Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating levels of asprosin and its association with insulin resistance and renal function in type2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy patients

Introduction : Adipokines have an important role in development and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications such as nephropathy. Asprosin is a recently discovered adipokine that involve in glucose metabolism and inflammation process. The present study sought to evaluate asprosin levels in patients with T2DM and T2DM + nephropathy (NP) compared to controls and its relation with markers of insulin resistance, inflammation and renal function. Methods Serum levels of asprosin, adiponectin, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured in 55 control, 54 T2DM and 55 T2DM + NP patients using ELISA kits. Results Asprosin was found to be higher in T2DM (6.73 ± 1.67) and T2DM + NP (7.11 ± 1.54) compared to controls (4.81 ± 1.09) (p < 0.001), while adiponectin indicated a lower concentration in both patient groups compared with controls. Moreover, IL-6 and TNF-α indicated higher levels in both patients group compared with controls. Asprosin indicated a positive correlation with HbA1c, FBG, TC, LDL-C, IL-6 and TNF-α in T2DM group. In the patients with T2DM + NP asprosin positively correlated with BMI, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR, Cr, UAE, IL-6 and TNF-α and inversely correlated with eGFR. Conclusion Higher concentration of asprosin in T2DM and T2DM + NP and its relation with glucose and lipid metabolism, and markers of renal function and inflammation suggested a possible role for this adipokine in the pathogenesis of T2DM and nephropathy.
Structural-crystalline, optical, topographical properties of ZnO thin film produced in presence of various oxygen

Farkli oksijen varliginda uretilen ZnO ince filmlerin buyume kosullarindaki degisiklikler, filmlerin kristal, yuzey ozellikleri ve sogurma ozellikleri gibi onemli ozellikleri uzerindeki degisiklikler incelenmis ve raporlanmistir. XRD deneysel sonuclarindan, filmlere uyguladigimiz oksijenin filmlerin kristal yapi degisikliklerinde (tane boyutu, gerinim degeri, dislokasyon yogunlugu vb.) rol oynadigi anlasilmaktadir. En yuksek RMS puruzluluk degeri 8.58 nm olarak akissiz filme karsilik gelir, en dusuk RMS puruzluluk degeri 1.08 nm ile 1 sccm akisli filme karsilik gelir. AFM, uretilen filmlerde nano yapili, siki paketlenmis, tanecik ozellikli filmler elde edildigini kanitladi. Yapilan UV analizinden cikan sonuc, filme uygulanan oksijenin optik bant araligi degerlerinde (yaklasik 3.30-3.32 eV araliginda) kucuk degisikliklere neden oldugudur. 3 sccm oksijen durumu disinda, elde edilen tum filmler sikica paketlenmis, tanecik yapili ve neredeyse homojen olan ve nano ozelligi acikca goruldu. Elde edilen tum sonuclar, ZnO film isleminde uygulanan oksijenin filmin fiziksel ozelliklerinde bir takim degisikliklere neden oldugunu ve bunun film kalitesine etki ettigini gostermektedir ve bu sonuclarin ZnO kullanan cihazlarin uretimine katki saglayabilecegi gorulmustur
Investigating the Dynamics of Exchange Traded Funds Across the Bear and Bull Markets: Evidence from Indian Equity ETFs

The present study attempts to examine the tracking ability of Indian equity exchange traded funds (ETFs) across the bearish and bullish market regimes. Also, ETFs’ sensitivity to their respective underlying indices across the two market conditions is examined so as to gain an insight into the differences in risk exposure under the two regimes using DBM. The results found that the tracking error (TE) of ETFs varies across the two market regimes with it higher during the bullish regime. At the same time, ETFs’ responsiveness to their underlying indices is found to be higher during the bearish market regime, which justifies the existence of lower TE during the bearish regime. NIFTYBEES, KOTAKNIFTY and BANKBEES emerged to be the top three performers in terms of tracking efficiency. Further, NIFTYBEES, BANKBEES and JUNIORBEES are reported to provide significantly positive excess returns during the bullish regime. As such, investors considering investment in equity ETFs can opt for the top performing funds where they also stand a chance to earn excess return (in few cases). Also, it is observed the beta coefficients of ETFs varied significantly from unity. It suggests that the ETFs and their respective underlying indices are not subject to similar systematic risk.
Response of Lawn Grasses to Salinity Stress and Protective Potassium Effect

