Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Consultations in Senegal

In West Africa, research on the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is barely covered, despite the recorded outbreaks. The low level of access to safe water and adequate sanitation is still one of the main factors of HEV spread in developing countries. HEV infection induces acute or sub-clinical liver diseases with a mortality rate ranging from 0.5 to 4%. The mortality rate is more alarming (15 to 25%) among pregnant women, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. Herein, we conducted a multicentric socio-demographic and seroepidemiological survey of HEV in Senegal among pregnant women. A consecutive and non-redundant recruitment of participants was carried out over the period of 5 months, from March to July 2021. A total of 1227 consenting participants attending antenatal clinics responded to a standard questionnaire. Plasma samples were collected and tested for anti-HEV IgM and IgG by using the WANTAI HEV-IgM and IgG ELISA assay. The overall HEV seroprevalence was 7.8% (n = 96), with 0.5% (n = 6) and 7.4% (n = 91) for HEV IgM and HEV IgG, respectively. One of the participant samples was IgM/IgG-positive, while four were declared indeterminate to anti-HEV IgM as per the manufacturer’s instructions. From one locality to another, the seroprevalence of HEV antibodies varied from 0 to 1% for HEV IgM and from 1.5 to 10.5% for HEV IgG. The data also showed that seroprevalence varied significantly by marital status (p < 0.0001), by the regularity of income (p = 0.0043), and by access to sanitation services (p = 0.0006). These data could serve as a basis to setup national prevention strategies focused on socio-cultural, environmental, and behavioral aspects for a better management of HEV infection in Senegal.
An IBD-associated pathobiont synergises with NSAID to promote colitis which is blocked by NLRP3 inflammasome and Caspase-8 inhibitors

Conflicting evidence exists on the association between consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and symptomatic worsening of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We hypothesise that the heterogeneous prevalence of pathobionts [e.g., adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC)], might explain this inconsistent NSAIDs/IBD correlation. Using IL10 -/- mice, we show aggravation of colitis in AIEC-colonised animals fed NSAID. This is accompanied by activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, Caspase-8, apoptosis and pyroptosis; features not seen in mice exposed to AIEC or NSAID alone, revealing an AIEC/NSAID synergistic effect. Inhibition of NLRP3 or Caspase-8 activity ameliorated colitis, with reduction in NLRP3 inflammasome activation, cell death markers and activated T-cells and macrophages, improved histology and increased abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa species. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into how NSAID and an opportunistic gut-pathobiont can synergise to worsen IBD symptoms. Thus, targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and Caspase-8 could be a potential therapeutic strategy in patients with NSAID-worsened inflammation.
Epilepsy in Pediatric Patients—Evaluation of Brain Structures’ Volume Using VolBrain Software

Epilepsy is one of the most frequent serious brain disorders. Approximately 30,000 of the 150,000 children and adolescents who experience unprovoked seizures are diagnosed with epilepsy each year. Magnetic resonance imaging is the method of choice in diagnosing and monitoring patients with this condition. However, one very effective tool using MR images is volBrain software, which automatically generates information about the volume of brain structures. A total of 57 consecutive patients (study group) suffering from epilepsy and 34 healthy patients (control group) who underwent MR examination qualified for the study. Images were then evaluated by volBrain. Results showed atrophy of the brain and particular structures—GM, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, putamen, thalamus, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens volume. Moreover, the statistically significant difference in the volume between the study and the control group was found for brain, lateral ventricle and putamen. A volumetric analysis of the CNS in children with epilepsy confirms a decrease in the volume of brain tissue. A volumetric assessment of brain structures based on MR data has the potential to be a useful diagnostic tool in children with epilepsy and can be implemented in clinical work; however, further studies are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of this software.
PENGARUH FAKTOR-FAKTOR DALAM MODIFIED UNIFIED THEORY OF ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY 2 (UTAUT 2) TERHADAP NIAT PROSPECTIVE USERS UNTUK MENGADOPSI HOME DIGITAL SERVICES PT. TELKOM DI SURABAYA

