Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in the Outcome of Eating Disorders: 8-Year Follow-Up

Introduction: Eating Disorders (EDs) are severe and treatment-resistant conditions whose psychopharmacological treatments are still limited. Anxiety and depressive symptoms and specific personality traits play a key role in ED outcome. This 8-year follow-up study on a sample of ED patients treated with a multimodal model aims to produce a better insight in the intertwined aspects of anxiety, depression, and eating psychopathology. Methods: n=107 female individuals with EDs were assessed face-to-face 8 years after discharge from the outpatient facility of the Center for EDs using: Temperament and Character Inventory, Eating Disorder Inventory-2, Symptom Checklist 90, and Beck Depression Inventory-II. All outpatients underwent a multimodal treatment. Recovered and non-recovered subgroups were compared with ANCOVA. Multivariate regression analyses were performed between changes in personality, anxiety, and depression with those in eating symptoms and psychopathology. Results: Both ED samples were found to be improved in depression and anxiety along with ED symptoms and eating psychopathology at follow-up. Also the non-recovered individuals showed a significant improvement of anxiety and depression scores along with eating symptoms and psychopathology and personality. The relationship between changes in personality traits and eating psychopathology was stronger than the one we found between personality and anxiety and depression. Conclusion: The multimodal treatment may be effective to significantly improve mood and anxiety features of ED patients jointly with those in eating symptoms and psychopathology, and related personality traits. Even though the changes in personality may be relevant in order to stabilize eating symptoms, such changes do not significantly correlate with those of anxiety and depression in AN or BN subgroups. Moreover, the course of eating psychopathology is rather independent from that of anxiety and depression over the long-run. The relationship between psychopathology of anxiety and depression with eating symptoms and treatment resistance deserves further exploration to help clinicians in treatment planning.
Contamination Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals in Road-Side Surface Soils Along Iwo-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria

This study was carried out to assess the contamination levels of road-side surface soils by potentially toxic metals due to their persistence and bioaccumulative nature in the ecosystem. Surface soils were sampled at various equidistance points along Iwo-Ibadan expressway, Nigeria and were then digested and analyzed for elemental concentrations using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Zn (72.91 mg/kg) had the highest mean concentration followed by Pb (54.66 mg/kg), Mn (31.32 mg/kg), Fe (12.16 mg/kg), Cd (11.92 mg/kg) and Cu (4.06 mg/kg). Variation in the elemental levels across the sampling points was a reflection of the variation in traffic density. The results of the contamination factor and geoaccumulation index indicated varying degrees of contamination. The modified degree of contamination and the pollution load index suggested that the road-side surface soils are contaminated with the metals. Cluster analysis indicated that the metals are associated with car components and vehicular emissions. It is therefore recommended that strict regulations be put in place against the use of leaded gasoline as vehicular fuels. Adequate and frequent monitoring of highway contamination by metals as a result of their bioaccumulative tendencies is also suggested.
Protective Role of Ginger on the Induced Diabetic Retinopathy in Adult Albino Rats

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global epidemic disease and the alarming increase in its prevalence is one of the major challenges to modern health care. Therefore, with a rapid increase in the prevalence of DM, ocular complications have become a leading cause of loss of vision in the world. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common complication in diabetic patients. Although it has long been considered a microvascular disease and that the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown is a hallmark of this disease, DR has also recently been viewed as a neurodegenerative disease of the retina. Therefore, this study was carried out, for the first time, to throw more light on the role of ginger extract on the retinal complications in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rat model of DM including its effect on both caspase-3 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions. Diabetes was induced via a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50mg/kg body weight) and ginger was administered orally (500mg/kg body weight daily). Animals were sacrificed 4, 6 & 8 week after induction of DM. Body weight, blood glucose level, and glycated haemoglobin were measured. Retinal specimens were subjected to histological (both light and electron microscopic), histochemical, immunohistochemical and quantitative studies. It was found that caspase-3 & VEGF have played a pivotal role in the damaging effect of the DR induced by STZ and that ginger supplementation considerably mitigates these damaging effects. [Manar A. Faried, Fouad K. Mansour, Ahmed S. Zolfakar, Wael B. El-Kholy. Protective Role of Ginger on the Induced Diabetic Retinopathy in Adult Albino Rats. J Am Sci 2014;10(10):134-152]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience. org. 22
The role of the autonomic nervous system in diabetes and cardiovascular disease : an epidemiological approach

