Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Soluble Interleukin 2 Receptor Alpha vs Urinary Parameters as a monitoring tool of treatment response of Lupus Nephritis and their relation to Lupus Nephritis Class on renal biopsy

Background: Lupus Nephritis (LN) is one of the most common and serious manifestations in SLE patients that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Current conventional biomarkers for lupus nephritis like urine sediments, proteinuria, anti-dsDNA antibodies and C3 or C4 are sometimes mislead for prediction of treatment response. Recently IL-2 R alpha has shown to be a good marker to predict treatment response of lupus nephritis. Objective: The main objective of this study was to compare serum sIL-2R alpha with urinary parameters including 24 hours urinary total protein (UTP) as a marker of treatment response of lupus nephritis (LN) and their relation to the LN class on renal biopsy. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology and Department of Rheumatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka From July 2018 to August 2019. Twenty-seven patients who were diagnosed with lupus nephritis after kidney biopsy were included in this study. Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha, Urine routine examination and 24 hrs UTP were measured in all patient at baseline, 3-month and 6month after treatment. Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha level was measured by ELISA and is expressed as pg/ mg. Serum sIL-2R alpha as well as urinary parameter results were compared before and after treatment and in between treatment response and nonresponse group. Results: Serum sIL-2R alpha levels were significantly higher in patients of proliferative lupus nephritis (Class III & Class IV) than non-proliferative lupus nephritis (Class V) at base line (3934.3 ± 1095.2, 3934.3 ± 1095.2 & 1801.98 ± 205.8 pg/ml respectively) and levels were decreased significantly 6 month after treatment (p <0.001). Serum sIL-2R alpha levels were also significantly higher in non-remission proliferative group then remission proliferative group (4071.60 ± 769.91 Vs 5169.20 ± 394.76 pg/ml) with p value 0.008 at base line. In contrast no significant difference were observed for 24 hrs UTP levels at base line between these groups which suggest that serum sIL-2R alpha is more sensitive marker than 24 hrs UTP in predicting treatment response of lupus nephritis. Conclusions: Serum sIL-2R alpha might be a valuable serological biomarker to diagnose and to predict and monitor the treatment response of lupus nephritis
Personality Influences on Self-Regulated Learning

The goal of this study was to examine the relationships among self-criticism, goal orientation, and self-assessment. These variables were assumed to be meaningful within the context of selfregulation of learning. Participants completed scales to measure self-criticism and goal orientation, and a set of logical reasoning questions which provided measures of self-assessment of performance. Results indicated that different types of self-criticism were associated with selfassessment accuracy and with the endorsement of particular goal orientations. Relevance to selfregulation of learning and future research possibilities are discussed. Introduction Self-regulation of learning refers to the ability to actively regulate one’s own learning by appraising the learning situation and generating thoughts, actions, and feelings toward the attainment of academic goals (Zimmerman, 2000). Self-regulatory learning requires clear goals, self-observation of performance on goal-related tasks, the ability to assess goal progress by comparing current performance to a goal, the evaluation of one’s progress as acceptable or unacceptable, and positive beliefs about one’s abilities (Schunk, 1995; Bandura, 1997). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among three variables which are relevant to the self-regulation of learning: self-assessment, self-criticism, and goal orientation.
The Use of WhatsApp as An Educational Communication Tool in Higher Education: Experiences of Nursing Students in Kavango East, Namibia

WhatsApp is the most popular networking site used by most university students for general purposes, and as a communication, collaborative and transactional tool in the teaching and learning process. However, experiences of its use among university students as an educational communication tool in low and resource-constrained settings have not been explored. Following a qualitative, descriptive, phenomenology approach, this study described and explored nursing students’ experiences of the use of WhatsApp as an educational communication tool. Data were collected from 24 university nursing students who were conveniently sampled to participate in the focus group discussions; thereafter, data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Whittemore, Chase and Mandle’s primary criteria of validity in qualitative research, which include credibility, authenticity, criticality and integrity, were used to ensure the quality of the study. Ethical approval and permission were granted by the School of Nursing Research Ethics Committee. Informed consent was obtained from participants, and their anonymity and confidentiality were ensured. The findings revealed that WhatsApp is a beneficial communication tool but has effects on human behaviour. Moreover, connectivity and handset-related challenges were experienced by the students. Following these findings, it is concluded that WhatsApp is a suitable communication tool in higher education and in maintaining communities of practice among students and lecturers. Conversely, there is a need to educate students on mechanisms to mitigate its negative effects on human behaviours, such as disturbances, addiction, and lack of responses. Lastly, universities should consider partnering with network providers to improve connectivity among students and lecturers, as well as accessibility to affordable smartphones.
Stationarity and ergodicity of Markov switching positive conditional mean models