Home Digital Service TELKOM merupakan teknologi yang penting bagi kemajuan inovasi teknologi, perekonomian negara, serta target pemerintah dan perusahaan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor dalam modified UTAUT2 yang memengaruhi niat prospectiv users untuk mengadopsi Home Digital Service PT TELKOM di Surabaya, seberapa besar pengaruh variabel yang memoderasi pengaruh antarkonstruk dan kemampuan prediksi modified UTAUT2 dalam memprediksi niat prospective users untuk mengadopsi Home Digital Service TELKOM di Surabaya. Dalam penelitian ini, 200 sampel dikumpulkan menggunakan kuesioner dengan teknik purposive sampling. Data dianalisis menggunakan Partial Least Square (PLS) dengan smartPLS 2.0. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat diketahui bahwa seluruh konstruk eksogen memiliki pengaruh positif signifikan terhadap konstruk endogen. Hedonic motivation, social influence, price value, facilitating condition, effort expectancy, dan performance expectancy memiliki pengaruh sebesar 0,260; 0,194; 0,138; 0,116; 0,094; dan 0,090. Variabel rnoderasi age (usia) memoderasi pengaruh facilitating condition dan price value terhadap niat (behavioral intention) prospective users untuk mengadopsi Home Digital Service di Surabaya. Sernentara variabel moderasi jenis kelamin (gender) hanya memoderasi pengaruh performance expectancy, social influence, dan price value terhadap niat (behavioral intention) prospective users untuk mengadopsi Home Digital Service di Surabaya. Modified UTAUT2 dalam penelitian ini dapat memprediksi 54.8% behavioral intention penggunaan Home Digital Service PT. TELKOM di Surabaya.
Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Admitted for Colectomy

Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with IBD may undergo a segmental or total colectomy, depending upon the extent of the disease. It is estimated that approximately 20 to 30 percent of patients with advanced ulcerative colitis will eventually require surgical resection. The incidence and prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) are increasing globally. There is plausible evidence linking inflammation to the initiation and perpetuation of AF. Given the importance of systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of AF, an increased risk of the development of other diseases related to systemic inflammation can be expected. Objective Study how AF can affect the outcome of the patients in a population database hospitalized due to IBD flare and in whom colectomy was performed. Methodology Data from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019 were used to obtain baseline demographic numbers and outcome variables. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate Odds ratios for comorbidities. Results The study identified 27,165 patients with IBD who had colectomy during the same admission, among whom 2,045 also had AF. AF patients had a statistically significant longer mean LOS than patients without AF (16.79 vs. 11.24 days, p-value 0.001). AF patients also had significantly higher hospital charges ($222,109 vs. $142,011, p-value < 0.001). The mortality rate in IBD undergoing colectomy patients with AF was higher than in patients without AF (13.45% vs. 2.69%, p-value < 0.001), which was also reflected in multivariate analysis with an odds ratio of 2.27 (p-value < 0.001) after adjusting for age, gender, race, and comorbidities. Conclusion Our study showed that a national cohort of IBD patients with a history of colectomy had increased mortality and morbidity in the presence of AF. A finding that can guide physicians to allocate more time to optimizing the management of AF in this group of patients decreases the risk of complications, length of stay, and overall mortality.
A new tourism paradigm in the marketplace: Armchair travel and destination experiences

This study develops a robust theoretical framework in order to explain the effect of destination brand experiences in armchair tourism on the brands’ authenticity and the consumers’ loyalty. The study proposes sensory, behavioral, intellectual, and affective subfactors as the four subfactors of the destination brand experience in armchair tourism. The analytical outcome confirmed that the study’s eight hypotheses were supported. Specifically, destination brand experiences in armchair tourism have a meaningful effect on a brand’s authenticity, which in turn has a significant effect on the tourists’ loyalty. The study’s results successfully demonstrated the importance of the destination brand experience in armchair tourism, and it provides meaningful insights into its positive effect on tourists.
Microbiome and Metabolome Contributions to Coral Health and Disease