The main objective of this thesis was to study the role of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease using an epidemiological approach. Based on earlier studies it has remained unclear whether impaired ANS function is a risk factor for the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, or merely a consequence of pre-existing disease. The main conclusions of this thesis are that excess body fat, in particular visceral fat, is associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system in individuals without diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, this thesis showed that impaired ANS function is not a risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus. The presented studies suggest that insulin resistance precedes the impairment of the ANS. The results from this thesis also show that impaired ANS function is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease in populations without pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, individuals with a higher heart rate have higher concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in the circulation and a higher intrahepatic triglyceride content, suggesting that an altered lipid metabolism may be a mechanism underlying the association between ANS function and cardiovascular disease.
Nutritional Assessment and Consumer Trends in Women University Students of Health Sciences in Madrid, Spain

The adulthood period, over 18 years, is increasingly recognized as an important period of health behavior formation. Assessment of nutritional status is important in order to identify potential risk groups. Today it is possible, with the modification of the diet, to delay the appearance of diseases caused by both deficiency and above all by excess. We know that there is an increasing prevalence of related pathologies, such as obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, different types of cancer or heart disease, etc. The location of fat seems to be more important than its total amount, thus studies have shown that there is a good correlation between the waist circumference and the intra-abdominal fat and of this one with the cardiovascular risk [1,2].
Variability Heritability and Genetic Advance of Some Groundnut Genotypes (Arachis Hypogaea L.) under Saline Sodic Soil

Salinity is day after day become a great increasing problem and represents challenge for today’s agriculture; it’s one of the important a biotic stresses limiting crop production in arid and semi-arid regions, where soil salt content is naturally high and precipitation can be insufficient for leaching [1,2]. Salt-affected soils in Sudan occur in desert, semidesert climatic zones and in arid regions [3].
Dietary Patterns and Food Culture in the Middle East

According to the WHO, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is classified as a region in a nutritional transition stage, with high levels of overweight and obesity, and moderate under nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in some population subgroups. The need for more information on the diets of at-risk populations has been identified, with the existing recommendation that dietary surveys for such groups be implemented in order to develop intervention strategies based on evidence. This review aims to identify the main dietary patterns in the MENA region. Dietary patterns identified tended to fall into three categories: 1) patterns considered favourable for health and wellness, usually called healthy, 2) patterns considered detrimental for health and wellness, identified as fats-food pattern, western pattern or unhealthy pattern and 3) patterns favouring the local food culture, referred to as traditional or ethnic food pattern. Other influential factors were also identified as determinants of dietary patterns in the MENA region including population dwelling (urban versus rural), income (advantageous versus disadvantageous) and by ethnic group when more than one ethnicity was present in the country of study.An Arab dietary pattern as such is yet to be ascertained as typical food selection and consumption practices present great variation from country to country. The present review brought to light the knowledge gap existing in descriptive studies addressing the dietary patterns of populations in the MENA. As shown by the limited literature found, the studies that have been carried out have a small sample size often not representative of the national population. Although quantitative studies reporting on nutrient intake do exist, dietary pattern methodology does not seem to be a popular method for dietary assessment in the region.
Meanings of social exclusion and inclusion in relation to older people with dementia in care homes

This thesis explores the meaning of social exclusion in relation to older people with dementia in care homes. Its central objective is to identify the main influences shaping meanings of exclusion and inclusion in this context, and to understand how these influences are personally encountered and countered. The social model of disability underpins and directs the investigation as this framework already offers a convincing account of what social exclusion and inclusion means to people with disabilities. A secondary objective is to therefore evaluate the relevance of this model to understanding the position of this group of people in this setting. A variety of qualitative methods are used to provide a subjectively rich and diverse account of meanings of social exclusion and inclusion in this particular context. Influences shaping meanings of exclusion and inclusion are primarily analysed and explored through the accounts of care home life given by individuals with dementia, their relatives, other residents, home care managers and care workers. In addition, individual care records and organisational policy and publicity are analysed for cultural representations of dementia and disability. It is argued in this thesis that in relation to the people and places involved in this study the core meaning of social exclusion is loss of identity. The main influences leading to this conclusion were social, psychological, economic, organisational and biological in nature and form. In addition, it is argued that while the social model of disability usefully politicises the position of older people with dementia in care homes, the binary opposition on which it is based, namely medical/social, is too simplistic for understanding the complex and fluid relationships, that the people with dementia involved in this study, had with their social world.
Effect of pre-harvest sprays of forchlorfenuron and boron on fruit cracking and quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. Kandhari

