancer development in the long run. We examine six reactions between deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine as nucleosides and estrone-3,4-quinone, equilin-3,4-quinone, and equilenin-3,4-quinone as mutagens. We performed DFT calculations to determine the reaction mechanisms and establish a structure–reactivity relationship between the degree of unsaturation of ring “B” and the expected rate of DNA depurination. As quinones might be present in the cytosol in various protonated forms, we introduce the concept of “effective barriers” to account for the different reactivity and different concentrations of quinone derivatives. According to our results, both equine estrogens have the potential to facilitate depurination as the activation barrier of one of the elementary steps (the initial Michael addition in the case of equilenin and the rearomatization step in the case of equilin) significantly decreases compared to that of estrone. We conclude that the appearance of exogenous equine estrogen quinones due to HRT might increase the risk of depurination-induced breast cancer development compared to the exposure to endogenous estrone metabolites. Still, further studies are required to identify the rate-limiting step of depurination under intracellular conditions to reveal whether the decrease in the barriers affects the overall rate of carcinogenesis.
How does negative performance feedback affect a firm’s openness in its innovation search behaviour? The moderating role of organisational slack

ABSTRACT Using the behavioural theory of the firm as a theoretical lens, an integrated framework for this study was developed to examine how negative performance relative to aspiration as well as organisational slack shapes a firm’s openness in its innovation search behaviour. Furthermore, the study investigates whether the extent to which slack is committed to specific organisational procedures determines its moderating effect on the relationship between negative performance feedback and open innovation search behaviour. Patent archives and financial data from 1688 manufacturing firms publicly listed in the US were collected to construct a panel dataset of 13,685 observations. By examining the open innovation search behaviours of these manufacturers from 1986 to 2006, it was found that negative performance feedback encourages firms to be more open to external knowledge sources. The findings also revealed that the absorption degree of slack indeed determines its moderating role. Specifically, underperforming firms with more unabsorbed slack exhibited more openness in their innovation search behaviours, whereas absorbed slack failed to show significance. Possible explanations for the insignificance of absorbed slack are further discussed.
On the labor theory of value as the basis for the analysis of economic inequality in the capitalist economy

Abstract In this paper, we review the labor theory of value as the basis for the analysis of economic inequality in a capitalist economy. According to the standard Marxian view, the system of labor values of individual commodities can serve as the center of gravity for long-term price fluctuations in a precapitalist economy with simple commodity-production, where no exploitative social relation emerges, while in a modern capitalist economy, the labor value system is replaced by prices of production associated with an equal positive rate of profits as the center of gravity, in which exploitative relation between the capitalist and the working classes is a generic and persistent feature of economic inequality. Some of the literature such as Michio Morishima criticized this view by showing that the labor values of individual commodities are no longer well-defined if a capitalist economy has joint production. Given these arguments, this paper firstly shows that the system of individual labor values can be still well-defined in a capitalist economy with joint production whenever the set of available production techniques is all-productive. Secondly, this paper shows that it is generally impossible to verify that labor-value pricing serves as the center of gravity for price fluctuations in precapitalist economies characterized by the full development of simple commodity-production.
Influenza Vaccination After Myocardial Infarction