Coral populations are declining worldwide as a result of increased environmental stressors, including disease. Coral health is greatly dependent on complex interactions between the host animal and its associated microbial symbionts. While relatively understudied, there is growing evidence that the coral microbiome contributes to the health and resilience of corals in a variety of ways, similar to more well-studied systems, such as the human microbiome. Many of these interactions are dependent upon the production and exchange of natural products, including antibacterial compounds, quorum-sensing molecules, internal signaling molecules, nutrients, and so on. While advances in sequencing, culturing, and metabolomic techniques have aided in moving forward the understanding of coral microbiome interactions, current sequence and metabolite databases are lacking, hindering detailed descriptions of the microbes and metabolites involved. This review focuses on the roles of coral microbiomes in health and disease processes of coral hosts, with special attention to the coral metabolome. We discuss what is currently known about the relationship between the coral microbiome and disease, of beneficial microbial products or services, and how the manipulation of the coral microbiome may chemically benefit the coral host against disease. Understanding coral microbiome-metabolome interactions is critical to assisting management, conservation, and restoration strategies.
Scientific validation of toxicological and anti-hyperglycemic effect of Bambusa tulda leaf

Bambusa tulda (Poaceae) is one of the most valuable bamboo species in terms of health-promoting effects. The goal of this research work was to carry out the in-vivo acute toxicity, anti-diabetic and anti-oxidative activities of hydro-methanolic extract of B. tulda leaves. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the hydro-methanolic extract of B. tulda leaves was found to be 6088.13 mg/kg body weight in mice. Supplementing the low (100 mg/kg) and high dose (200 mg/kg) of B. tulda leaf extract showed significant elevation in the endogenous enzymes level of superoxide dismutase (24.81%) and glutathione peroxidase (31.60%) with a decline in malondialdehyde levels (21.90%) when compared to untreated alloxan-induced diabetic control rats. The histopathological assessment of pancreas also showed an increase in β -cells, though not at a significant level. Hence the presence of phyto-constituents substantiates the pharmacological activities of hydro-methanolic extract of B. tulda leaf particularly as a potential candidate for anti-diabetic activity. However, detailed studies are needed to elucidate its exact mechanism of action against diabetes.
RADIANT SLAB COOLING : A CASE STUDY OF BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE

This paper introduces a case study of an existing multi- floor radiant slab cooling system through simulation and field measurements. EnergyPlus was selected based on a review of currently-available simulation programs. Real weather data were used and the model was calibrated with metered energy data. Simulated energy uses and indoor thermal conditions were compared with measured data to evaluate comfort conditions and operations. The exercise revealed problems in the existing EnergyPlus low-temperature radiant cooling/heating module and some uncertainties in the simulation model. Major problems in the control of the HVAC systems were identified, and remedial measures are proposed.
Single‐Crystal Elasticity of Antigorite at High Pressures and Seismic Detection of Serpentinized Slabs

The subduction of serpentinized slabs is the dominant process to transport “water” into Earth's mantle, and plays a pivotal role for subduction dynamics. Antigorite, the most abundant serpentine mineral in subduction settings, may imprint a seismic signature on serpentinized slabs, making them seismically distinguishable from the dry, non‐serpentinized ones. However, the complete single‐crystal elasticity of antigorite has not been experimentally constrained at high pressures, hindering the use of seismological approaches to detect serpentinization in subducting slabs. Here, we report the full elastic stiffness tensor of antigorite by single‐crystal Brillouin spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction up to 7.71(5) GPa. We use our results to model seismic properties of antigorite‐bearing rocks and show that their seismological detectability depends on the geometrical relation between seismic wave paths and foliation of serpentinized rocks. In particular, we demonstrate that seismic shear anisotropy shows low sensitivity to serpentinization for a range of relevant geometries.
Immunotoxicity of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials, Starring Phagocytes

