Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NEUTROPHIL TO LYMPHOCYTE RATIO AND INFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Background: End stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis patients have higher rate of mortality and morbidity compared to the general population. Objective: This study aimed to study the association between neutrophil-to-lymphocytic ratio and other inflammatory markers (IL-6, high sensitive CRP, PLR, etc) in hemodialysis patients. Patients and methods: This study was designed to assess inflammation in hemodialysis patients and study the association between high sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) and the other inflammatory markers in those patients. Initially, forty two patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), on regular hemodialysis in dialysis unit, Internal Medicine Department, AL-Hussien Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University-Egypt. Results: We calculated the cut off point for IL-6 that best indicates the presence of inflammation in hemodialysis patients, we found that it was value more than 30 ng/l with sensitivity 96.6, specificity 69.2%, with AUC: 00.77 and P < 0.004. Moreover, we calculated the cutoff point for PLR that is consistent with presence of inflammation in hemodialysis patients, we found that it was more than 180.2 with sensitivity 82.2%, specificity 92.3% with AUC . 087 and p value equals 0.0001. In addition to calculating the cut off point for NLR that best indicates the presence of inflammation, we found that it was ≥1.6 with sensitivity 93.1%, specificity 92.3%, with AUC: 0.92 and P < 0.001. Conclusion: We can assess cardiovascular condition of our hemodialysis patients along with their morbidity and mortality with measuring these inflammatory markers which are nonexpensive and has high sensitivity and specificity.
In-vitro antimicrobial activity of crude acetone extract of the stem bark of Combretum molle against selected bacterial pathogens

Drug resistance by clinically important pathogens is now a worldwide problem with far-reaching consequences especially considering that the emergence of drug resistance is now outpacing the development of new drugs. Plants have been used for many generations for healing purposes, and screening of extracts of these plants has often yielded positive outcomes. This study was aimed at evaluating the antibacterial potential of the stem bark ofCombretum molle, in a bid to identify potential sources of cheap starting materials for the synthesis of new drugs to address the growing antimicrobial resistance. Various solvents were used for plant extraction. The agar well diffusion technique was used to screen for antimicrobial activity of the solvent extracts against Helicobacter pylori PE 252C,Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 49399, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 andPlesiomonas shigelloides ATCC 51903. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) of the most active extracts was determined by the broth dilution method. Fisher’s exact test indicated a high antimicrobial activity with zones of inhibition ranging from 0 to 32 mm. Acetone was the most potent extract with its MIC50 ranging from 0.078 to 5.0 mg/ml. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in the potency of four extracts (acetone, methanol, ethanol and ethyl acetate) and antibiotic (ciprofloxacin), which served as positive control. Therefore, the acetone extract of C. molle contain therapeutically useful compounds, justifying the use of the plant in traditional medicine. Key words: Combretum molle, medicinal plants, antimicrobial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration.
The multidisciplinary team plays an important role in the prediction of small solitary pulmonary nodules: a propensity-score-matching study.

Background According to guidelines, it is recommended that pulmonary nodules be discussed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT); however, the evidence for the effectiveness of MDT is sparse. To demonstrate the importance of the involvement of an MDT for the prediction of small solitary pulmonary nodules, we conducted this retrospective study. Methods The patient database of those who attended our MDT and the electronic medical record system of our hospital was used; we collected all the data from patients found with small solitary pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm), which were suspected as malignant and who received a resection of the nodules. We summarized their characteristics and analyzed them, and then compared the post-operation pathological diagnosis of the patients who attended an MDT to those who did not participate in an MDT during the same period (2017-2019.2). We also collected the follow-up data. Propensity-score-matching was utilized during the process of analysis to get a more reliable conclusion. Results Most of the qualified patients were female. Most of the small solitary pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) were adenocarcinoma and located on the right upper lobe. There were no differences in the SUV value between malignant nodules and benign nodules. After propensity-score matching, the total positive prediction value of small solitary pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) without an MDT was 69.4%, while that with MDT was 77.6%; the difference was not significant with a P value of 0.30. The negative predictive value of MDT was 76.2%. Conclusions In developing countries, small solitary pulmonary nodules tend to be more correctly diagnosed with MDT.
Self-confidence at work : understanding and developing the construct

