Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Impact and Quality of Life of Patients with β-Thalassaemia: A Systematic Review

β-Thalassaemia (BT) is a hereditary genetic blood disease caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes the haemoglobin protein. In the most severe forms, BT forces patients to undergo frequent blood transfusions, which has a significant impact on the quality of life. Classified as rare, BT is very common in the Mediterranean area, and is also found in the Middle East, Central Asia, India, South America, and North Africa. This disease does not currently have a definitive cure, although technological progress and new gene therapies are achieving promising results. This literature review was conducted with the aim to understand how BT affects patients' lives in various social contexts in which they are involved. The authors also aimed to understand which methods are used for this assessment and the possible social actions that can help in the management of the disease. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were used to search for the articles. Related article titles were selected and reduced to the abstracts of the relevant articles, after which the selected full articles were reviewed. The reviewed articles showed consistent agreement in observing that the quality of life of patients with BT is considerably lower compared with the healthy population in terms of physical, emotional, social, and functioning at school. The negative results highlight the significance of the introduction of suitable programmes by healthcare providers, counsellors, and education authorities to provide psychosocial support, and improve academic performance. In addition, genetic counselling and intervention programmes would positively impact the lives of patients with thalassaemia.
Examining journalists organizational trust pursuant to predictive variables in the Ethiopian media industry: The case study of Amhara Media Corporation

Abstract This study aimed at examining journalists’ organizational trust by focusing on the relationships to the predictor variables of organizational commitment, job satisfaction and socio-economic exchanges at Amhara Media Corporation (AMC). Data were collected from self-administered report scales of 250 full-time employed journalists in the head office and across six branches of AMC in Ethiopia. The result of multiple regression analysis showed there were statistically significant associations of organizational trust with commitment, social exchange and job satisfaction positively and with economic exchange negatively. The higher levels of organizational commitment and social exchange journalists experience in AMC are associated with higher levels of organizational trust. Journalists’ job satisfaction had a minimum impact on their organizational trust. The economic exchange journalists had in AMC did not determine their level of trust. Further, the result of parallel mediation analysis conducted using the Hayes PROCESS macro model showed organizational commitment and organizational trust were fully mediated by social exchange and job satisfaction. Journalists with high organizational commitment were likely to have higher levels of social exchange and job satisfaction indicating a culture of high levels of social exchange and job satisfaction are more likely to lead to trust in the media organization.
Musculoskeletal Health of the Adults Over 50 Years of Age in Relation to Antioxidant Vitamin Intakes

As the proportion of the elderly population increases rapidly, interest in musculoskeletal health is also emerging. Here, we investigated how antioxidant vitamin intake and musculoskeletal health are related. Adults aged 50 to 80 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 27.0 kg/m2 were included. Bone mineral density (BMD), lean mass (LM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the grip strength and knee extension using hand dynamometer. Nutrient intakes were measured using a 24-hour recall questionnaire. A total of 153 adults (44 men and 109 women) participated in this study. A partial correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between vitamin E and BMD and between vitamin C and LM/Height. Participants were classified into three groups according to whether their vitamin E and C intake met the recommended intake for Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs). The prevalence of having low T-score (< −1.0) and low ASMI (< 7.0 for men and < 5.4 for women) was 51.3% and 15.4% in the group with vitamins C and E intakes below KDRIs. After adjusting for sex, smoking status and energy, protein, vitamin D, and calcium intake, the group with vitamins C and E both below the KDRIs displayed a significantly lower BMD at all test sites and LM/Height compared with vitamin C and/or E intake above the KDRIs groups. We conclude that sufficient intake of vitamin E and C is important for maintaining BMD and lean mass in Korean adults over 50 years of age.
Screening for Prognostic Biomarkers in Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma by Tissue Micro Arrays Analysis Identifies P53 as an Independent Prognostic Marker of Overall Survival