A general Markov‐Switching autoregressive conditional mean model, valued in the set of non‐negative numbers, is considered. The conditional distribution of this model is a finite mixture of non‐negative distributions whose conditional mean follows a GARCH‐like dynamics with parameters depending on the state of a Markov chain. Three different variants of the model are examined depending on how the lagged‐values of the mixing variable are integrated into the conditional mean equation. The model includes, in particular, Markov mixture versions of various well‐known non‐negative time series models such as the autoregressive conditional duration model, the integer‐valued GARCH (INGARCH) model, and the Beta observation driven model. For the three variants of the model, conditions are given for the existence of a stationary and ergodic solution. The proposed conditions match those already known for Markov‐switching GARCH models. We also give conditions for finite marginal moments. Applications to various mixture and Markov mixture count, duration and proportion models are provided.
Ant attendance of the cotton aphid is beneficial for okra plants: deciphering multitrophic interactions

Aphids are pest species of many crops and biocontrol methods are often ineffective. Ant–aphid associations can be mutualistic or antagonistic, with ants increasing or reducing aphid numbers. Within‐species plant variation or other herbivores may further influence these ant–aphid interactions. Okra is an economically important crop in Cameroon. Several okra varieties are grown here and attacked by the facultatively ant‐tended cotton aphid Aphis gossypii. We conducted field and screenhouse experiments where plant variety, ant presence and predator access were manipulated to investigate the multitrophic interactions on okra and their effects on okra yield. In the field, ants did not protect aphids from their natural enemies and syrphid larvae reduced aphids by 42%. Additionally, aphid recruitment of ants reduced chewing herbivore damage by 11% and indirectly increased okra fruit set. We also found aphid numbers, aphid predation by syrphids and chewing herbivory to vary across okra varieties. Finally, in the screenhouse, we recorded a 24% reduction in aphid numbers on plants with ant presence. The present study highlights the importance of direct and indirect biotic interactions for pest biocontrol. Tropical agricultural systems are complex and understanding such interactions can help in designing pest control measures in sustainable agriculture.
Investigating the effect of national culture and affective commitment on employee performance. An empirical study in Indonesian banking sector

This study aimed to investigate the effect of national culture (i.e., power distance, collectivism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation) and affective commitment on employee performance. Two hundred and eleven employees of the Indonesian banking sector participated in this study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS Amos 24 software was applied to test the hypotheses proposed. The results revealed that national culture (i.e., power distance, collectivism, masculinity, and long-term orientation) significantly affects affective commitment, which, in turn, increases employee performance.
Customers attitude toward Islamic mobile banking in Indonesia: Implementation of TAM

Purpose : This study aims to test consumer acceptance of mobile banking Islamic banks using the Technology Acceptance Model. The concept of mobile banking is used to examine the role of banking in facilitating mobile consumer financial transactions. Methodology : This study uses a survey with a sample of 179 users of mobile banking applications Islamic banks in Central Java and Yogyakarta. Data analysis used in this study is SEM with AMOS software assistance Findings : All hypotheses are supported. Based on the consumer's perspective, mobile banking is an opportunity for the Islamic finance industry. However, mobile banking will transform very quickly and brought new challenges in the era of industry 4.0. Originality: This study enrich the discussion in the literature by retesting the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explain the usage of mobile banking of Islamic bank.
Experimental Study on Moisture Migration of Unsaturated Loess during the Freezing Process

To reveal the water-heat transfer mechanism of unsaturated loess, the effects of soil dry density (1.30 g/cm3, 1.50 g/cm3, and 1.65 g/cm3), moisture content (13.3%, 16.2%, and 19.4%), cold end temperature (−7°C, −10°C, and −13°C), and freezing mode on moisture migration in unsaturated loess in this paper are studied through indoor tests of moisture migration under the freezing action of large-size unsaturated loess. The results show that the temperature change in soil samples in the freezing process can be divided into three stages: rapid cooling stage, slow cooling stage, and stable stage. The higher the dry density, the closer the freezing front is to the cold end, with the initial moisture content having little effect on the freezing front, while the temperature at the cold end has a significant effect on the location of the freezing front. The total amount of moisture migration decreases with the increase of dry density, increases with the increase of moisture content, and increases with the decrease of cold end temperature. The freezing mode directly affects the distribution of moisture content and total amount of moisture migration in the frozen area.
Culturable Bacterial Community in a High Temperature EBPR Reactor

An enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) reactor operated at high temperature (28°C) exhibited good phosphorus removal efficiencies of 99% throughout a 2-year operation. To investigate the culturable bacterial community of this system, isolation of bacteria was carried out on agar media containing nutrients similar to that in the EBPR reactor. Analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences of selected bacterial isolates were found to belong to α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria, Flavobacteria, Bacilli, Sphingobacteria and Actinobacteria. The dominant community was β-Proteobacteria which included Acidovorax spp. , Achromobacter spp. , and Hydrogenophaga spp. Out of the 24 species identified, some of the bacterial strains were not commonly found in previously reported EBPR processes. Thus, this has contributed to the uniqueness of microbial population in EBPR process operated at high temperature.
Molecular analysis of human adipocytes during glucose restriction and (re)feeding: A proteomics approach towards understanding weight regain

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Evaluation of Surface and Groundwater Management Strategies for Drained Sulfidic Soil using Numerical Models

The effective management of acid sulfate soils is a major issue for many coastal regions in Australia. Simulations were conducted to evaluate 4 different water management strategies that could be applied to agricultural land on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, to minimise acid generation from acid sulfate soils. The water management strategies are compared with the existing extensively drained situation which generates and discharges large quantities of acidic pyrite oxidation products. The 4 water management strategies include elevated drain water levels using a weir, 25 mm irrigation on a 7- or 14-day cycle, and elevated drain water levels with irrigation. All of these strategies were designed to minimise the generation of acid by reducing the transport of oxygen to the sulfidic soil. Simulations were conducted for weather and site conditions experienced during a 12-month period starting in July 1997. Model simulations showed that maintenance of elevated drain water levels using a weir in the drain significantly reduced the amount of acid generated by 75% and 57%, at 10 and 90 m distance from the drain, respectively, by comparison with the existing drained state. The addition of 25 mm irrigation on a 14-day cycle to the weir simulation reduced the oxidation of pyrite by a further 1–2%. Application of irrigation only on a 7-day cycle also reduced the acid generated by 89% and 94% at 10 and 90 m distance from the drain, respectively, by comparison with the existing drained state. Irrigation on a 14-day cycle was not as successful in reducing pyrite oxidation as either the 7-day irrigation or weir strategies. Evaluation of the 4 water management options showed that significant improvements can be made with respect to the amount of acid generated by relatively simple and cost-effective land management practices. characteristic reveal low air-entry values for all soil layers overlying the sulfidic begins at a depth of m AHD. Rapid groundwater drainage is facilitated by the sandy soil layer between –0.4 and –0.75 m AHD. Low air-entry values that air-filled pore space becomes available soon after the watertable falls, enabling gas to diffuse rapidly through the unsaturated part of the profile. The large cylindrical pores (diameters 2–12 mm) were observed in the soil profile. These pores drain very quickly and assist the rapid diffusion of oxygen to the sulfidic soil layer. The low air-entry values suggest that oxidation of pyrite will commence very soon after the groundwater level falls below the elevation of the sulfidic soil.
The Behavior of Istanbul Stock Exchange Market: An Intraday Volatility/Return Analysis Approach. Çankaya, Serkan and Ulusoy, Veysel and Eken, Hasan/M

The study investigates the intraday effect in Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) during the latest financial turmoil period of August 2007 to February 2010. We test for the possible existence of the intraday anomalies using both return and volatility equations as empirically applying GARCH(p,q) models. The paper uses a unique data set compiled from 15 minute intraday values of ISE-100 Index that are formed by averaging historical ten second tick data. The paper contributes to the current literature in three distinct features. Firstly, the basic characteristic of unique data used in this research is investigated in details. Secondly, four range based volatility measures namely Garman Klass (GK), Yang-Zhang (YZ), Rogers-Satchell (RS) and Parkinson (PK) are employed to form more precise measures of volatility for intraday data analysis in order to identify the changes in general market sentiment as using open, close, high and low prices. Thirdly, we estimate the relative efficiency of GK, YZ, RS and PK by applying GARCH(p,q) models. Results are quite promising, as indicating that strong opening price jumps are present for daily and morning calculations. They illustrate that YZ estimator has relatively more power in generating tolerable volatility patterns.
Weak Linear Layers in Word-Oriented Partial SPN and HADES-Like Schemes