The salinity effects on lawn grasses caused by mine salts (halite and carnallitite) due to road de-icing processes was the aim of this study. Biometric and physiological parameters were evaluated after salt dosage of 50 and 100 g m−2 applied to a lawn surface twice and four times, in weekly intervals. The alleviating effect to the salinity on the grasses from potassium enriched soil was also evaluated. Protective effect of potassium included mostly plasma membrane integrity and an increase in the level of photosynthetic pigments. This probably resulted in more efficient photosynthesis and thus increased lawn growth. Simultaneously, only a slight reduction in relative water content (RWC) was noted, so the recorded increase in proline level may indicate its participation in osmotic adjustment. Our results confirm the importance of proper, and even over-optimal, potassium fertilization of lawn grasses exposed to salinity. Moreover, it is advisable to use other fossil salts instead of halite for the de-icing of near-green areas. The mined salt carnallitite which, besides NaCl, contains about 30% of carnalite (KCl·MgCl2·6H2O) could be such a substance.
Inside Forest Diplomacy: A Case Study of the Congo Basin under Global Environmental Governance

The growing global interest in biodiversity conservation and the role of forestland sustainability in climate change mitigation has led to the emergence of a new specific field of global environmental governance that we called ‘forest diplomacy’. With the largest tropical forest area after the Amazon, Congo Basin countries (CBc) constitute a major negotiation bloc within global forest-related governance arenas. Despite this position, CBc seem embedded in a failure trap with respect to their participation in forest diplomacy arenas. This paper examines the major causes of the recurrent failures of CBc within forest diplomacy. A qualitative empirical approach (including key informant interviews, groups discussion, participant observation, and policy document review) was used. From a conceptual and theoretical perspective, this research combines global and political sociology approaches including environmentality and blame avoidance works. The main finding reveals that the recurrent failures of CBc in forest diplomacy are partly due to the lack of strategic and bureaucratic autonomy of CBc that strongly depend on financial, technical, and knowledge resources from Western cooperation agencies or consultancy firms. Our discussion highlights that this dependency is maintained by most of the key actor groups involved in forest diplomacy related to CBc, as they exploit these failures to serve their private interests while avoiding the blame of not reducing deforestation and biodiversity loss in the Congo Basin.
The Effect of Tourism Sector on Locally-Generated Revenue Income in Banyumas District

This study aimed to analyze the effect of the number of foreign tourists, domestic tourists, the number of tourist attractions and the number of hotels on the Growth of locally-generated revenue in in the Barlingmascakeb region in 2010-2019. The research method used multiple linear regression with the panel data approach. The results showed that the number of foreign tourists and domestic tourists had a positive and significant effect on the Growth of locally-generated revenue in the Barlingmascakeb region. Meanwhile, the number of tourist attractions and the number of hotels have no effect on the Growth of locally-generated revenue in in the Barlingmascakeb region. The policy implication in the research is the need for the development of the tourism sector and its supporting infrastructure.
Study of nursing interns' needs through their practical competency self evaluation

