Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of tuberculosis treatment in a tertiary health facility in north-central Nigeria

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern despite being a curable and preventable disease. The treatment of TB using a cocktail of drugs over a period of six months under the directly observed treatment short-course strategy has led to a reduction in cases but is plagued by some challenges that leads to unsuccessful or poor outcomes, which can ultimately result in spread of infections, development of drug resistance and increase in morbidity and mortality. The objectives of this study are to determine outcomes of TB treatment in Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria and the factors that may be associated with the outcomes. Methodology: This was a retrospective study using the medical records of patients who were registered for TB treatment over a five-year period between 2016 to 2020. Data from TB registers including demographic and relevant clinical information, and treatment outcomes, were extracted into a structured data extraction format, and analysed with SPSS version 21.0 software package. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted, and Chi square test was used to determine association between TB outcomes and independent variables at 95% confidence interval and p<0.05 was considered as the significant value. Results: Records of 1,313 patients were studied, 744 (56.7%) were males while 569 (43.3%) were females. The age range of the patients was ≤ 1 year - 96 years, with a mean age of 30±16.7 years. Most were pulmonary TB cases (88.8%, n=1,166), newly diagnosed (95.5%, n=1254), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative at the time of TB diagnosis (63.7%, n=837). Eight hundred and seven (61.5%) patients had successful treatment, and 34% (n=446) had unsuccessful outcomes made of ‘loss to follow-up’ 25.8% (n=339), deaths 7.8% (n=102) and treatment failure 0.4% (n=5), while 2.3% (n=30) were transferred out and 2.3% (n=30) removed from TB register. Treatment success rate was significantly higher in patients with pulmonary TB (p=0.0024), residents in Lafia LGA (p=0.0005), those treated in 2016 (p=0.0006) and bacteriologically confirmed cases (p<0.0001), while death rate was significantly lower among patients who were HIV-negative at the time of TB diagnosis (p<0.0001). Conclusion: TB treatment success rate in this study fell short of the WHO average rate. High rates of ‘loss to follow-up’ and deaths in this study is a wake-up call to all stakeholders in the facility and the State to put in place measures to reduce poor outcomes of TB treatment.
Isotopic signature of a glacial influenced hydrological system in northern Patagonia, Argentina

High glacial mountain environments around the world are important water reservoirs and are extremely sensitive to the effects of climate change. Considering that climate change affects snow accumulation and glacial melting, it is essential to understand the runoff generation and hydrological dynamics in these type of systems. Andean glaciers have shown a retreating and thinning pattern since the start of the 21st century. Regarding this, the stable isotopic composition of waters is useful to assess the contributions from different sources (i.e., glaciers, precipitation, and tributaries' inputs) to rivers. Several Patagonian mountain rivers have Andean glaciers in their headwaters, one of which is the Manso River. In this basin, over the last 30 years, the Ventisquero Negro Glacier (Manso Glacier's regenerated tongue) experienced a rapid thinning and recession that generated a proglacial lake, called Manso proglacial Lake. In this study, topographic effects upon the stable isotopic composition of river waters (δ2H and δ18O) are recognized, particularly, the altitude effect. The stable isotope composition of the Manso River varies downstream, evolving to a composition more enriched in heavy isotopes in the lower basin, likely due to altitude effects and the progressive evaporation that mainly occurs in the lakes' surfaces that the river crosses. Results show that glacial meltwater is the major water contributor in the upper basin during early fall. In the rest of the basin the stable isotopic composition of the Manso River is mainly controlled by the lakes' isotopic signatures and is highly influenced by two tributary rivers. The concordance between isotopic models and hydrological data demonstrates that stable isotopes constitute a valuable tool to quantify the contribution of different water sources. This has the potential to be particularly useful in areas where discharge data is unavailable.
Development and Validation of the Adolescent Media Health Literacy Scales: Rasch Measurement Model Approach

