Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Five-Year Trend Analysis of Malaria Prevalence in Dembecha Health Center, West Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: A Retrospective Study

Background Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease known to cause significant numbers of morbidities and mortalities across the globe. In Ethiopia, its transmission is generally seasonal and highly unstable due to variations in topography and rainfall patterns. Studying the trends in malaria in different setups is crucial for area-specific evidence-based interventions, informed decisions, and to track the effectiveness of malaria control programs. The trend in malaria infections in the area has not been documented. Hence, this study aimed to assess the five-year trend in microscopically confirmed malaria cases in Dembecha Health Center, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara national regional state, Ethiopia. Methods A health facility-based retrospective study was conducted in Dembecha Health Center from February to April 2018. All microscopically confirmed malaria cases registered between 2011/12 and 2015/16 were carefully reviewed from laboratory record books and analyzed accordingly. Results A total of 12,766 blood films were requested over the last five years at Dembecha Health Center. The number of microscopically confirmed malaria cases was 2086 (16.34%). The result showed a fluctuating yet declining trend in malaria infections. The highest number of cases was registered in 2012/13, while the lowest was in 2015/16. Males and age groups >20 constituted 58.9% and 44.2% of the patients, respectively, being the hardest hit by malaria in the area. Malaria existed in almost every month and seasons. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species. The highest peak of malaria infections was observed in the late transition (October-December) 799 (38.3%) and early transition (May-June) 589 (28.2%) seasons. Conclusion Although the results indicate a fluctuating yet declining trend, the prevalence of confirmed malaria cases in the area remains alarming and indicates a major public health burden. Therefore, close monitoring and intervention measures to control malaria infections in the area and also to tackle the dominant species, Plasmodium falciparum, are necessitated accordingly.
The Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Northeast China

Purpose To evaluate the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in a group of community people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Northeast China. Methods Population-based cross-sectional survey. Patients diagnosed with T2DM residing in 15 communities in Fushun, Northeast China, were enrolled between July 2012 and May 2013. All participants underwent an extensive and standardized eye examination (visual acuity testing, slit-lamp, and fundus examination). Low vision was defined as presenting VA of better-seeing eye <20/60 and ≥20/400, and blindness was defined as VA <20/400, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions. The primary causes of blindness and low vision were assessed by senior ophthalmologists. Results Visual acuity measurements were available for 1998 (89.8%) of 2224 subjects in the study. The prevalence of bilateral blindness and low vision defined was 0.90% and 10.81%. Uncorrected refractive error was the first leading cause of low vision (75.0%) and blindness (38.9%). After correcting the refractive error, the first leading cause of low vision was cataract (44.4%), followed by diabetic retinopathy (29.6%) and myopic maculopathy (18.5%), while the first leading cause of blindness was proliferative DR (45.4%), followed by cataract (36.4%) and myopic maculopathy (18.2%). Conclusions This study suggested a high prevalence of low vision and blindness in this study cohort. Uncorrected refractive error and cataract remain the leading cause of visual impairment, but the major challenge is the early diagnosis and intervention of diabetic retinopathy to reduce diabetes-related blindness.
Characterization of Hibiscus Latent Fort Pierce Virus-Derived siRNAs in Infected Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in China