Nursing needs highly specialized competencies to accurately determine patients' states and cope with the problems that may occur during nursing care. The purpose of the study was to assess nursing interns' needs through their practical competency self evaluation. Design: A descriptive correlational resaerch design was utilized to conduct this study. Sampling: It consisted ofall available nursing interns (380) who were enrolled in internship year within the academic year 2019-2020. Setting: It was conducted at different departments and units at governmental and private hospitals. Instrument: Practical competency self evaluation questionnaire was used for data collection.Results: Showed that more than half of nursing interns (59.2%) were competent, while more than two fifths (40.8%) were incompetent. The highest mean score with the first ranking related to practical competency self evaluation was professional behavior, while the lowest mean score with the last ranking was critical thinking. Also the highest mean score with the first ranking related to practical needs was critical thinking Conclusion: More than two fifths of nursing interns (40.8%) had practical competency needs and there was highly statistical significant negative correlation between nursing interns' practical competency self-evaluations and their needs. Recommendation: hospitals should provide adequate training programs to improve nursing interns' practical competency and their needs to have high competency level.
Commentary: Medication adherence early after stroke: using the Perceptions and Practicalities Framework to explore stroke survivors’, informal carers’ and nurses’ experiences of barriers and solutions

Medication nonadherence is a global public health problem (Costa et al., 2015). Approximately one-third of stroke patients do not adequately take secondary prevention medication, thereby increasing the risk of poor stroke outcomes (Al Alshaikh et al., 2016). A recent review of qualitative studies identified factors that may contribute to or prevent medication adherence, but found there were very few studies that focussed on the period early after stroke, particularly between hospital and post-discharge (Gibson et al., 2020). The current study builds on this qualitative evidence by exploring the views and experiences of medication adherence in patients less than 2 months after stroke onset using the Perceptions and Practicalities Approach (PAPA) framework. This framework uses both intentional and unintentional perceptual and practical factors to medication adherence, which is the approach recommended by the NICE Medicines Adherence Guidelines (2009). The strength of this qualitative study is that it considers the views of stroke patients, carers and stroke unit nurses to provide a better understanding about medication adherence early after stroke. The findings are consistent with previous studies that identified barriers and facilitators of adherence, such as the stroke patients’ mood, motivation, the perceived value of taking medications and trust in healthcare providers (Al Alshaikh et al., 2016; Jamison et al., 2017; Gibson et al., 2020). The carers included in the study provided insight into the unique challenges of being the patient’s advocate as well as managing medications after hospital discharge. Education and support are seen as vital to assist
Can Adaptive Market Hypothesis Explain the Existence of Seasonal Anomalies? Evidence from Dhaka Stock Exchange, Bangladesh

This paper examines the behavior of seasonal anomalies in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) of Bangladesh and whether the time varying nature of the anomalies is in line with Adaptive Market Hypothesis (AMH). With this aim the research investigated whether the changes in market conditions, for example: up and down market states, stock market bubbles and crashes, initiation of automated trading system and circuit breaker system can affect the behavior of calendar anomalies and therefore, can provide justification for the seasonal patterns in DSE. To achieve the stated objectives, this study utilizes daily general index values of DSE from 1993 to 2018, with GARCH (1,1) model, Markov switching model, subsample analysis and rolling window analysis. The findings support the existence of AMH at DSE in the form of time-varying nature of seasonal anomalies. However, not all seasonal anomalies examined in the study were found to grow weaker over time. The most important finding of this study is that the investors in emerging stock markets, for example DSE, may not learn from the past investment experiences and show the adapting ability towards changed market conditions in the same manner like the investors in a developed market.
Isolation and structural elucidation of flavones from flower of Paulownia tomentosa

