Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Any Changes in Carotid Intima–Media Thickness Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Among Adult Bantu Central African Hypertensive Patients from Monkole and Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospitals?

Background Several classic/traditional risk factors are associated with intima–media thickness (IMT), a novel risk of cardio metabolic risk (CMR) in the literature but not in Kinshasa, a megacity prone to CMR. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate potential correlations between inflammation, kidney function, psychological stress, hemodynamics, and changes in IMT. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out between 2018 and 2021 within Monkole and Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospitals, respectively, and randomly selected from 10 health structures from East and West of Kinshasa, Capital of Democratic Republic Congo (DRC). A random sample of adult hypertensive Bantu Central Africans was examined after bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression. Results Out of 280 patients with 140 men and 140 women aged 62 ± 11 years, the mean carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) was 1.06 ± 0.5 mm and 73% (n = 204) patients had uncontrolled hypertension. After controlling for confounders, 52.9% variations (R2) of CIMT were independently and significantly (P = 0.037) predicted by CRP, 24-hour proteinuria, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, duration of hypertension, heart rate, hip circumference, and psychological stress with Equation Y = 0.717 + 0.87 × CRP + 0.02 × 24 H – proteinuria + 0.005 × urinary albumin/creatinine ratio + 0.05 × duration of hypertension + 0.001 × heart rate + 0.006 × hip circumference + 0.017 × psychological stress. Conclusion There is an urgent need to control inflammation, impaired renal function, cardiac rhythm, peripheral obesity, longer duration of hypertension management, and stress, which are emerging as specific novel determinants of the subclinical atherosclerosis for those Bantu Central African hypertensive patients.
3D-QSAR-Based Pharmacophore Modeling, Virtual Screening, and Molecular Dynamics Simulations for the Identification of Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is an essential mediator of immune cell signaling and has been anticipated as a therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases, notably rheumatoid arthritis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and cancers. Significant attempts have been undertaken in recent years to develop SYK inhibitors; however, limited success has been achieved due to poor pharmacokinetics and adverse effects of inhibitors. The primary goal of this research was to identify potential inhibitors having high affinity, selectivity based on key molecular interactions, and good drug-like properties than the available inhibitor, fostamatinib. In this study, a 3D-QSAR model was built for SYK based on known inhibitor IC50 values. The best pharmacophore model was then used as a 3D query to screen a drug-like database to retrieve hits with novel chemical scaffolds. The obtained compounds were subjected to binding affinity prediction using the molecular docking approach, and the results were subsequently validated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulated compounds were ranked according to binding free energy (ΔG), and the binding affinity was compared with fostamatinib. The binding mode analysis of selected compounds revealed that the hit compounds form hydrogen bond interactions with hinge region residue Ala451, glycine-rich loop residue Lys375, Ser379, and DFG motif Asp512. Identified hits were also observed to form a desirable interaction with Pro455 and Asn457, the rare feature observed in SYK inhibitors. Therefore, we argue that identified hit compounds ZINC98363745, ZINC98365358, ZINC98364133, and ZINC08789982 may help in drug design against SYK.
Attitude and Motivation Primary School Student toward the Malay Language Online Learning During Move Control Order

The COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world has now changed the current situation, especially the education sector. Physical learning had to switch to online learning due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). Online home teaching and learning has replaced face-to-face learning. Thus, this study was conducted to identify the attitudes and motivation of primary school students learning Malay Language online during the MCO. A total of 110 Year 5 students in a national school in Batu Berendam, Melaka, Malaysia were selected as respondents using purposive random sampling method. The study used a questionnaire instrument that contained 20 items and was divided into two constructs, namely attitude and motivation. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the questionnaire data. The findings indicate that primary school students have a positive attitude and high motivation for learning Malay Language online during MCO. Other findings include gender and socioeconomic factors do not influence the attitudes and motivation of students to learn Malay Language online learning.
Polish and New Zealand Propolis as Sources of Antioxidant Compounds Inhibit Glioblastoma (T98G, LN-18) Cell Lines and Astrocytoma Cells Derived from Patient

Gliomas, including glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytoma, are common brain cancers in adults. Propolis is a natural product containing many active ingredients. The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition, total phenolic content and concentration of toxic elements as well as the anticancer potential of Polish (PPE) and New Zealand (Manuka—MPE) propolis extracts on diffuse astrocytoma derived from patient (DASC) and glioblastoma (T98G, LN-18) cell lines. The antioxidants such as flavonoids and chalcones (pinocembrin, pinobanksin, pinobanksin 3-acetate and chrysin) were the main components in both types of propolis. The content of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in MPE was higher than PPE. The anti-proliferative study showed strong activity of PPE and MPE propolis on DASC, T98G, and LN-18 cells by apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest and attenuated migration. These findings suggest that despite their different geographic origins, Polish and New Zealand propolis are sources of antioxidant compounds and show similar activity and a promising anti-glioma potential in in vitro study. However, further in vivo studies are required in order to assess therapeutic potential of propolis.
Microwave-assisted extraction of antioxidant phenolic compounds from artichoke (Cynara scolymus L. cv Bayrampasa): optimisation and kinetic modelling