In the field of science, technology and medicine, carbon-based nanomaterials and nanoparticles (CNMs) are becoming attractive nanomaterials that are increasingly used. However, it is important to acknowledge the risk of nanotoxicity that comes with the widespread use of CNMs. CNMs can enter the body via inhalation, ingestion, intravenously or by any other route, spread through the bloodstream and penetrate tissues where (in both compartments) they interact with components of the immune system. Like invading pathogens, CNMs can be recognized by large numbers of receptors that are present on the surface of innate immune cells, notably monocytes and macrophages. Depending on the physicochemical properties of CNMs, i.e., shape, size, or adsorbed contamination, phagocytes try to engulf and process CNMs, which might induce pro/anti-inflammatory response or lead to modulation and disruption of basic immune activity. This review focuses on existing data on the immunotoxic potential of CNMs, particularly in professional phagocytes, as they play a central role in processing and eliminating foreign particles. The results of immunotoxic studies are also described in the context of the entry routes, impacts of contamination and means of possible elimination. Mechanisms of proinflammatory effect depending on endocytosis and intracellular distribution of CNMs are highlighted as well.
Isolation Trichomonas tenax and study of the relationship between parasite prevalence and periodontal disease and diabetes in Nineveh Governorate /Iraq

The current study included the collection and examination of 286 samples taken in the form of swabs from the periodontal pocket from people with periodontal disease, distributed among 186 samples from the auditors of the periodontal diseases branch of the Teaching Hospital at the College of Dentistry/University of Mosul, some outpatient clinics for dentists, and 100 samples from health centers in Tal Afar and Sinjar districts. Affiliated to Nineveh Governorate to investigate the parasite Trichomonas tenax, where the total infection rate was 0.07% and the percentage was higher in males . 09% than in females 5.22%. The highest infection rate appeared in the age group 49-59 years, reaching 14.06%. Infection with oral diseases such as inflammation and bleeding of the gums had a clear effect on the presence of the parasite T. tenax, where a clear significant effect was observed in the high rate of infection, which amounted to 8.33% among people with gum disease, compared to the rate of infection among people without gum disease, which amounted to 2.86%, and it showed The results showed that the presence of dental plaque and the layer of calcifications had a significant and clear effect on increasing the parasite infection rate,.
Extremely high velocity outflows.

Extremely high velocity (EHV) wings, with full widths of 72 to 140 km/s, are seen on the CO J=3-2 lines toward W3 IRS 5, GL 490, NGC 2071, W28 A2, GL 2591, S140, and Cepheus A. The results of our survey suggest that EHV wings are common around infrared sources of moderate to high luminosity (500 to 4x10^5 Lsun) in dense regions. Line ratios imply that the EHV gas is usually optically thin and warm. Characteristic velocities range from 20 to 40 km/s, yielding timescales of 1600-4200 yr. Since most sources in this study are producing some ionizing photons, these short timescales suggest that neutral winds coexist with ionizing photons. We examined two possible sources for the EHV CO emission: a neutral stellar wind; and swept-up or entrained molecular gas. Neither can be ruled out. If the high-velocity (HV) gas is swept up by a momentum-conserving stellar wind traced by the extremely high velocity CO emission, most of the C in the winds from luminous objects cannot be in CO. If the EHV and HV forces are equal, the fraction of C in a form other than CO increases with source luminosity and with the production rate of ionizing photons.
Federalism, political leadership and the Covid-19 pandemic: explaining Canada’s tale of two federations