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Observational and small, randomized studies suggest that influenza vaccine may reduce future cardiovascular events in patients with cardiovascular disease. Methods: We conducted an investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind trial to compare inactivated influenza vaccine with saline placebo administered shortly after myocardial infarction (MI; 99.7% of patients) or high-risk stable coronary heart disease (0.3%). The primary end point was the composite of all-cause death, MI, or stent thrombosis at 12 months. A hierarchical testing strategy was used for the key secondary end points: all-cause death, cardiovascular death, MI, and stent thrombosis. Results: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the data safety and monitoring board recommended to halt the trial before attaining the prespecified sample size. Between October 1, 2016, and March 1, 2020, 2571 participants were randomized at 30 centers across 8 countries. Participants assigned to influenza vaccine totaled 1290 and individuals assigned to placebo equaled 1281; of these, 2532 received the study treatment (1272 influenza vaccine and 1260 placebo) and were included in the modified intention to treat analysis. Over the 12-month follow-up, the primary outcome occurred in 67 participants (5.3%) assigned influenza vaccine and 91 participants (7.2%) assigned placebo (hazard ratio, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.52–0.99]; P=0.040). Rates of all-cause death were 2.9% and 4.9% (hazard ratio, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.39–0.89]; P=0.010), rates of cardiovascular death were 2.7% and 4.5%, (hazard ratio, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.39–0.90]; P=0.014), and rates of MI were 2.0% and 2.4% (hazard ratio, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.50–1.46]; P=0.57) in the influenza vaccine and placebo groups, respectively. Conclusions: Influenza vaccination early after an MI or in high-risk coronary heart disease resulted in a lower risk of a composite of all-cause death, MI, or stent thrombosis, and a lower risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular death, as well, at 12 months compared with placebo. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials. gov; Unique identifier: NCT02831608.
Adaptive control for nonlinear non-autonomous systems with unknown input disturbance

In this paper, an input disturbance estimator using the time receding optimisation principle is firstly proposed for nonlinear non-autonomous systems. The estimated disturbance at present instance is computed from the current state of the system and that of a corresponding model and it will be used to compensate the input disturbance during the next time interval. Then, an adaptive controller is proposed for the nonlinear non-autonomous systems with the proposed input disturbance estimator. An attractor set of the closed-loop system is also obtained and its size can be decreased by reducing time receding step. Finally, numerical simulations for two examples are carried out to support the proposed. The simulation results show that all the estimated disturbances converge to the unknown disturbances and the proposed controller guarantees stability.
Detection of Mn – Dependent Chitinase for Wheat Root Rot Disease Control by Real time PCR

The use of some mineral salts with concentrations of 10, 30 and 50 mm Muller led to the inhibition ofthe activity of the enzyme chitinase, but to varying degrees. Manganese chloride MnCl2 showed moreeffect in stimulating the activity of the enzyme, as the effectiveness reached 74.87% in addition to calciumchloride CaCl2, which had a stimulating effect for the enzyme as well. The salts EDTA and NH4Cl had aninhibitory effect on the enzyme activity. The field experiment was conducted for the purpose of inducingsystemic resistance of wheat plants with the fungus T. longibrachiatum under conditions of infection withthe pathogen Fusarium oxysporum and evaluating the efficacy of the chitinase enzyme in improving plantgrowth for three varieties of wheat, which are Iba 99, Sham 6 and July 2 for 45 days, after which thevegetative characteristics were taken. For cultivated plants and the efficacy of the chitinase enzyme for theshoot and root system, the induction treatment (pathogenic fungus + T. longibrachiatum + MnCl2) proved itsrole in the highest reduction of the severity of infection with the pathogen fungus of wheat, reaching 18.05%and the high vegetative and root growth indicators under conditions of pathogen infection and for all thestudied varieties. The results of induction were due to the increased expression of the chitinase enzyme gene.RT - PCR technique was used. It showed that all the studied cultivars with 99, Sham 6 and July 2 had higherexpression than the control treatment.
A Learning Analytics-informed Activity to Improve Student Performance in a First Year Physiology Course

Learning Analytics (LA) can be employed to identify course-specific factors that hinder student course (outcome) performance, which can be subsequently rectified using targeted interventions. Supplementing interventions with predictive modelling also permits the identification of students who are at-risk of failing the course and encourages their participation. LA findings suggested that a targeted intervention for our course should focus on improving student short answer question (SAQ) performance, which we attempted to achieve by improving their understanding of features pertaining to various SAQ answer standards and how to achieve them using examples of varying scores. Every student was invited to the intervention via a course-wide announcement through the course learning management system. At-risk students identified using predictive models were given an additional invitation in the form of a personalised email. Results suggest that intervention improved student understanding of SAQ performance criteria. The intervention also enhanced student end-of-semester SAQ performance by 12% and 11% for at-risk and no-risk students respectively. Course failure rate was also lower by 26% and 9% among at-risk and no-risk intervention participants. Student perception of the intervention was also positive where an overwhelming majority of participants (96%) found the interventional activity to be useful for their learning and exam preparations.
Common complications of Behcet’s Disease in Baghdad Teaching Hospital