The objective of the present work was to optimise an efficient alternative technique for the extraction of total phenolics and antioxidants from Bayrampasa variety artichoke by-products, and to evaluate the potential role of artichoke as a source of health-promoting phenolic compounds and antioxidants. In the present work, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was used in order to obtain phenolic compounds and antioxidants from artichoke by-products such as leaves and bracts. The obtained phenolic compounds and antioxidants were assessed in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazine (DPPH) antioxidant activity, and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). The highest TPC and CUPRAC values were obtained at 4 min, and the highest DPPH activity was observed at 6 min and 80°C for leaf and bract extracts; also, the TPC, DPPH, and CUPRAC values of bract extracts were significantly lower than that of leaf extracts. Modelling of MAE for the artichoke leaves and bracts mixture using the central composite design was examined for determination of solvent/solid ratio (v/w), time, and solvent/water ratio (v/v). Additionally, second order and Peleg’s kinetic models proved to be the most suitable in describing the MAE kinetics for artichoke leaves and bracts mixture.
Effects of distributed practice on the acquisition of verb-noun collocations

Abstract Given the importance of collocational knowledge for second language learning, how collocation learning can be facilitated is an important question. The present study examined the effects of three different practice schedules on collocation learning: node massed, collocation massed, and collocation spaced. In the node-massed schedule, three collocations for the same node verb were studied on the same day. In the collocation-massed schedule, three collocations for the same node verb were studied in different weeks. In the collocation-spaced schedule, participants encountered multiple collocations for the same node verb within a single day; at the same time, multiple collocations for the same node verb were repeated each week. To examine whether the knowledge of studied collocations could be transferred to unstudied collocations containing the same node, posttests included novel collocations that were not encountered during the treatment. Results suggested that the collocation-spaced schedule led to the largest gains for both studied and unstudied collocations.
A Survey of Manifold-Based Learning Methods

We review the ideas, algorithms, and numerical performance of manifold-based machine learning and dimension reduction methods. The representative methods include locally linear embedding (LLE), ISOMAP, Laplacian eigenmaps, Hessian eigenmaps, local tangent space alignment (LTSA), and charting. We describe the insights from these developments, as well as new opportunities for both researchers and practitioners. Potential applications in image and sensor data are illustrated. This chapter is based on an invited survey presentation that was delivered by Huo at the 2004 INFORMS Annual Meeting, which was held in Denver, CO, U.S.A.
An Observation Protocol for Scaffolding Community of Inquiry and Its Exemplary Practices in Language MOOCs

As a response to a call to investigate the fundamental aspects regarding educational theory, research, designing and teaching of language massive open online courses (MOOCs), this study first developed a Community of Inquiry (CoI) observation protocol, to observe the existing teaching, social, and cognitive presences in language MOOCs, and tested its reliability using g-theory analysis. The results showed that the developed observation protocol is reliable, as evidenced by the large proportion of variance attributed to variation across courses rather than across raters. A follow-up d-study suggested that five and 11 raters were enough to reach moderate and substantial reliability coefficients, respectively. The study also identified exemplary practices that reflected high-level CoI presences in language MOOCs. The result not only highlighted the need to conduct observational studies to disentangle the dynamic interchanges that occur in language MOOCs, but also provided practical guidelines to language educators interested in designing and teaching their own MOOCs.
Oil Price Uncertainty and M&A Activity

This study examines the impact of oil price uncertainty on mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity in the oil and gas sector. Analyzing this industry enables us to construct a natural forward-looking measure of oil price uncertainty, namely the implied crude oil volatility. Using a sample of U.S. firms in the oil and gas sector from 1994–2018 containing 4,323 announced transactions, we document that oil price uncertainty is negatively related to future M&A activity. Uncertainty is mainly a driver of horizontal and vertical M&A activity, where upstream firms are more affected by this uncertainty than downstream firms. Our results lend support to a real options explanation of investment under uncertainty where firms choose to defer investments as a response to increased uncertainty.
Cystatin C assay validation using the immunoturbidimetric method to evaluate the renal function of healthy dogs and dogs with acute renal injury