This thesis comprises two papers presenting findings that contribute to the understanding of self-confidence at work and the development of the construct. "Self-confidence through the lens of authenticity: A systematic review" presents findings from a conceptual and methodological review of measures of self-confidence and considers their use in workplace settings. It concludes that current measures have a number of methodological limitations and conceptually do not comprehensively measure the construct of self-confidence. Self-esteem and self-efficacy appear as thematically distinct constructs in the review, yet are used interchangeably with self-confidence in the literature. Self-esteem and self-efficacy feature in the review as being important components of self-confidence yet it was concluded to be a wider construct than either alone. Further qualitative work was identified as being required to understand this. In "Self-confidence at work; the development of a dynamic conceptual model", it is acknowledged that current approaches to understanding self-confidence in the workplace are static and focus on personal attributes, cognitive and motivational aspects over physiological experiences whilst paying insufficient attention to diversity. A model was developed using an embodied methodology that sought to address limitations in current approaches. The model captures the dynamics of loss of confidence and building a confidence performance and identifies the role mindset plays. Through incorporating experiences of self-confidence from a diverse population and giving due consideration to embodiment in our methodology, this study suggests that self-confidence is a broad, dynamic and social construct.
Evaluation of Thyroid Function in Obese Adults with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Attending Tanta University Hospital

Background: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is considered, most common cause of end stage Liver disorder needing liver transplantation worldwide. NAFLD is considered the hepatic presentation of metabolic syndrome. The association between thyroid dysfunction and NAFLD has increasingly become a focus of research. Aim of Study: Evaluation of thyroid function in obese adults with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease attending at Tanta University Hospitals from July 2017 to February 2018. Patients and Method: In our study patients were classified into 2 groups first included 60 obese with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFLD) patients, second group included 60 obese non NAFLD patients recruited from endocrinology, diabetology and metabolism outpatient clinics and inpatient wards, Internal Medicine Department at Tanta University Hospitals. Serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Free Thyroxine (FT4), Free Tri-iodiothyronine (FT3) by ELISA, Anti thyroid peroxidase (ANTI-TPO), Anti thyroglobulin (Tg Ab) and thyroid ultrasound were done for both groups for evaluation of thyroid function in obese adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease attending at Tanta University Hospitals from July 2017 to February 2018. Results: TSH levels showed statistically significant difference being higher within obese NAFLD group p=0.001 with mean values 2.72±0.77 in obese NAFLD group, 1.93± 0.66 in obese non-NAFLD group. Also FT4 levels showed statistically significant difference lower in obese NAFLD group p=0.006 with mean values 1.08±0.22 in obese NAFLD group, 1.25±0.42 in obese non-NAFLD group. As regard FT3 levels, ANTI-TPO levels, Tg Ab levels and thyroid ultrasound characters did not show statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: We concluded that there was elevation in levels of TSH within the normal range in obese NAFLD group over obese non-NAFLD group. Also FT4 results was within normal range 0.8-1.8ng/dl with lower levels in obese NAFLD group than obese non-NAFLD we still need further research on large scale. Correspondence to: Dr. Asmaa M. Emara, The Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University
Definition and natural history of metabolic steatosis: clinical aspects of NAFLD, NASH and cirrhosis

Metabolic steatosis or non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver injury in Western countries. Histological signs of necroinfl ammation, indicating the presence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are present in 20-30% of cases. While steatosis on its own has a benign course, NASH may be associated with fi brosis and may progress to cirrhosis, terminal liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is closely associated with the metabolic syndrome, its prevalence reaching 50-90% in obese patients. The clinical impact of NAFLD has been demonstrated in large cohort studies by the overprevalence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in obese and diabetic patients. In terms of survival, liver disease is the third most common cause of mortality in patients with NAFLD. When associated with other causes of liver disease such as alcohol consumption or hepatitis C infection, metabolic steatosis may be a major risk factor for disease progression. © 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Affective Institutional Work and Ordoliberal Governance: Gender Equality in Parliamentary Debates on the Competitiveness Pact in Finland

ABSTRACT The 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath have created opportunities for institutional actors to formulate and implement neoliberal reforms and policies. In this article, we analyse a recent ordoliberal policy measure of the Finnish government—namely, the Competitiveness Pact—and related legislative measures. Ordoliberalism, a variant of neoliberalism, entails a strong state which aims to protect the economy from interfering influences. The government’s main objective was to increase the competitiveness of the Finnish economy by lowering labour costs. However, the competitiveness measures caused a conflict between the government and labour market parties. As the measures mainly targeted the feminized public sector, they had clear gendered impacts that became central to the struggle between the government and trade unions. We utilize critical discourse analysis as a methodology to study affective institutional work and ordoliberal governance in parliamentary discussions on these measures. Our results show that gender equality was marginalized and considered a threatening issue for the ordoliberal regime. The Pact was also the government’s attempt to make institutional changes to the norms and relations of the corporatist system, as the government assumed the leading role by setting demands for the labour market parties to fulfil.
Probing RNN Encoder-Decoder Generalization of Subregular Functions using Reduplication