Background: Behcet’s disease is multi-systemic vasculitis, which usually is frequent oral & genital ulcerations as well as eye and skin lesions.Objectives: To determine the proportion of complications of BD & associated epidemiological variables.Patients and Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted and performed in the Baghdad teaching hospital’s Rheumatology unit and Dermatology and Venereology Center, involving (116) patients over the course of six months, beginning November 2nd and ending April 2nd, 2020. Results: The patients ranged in age from 13 to 64 years old at the time of the study. The mean age and SD was 35.08±10.46 and 70.7% from male while 29.3% from female. Recurrent oral ulceration, Recurrent genital ulceration, Eye lesion, Skin lesion, and Joint symptoms were the most common clinical manifestations of Behcet’s disease, with 96.6 percent, 37.9%, 67.2 percent, 62.1 percent, and 75.9%, respectively. The most common Behcet’s disease complication was ocular complication (34.5 percent), and the first major symptom of BD (94 percent) was oral ulcer. The age at onset of disease at (20-29) years with higher frequency (38.8%). Conclusion : Higher percentages of study sample had ocular complications (83%) while the lower percentage (2%) had gastrointestinal complication. Recommendations: More research is required to determine the etiology, enhance diagnosis precision, and develop new therapeutic strategies. To prevent visceral and ocular involvements, early diagnosis and treatment with the help of a dermatologist with extensive experience is essential.
Physicochemical Characterization and Dissolution Enhancement of Bilastine by Solid Dispersion

The solid dispersions of Bilastine with HPMC, PVP K30 and HPC have been prepared in different weight ratios by using solvent evaporation method. DSC was used to characterize the samples of solid dispersions and pure drug. Drug found compatible with the excipients. The highest improvements in solubility and in-vitro drug release were observed in solid dispersion prepared with HPC (F14) by solvent evaporation method. The increased dissolution rate of drug from solid dispersion may be due to surface tension lowering effect of polymer to the medium and increased wettability and dispersibility of drug. Hence, F14 Solid dispersion with the HPC carrier considered as most satisfactory among all solid dispersions.
PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN LEARNING COMMUNITY DALAM MENINGKATAN AKTIVITAS BELAJAR MENULIS SISWA KELAS VII/A MTsN TARAKAN

Tujuan yang diharapkan pada penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui peningkatan aktivitas dan hasil belajar menulis siswa kelas VII/A MTsN Tarakan tahun pembelajaran 2020/2021 setelah diberikan perlakuan dengan menggunakan pembelajaran model Learning Community (masyarakat belajar). Obyek penelitian ini adalah aktifitas dan hasil belajar siswa. Penelitian ini adalah Penelitian Tindakan Kelas. Tindakan yang di gunakan sebanyak dua siklus, yang tiap siklusnya terdiri dari: 1) perencanaan tindakan, 2) pelaksanaan tindakan, 3) pengamatan tindakan dan refleksi tindakan. Data dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan observasi dan tes selanjutnya dianalisis dengan teknik deskriptif dari data kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Hasil aktivitas dan nilai belajar siswa kelas VII/A MTsN Tarakan dari siklus I ke siklus II mengalami peningkatan. Nilai rata-rata hasil aktivitas siswa dari pra siklus, siklus I dan siklus II adalah 50.5%, 70.4% dan 88.0%, sedangkan nilai rata-rata hasil belajar siswa meningkat mulai pra siklus (72.1) ke siklus I (78.1) dan siklus II (83.2) dari 36 siswa atau sebanyak 100 % siswa telah mencapai standar ketuntasan minimal yang ditetapkan yaitu 75.0. Dengan demikian penggunaan model pembelajaran Learning Community pada materi menulis jati diri pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris bisa meningkatkan aktivitas dan hasil belajar siswa kelas VII/A MTsN Tarakan tahun pembelajaran 2020/2021.