ABSTRACT In Canada, the federal government and the provinces responded comparatively successfully to the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the winter and spring of 2020. The opposite is true, however, for the second and third waves of the pandemic. While the four Atlantic provinces stuck to their proactive containment strategy with significant success, the other six provinces adopted a reactive mitigation approach. Although public health experts urged governments to change their strategy, the governments of the six provinces were reluctant. These policy choices in Canadian federalism correlated with profoundly different outcomes, with significantly higher case and death rates, as well as prolonged lockdowns, in those provinces that adopted a mitigation approach. Using a process-tracing design, this study shows that agency, conceptualized as political leadership, carries considerable weight to explain the emergence of two pandemic responses within Canadian federalism, with important implications for the overall policy performance. This finding suggests that the role of political leadership in federal systems requires more attention in future research.
Effects of Data Augmentations on Speech Emotion Recognition

Data augmentation techniques have recently gained more adoption in speech processing, including speech emotion recognition. Although more data tend to be more effective, there may be a trade-off in which more data will not provide a better model. This paper reports experiments on investigating the effects of data augmentation in speech emotion recognition. The investigation aims at finding the most useful type of data augmentation and the number of data augmentations for speech emotion recognition in various conditions. The experiments are conducted on the Japanese Twitter-based emotional speech and IEMOCAP datasets. The results show that for speaker-independent data, two data augmentations with glottal source extraction and silence removal exhibited the best performance among others, even with more data augmentation techniques. For the text-independent data (including speaker and text-independent), more data augmentations tend to improve speech emotion recognition performances. The results highlight the trade-off between the number of data augmentations and the performance of speech emotion recognition showing the necessity to choose a proper data augmentation technique for a specific condition.
Structure and dynamics of globular clusters

An internal combustion engine, particularly a four cylinder four stroke cycle engine, has adjoining cylinders arranged in pairs with adjacent or siamesed intake ports and timed sequentially so that the intake event of one of the adjoining cylinders overlaps or closely follows the intake event of the other of the adjoining cylinders. The adjacent intake ports of the adjoining cylinders are fed by common manifold runners which are offset at their connections with their respective intake ports to favor delivery of air-fuel mixture to the first of the sequentially timed cylinders to a degree to offset inherent manifold pulsing effects that tend to favor delivery of a larger charge to the second of the sequentially timed cylinders. Thus, charge distribution among the engine cylinders is substantially equalized. The engine manifold also includes ridges adjacent the mixture plenum extending transversely across the flat manifold floor to direct liquid fuel crossing the ridges up into the airstream for mixing and vaporization.
Pilot Study: Assessing the Expression of Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase and Peripheral Leukocyte Ratios in Canine Oral Malignant Melanoma

Simple Summary This study aimed to assess the expression of novel blood biomarkers in dogs with oral malignant melanoma, an aggressive and common oral cancer in dogs. The results of this pilot study suggest that the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase, which can be easily measured with blood samples, are significantly higher in dogs with oral malignant melanoma. These blood biomarkers have been shown to be of prognostic value in human melanoma patients, meaning that they can act to predict the potential behaviour of the tumour. Therefore, research into our canine patients should be viewed as being potentially very valuable, as the discovery of easily measurable prognostic biomarkers could significantly further not only our understanding of the underlying physiology of melanoma itself, but also change the way veterinary surgeons investigate and treat the disease in the future. This study lays the foundations for further, more extensive investigation, into the topic. Abstract Measurement of blood biomarkers such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and peripheral leukocyte ratios have been shown to be of prognostic value in human melanoma patients. Previous veterinary studies have demonstrated that changes in these values are detectable in multiple canine cancer patients. However, to the authors’ knowledge, no studies have yet demonstrated an increase in LDH in canine oral malignant melanoma patients, nor has the effect of metastasis on LDH levels been explored. This retrospective pilot study included 18 dogs, of which 10 were healthy controls, 5 OMM patients with metastasis and 3 without metastasis. Serum LDH was measured and pre-treatment peripheral leucocyte ratios were calculated. LDH was measurable within all patient groups and a statistically significant difference in LDH levels was detected between patients with OMM and healthy controls (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference was detected between patients with or without metastatic disease. This study suggests that serum LDH levels are significantly increased in dogs with OMM compared to healthy controls, paving the way for further research to investigate the prognostic value of this biomarker.