This paper examines the generalization abilities of encoder-decoder networks on a class of subregular functions characteristic of natural language reduplication. We find that, for the simulations we run, attention is a necessary and sufficient mechanism for learning generalizable reduplication. We examine attention alignment to connect RNN computation to a class of 2-way transducers.
Strategies to Conquer The Souvenir Business: Case Study of lapis Talas Cake Bogor

The objectives of this study are 1) to analyze the effect of marketing mix, brand awareness, brand image and region of origin on lapis talas purchasing decision for tourists in Bogor city, 2) to create effective marketing strategies for business development. Using SEM-Partial Least Square method,this research was conducted in the city of Bogor with the sample of 160 respondents. The selected respondents were tourists who came to the city of Bogor and had purchased lapis talas cakes. From the results of the study, it is known that the brand awareness variable, brand image, product, promotion and region of origin have a significant influence while the place variable has no significant influence. Strategy recommendations suggested in this study are 1) Increase brand awareness by increasing the intensity of advertising on social media, building outlets in tourism areas and train stations; 2) Improve product quality by providing packaging machines, making plastic bags, enlarging product sizes and adding fruit mixes; 3) Improve regional characteristics by adding taro ingredients and making a brand that is identical with the city of Bogor; 4) Build brand image through tagline; 5) Increase promotion using online media (facebook, instagram and twitter), billboards and discounted prices. Keywords: marketing mix, marketing strategy, region of origin, SEM-PLS, purchase decision
Development of a scale for university students’ Facebook use purposes and an examination in terms of their Facebook use profiles

The purposes of this study are to: (1) develop a valid and reliable scale for measuring university students’ Facebook use purposes (FbUPs), and (2) investigate their FbUPs in terms of the variables of gender, Fb friend number, and use frequency as the indicators of Fb use profile. A total of 1098 students participated in the study from a university located in the north of Turkey. The study was conducted in two separate stages. First was the stage of scale development with 788 participants. Findings of this stage showed that The Scale-for Facebook Use Purposes (S-FbUPs) had three factors with 11-items, indicating good measurement features. In the second stage, data were collected from 310 participants to examine the effects of their Fb use profiles on the FbUPs. The findings of this stage showed that females used Fb more meaningfully than males, for educational and informational purposes. There were main significant effects of Fb friend number on the variables of “interpersonal interaction” and “self-promotion to others”. Besides, the findings indicated that the students who accessed Fb most often had higher self-promotion tendency. Points for future research and practical implications are also discussed in this paper.
The impact of uncertainty on smallholder farmers' income in Kyrgyzstan

The farming systems in the mountain areas of Kyrgyzstan are primarily characterised by small-scale crop and livestock activities. Farmers are faced with several environmental, socio-economic and political challenges and constraints that result in significant uncertainties affecting their operations. This paper attempts to model how various sources of uncertainty collectively affected the smallholders’ farm incomes during a mid-term horizon using Monte Carlo simulation. The analyses were based on data collected through a survey of 235 smallholder farms in the medium and high-elevation mountains ranges and expert interviews. We defined a static and a dynamic scenario, the latter of which incorporating likely adjustments in land use and production methods by farmers in response to changing prices and factor costs. Our results suggest that to benefit from improving market opportunities, farmers should adjust and modify their farm management by expanding cash crops in the medium-elevation ranges or increasing herd sizes and fodder cultivation in high-altitude ranges. Results also indicate that farmers in the medium elevations benefit more from these opportunities than farmers in higher altitudes. The paper concludes with some practical recommendations for agricultural policy making in Kyrgyzstan.
Global Solar Radiation Models in Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

Accurate and complete global solar radiation (Hs) data at a specific region are crucial for regional climate assessment, crop growth modeling, and all operations that use solar energy. However, in the Minas Gerais state, Southeastern Brazil (SEB), the number of weather stations that measure global solar radiation is scarce, and when it is available, it presents gaps in the time series. An attractive alternative to solve the data gap problem is to estimate global solar radiation using empirical models. In this study, thirteen models based on maximum and minimum air temperatures, precipitation, sunshine duration, and extraterrestrial solar radiation were compared in the daily estimation of Hs. Data from 10 weather stations, from 1999 to 2017, located in Minas Gerais were used. Also, cluster analysis was used to group the localities (weather stations) with similar patterns of model performance, climatic classification (Koppen–Geiger and Thornthwaite), and seasonal data variability, considering minimum and maximum air temperatures, precipitation, sunshine duration, and global solar radiation. Although it is apparently simple, studies on this subject are scarce and the few existing ones in Minas Gerais have flaws, which justifies this study. The models were evaluated by root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean bias error (BIAS), Willmott’s index of agreement (d), and performance index (c-index). Models based on sunshine duration, such as those proposed by Ertekin and Yaldiz and by Newland, showed the best performance (average c-index = 0.71). Models based on temperature and precipitation showed the worst results (average c-index = 0.41). Cluster analysis showed that there is a similar pattern between the performance of the models, climatic classification, and seasonal variability of data among the localities of Minas Gerais. In general, models that presented extremely poor performance were formed with weather stations located in the dry zone, but with different climate classification, and models that presented very good (and good) performance were composed by weather stations located in the humid zone (dry subhumid) with the same climate classification and similar seasonal variability. Furthermore, the models based on temperature have a tendency to overestimate radiation values below 10 MJ·m−2 day−1 and to underestimate values higher than 25 MJ·m−2 day−1. This point is a limitation of the model for estimating global solar radiation below and above these levels, showing the influence of atmospheric systems and atmospheric attenuation mechanisms of global solar radiation.
Modelling Dike Cover Erosion by Overtopping Waves: The Effects of Transitions