Object To isolate and identify the flavones from the flower of Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Steud. , which has been used as traditonal herb medicine in the treatment of some diseases. Methods The flavones were isolated by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic analysis (NMR). Results Five flavones were isolated and identified as 5, 4′-dihydroxy-7, 3′-dimenthoxyflavanone (Ⅰ), 5-hydroxy-7, 3′, 4′-trimenthoxyflavanone (Ⅱ), diplacone (Ⅲ), mimulone (Ⅳ) and apigenin (Ⅴ). Conclusion All these compounds are obtained from the flower for the first time and the flavones should be as bioactive constituents.
Adverse Drug Reactions of Antiepileptic Drugs in the Neurology Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Background: Epilepsy is a disorder that affects 1% of the global population. It is the second most common serious neurologic disorder after stroke, affecting humans. Since antiepileptic drugs have a narrow therapeutic index and their adverse effects can affect any organ, their widespread use has significant safety implications. Objectives: The study assessed adverse drug reactions (ADRs) using antiepileptic drugs in the Department of Neurology at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Neurology of a Tertiary Care Hospital, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India, for eight months. It was a spontaneous reporting of ADRs by practicing physicians in the outpatient and inpatient settings that were included in the study. Results: Of the 3,300 patients who were on the anti-epileptic drug (AED), 92 (3.07%) had AED-related ADRs. A total of 18 cases were reported in the inpatient department and 74 cases in the outpatient setting. The most common ADRs were loss of appetite (34.78%), skin rashes (17.39%), and gum hypertrophy (9.78%). Of 80 ADRs, 42.5% were related to valproate, followed by phenytoin, carbamazepine, and levetiracetam. The suspected drug was changed in 22 patients with ADRs. Conclusions: For the early diagnosis and avoidance of ADRs, the frequent follow-up of patients on AEDs is needed to improve patient compliance with drug therapy and provide better drug therapy for avoiding associated morbidity and mortality.
Taphonomic bias in collections of horse phalanges from the Barstow Formation (Miocene) and Rancho La Brea (Pleistocene) of California, USA

Author(s): Shi, Yaoran; Gu, Victoria W. ; Farke, Andrew A. | Abstract: Isolated equid phalanges are relatively common finds in the Barstow Formation (Miocene, 19 to 13 million years ago, southern California), but anecdotal observations suggested that not all positions (proximal, middle, and distal/ungual) of the primary digit (digit III) are recovered with equal frequency. Our sample includes primarily surface-collected phalanges from the Barstow Formation, which we compare with phalanges of Pleistocene horses from Pit 3 and Pit 77 from Rancho La Brea (Los Angeles, California). The null hypothesis is that the three positions of phalanges should be equally common. Our Barstow sample includes 228 proximal, 151 middle, and 36 distal phalanges. A chi-square test (pl0.001) is consistent with preservation bias in phalangeal frequency for the full Barstow Formation sample, and this pattern generally holds within sub-samples by locality or depositional environment. Pit 3 of La Brea produced 163 proximal, 144 middle, and 103 distal phalanges. A chi-square test with correction for multiple comparisons suggests that proximal and middle phalanges are preserved with statistically equal frequency (p=0.278) whereas distal phalanges are less common (pl0.001). For Pit 77, there are 54 proximal, 55 middle, and 51 distal phalanges; the chi-square test finds that all three types are equally common (p=0.922). Overall, differences in physical properties between phalangeal positions, such as surface area, density, shape, and size, could influence preservation within each environment. The observed differences between Barstow and La Brea might be caused by variations in depositional environment that influence the surface exposure time of fossils and disarticulation pre-burial, as well as by differences in the size of the horses at each locality. We suggest that when permitted by sample size, it is desirable to distinguish unguals from other phalanges when analyzing taphonomic patterns in the fossil record.
From Kant to Popper: Reason and Critical Rationalism in Organization Studies

The objective of this essay is to revisit the theoretical construction of Critical Rationalism, starting from the philosophy of Kantian reason contained in the works Critique of pure reason and Critique of practical reason to discuss their respective influences over the work of Karl Popper. We aim, with this exercise, to shed light on the critical-rationalist approach in Organization Studies. Our argument is that Kantian thought has been conducive, on the one hand, to a negative philosophy that considers idealism prior notions and a priori knowledge fundamental to the creative conception of knowledge and, on the other hand, to a hypothetical-deductive science that seeks to bring us closer to truth through criticism. The basis of critical rationalism lies in the search for reason and transcendental truth. This is a call not only for the production of theories, but for dedication to test their validity – a problem that has not received much attention from researchers in the field of organization studies.
Improving Social Science Learning Outcomes Using Guided Teaching Model In Indonesian Context