Simple Summary The aim of our retrospective study was to identify and prioritize potential prognostic parameters in a well characterized metastatic ACC population. We identified for the first time P53 as an independent prognostic marker of metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma after mENSAT-GRAS parameter adjustment. This biomarker is easily available and should be considered in clinical practice together with Ki67 for the management of patient with advanced ACC. Moreover, this study underlies the importance of adjustment of potential biomarkers to validated prognostic factors in order to avoid the accumulation of invalidated biomarkers not usable in clinical practice. Abstract Advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has poor but heterogeneous prognosis. Apart from Ki67 index, no prognostic or predictive biomarker has been validated in advanced ACC, so far. We aimed at analyzing expression of a large panel of proteins involved in known altered pathways in ACC (cell cycle, Wnt/ß-catenin, methylation) to identify and prioritize potential prognostic or predictive parameters metastatic ACC population. We conducted a retrospective multicentric study. Overall survival (OS) and partial response according to RECIST 1.1 were primary endpoints. TMA was set up and 16 markers were analyzed. Modified ENSAT and GRAS parameters were characterized for prognostic adjustment. Results: We included 66 patients with a mean age at metastatic diagnosis of 48.7 ± 15.5 years. Median survival was 27.8 months. After adjustment to mENSAT-GRAS parameters, p53 and PDxK were prognostic of OS. No potential biomarker has been identified as predictive factor of response. We identified for the first time P53 as an independent prognostic marker of metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma after mENSAT-GRAS parameter adjustment. Prognostic impact of Wnt/ß-catenin alterations was not confirmed in this cohort of metastatic ACC.
Premature attrition of clinical pharmacists: Call to attention, action, and potential solutions

Clinical pharmacists are highly trained professionals who provide comprehensive medication management across a majority of health care settings. These clinicians have numerous responsibilities, which may include teaching, administrative, and scholarly responsibilities in addition to patient care activities. Many clinical pharmacists report a high degree of burnout and stress. In addition, practice models with limited options for buy‐downs or stipends (eg, for committees, projects, or residency program director roles), inability to generate revenue for services provided, public perception, and little upward mobility for career advancement have led to a perceived trend of clinical pharmacists leaving practice to pursue careers removed from patient care that favor work‐life balance. The purpose of this review is to summarize factors associated with premature attrition of clinical pharmacists, call attention to this trend, and provide suggestions for improvements.
Predictors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women who have never smoked: a cohort study

COPD is responsible for an increasing number of deaths worldwide. Smoking is the most reliable predictor for developing COPD later in life. However, women make up the majority of patients with COPD who have never smoked. There is therefore a need to identify other factors that can predict COPD in women. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with increasing the risk of developing COPD later in life in women who have never smoked. Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) cohort born between 1946 and 1951 were used to investigate potential predictors of COPD. Retrospective analyses were performed on data from two of the ALSWH surveys: wave 1 (1996) and wave 9 (2019). There were 3584 women who self-reported as being never-smokers (at waves 1 and 9) and did not have COPD at baseline, of which 109 had developed COPD at wave 9. Logistic regression showed a significant relationship between COPD at wave 9 and baseline breathing difficulties (p<0.001), asthma (p<0.001) and allergies (p=0.026), though significance of asthma and allergies disappeared when included together in a single model, implying that women with these symptoms earlier in life were more likely to be diagnosed with COPD later in life compared to women without these symptoms. Our study supports the inclusion of lung function testing in primary care settings for women over the age of 45 years who have never smoked and have a history of breathing difficulties, asthma or allergies. A history of breathing difficulties, asthma, allergies, hay fever and sinusitis are associated with an increased risk of developing COPD later in life in women who have never smoked. Lung function testing should be considered for these women. https://bit.ly/3jDX9Mp
Characterization of ultra-wideband bow-tie antennas for ground penetrating radar systems

In this article, two ultra-wideband (UWB) bow-tie antennas, designed for ground penetrating radar (CPR) applications, are characterized by both numerical analysis and experimental measurements. The geometry and the different materials of the feed and the radiating components of the antennas are fully taken into account in a detailed numerical three-dimensional model, based on the finite element method (FEM). The reliability of the FEM results is assessed by comparison with experimental measurements. The analysis is performed for a geometrical configuration ofinterest for actual CPR applications, where the antennas are located on the same side of a scattering object (reflection configuration). The validation measurements are conducted under laboratory conditions, both in absence of any scattering objects and in contact with a tuff masonry.
Effectiveness and safety of secukinumab in axial spondyloarthritis: a 24-month prospective, multicenter real-life study

