Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blood pressure control and its associated factors among hypertensive patients in federal teaching hospital, ido- ekiti, Southwest Nigeria

Background: Hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke and renal disease worldwide. Despite improvement in treatment modality and therapeutic intervention, with proven benefits in reducing the burden of uncontrolled hypertension, majority of peoples’ blood pressure still remain uncontrolled. Aim: To assess the patterns of blood pressure control and its associated factors among hypertensive patients on follow-up. Setting: This study was done at the general out-patient department of Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido- Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria, which is a referral centre for private and government owned - health facility in the state and its environs. Methods: Hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted from June 4 – August 31, 2019. Systematic random sampling method was used to select the 320 participants. Semi-structured interviewer- administered questionnaire was used to seek information on participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle changes and level of adherence to antihypertensive medication. Blood pressure was measured and recorded. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with poor blood pressure control. Results: Mean age of the participants was 63.9± 11.5 years. 56.6% had their blood pressure controlled within the recommended limits. In multivariate analysis, civil servant (OR =45.160, 95% CI: 6.143 – 332.000) and adherence to medication (OR=15.35, 95% CI: 6.303 – 37.391) were the independent associated factors with good blood pressure control while old age (OR= 0.894, 95% CI: 0.837- 0.955) and diabetes (OR= 0.072, 95% CI: 0.016-.0,318) were independent associated factors with poor blood pressure control. Conclusions: Old age and diabetes are the predictors of poorly controlled blood pressure and therefore, clinicians and other stakeholders should provide close attention and targeted blood pressure control among this set of patients.
Relationships between boron toxicity and resistance to two types of crown blight and to powdery mildew in muskmelon

In greenhouse experiments at Davis, and field experiments at Five Points, California, Western muskmelon varieties and breeding lines were subjected to excess boron in various amounts. External symptoms were noted, and leaf content (dry-weight basis) of boron was determined. Possible relationships were sought between varietal sensitivity to boron and resistance to powdery mildew and to crown blight in Imperial Valley and at Five Points as determined in earlier experiments. Varieties and breeding lines did not differ in ability to absorb and accumulate boron; none was able to limit the amount absorbed. Some breeding lines, however, were more tolerant, others less so, than standard varieties. Selection for resistance to crown blight in Imperial Valley and to powdery mildew did not influence boron response in the greenhouse tests nor resistance to crown blight in the field tests. Crown blight severity at Five Points was closely correlated with an unknown environmental factor that produced intercalary necrotic flecks (freckles) in leaves. Large phenotypic effects of this factor masked boron-toxicity effects, and prevented their measurement. Long-established commercial varieties, such as ‘PMR 45’ and ‘Honeydew,’ are surprisingly tolerant, in the field, to high boron concentration in their leaves and in the soil, and to factors that cause freckles in some muskmelons. Such tolerance may explain, in part, their comparatively wide range of adaptation. The data suggest that simultaneous or alternate selection in different environments would be more effective than selection in a single environment, in breeding programs designed to produce a widely adapted commercial variety.
A Consumption-Based Identification of Global Economic Uncertainty

This paper identifies a global uncertainty factor by estimating an international asset pricing model featuring macroeconomic uncertainty with long-run risk factors. The global factor captures the time-varying fluctuations of common stochastic volatilities of consumption and dividend growths for countries, and reflects uncertainty in that it generates the highest volatility of volatility in transition period. The model quantitatively explains key asset pricing moments, and the estimated factor sharply increases during major international adverse events. Shocks to our global economic uncertainty factor significantly account for the likelihood of key economic and financial events, and outperforms existing measures of economic and financial uncertainties.
Milk and dairy products in human nutrition

One hundred and twenty samples of raw buffalo milk were collected at consumer markets in central Cairo, Giza and Qualubya, Egypt. All samples were analysed chemically using Lactoscan, and microbiologically using the pour plate technique. Also, levels of aflatoxin (AF) M1 were assessed by using a commercial ELISA kit. The mean values were 0.476±0.07 °C, 5.89±0.79 %, 4.13±0.53 %, 4.25±0.53 %, 0.69±0.14 %, and 14.59±1.39 % for freezing point, fat, protein, lactose, ash and total solids respectively. Bacteriological enumeration of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, coliform, spore forming bacteria and psychrotrophic bacteria were 5.37±0.78, 3.77±0.90, 2.78±0.36 and 2.84±0.39 Log CFU/ml respectively. The median concentration of AF M1 in all samples was 44.31 ng/L. Our results indicate that there is an essential need for improving the hygienic conditions in the production of raw milk.
Newly Emerging Human Coronaviruses: Animal Models and Vaccine Research for SARS, MERS, and COVID-19