Article History: Purpose: This research aims at investigating the increase in teaching and learning activities by using guided teaching model and what effect it makes on the achievement on learning outcomes. Guided teaching facilitates teaching and decision-making abilities of the students. Research Methodology: The study was carried out on a sample of 290 students of class IX of the schools in Indonesia by using guided teaching model. This study has followed the questionnaires method to collect data and smart-PLS to examine the data. Received: 4 Feb. 2021 Received in revised form: 02 May 2021 Accepted: 27, May, 2021 DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2021. 93.19
Clinician Experience with Telemedicine at a Safety-net Hospital Network during COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract:Objective. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted unprecedented expansion of telemedicine services. We sought to describe clinician experiences providing telemedicine to publiclyinsured, lowincome patients during COVID-19. Methods. Online survey of ambulatory clinicians in an urban safetynet hospital system, conducted May 28, 2020–July 14, 2020. Results. Among 311 participants (response rate 48.3%), 34.7% (n=108/311) practiced in primary/urgent care, 37.0% (n=115/311) medical specialty, and 7.7% (n=24/311) surgical clinics. A large majority (87.8%, 273/311) had conducted telephone visits, 26.0% (81/311) video. Participants reported observing both technical and nontechnical patient barriers. Clinicians reported concerns about the diagnostic safety of telephone (58.9%, 129/219) vs. video (35.3%, 24/68). However, clinician comfort with telemedicine was high for telephone (89.3%, 216/242) and for video (91.0%, 61/67), with many clinicians (92.1%, 220/239 telephone; 90.9%, 60/66 video) planning to continue telemedicine after COVID-19. Conclusions. Clinicians in a safetynet health care system report great comfort with and intention to continue telemedicine after the pandemic, despite safety concerns and patient challenges.
An Evaluation of the Distance Education Centers' Curriculum in Esfahan Secondary Schools from the Viewpoint of the Students in School Year of 2011-12

This study aims to evaluate the curriculum of distance education centers in Esfahan secondary schools (high schools) from the viewpoint of the students themselves, in the school year of 2011-12. In this study, design quality of curriculum materials, the quality of the new techniques of learning and the quality of education and administration have been evaluated. The research method has been descriptive survey. Study's population was 11928 students of distance education centers in Esfahan, in school year of 2011-12. Study's sample, which was determined based on cochran's formula, consist of 240 students who were studying in Esfahan's distance education centers in 2011-12 school year. These students were selected based on their gender and region and through stratified random sampling method. In this research, data collection was done by a survey questionnaire, as research tool, and then they were analyzed. Similarly, descriptive and inferential methods were used for statistical analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaires. The main findings of the research are as follows: based on weighted average of the questions and the inferential results of quality, the quality of curriculum and materials design, educational issues, administration (time and place of the classes, educational expenses and related laws) and the educational programs of distance education centers in Esfahan high schools in 2011-12 school year are indicated to be higher than average while the quality of the new educational technologies are lower than average.
The Use of the Bits and Pieces Game on Students’ Achievement on Writing Report Text

This experimental research intended to examine the effects of the Bits and Pieces game on students’ achievement in the writing report text. Sixty-eight students in the tenth grade participated in an experimental class taught through the Bits and pieces game. The participants in the control class taught through the Conventional teaching method. After the treatment was done, the students in both grades were tested. As the results, the mean average showed that there was an increase in writing scores. Additionally, the score in the experimental class showed that the Bits and Pieces game was adequate to be taught. Nevertheless, the score in the control class showed that the Conventional teaching method was not effective to be taught because there was no significant difference between the score in the pre-test and post-test. Furthermore, l earning through the Bits and Pieces game encourages students’ broader skills of cooperation and negotiation .