Objectives: To evaluate, in a multicentric Italian cohort of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients on Secukinumab (SEC) followed for 24 months: (1) the long-term effectiveness and safety of SEC; (2) the drug retention rate and low disease activity (LDA) measured as Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) < 4/Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) < 2.1 and very low disease activity (VLDA) measured as BASDAI < 2/ASDAS < 1.3; (3) any differences in outcomes according to line of biological treatment (naïve/non-naïve), gender (male/female), subtype of axSpA [radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA)/non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA)]. Methods: Consecutive axSpA patients treated with SEC were evaluated prospectively. Disease characteristics, previous/ongoing treatments, comorbidities, and follow-up duration were collected. Disease activity/functional/clinimetric scores and biochemical-values were recorded at baseline (T0), 6 (T6), 12 (T12), and 24 (T24) months. Effectiveness was evaluated over-time with descriptive statistics; multivariate Cox and logistic regression models were used to evaluate predictors of drug discontinuation and LDA at T6. Infections and adverse events were recorded. Results: A total 249 patients (47.8% male; median age 51) were enrolled; 40.9% had HLA-B27; 53.8% had r-axSpA, and 46.2% nr-axSpA. SEC was prescribed in 28.9% naïve and in 71.1% non-naïve patients. SEC effectiveness was shown as an improvement in several outcomes, such as ASDAS [T0 = 3.5 (2.9–4.4) versus T24 = 1.9 (1.2–2.4); p = 0.02] and BASDAI [T0 = 6.5 (5.0–7.5) versus T24 = 2.8 (1.8–4.0); p = 0.03]. At T24, naïve patients showed better physical functioning and lower disease activity than non-naïve. After 24 months of treatment, 90.7% of naïve and 75.3% of non-naïve patients achieved LDA (BASDAI < 4). Treatment was discontinued in 24.5% patients, mainly due to primary/secondary loss of effectiveness, and in 6.8% due to adverse events. Retention rate at T24 was 75% in the whole population, with some difference depending on gender (p = 0.002). Conclusion: In a real-life clinical setting, SEC proved to be safe and effective in axSpA, mainly in naïve-patients, with a notable drug retention rate. No differences were observed between r-axSpA and nr-axSpA.
A Novel Risk Score Model Based on Eleven Extracellular Matrix-Related Genes for Predicting Overall Survival of Glioma Patients

Gliomas are the most common lethal primary brain tumors with variable survival outcomes for patients. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is linked with clinical prognosis of glioma patients, but it is not commonly used as a clinical indicator. Herein, we investigated changes in ECM-related genes (ECMRGs) via analyzing the transcriptional data of 938 gliomas from TCGA and CGGA datasets. Based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis, a 11-ECMRG signature that is strongly linked with overall survival (OS) in glioma patients was identified. This signature was characterized by high-risk and low-risk score patterns. We found that the patients in the high-risk group are significantly linked with malignant molecular features and worse outcomes. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses suggested that the signature is an independent indicator for glioma prognosis. The prediction accuracy of the signature was verified through time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration plots. Further bioinformatics analyses implied that the ECMRG signature is strongly associated with the activation of multiple oncogenic and metabolic pathways and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in gliomas. In addition, we confirmed that the high-risk score is an indicator for a therapy-resistant phenotype. In addition to bioinformatics analyses, we functionally verified the oncogenic role of bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1) in gliomas in vitro.
Classical Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Dementia with Lewy Bodies

The use and interpretation of diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), represent a clinical challenge. According to the literature, the composition of CSF in DLB patients varies. Some patients present with reduced levels of amyloid, others with full Alzheimer Disease CSF profile (both reduced amyloid and increased phospho-tau) and some with a normal profile. Some patients may present with abnormal levels of a-synuclein. Continuous efforts will be required to establish useful CSF biomarkers for the early diagnosis of DLB. Given the heterogeneity of methods and results between studies, further validation is fundamental before conclusions can be drawn.
Reuse of waste activated sludge for textile dyeing wastewater treatment by biosorption: performance optimization and comparison

The aim of this study is to assess the ability of local low‐cost biomaterials to remove reactive dyes from aqueous solutions. Granules prepared from dried activated sludge (DAS) were used as a sorbent for the removal of red bimacid dye (E5R) chosen as model dye. The study involves batch type experiments to investigate the effects of initial dye concentration, adsorbent dose, contact time, temperature and pH of solution on biosorption process. Optimal experimental conditions were ascertained. The pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model fits very well with the experimental results. The thermodynamic parameters for the biosorption process have also been calculated and found the sorption process as exothermic. The sorption performance of this DAS is finally compared with that of different reference sorbents and of other low‐cost materials.
Layered Convolutive Nonnegative Matrix Factorization for Speech Separation

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has attracted significant attention for its good performance in single-channel speech separation. The improved algorithms of NMF have become research hotspots. Layered NMF (LNMF), an improved algorithm, can express the source signal more accurately for its multilayer structure. However, LNMF sometimes performs poorly because it ignores the short-term correlation of speech signals. Based on LNMF and the advantages of Convolutive NMF (CNMF), we proposed a Layered Convolutive NMF(LCNMF) algorithm for single-channel speech separation. The LCNMF corporates the multilayer structure into the NMF and expands the convolution of the top-level NMF model. During the training, NMF is used to learn the non-top-level basis matrices, and CNMF is used to learn the top-level basis matrix, then combined with each single-layer of basis matrix. During the prediction, CNMF is used to separate mixed signals. The results on the dataset MIK-1K showed that LCNMF outperformed NMF and LNMF for separating the mixture of single-channel speech signals. LCNMF improved by 0.019, 1.049dB, 1.305dB, and 0.851dB on average compared with NMF, and improved by 0.007, 0.172dB, 0.090dB, and 0.366dB on average compared with LNMF in sort-term objective intelligibility (STOI), Source to Distortion Ratio (SDR), Source to Interference Ratio (SIR) and Source to Artifacts Ratio (SAR)
Perception for driverless vehicles: design and implementation