The recent emergence of the novel coronavirus (CoV) or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a global threat to human health and economy. As of June 26, 2020, over 9.4 million cases of infection, including 482,730 deaths, had been confirmed across 216 countries. To combat a devastating virus pandemic, numerous studies on vaccine development are urgently being accelerated. In this review article, we take a brief look at the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoVs and discuss recent approaches to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccine development.
Morin Hydrate Inhibits Influenza Virus entry into Host Cells and Has Anti-inflammatory Effect in Influenza-infected Mice

Influenza virus is the major cause of seasonal and pandemic flu. Currently, oseltamivir, a potent and selective inhibitor of neuraminidase of influenza A and B viruses, is the drug of choice for treating patients with influenza virus infection. However, recent emergence of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses has limited its efficacy. Morin hydrate (3,5,7,2′,4′-pentahydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid isolated from Morus alba L. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anticancer effects partly by the inhibition of the NF-кB signaling pathway. However, its effects on influenza virus have not been studied. We evaluated the antiviral activity of morin hydrate against influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (A/PR/8; H1N1) and oseltamivir-resistant A/PR/8 influenza viruses in vitro. To determine its mode of action, we carried out time course experiments, and time of addition, hemolysis inhibition, and hemagglutination assays. The effects of the co-administration of morin hydrate and oseltamivir were assessed using the murine model of A/PR/8 infection. We found that morin hydrate reduced hemagglutination by A/PR/8 in vitro. It alleviated the symptoms of A/PR/8-infection, and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as TNF-α and CCL2, in infected mice. Co-administration of morin hydrate and oseltamivir phosphate reduced the virus titers and attenuated pulmonary inflammation. Our results suggest that morin hydrate exhibits antiviral activity by inhibiting the entry of the virus.
Occurrence and Characteristics of the Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterale in a Hospital Setting

A total of 239 non-repeated clinical isolates of the Enterobacterale family, including 202 (84.5%) Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae 25 (12.3%) were collected. Identification and susceptibility tests were carried out on 60 (25.9%) ESBL phenotypes using biomérieux VITEK 2 compact system. Isolates showing ESBL positivity by the phenotypic method were all screened for blaTEM, blaCTX-M and blaSHV genes by PCR.
PREVALENCE OF TOXIN ENCODING GENES IN ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATES FROM URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN SLOVENIA PREVALENCA GENSKIH ZAPISOV ZA TOKSINE V IZOLATIH BAKTERIJE ESCHERICHIA COLI, PRIDOBLJENIH IZ VZORCEV URINA V SLOVENIJI

Methods 110 uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (UPEC) obtained from the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology of the Medical Faculty in Ljubljana were screened by PCR with primers specific for the following toxin encoding genes: hlyA (haemolysin), cnf1 (cytotoxic necrotising factor 1), usp (uropathogenic specific protein USP) and ibeA (invasin). Dot blot hybridisation experiments were performed to validate the PCR assays. Results In 44% of the strains usp gene sequences were detected. The prevalence of hlyA and cnf1 was 25% and 23%, respectively. Only 9% of the strains harbored ibeA. The majority of the tested toxin encoding genes was found in strains belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group. Conclusions The toxin encoding genes hlyA, cnf1 and usp were strongly co-associated. Further, we found a statistically significant co-association of ibeA and usp. The prevalence of the tested toxin encoding genes in E. coli strains from urinary tract infections isolated in Slovenia is comparable to those from studies in other geographic regions.
Propagation of Atlantic White Cedar by Stem Cuttings

Hardwood and softwood stem cuttings of 5-year-old Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) B.S.P.) were cut to 12-cm (short) or 24-cm (long) lengths, treated with 0 to 15 g IBA/liter in 50% isopropyl alcohol, and rooted in a raised greenhouse bench under intermittent mist. When hardwood cuttings were collected in February, short cuttings survived and rooted better than long cuttings. Survival and percent rooting for softwood cuttings collected in late August was virtually 10070 regardless of cutting length. Long cuttings produced more roots and longer roots with hardwood and softwood material. IBA was unnecessary for rooting, but it markedly increased the number of roots. Chemical name used: 1H-indole-3-butyric acid (IBA).
The relationship between two approaches to the problem of human fallibility and blame culture in health care organisations