An investigation on pre-harvest spray of forchlorfenuron (CPPU) and boron along with some in-situ soil moisture conservation techniques was carried out on seven-year old plants of pomegranate cultivar Kandhari trained as four stems grown under rainfed conditions of Himachal Pradesh. Experimental plants were subjected to 11 treatments, viz., mulching, CBOC (crescent bund with open catchment pits), CPPU at 5 or 10 ppm, H3BO3 at 0.2 or 0.4%, mulching + CPPU at 5 ppm or H3BO3 at 0.2%, CBOC + CPPU at 5 ppm or H3BO3 at 0.2% and control. Growth parameters like plant height, plant spread, trunk girth and annual shoot growth were observed significantly higher under the treatment CBOC + H3BO3 at 0.2%. However, leaf area and leaf chlorophyll content were recorded significantly higher under the treatment CBOC + CPPU at 5 ppm. The extent of fruit cracking was reduced to the lowest level (2.8%) from 11.67% in control and highest fruit yield (26.8Kg/plant) was recorded when the plants were given foliar application of CPPU at 5 ppm under CBOC. The maximum fruit length (86.2 cm) and fruit breadth (88.3 cm), fruit weight (419.74 g), aril weight (279.21 g), aril percentage (66.52), juice content (67.93 ml/100 g), ascorbic acid content (16.84 mg/100g) were obtained with the treatment of CPPU at 5ppm +CBOC. The lowest titratable acidity (0.49%), highest TSS (15.210 B) and TSS/acid ratio (31.07) was recorded in fruits from plants under the treatment of H3BO3 at 0.2% with mulching. Total sugar, reducing sugar were recorded highest under the treatment H3BO3 at 0.2% + CBOC and lowest in control.
A Comparative Study between Data Mining Classification and Ensemble Techniques for Predicting Survivability of Breast Cancer Patients

— Breast Cancer is the most common type of cancer prevalent among female cancer patients, while it also is the second most dreaded disease causing cancer death among women. A variety of data mining techniques, including Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Bayesian Networks (BNs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Decision Trees (DTs) have widely been used in cancer research to facilitate the development of predictive models to create an effective decision making environment. This study proposes a criteria for prediction of survivability of breast cancer patients, based on the analysis performed using four data mining classification techniques, which include, Decision Tree, Multilayer Perceptron, Naïve Bayes and Random Tree and comparing the results with those of four ensemble techniques such as Adaboost M1, Bagging, Voting and Stacking. The dataset used in our experiment consists of 23 attributes containing 492 samples obtained from the Mizoram Cancer Institute of Aizawl, Mizoram, India. We are using data mining classifiers to predict the recurrence of breast cancer over a period of three years evaluated based on the comparison of their performance. Feature and attribute selections have been carried out to enhance the prediction accuracy of the computations
OPPORTUNITY OF ORGANIC FARMING TO IMPROVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF NEPALESE FARMERS

Organic farming is important for the good health of human beings and environment. Number of organic farmers is increasing in Nepal because of the increasing awareness on environment and climate change. The aim of this study was to explore the opportunity of organic farming to improve the socio-economic life of Nepalese farmers. The study was based on the mixed research design. Data was collected from four districts of Nepal and purposively 578 organic farmers were selected. The study shows that main source of Nepalese farmer is agriculture and conventional farming practice was more similar to the organic farming so that there is very easy to practice of organic farming. Demand of organic product is increasing in the National and international market and farmers are getting good return also. increased awareness on climate change, message dissemination from the experiences farmers and experts, economic benefit, social recognition, support of concerned organization are some factors which supporting to create the opportunity of organic farming. There is need of wider dissemination of benefit of organic farming and local development plan should address and implement the activities to train the farmers.
Enterococcus faecalis Manganese Exporter MntE Alleviates Manganese Toxicity and Is Required for Mouse Gastrointestinal Colonization