The development of driverless vehicles capable of moving on urban roads could pro- vide important beneﬁts in accidents reductions, life comfort and costs reductions. In this document we discuss how to create a perception system allowing robots to drive on roads, without the need to adapt the infrastructure, without requiring previous visits, and considering possible the presence of pedestrians and cars. We argue that the perception process is application speciﬁc and by nature needs to be able to deal with uncertainties in the knowledge of the world. We analyse the particular problem of perception for safe driving in the urban environments and propose a novel solution where the perception process is essentially seen as an optimization process. Also we propose that the perception process could beneﬁt from collaboration between nearby vehicles. We examine this problem and provide a solution adapted to the con- straints encountered in the urban scenario. Here the core issue is formulated as a data association problem. Both the new perception and collaboration mechanism were integrated into a full-ﬂedged driverless vehicle system. The results are supported by real world full scale experiments on our automated electric vehicles, the Cycabs.
Comparison of intrathecal bupivacaine-fentanyl and bupivacaine-butorphanol combinations for joint replacement surgeries

Background and Aims: The objective of the study was to compare duration of analgesia of fentanyl versus butorphanol as adjuvants to bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia. Material and Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study conducted in 80 patients of 18–75 years age group and American Society of Anesthesiologists Grades I and II undergoing joint replacement surgeries. A total of 40 patients in each Group A and Group B received 0.5% bupivacaine 3 ml with 25 mcg fentanyl and 25 mcg butorphanol respectively, in a total volume of 3.5 ml made with saline. Duration of analgesia, number of rescue analgesia, sensory, and motor block characteristics were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was done using t test and Chi-square test with SPSS 19.0 software. Results: Mean duration of analgesia was found more in Group B in comparison to Group A (P < 0.05). A number of doses of analgesic required postoperatively were more in Group A compared to Group B (P < 0.001). Time required for onset of sensory and motor block was comparable in both the groups. However, two segment regression of sensory block was slower in Group B compared to Group A (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that addition of butorphanol 25 μg as an adjuvant to 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine provided prolonged duration of analgesia compared to 25 μg fentanyl.
A Human-Centered Design Approach to Creating Tools to Help Journalists Monitor Digital Political Ads: Insights and Challenges

Abstract Political actors have increasingly incorporated digital advertising into their persuasive efforts. Greater transparency of how political actors are using digital ads is necessary given concerns that they may be using digital ads to suppress voter turnout and spread disinformation and xenophobia. We apply a human-centered design framework to identify the design requirements necessary to create tools that satisfy journalists’ needs for covering digital political ads. Based on interviews with journalists, our findings indicate that they are interested in covering how political actors are using digital advertising as well as reporting on the platforms, such as their policies. Our findings also reveal serious obstacles that impede journalists’ ability to effectively cover digital political advertising. From the currently available tools, journalists we interviewed found it difficult to quickly identify key takeaways that could result in or contribute to stories. Journalists also need information that the most popular technology platforms do not offer. Supporting journalists’ efforts to provide greater transparency of digital political ads will require a collective effort on the part of designers and technology platforms to provide information that journalists need via tools that surface and synthesize this information in a way that satisfies journalists’ professional demands.
The Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Social Studies Teachers’ Professional Development and Student Academic Achievement

Abstract The main goal in this study was to explore the impact of a professional learning community (PLC) on social studies (SS) teachers’ professional development (PD) and student academic achievement. With this in mind, the study was carried out using a design-based research approach with an overarching ADDIE design model. The participants of the study consisted of six SS teachers from two middle schools and 113 students. Data were collected using scales, observations, and semi-structured interviews and analyzed through qualitative techniques on teacher data as well as t-tests on student data. Findings suggest that the PLC designed in a reflective thinking cycle has had a positive impact on teacher PD and enhanced student achievement in SS. The conclusion is that there is a positive relationship between teacher participation in the PLC and student achievement. Therefore, it is recommended that the PLC be made widely available in PD of SS teachers, and PD programs be planned as long-term hands-on training activities, while also taking into account the specific needs of the field.