Background High media use has been implicated in negative social and health outcomes among adolescents. Therefore, it is critical that adolescents develop skills to healthily engage with media content. Media health literacy (MHL), skills for assessing and responding to health-related media content, and potentially targetable moderators for the relationship between media use and health-related outcomes are understudied in adolescents. The lack of MHL assessment tools may have contributed to this research gap. Objective This study aimed to develop and validate test-based scales of adolescents’ MHL. Methods The items developed were vetted iteratively via community reviews and cognitive interviews to establish content and face validity. Adolescents (N=355) completed a questionnaire that included the revised MHL items. The scales (Recognition/Identification, Influence/Critical Analysis, and Action/Reaction) were validated using Rasch measurement models. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the summed scores of the three scales with existing functional and internet-related health literacy measures. Criterion validity was assessed by modeling logistic regressions for predicting health literacy–related behaviors from each scale after controlling for demographics. Effect sizes were estimated, and a short form was also validated. Results The final MHL scales (Recognition/Identification, Influence/Critical Analysis, and Action/Reaction) fit their Rasch models. The 9-item Recognition/Identification and 9-item Influence/Critical Analysis scales had good convergent validity with functional and internet-related health literacy measures and were positively related to reading instructions before taking medicines and questioning the truthfulness of health information found online. The 12-item MHL Scales-Short Form also had good convergent and criterion validity. However, convergent and criterion validity were not established for the 3-item Action/Reaction Scale. Conclusions The Recognition/Identification and Influence/Critical Analysis scales and the MHL Scales-Short Form may be used to determine the impact of MHL on media use and health outcome relationships and ultimately inform the development of interventions and policies to affect these relationships in multiple settings.
RESEARCH ON INFLUENCE MECHANISM OF CONFINING PRESSURE ON ROCK BREAKAGE BY TBM CUTTERS

TBM tunnels through the high mountain will inevitably encounter high stress problem,and the research on the influence mechanism of high stress on TBM breakage is very important. The influence of confining pressure on rock fragmentation by TBM cutters is successfully studied by using mechanical analysis and numerical simulation,and it implies that the impact of confining pressure is very complicated. The depths of crushed zone and lengths of cracks parallel to normal force decrease with increasing confining pressure,but confining pressure facilitates rock fragmentation and promotes chipping process,and the side cracks will develop rapidly and smoothly. The TBM in-situ penetration experiment shows that the rock is excavated more easily by TBM with increasing confining pressure. Considering the difficulty of rock chipping by TBM cutters,the results of mechanical analysis and numerical simulation and TBM in-situ penetration experiment all prove that confining pressure is favorable to TBM cutter breakage and penetration.
Entrepreneurial Marketing, Corporate Reputation, Corporate Creativity and Competitive Advantage: A Research Framework and Proposition

This study explored the consequences of entrepreneurial marketing by creating empirical evidence grounded in dynamic capability view and image theory. The study proposed a direct and indirect relationship between entrepreneurial marketing and competitive advantage, recognizing corporate creativity as the boundary condition on the entrepreneurial marketing-competitive advantage link suggesting a moderated entrepreneurial marketing model. The study explained the theoretical and practical contribution of the study in our understanding of entrepreneurial marketing practices and the role of corporate reputation. Corporate creativity was also discussed especially from the perspective of entrepreneurial firms.
Prospective Evaluation of Response Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Introduction Breast cancer is a global health problem, with more than 1 million cases of breast cancer diagnosed worldwide each year, and is the most common cancer among Indian women. Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) accounts for 10-20% in the Western world while in India it accounts for 40-50% of all cases. Locally advanced breast cancer is a very common clinical scenario especially in developing countries possibly due to various factors like lack of education and poor socioeconomic status. Women with the locally advanced disease require multimodality therapy and coordinated treatment planning. This study aimed to prospectively study the clinical profile of the LABC patients presenting to our institute and also to evaluate the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in downstaging the tumor. Materials and Methods Seventy patients diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer were enrolled in this prospective study. After thorough preoperative workup, patients were either taken up for upfront surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. Post chemotherapy clinical response of the tumor and postoperative histopathological evaluation of the specimen was performed. Results The mean age of the patients in our study was 45 years. Out of 70 patients, 18 underwent upfront surgery, and 52 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery. A total of 44 cases had a clinical response to chemotherapy with 9% having a complete response. The incidence of margin positivity in the postoperative specimen was significantly lower in patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion Locally advanced breast cancer accounted for the predominant number of breast cancer patients mostly females in their middle age. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was effective in downstaging the tumor in the majority of cases, although complete clinical response was lower in our study. The rate of margin positivity in mastectomy specimens can also be reduced if chemotherapy is considered prior to mastectomy.
ETANERCEPT IN PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: EFFECTIVENESS AND RATE OF RESPONSE