Background A ‘blame culture’ in health care organisations constitutes a threat to the prevention of medication incidents resulting in deaths and injuries. The problem of human fallibility can be addressed through two different approaches to error management: the person approach and the system approach. This study tests the reliability and construct validity of the recently adjusted blame culture questionnaire and examines the relationship between the person and system approaches and blame culture in health care organisations. Research question What is the relationship between the two approaches to the problem of human fallibility (i.e. person approach and system approach) and blame culture in health care organisations? Method Ninety-seven health care employees completed the Medication Safety Culture Questionnaire (MSCQ). The psychometric quality of the questionnaire was measured with a reliability analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis. A simple regression analysis was executed to measure the presence of a link between the person and system approaches and blame culture. Results Although the reliability of the blame culture questionnaire was considered good, it was not constructually valid, even after moving and deleting items. Based on this data, there was a significant, positive relation between the person and system approaches and blame culture. About half of the variance of blame culture was explained by the person/system scale. People who experienced a person approach reported significantly more fear than those who experienced a system approach. Conclusion The current blame culture questionnaire is not yet complete. The person and system approaches have a significant influence on the fear/trust aspect of blame culture. More research into the theoretical aspects of blame culture is needed to improve the questionnaire. Further research should also focus on the effect of importing characteristics of high-reliability organisations into the medical domain. This can contribute to the prevention of medication incidents and thereby improve patient safety.
Effects of Melatonin Against Thioacetamide-Induced Testicular Toxicity in Rats

This study aimed to investigate the changes in testis tissue of thioacetamide-induced rats and the effect of melatonin on these changes. Thirty-five male Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups. Group I; Control (n=7), Group II; Melatonin (Mel) (10 mg/kg) a single dose (i.p)(n=7), Group III; Thioacetamide (TAA) (300 mg/kg) (i.p) 2 times with 24 hour intervals (n=7), Group IV; TAA (300 mg/kg) was administered at 24-hour intervals, afterwards of 10 mg/kg single dose of Mel (n=7), Group V; Mel was administered 10 mg/kg a single dose 24 hours before the administration of TAA (n=7). Testis was evaluated histologically, immunohistochemically (Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) 70 and 90), blood serum testosterone, total antioxidant status(TAS) and total oxidant status(TOS) in tissue. The tissue sections of Group III decreased seminiferous tubule diameters, and germinal epithelium spills were observed. HSP70 and HSP90 expressions were increased. There wasn’t a statistically significant change in testosterone levels among the groups. While TAS levels decreased in Group III compared to control, TOS levels didn’t change. HSP70 and HSP90 decreased in groups with Mel-treated. Mel was found to have both protective and therapeutic effects. According to our results, the therapeutic effect of Mel in thioacetamideinduced acute testicular injury is greater than its protective effect.
Systemic Risk and the Fallacy of Composition: Empirical Evidence from Japanese Regional Banks∗

We examine a sample of Japanese regional banks and explore whether exposure to market risk factors affects systemic risk through banks’ portfolio composition or revenue source, using Adrian and Brunnermeier’s (2016) CoVaR to proxy for systemic risk. We find that the securities investment and feeand commission-related activities of Japanese regional banks exert positive and significant effects on systemic risk by generating higher co-movement among banks, even though they reduce standalone bank risk through portfolio diversification. Further, the marginal effect of an increase in common risk factors on systemic risk is larger when other banks are already highly exposed to common risk factors. We interpret the results as suggestive of “fallacy of composition,” since the behavior of individual banks could be individually optimal but collectively has an unwelcome systemic effect. Our results have important implications from the macroprudential perspective.
Bio-efficacy of acetamiprid 20 SP against sucking pests of okra

The field experiments were conducted to evaluate the bio efficacy of Acetamiprid 20 SP against sucking pests of okra. Acetamiprid 20 SP @ 40 and 30 g ai/ha, followed by Acetamiprid 20 SP @ 20 g ai/ha were found to be most effective in reducing the sucking pests population with maximum okra fruit yield (6.06 and 5.93 t/ha) and C:B (1:3.93 and 1:3.90) ratio. All the insecticides treatments were significantly superior in controlling the sucking pests with higher fruit yield and C: B ratio compared to untreated control.
Organizational Strategy Formulation and Flexibility : An Introduction to Special

Management literature argues that flexibility in organizations can enhance corporate responsiveness and can create competitive advantages. In the new internet-driven economy, flexibility and rapid response are the keys to business success. The challenge is to structure a leaner, more customer focused and flexible organization to remain competitive in the global economy, especially in e-business. Creating an e-strategy requires comprehensive knowledge of every aspect of business, from core operational needs to competitive forces to technology priorities. So far, research on flexible organizations has emphasized only the operations management perspective and not the strategy perspective. This paper presents a conceptual framework of an e-strategy model that suggests considering flexibility at all levels. The model proposes that flexibility has to be considered at external stakeholders levels such as customers, partners, competitors and suppliers, as well as at internal organizational levels that include people, processes and technology.
Effect of recycled content and rPET quality on the properties of PET bottles, part III: Modelling of repetitive recycling