Bacterial pathogens encounter a variety of nutritional environments in the human host, including nutrient metal restriction and overload. Uptake of manganese (Mn) is essential for Enterococcus faecalis growth and virulence; however, it is not known how this organism prevents Mn toxicity. In this study, we examine the role of the highly conserved MntE transporter in E. faecalis Mn homeostasis and virulence. We show that inactivation of mntE results in growth restriction in the presence of excess Mn, but not other metals, demonstrating its specific role in Mn detoxification. ABSTRACT Bacterial pathogens encounter a variety of nutritional environments in the human host, including nutrient metal restriction and overload. Uptake of manganese (Mn) is essential for Enterococcus faecalis growth and virulence; however, it is not known how this organism prevents Mn toxicity. In this study, we examine the role of the highly conserved MntE transporter in E. faecalis Mn homeostasis and virulence. We show that inactivation of mntE results in growth restriction in the presence of excess Mn, but not other metals, demonstrating its specific role in Mn detoxification. Upon growth in the presence of excess Mn, an mntE mutant accumulates intracellular Mn, iron (Fe), and magnesium (Mg), supporting a role for MntE in Mn and Fe export and a role for Mg in offsetting Mn toxicity. Growth of the mntE mutant in excess Fe also results in increased levels of intracellular Fe, but not Mn or Mg, providing further support for MntE in Fe efflux. Inactivation of mntE in the presence of excess iron also results in the upregulation of glycerol catabolic genes and enhanced biofilm growth, and addition of glycerol is sufficient to augment biofilm growth for both the mntE mutant and its wild-type parental strain, demonstrating that glycerol availability significantly enhances biofilm formation. Finally, we show that mntE contributes to colonization of the antibiotic-treated mouse gastrointestinal (GI) tract, suggesting that E. faecalis encounters excess Mn in this niche. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the manganese exporter MntE plays a crucial role in E. faecalis metal homeostasis and virulence.
UTILIZATION OF WOODEN LOCKABLE FISH PONDS FOR ENHANCED HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN PERI-URBAN AREAS OF BUSIA COUNTY, KENYA

Wooden lockable fishponds are alternatives to earth fishponds made within home compounds with reliable water sources. They provide an alternative for increased fish production and ensure sustainable household fish production. The objectives of this study were to determine the level of utilization of wooden lockable fish ponds, to assess the food security status of households utilizing wooden lockable fish ponds and to establish the relationship between utilization level and household food security among households utilizing wooden lockable fish ponds in peri-urban areas of Busia County, Kenya. This was a cross-sectional study where purposive sampling of peri-urban households in Busia County was done and 135 households were randomly selected. Data collection was done using questionnaire guides, capturing socio-economic data and household food security status. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics in order to explain the relationship between the various variables in the study. The mean average number of lockable fish ponds per household was 1.7663 with standard deviation of 0.0363. About 46.3% of households reported to own one fish pond, 29.1% owning two and 8.9% indicated to own four and above ponds. 57.3% of the households produced between 425-575 fish over a period of 7 months averaging to 1.59 fish per day. Many (65.8%) households reported of having at least three meals a day with only 7.1% reporting one meal a day. Conclusively, utilization of fish sales as an extra source of income because of increased fish supply contributed to improved household food security status.
Impact of Perception of Counterfeits on Customers’ Purchase Intention of Genuine Luxury Brands: The Mediating Effect of Brand Image and Brand Awareness

Counterfeits which are mostly known as the pirated brands or replicas can be seen to be an emerging phenomenon. The purpose for conducting this study is to look into the broader scenario regarding counterfeits as mostly the focus made in previous researches is on the negative perspective of counterfeits rather than to search out some neutral or positive impact. Further, rather than just the counterfeits itself, its mere perception has been taken into account. Through various tools and techniques including normality distribution, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, regression and mediation analysis an effort has been made to find out impact of perception of counterfeits on the intention of customers to purchase genuine ones with the mediating impact of brand awareness and brand image, A sample of 240 counterfeit users has been taken on convenient basis get a comprehensive understanding of the study. The relation between perception of counterfeits and purchase intention of genuine luxury brands was found to be negative with the B value of -0.061 depicting that negative perception would encourage high intention of purchase towards the genuine products and vice-versa would be the case. The mediation effect of brand image and brand awareness was found to be significant with a percentage effect of 52.46% and 24.59% respectively which shows that both brand image and brand awareness altered the relation between perception of counterfeits and purchase intention of genuine luxury brands.