Introduction: “Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)” is an inflammatory disorder that affects the axial skeleton, peripheral joints, as well as entheses, resulting in significant disability. “Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)” inhibitors are regarded to be a helpful treatment for patients with active “AS”. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and response rate of “etanercept” in a group of patients with “ankylosing spondylitis” in Mosul, Iraq. Methods: A prospective, “open-labeled”, non-randomized 12 weeks study was undertaken on 43 participants with “ankylosing spondylitis” in the “Rheumatology unit” of “Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital”, and the diagnosis was made using the “modified New York criteria”. Participants were assessed at the outset of the study, week 4, and week 12 after receiving etanercept 50mg subcutaneously once weekly. The “Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI)” was utilized to assess disease activity, while the “Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index” was utilized to assess functional status (BASFI) at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. BASDAI 50 was used to assess the response rate. Results: Mean patients’ age was “36.6±8.47” years; men accounted for “90.7 %” of the cases, with the mean disease length being “9.6±5.90” years. A marked decrease in BASFI and BASDAI was found four and twelve weeks after commencing treatment compared to baseline (p=0.000). “BASDAI 50 %” response was fulfilled by 42.5 % of the participants after 4 weeks and by 65%% after 12 weeks of therapy with “etanercept”. There was a marked fall in the mean ESR and CRP after four and twelve weeks of “etanercept” therapy. Conclusion: In “AS” patients, once weekly “etanercept” 50 mg given subcutaneously for twelve weeks was an effective therapy.
Effects of Supplementation of Ferulic Acid (FA) on Growth Performance, Activities of Digestive Enzymes, Antioxidant Capacity and Lipid Metabolism of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) Larvae

A 30-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate effects of supplementation of ferulic acid (FA) on growth performance, activities of digestive enzyme, antioxidant responses and lipid metabolism of the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) larvae. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic micro-diets were formulated with graded levels of FA (0, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg). Results showed that larvae fed the diet with supplementation of 40 mg/kg FA had significantly higher survival rate, while the specific growth rate was significantly higher in larvae fed diets with 40 and 80 mg/kg FA than the control group (P < 0.05). Activities of trypsin in pancreatic segments (PS) and intestinal segments, lipase in PS and Alkaline phosphatase in brush border membrane were significantly increased by supplementation of FA compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Supplementation of FA significantly increased activities of total superoxide dismutase and catalase, and reduced the malondialdehyde content compared to the control group. Meanwhile, activities of lysozyme, total nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide content were significantly improved by supplementation of FA in diets. Furthermore, results revealed that supplementation of FA reduced the lipid accumulation in visceral mass of larvae fed the diet with 40 mg/kg FA probably through inhibiting gens expression of lipogenesis-related genes (scd1, fas and dgat2) and promoting expression of lipid catabolism-related genes (aco, cpt1, and hl). In conclusion, appropriate supplementation of 40 mg/kg FA could improve the survival and growth performance of large yellow croaker larvae through increasing digestive, antioxidant capacity and promoting lipid metabolism.
Studies on standardisation of spacing and transplanting depth for a self propelled rice transplanter

A field experiment was conducted during March-June 2008 at wetland in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to optimize the spacing and depth of transplanting in rice cultivation using a self propelled rice transplanter (Yanmar 6 row). The treatment consisted of 4 levels of hill spacing (30 × 32 cm, 30 × 22 cm, 30 × 18 cm and 30 × 16 cm) in the main plot and depth of planting (manual, 2 cm and 4 cm depth) in the sub plot. Higher DMP (24, 231 kg ha -1 ), root length (16.63 cm), number of panicles m -2 (862 m -2 ) and grain yield (7,167 kg ha -1 ) were produced when transplanting was done at 30 × 22 cm spacing (15 hills m -2 ). Among the depth of planting, increased plant dry matter production (17,498 kg ha -1 ), root length (17.28 cm), number of panicles m -2 (812 Nos. m -2 ), filled grains paniclel (113), panicle length (22 cm) and grain yield (7,667 kg ha -1 ) were produced in 4 cm depth.
Fostering University Students’ Written Argumentation via Recursive Reading: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT The present study analyzed the efficacy of a brief intervention aimed at scaffolding readers’ “recursivity” (i.e., going back to the texts) while reading multiple texts and writing an argumentative essay. The participants were 151 university students, randomly assigned to two conditions: experimental (Recursivity-induced, RI) and active control (AC). We collected data about participants’ thinking dispositions, perceived prior knowledge and perceived level of instruction in argumentative writing received, and prior beliefs. Then, students were assigned two texts about the evaluation of teachers, one pro and one against. RI students were prompted to compare the argumentation of each text with their own prior beliefs, whereas AC students were asked to write a summary of each text. Immediately after reading the texts and performing the accompanying tasks, RI and AC students were asked to write an argumentative essay to express their opinion on the topic. Process data were collected through the software Kidlogger. Results confirmed that the brief intervention improves students’ analysis of the belief-inconsistent text, the overall argumentative quality of students’ essay, and valid inferences made in a recall task one month after. The process analysis suggested that the intervention increases recursivity in at least a certain number of RI participants.
Comparative Evaluation of Plasma Metabolomic Data from Multiple Laboratories

In mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, the differences in the analytical results from different laboratories/machines are an issue to be considered because various types of machines are used in each laboratory. Moreover, the analytical methods are unique to each laboratory. It is important to understand the reality of inter-laboratory differences in metabolomics. Therefore, we have evaluated whether the differences in analytical methods, with the exception sample pretreatment and including metabolite extraction, are involved in the inter-laboratory differences or not. In this study, nine facilities are evaluated for inter-laboratory comparisons of metabolomic analysis. Identical dried samples prepared from human and mouse plasma are distributed to each laboratory, and the metabolites are measured without the pretreatment that is unique to each laboratory. In these measurements, hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolites are analyzed using 11 and 7 analytical methods, respectively. The metabolomic data acquired at each laboratory are integrated, and the differences in the metabolomic data from the laboratories are evaluated. No substantial difference in the relative quantitative data (human/mouse) for a little less than 50% of the detected metabolites is observed, and the hydrophilic metabolites have fewer differences between the laboratories compared with hydrophobic metabolites. From evaluating selected quantitatively guaranteed metabolites, the proportion of metabolites without the inter-laboratory differences is observed to be slightly high. It is difficult to resolve the inter-laboratory differences in metabolomics because all laboratories cannot prepare the same analytical environments. However, the results from this study indicate that the inter-laboratory differences in metabolomic data are due to measurement and data analysis rather than sample preparation, which will facilitate the understanding of the problems in metabolomics studies involving multiple laboratories.
Methicillin and vancomycin resistant isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis recovered from bovine mastitis

Mastitis is the most costly disease in the dairy industry. Selecting the proper antibiotic treatment is beneficial for economic and avoids the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of methicillin and vancomycin resistant isolates of mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis as a probable source of transferable vancomycin resistance to staphylococci. A total of sixty-one Staphylococcus aureus and eight Enterococcusfaecalis isolates were investigated for genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance.Presence of the mecA, vanA and vanBgenes were surveyed by PCR. The MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) of vancomycin was determined bybroth microdilution test for all the isolates.Moreover, the antibiotic resistance patterns of the isolates to the most common classes of antibiotics used in dairy cattle such as β-lactam, macrolides and tetracyclines were determinedusing the disk diffusion method. Among Staphylococcus aureus isolates, one MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) isolate was detected while 47.5% of isolates were detected as multidrug-resistant. Furthermore, no phenotypic and genotypicvancomycin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus was found. Most of the Enterococcus faecalis isolates (6/8) showed high MIC for vancomycin (in the range of 128- 1024 μg/ml) and one vanA-type Enterococcus faecalis was observed. This study indicates thatsince the source of transferable resistance to vancomycin exists in dairy farms, there is a potential for emerging and spreading VRSA (vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in dairy cattle which is a risk to animal and human health.
Investigation on material variants and fabrication methods for microstrip textile antennas: A review based on conventional and novel concepts of weaving, knitting and embroidery

Abstract Wearable electronics sector is a fast-growing industry due to the rapid progress gained by developing textile-based conductive materials and conductive yarns. The demand for wireless communication in smart textiles has been increasing progressively, and therefore textile antennas will create potential benefits for wireless applications. Microstrip patch antennas play a major role in the field of textile antennas due to their low profile, conformal nature, compatible dimensions, and manufacturing feasibility. The performance of the microstrip patch antenna depends on the antenna dimensions, fabrication techniques and materials, which determine the antenna input impedance, gain, radiation efficiency, and bandwidth. The selection of correct materials, fabrication methods, and topology are very crucial for textile antennas. The heterogeneities in the textile material affect the quality factor and hence degrade the antenna performance. This article reviews conventional and novel fabrication techniques and material variants of each antenna component based on knitting, weaving, and embroidery in order to provide background information and application ideas for designing and developing microstrip patch antennas.
Does closeness to God mediate the relationship between prayer and mental health in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim samples?

ABSTRACT Most research in the psychology of religion does not account for interfaith differences. Many studies rely on predominately Christian samples with only a small representation of other faiths. Other studies focus solely on one religion without testing interfaith comparisons. Drawing from previous research in which closeness to God mediated the relationship between prayer and mental health in a predominately Christian sample, this study tested for mediation across three distinct religious samples: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. Closeness to God mediated the relationship between prayer and mental health in the Christian and Muslim samples, but not in the Jewish sample. Prayer was consistently related to closeness to God, but closeness to God was not consistently related to mental health across the three samples. Implications for spiritually adapted therapies and future research are discussed.