Background and Aim: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a grave prognosis. A clinical assessment of kidney function can be performed based on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Cystatin C (CysC) can indicate the GFR or kidney function and its measurement is currently performed using immunological methods such as nephelometry, immunoturbidimetry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in human medicine. However, these techniques are not specific for use in veterinary medicine. This study aimed to validate an immunoturbidimetric assay for serum CysC (sCy) in dogs, determine the sCy reference intervals for healthy dogs, evaluate sCy stability in serum samples, and compare sCy with serum creatinine (sCr) in healthy dogs and dogs with AKI. Materials and Methods: Forty-three dogs were divided into a control group (n = 19) and an AKI group (n = 24). An immunoturbidimetric method including commercially available human CysC calibrated with canine CysC was used to evaluate canine serum samples. Results: An average recovery of 97% was observed for canine serum samples. The reference interval for CysC in healthy dogs was 0.57–1.29 mg/L. The sCy concentration in dogs with AKI was significantly higher (2.82 ± 1.46 mg/L) than in healthy dogs (0.93 ± 0.18 mg/L). Statistical analysis confirmed a strong correlation between sCy and sCr (r = 0.94; p < 0.05) in dogs with AKI. Conclusion: The immunoturbidimetric method of evaluating sCy yielded satisfactory results and can be used for canine samples when a species-specific calibrator is used. Furthermore, sCy is a reliable marker of renal dysfunction in dogs. It is best to store samples for sCy evaluation at temperatures between 4°C and 8°C.
Effect of microwave roasting on the chemical constituents and antioxidant potentials of coffee beans

The present work evaluated the effect of microwave roasting on total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhyrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, some selected compounds, and the mineral content of coffee beans. Coffee bean powder was roasted at three microwave power levels (450, 720, and 900 W) and treatment durations (4, 6, and 8 min). The TPC, TFC, and DPPH radical scavenging activity were increased by increasing the microwave power and roasting duration, but detrimental effects were observed at higher power levels and longer treatment durations. The highest TPC, TFC, and DPPH radical scavenging activity were detected for the sample treated at 720 W for 6 min. The mineral content was only increased in the sample treated at 450 W for 4 min; all other treatments decreased the mineral content. Microwave power levels and treatment durations showed a significant increase in the browning intensity of the coffee bean extract. The selected coffee bean compounds as analysed by GC-MS were affected in different ways by microwave treatment. The relative percentage of caffeine was increased from 40.06 to 49.12% when treated at 450 W for 4 min, while n-hexadecanoic acid content was decreased from 33.86% in untreated coffee beans to 16.31% when treated at 450 W for 4 min. There was also the formation of new compounds such as octadecanoic acid-methyl ester, vitamin E, and stigmasterol upon microwave roasting of coffee beans. Based on the above results, microwave heating can be used as a roasting method for coffee beans.
Investigation of Kinetic Ballooning Instability in 2D Harris Sheet Equilibrium With Finite Normal Bz Field

Substorm onset is believed to be a fundamental process for magnetic and plasma energy transport in both magnetosphere and ionosphere. In this regard, the ballooning instability is considered to be one of the key trigger mechanism for the substorm onset scenario in the near‐Earth plasma sheet. Here, the kinetic ballooning instability (KBI) in the near‐Earth magnetotail is analyzed using the two‐dimensional (2D) generalized Harris sheet and Voigt equilibrium models. The corresponding kinetic ballooning mode is unstable in the intermediate range of perpendicular wave number (ky) and the equatorial beta (βeq). We further note that the growth rate of the ballooning mode reduces significantly with the increase in electron‐to‐ion temperatures ratio (Te/Ti) and wave number ky. The kinetic ballooning mode is found to be most unstable in a thin current sheet region at the equatorial location xe ∼ (8.5 − 10)RE, where the ballooning drive term (βeq/LpRc) is dominant on stiffening effect due to minimum in normal magnetic field. Because of the stabilizing effect as caused by the field line stiffening and the strong field line stabilization, the ballooning mode is stable (marginally unstable) close (away) from the Earth. The magnitude of the KBI growth rates as a function of the equatorial beta βeq and location xe for a wide and thin current sheets using the Voigt equilibrium model are smaller than the Harris sheet counterpart, which are used for modeling the near‐Earth plasma sheet configuration for the slow and fast substorm growth phases, respectively. The results suggest that the excitation of KBI through the local current sheet thinning may also be an effective trigger mechanism for the substorm onset in the near‐Earth magnetotail.
Characteristics of frequent emergency department users in Korea: a 4-year retrospective analysis using Korea Health Panel Study data