Designing cryptographic permutations and ciphers using a substitution-permutation network (SPN) approach where the nonlinear part does not cover the full state has recently gained attention due to favourable implementation characteristics in various scenarios. For these word-oriented partial SPN schemes with a ﬁxed linear layer, our goal is to better understand linear layer construction. In this paper we derive conditions which allow either to set up or to prevent attacks based on inﬁnitely long truncated diﬀerentials with probability 1. Our analysis is rather broad as in contrast to earlier independent work on this problem, we consider (1) trails that are invariant and trails that are not, and (2) trails with and without active S-boxes. In both cases (namely, active and inactive S-boxes), we are able to provide rigorous suﬃcient and necessary conditions that prevent the analyzed attacks. On the practical side, we present a tool which is able to determine whether a given linear layer is vulnerable based on these results. Besides P-SPN schemes, our observations may also have a crucial impact on the very recent Hades design strategy, which mixes rounds with full S-box layers and rounds with partial S-box layers.
Gammaherpesvirus in Cervid Species from Norway: Characterization of a New Virus in Wild and Semi-Domesticated Eurasian Tundra Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)

Gammaherpesvirus infections have been described in cervids worldwide, mainly the genera Macavirus or Rhadinovirus. However, little is known about the gammaherpesviruses species infecting cervids in Norway and Fennoscandia. Blood samples from semi-domesticated (n = 39) and wild (n = 35) Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), moose (Alces alces, n = 51), and red deer (Cervus elaphus, n = 41) were tested using a panherpesvirus DNA polymerase (DPOL) PCR. DPOL-PCR-positive samples were subsequently tested for the presence of glycoprotein B (gB) gene. The viral DPOL gene was amplified in 28.2% (11/39) of the semi-domesticated reindeer and in 48.6% (17/35) of the wild reindeer. All moose and red deer tested negative. Additionally, gB gene was amplified in 4 of 11 semi-domesticated and 15 of 17 wild Eurasian reindeer DPOL-PCR-positive samples. All the obtained DPOL and gB sequences were highly similar among them, and corresponded to a novel gammaherpesvirus species, tentatively named Rangiferine gammaherpesvirus 1, that seemed to belong to a genus different from Macavirus and Rhadinovirus. This is the first report of a likely host-specific gammaherpesvirus in semi-domesticated reindeer, an economic and cultural important animal, and in wild tundra reindeer, the lastpopulation in Europe. Future studies are required to clarify the potential impact of this gammaherpesvirus on reindeer health.
The young people of Puerto Rico: description from a social and cultural perspective

This study aims to analyse the opinións of young Puerto Ricans regarding the social and cultural aspects which affect their daily lives and shape their value systems. A quantitative descriptive methodology was used by applying a questionnaire –prepared ad hoc– to a representative sample of 1,740 secondary students attending state schools in Puerto Rico, ranging in age from 11 to 19 years old. The results show the opinions of young people regarding institutions, family, social groups and leisure. key words: young people, puerto rico, secondary education, quantitative research Resumen Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar las opiniones de los jóvenes puertorriqueños con respecto a los aspectos sociales y culturales que afectan su vida cotidiana y dan forma a sus sistemas de valores. Se utilizó una metodología descriptiva cuantitativa mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario, a una muestra de 1,740 estudiantes de secundaria, con edades comprendidas entre los 11 y 19 años. Los resultados muestran las opiniones con respecto a las instituciones, la familia, los grupos sociales y el ocio. Palabras clave: jóvenes, puerto rico, educación secundaria, investigación cuantitativa
DEVANEY CHAOS PLUS SHADOWING IMPLIES DISTRIBUTIONAL CHAOS

We explore connections among the regional proximal relati on, the asymptotic relation and the distal relation for a topological dyn amical system with the shadowing property, and show that if a Devaney chaotic system has th e hadowing property then it is distributionally chaotic. Chaos theory is a hot topic in area of topological dynamics, a nd different definitions of chaos have been introduced. In this paper, we cons ider the relationship between two important notions of chaos. One is Devaney chaos , which means that the system is topologically transitive, sensitive to initi al conditions and the set of periodic points in the space is dense. Another is called dist ributional chaos, which is related to the complexity of the trajectory behavior of points in the space. The notion of Devaney chaos is a global property of the dynamical system, while distributional chaos is a local one. Neither Li-Yorke chaos nor dis tributional chaos can imply Devaney chaos in general. So a natural question is that under what kinds of conditions can one relate these two types of chaos. This pape r gives one such condition that under the shadowing property one can imply distributional chaos from Devaney chaos, building a connection between the global and local chaotic behaviors of such systems.