The presence of contaminants in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and derived materials from the various steps in the recycling loop is studied. Based on these measurements, a model is proposed to generically describe the accumulation of these contaminants within closed‐loop recycling schemes for PET bottles. The measured levels of particle contamination and chlorine content of PET bottles, pellets, and intermediate recycling products are used to derive the modelling parameters. Previously determined relations between these measured parameters and critical bottle properties are used to model the effect of the accumulation of the contaminants on the bottle properties. The measurements reveal that the type of collection system influences the accumulation of contaminants in PET bottles greatly. PET bottles in mono‐collection systems accumulate less contaminants than PET bottles in co‐collection systems do. Therefore, PET bottles within recycling schemes using mono‐collection systems can contain more recycled content than those from co‐collection systems, without exceeding acceptation limits on critical bottle properties such as haziness, yellowing, and migration.
Study on Separation and Screening of Phosphate Accumulating Bacterial Strain PAO1-1 and Characteristics of Phosphorus Removal

A phosphate accumulating bacterial strain PAO11 was separated and screened from the biological phosphorus removal sludge which was supplied with domestic sewage as carbon source under steady operation.The strain can enhance the conventional activated sludge;after it was acclimated for 10 d,the phosphorus removal rate was raised from 44% with no added strain to over 90%. According to the morphology,physiology,biochemical features,and 16S rDNA sequence analysis,the strain was identified to be Alcaligenes sp.The strain′s phosphorus uptake rate was averaged at 13.8 mg/(g·h),and(19.2) mg/(g·h) at phosphorus-starving period,39.1% higher than that in non-starving period.PAO1-1 at log phase had phosphate release rate of 11.8 mg/(g·h) h in no phosphorus culture under anaerobic phase,and had the rate of 7.0 mg/(g·h) in stable phase.The phosphorus release rate in stable phase was 40.7% lower than that in log phase.
Preparation of functional Shrikhand with pomegranate fruit peel extracts

A study was undertaken to develop functional shrikhand incorporating aqueous and ethanol extracts of dried and fresh pomegranate fruit peels at various levels. An optimum level of 20 per cent aqueous and 15 per cent ethanol extracts were finalized in comparison with control based on the sensory evaluation. Physico-chemical characteristics were highly significant (P≤ 0.01) between control and treatments. Calorific value of functional shrikhand was almost similar to the control. In comparison, dried peel extracts had higher TPC and antioxidant activity than the fresh peel extract. The ethanol extracts of pomegranate peel incorporated functional shrikhand had higher antioxidant activity than the aqueous extracts. The antimicrobial activity of the added fruit peel extracts reduced the total bacterial and yeast and mould counts than that of control. Based on shelf-life studies, cost of production and added health benefits, it was concluded that, 20 per cent aqueous extracts of pomegranate fruit peel incorporated shrikhand can be introduced as a functional dairy product.
Modelling the Control of Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers in England: Culling and the Release of Lactating Females

1. A simulation model was used to evaluate the effect of different levels of culling on six badger social groups in an attempt to reduce or eradicate TB infection from the population. Apart from fecundity, all model parameters were derived from a comprehensive study of a naturally-infected badger population in England. 2. Badger control was simulated using a trap-and-cull of 80% of all badgers in either two social groups (localized strategy) or all six social groups (wide area strategy). Lactating females were permitted to infect none or all of their young, to simulate the extremes of sow-to-cub (pseudo-vertical) transmission. Trapped lactating sows were either all released or all killed. 3. Simulations where all infected badgers can be correctly diagnosed were also run to determine the importance of an improved live test for TB. 4. In the absence of badger control, pseudo-vertical transmission increased the persistence and prevalence of TB in the simulated population. 5. A single control operation was capable of eradicating TB from the population only if all six badger social groups were subjected to culling. If only infected individuals were killed, disease eradication was possible without a marked increase in population extinction. If all individuals were killed, the increased level of disease eradication occurred as a result of an increase in population extinction. 6. Killing lactating sows had no effect on the medium-term prevalence (up to 20 years) of the disease and resulted only in a reduced persistence of TB when a wide area badger control strategy was used.
Optimal Non-parametric Learning in Repeated Contextual Auctions with Strategic Buyer

We study learning algorithms that optimize revenue in repeated contextual posted-price auctions where a seller interacts with a single strategic buyer that seeks to maximize his cumulative discounted surplus. The buyer’s valuation of a good is a fixed private function of a d-dimensional context (feature) vector that describes the good being sold. In contrast to existing studies on repeated contextual auctions with strategic buyer, in our work, the seller is not assumed to know the parametric model that underlies this valuation function. We introduce a novel non-parametric learning algorithm that is horizon-independent and has tight strategic regret upper bound of Θ(T ). We also non-trivially generalize several value-localization techniques of noncontextual repeated auctions to make them effective in the considered contextual non-parametric learning of the buyer valuation function.