Objective We aimed to investigate the characteristics of frequent emergency department (ED) users in Korea. Methods We analyzed the Korea Health Panel Study data of a sampled population from the 2005 Population Census of Korea data, and adults (age ≥18 years) who visited the ED at least once a year between 2014 and 2017 were included in the study. People who visited three or more times a year were classified as frequent users. We compared demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors between nonfrequent and frequent users. We used a multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors related to frequent ED visits. We also compared the characteristics of ED use in both nonfrequent and frequent users. Results A total of 5,090 panels were included, comprising 6,853 visits. Frequent users were 333 (6.5% of all panels), and their ED visits were 1,364 (19.9% of all ED visits). In the multivariable regression analysis, medical aid coverage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] of the National Health Service coverage, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–0.75), unemployment (aOR of employment, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56–0.91), prior ward admission in a year (aOR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.67–2.75), and frequent outpatient department use (aOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.35–2.20) were associated with frequent use. Moreover, frequent users visited the ED of public hospitals more often than than nonfrequent users (19.2% vs. 9.8%). Medical problems rather than injury/poisoning were the more common reasons for visiting the ED (84.5% vs. 71.2%). Conclusion We found that frequent ED users were likely to be those with socioeconomic disadvantage or with high demand for medical service. Based on this study, further studies on interventions to reduce frequent ED use are required for better ED services.
Preoperative Prediction Value of Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis of Endometrial Cancer: Combining of ADC Value and Radiomics Features of the Primary Lesion and Clinical Parameters

Objective To investigate the value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of endometrial cancer (EC) primary lesion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) three-dimensional (3D) radiomics features combined with clinical parameters for preoperative prediction of pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM). Methods A total of 136 patients with EC confirmed by postoperative pathology were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Patients were randomly divided into training set (n = 95) and test set (n = 41) at a ratio of 7 : 3. Radiomics features based on T2WI, DWI, and contrast-enhanced T1WI (CE-T1WI) sequence were extracted and screened, and then radiomics score (Rads-score) was calculated. Clinical parameters and ADC value of EC primary lesion were measured and collected, and their correlation with PLNM was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the model. A nomogram for PLNM was created based on the multivariate logistic regression model. Results The ADC value of the EC primary lesion showed inverse correlation with PLNM, while CA125 and Rads-score were positively associated with PLNM. A predictive model was proposed based on ADC value, Rads-score, CA125, and MR-reported pelvic lymph node status (PLNS) for PLNM in EC. The area under the curve (AUC) of the model is 0.940; the sensitivity and specificity (87.1% and 90.6%) of the model were significantly higher than that of the MRI morphological signs. Conclusion A combination of ADC value, MRI 3D radiomics features of the EC primary lesion, and clinical parameters generated a prediction model for PLNM in EC and had a good diagnostic performance; it was a useful supplement to MR-reported PLNS based on MRI morphological signs.
Associations between Heart Rate Variability Parameters and Hemodynamic Profiles in Patients with Primary Arterial Hypertension, Including Antihypertensive Treatment Effects

Background: Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is an important factor in the development and progression of arterial hypertension (AH) and may produce adverse hemodynamic sequelae. ANS function can be evaluated by analyzing heart rate variability (HRV). The purpose of this study was to assess the possible correlation between HRV and the hemodynamic profile of AH patients, including antihypertensive treatment effects after 12 months. Methods: The study was conducted on 144 patients with uncomplicated AH. The hemodynamic profile was assessed via echocardiography and impedance cardiography (ICG). The analyzed HRV parameters included SDNN, rMSSD, pNN50, low frequency (LF, 0.05–0.15 Hz), high frequency (HF, 0.15–0.4 Hz), total power (TP, the variance of all NN intervals), and the day, night, and 24-h low-to-high frequency ratios (LF/HF). Results: Analysis showed various correlations of HRV parameters both with arterial blood pressure and with the hemodynamic profile assessed via echocardiography and ICG. The HRV parameters of increased ANS activity showed a correlation with improved left ventricle function (LV) and lower LV afterload. Conclusions: Effective antihypertensive treatment demonstrated beneficial effects on both the ANS balance and the hemodynamic profile.
Optimal sliding mode preview repetitive control for continuous-time nonlinear systems

In this paper, the problem of sliding mode preview repetitive control (SMPRC) for continuous-time nonlinear systems is proposed. First, an augmented delay system is constructed, in which the output of the modified repetitive controller is taken as a part of the augmented state vector. The augmented delay system is then transformed into the controllable canonical form by using state and linear transformations. To introduce preview compensation, a virtual optimal preview control (PC) law is designed for the uncontrollable subsystem. Next, a sliding mode control (SMC) law is cooperated with the virtual optimal PC law to ensure the robustness of the overall system in the presence of uncertainties and external disturbances. Stability of the proposed controller is also proved. Finally, the numerical simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Abbreviations: LQR: linear quadratic regulator; MRC: modified repetitive control; PC:preview control; PRC: preview repetitive control; RC: repetitive control; SFC: statefeedback control; SMC: sliding mode control; SMPRC: sliding mode preview repetitivecontrol.