A new wave overtopping-erosion model is developed to find the weakest point across the dike. This analytical model calculates the maximum flow velocity and the erosion depth along a dike profile for a series of overtopping waves. The effect of transitions on the flow and the erosion depth downstream are incorporated in this model, since the model is applied to entire dike profile. Transitions in geometry and bed roughness result in local deceleration and acceleration of the flow affecting the erosion depth significantly. A storm is simulated by generating a distribution of overtopping wave volumes, which are used to determine the hydraulic boundary conditions. The model is applied to the Lake Ijssel side of the Afsluitdijk in the Netherlands. The weakest point along this profile was located next to a berm with both transitions in slope angle and bed roughness. The model results look promising, however, a short sensitivity analysis showed that formulations for the erosion parameters need to be improved to make the model general applicable.
Study of Perfluoro Organic Solvent Novec 1230 Extraction Properties in Regards to Low Polar Substances from Plant Raw Materials

The purpose of this work is an experimental study of the extraction properties of Novec 1230 perfluoro organic solvent in regards to various types of low-polar biologically active substances from plant materials. For the study purposes, we used the following ground plant raw materials with particle size 0.1-0.5 mm: Anethum graveolens L. fruits, Eucalyptus viminalis Labill. leaves, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. fruits, Hypericum perforatum L. herb, Pastinaca sativa L. fruits, Pimpinella anisum L. fruits, Syzygium aromaticum L. buds (Clove buds), and Tumeric powder. For analytical purposes, we used the following standard samples: eugenol, carvone, trans-anethole, xanthotoxin, evcalimin, and spissum extract of Chlorophyllipt of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine. Novec 1230 was used as a perfluoro organic solvent. RP HPLC and GC-MS were used as quantitative and qualitative analytical methods, respectively. For the extraction, we used the circulation method in “Soxhlet” extractor at the following conditions: plant raw material:extractant ratio 1:5 m/v, extraction time 1 and 3 h. It is found that in three hours of extraction with Novec 1230 perfluoro organic solvent, the low molecular weight components of essential oils are as follows: anethole and carvone (yield≥94%); eugenol is poorly extracted from Syzygium aromaticum L. buds (yield<50%); and chlorophylls, fatty oil, and a number of other low-polar biologically active substances are not extracted. The results obtained are comparable with the technologies for low-polar BAS extraction using liquefied gases or supercritical fluids. The extraction properties of Novec 1230 perfluoro organic solvent were studied experimentally for various types of lowpolar biologically active substances from plant materials. It was found that a very limited number of low-polar biologically active substances are extracted into this type of perfluoro organic solvent, these are mainly components of essential oils, while triglycerides, chlorophylls, and a number of other low-polar biologically active substances are not extracted into this solvent. It is shown that the extraction properties of Novec 1230 perfluoro organic solvent are related to the polar part of TPSA parameter in low-polar BAS molecules. The limit value of TPSA was found in a molecule of low-polar BAS (LTPSA≤30 ± 5 Å2), above which BAS are not extracted into Novec 1230 perfluoro organic solvent. Keywords—perfluoro organic solvent Novec 1230, extraction properties, low-polar biologically active substances, limiting value of TPSA, circulation method in “Soxhlet” extractor.
The Influence of Perceived Ease of Use and Usefulness of The Academic Registration System on the Attitude of Using online Study Plan Card (KRS)

This research investigated the factors affecting the academic registration system used by students in STIE Panca Bhakti Palu based on the Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Research data were collected through the survey. Out of 294 questionnaires distributed to the respondents, 269 questionnaires were returned back (92%), while 25 questionnaires (8%) were incompletely filled in. The obtained data underwent the Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis using Amos 20 for Windows software. The results of this research showed that the ease of use and usefulness had a positive and significant influence on users’ attitude in using the system. Meanwhile, the ease of use positively and significantly influenced the usefulness of the system.