Although limited progress have been made about pathogen system of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV), interaction between plant host and pathogen remain largely unknown, which led to deficiency of effective measures to control disease of hibiscus plants caused by HLFPV. In this study, infection of HLFPV in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was firstly confirmed for the first time by traditional electron microscopy, modern reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and RNA-seq methods in China (HLFPV-Ch). Sequence properties analyzing suggested that the full-length sequences (6,465 nt) of HLFPV-Ch had a high sequence identity and a similar genomic structure with other tobamoviruses. It includes a 5′-terminal untranslated region (UTR), followed by four open reading frames encoding for a 128.5-kDa replicase, a 186.5-kDa polymerase, a 31-kDa movement protein, 17.6-kDa coat protein, and the last a 3′-terminal UTR. Furthermore, HLFPV-Ch–derived virus-derived siRNAs (vsiRNAs) ant its putative target genes, reported also for the first time, were identified and characterized from disease Hibiscus rosa-sinensis through sRNA-seq and Patmatch server to investigate the interaction in this pathogen systems. HLFPV-Ch–derived vsiRNAs demonstrated several general and specific characteristics. Gene Ontology classification revealed predicted target genes by vsiRNAs are involved in abroad range of cellular component, molecular function and biological processes. Taken together, for first time, our results certified the HLFPV infection in China and provide an insight into interaction between HLFPV and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.
Patterns of tobacco and alcohol misuse among presumptive TB Patients in Myanmar: prevalence and sociodemographic associations

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of tobacco and alcohol use and the associations with socio-demographic variables among presumptive TB patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 397 presumptive TB patients in a tertiary hospital in Myanmar. Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) questionnaire and AUDIT-C were used to measure daily tobacco use (single, any or dual use of smoked and smokeless tobacco) and harmful alcohol use, respectively. Multiple and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine the associations with socio-demographic factors. The prevalence of daily use of dual tobacco and any tobacco was 28.2% and 65.7%, respectively. Harmful alcohol use was also high (44.8%). While single use of daily tobacco and harmful alcohol was 28.2% and 7.3%, respectively, concurrent tobacco and alcohol use was 37.5%. While being male and having low education were associated with tobacco use, concurrent tobacco and harmful alcohol use were associated with male gender, low education, and occupation with the government or a company. Due to the high prevalence of tobacco and alcohol misuse, identifying those at risk of tobacco and alcohol misuse and providing integrated care services in a health facility should be considered as a joint activity in national TB and tobacco control programmes.
Digital quantum simulation framework for energy transport in an open quantum system

Quantum effects such as the environment assisted quantum transport (ENAQT) displayed in photosynthetic Fenna–Mathews–Olson (FMO) complex has been simulated on analog quantum simulators. Digital quantum simulations offer greater universality and flexibility over analog simulations. However, digital quantum simulations of open quantum systems face a theoretical challenge; one does not know the solutions of the continuous time master equation for developing quantum gate operators. We give a theoretical framework for digital quantum simulation of ENAQT by introducing new quantum evolution operators. We develop the dynamical equation for the operators and prove that it is an analytical solution of the master equation. As an example, using the dynamical equations, we simulate the FMO complex in the digital setting, reproducing theoretical and experimental evidence of the dynamics. The framework gives an optimal method for quantum circuit implementation, giving a log reduction in complexity over known methods. The generic framework can be extrapolated to study other open quantum systems.
Preferential solvation of some sulfonamides in 1,4-dioxane + water co-solvent mixtures at 298.15 K according to the inverse Kirkwood-Buff integrals method

The preferential solvation parameters, that is, the difference between the local and bulk mole fractions of the solvents in solutions of some structurally related sulfonamides in 1,4-dioxane + water binary mixtures are derived from their thermodynamic properties by means of the inverse Kirkwood-Buff integrals method. From solvent effect studies, it was found that all the sulfonamides considered were very sensitive to solvation effects, so the preferential solvation parameter, δx D,S , was negative in water-rich and 1,4-dioxane-rich mixtures but positive in intermediate cosolvent compositions. It may be possible that in water-rich mixtures the hydrophobic hydration around the non-polar groups plays a relevant role in the solvation. The greater solvation by 1,4-dioxane in mixtures of similar co-solvent compositions could be due mainly to polarity effects. Finally, the preference of these drugs for water in 1,4-dioxanerich mixtures could be explained in terms of the acidic behavior of water interacting with the hydrogen-acceptor groups in the sulfonamides.
Dry matter production and light interception of crop surfaces

The growth curves of closed grassland swards obtained during the growing seasons of six successive years were compared with each other and with theoretical growth rates calculated by de Wit's method and based on the mean light energy input data for the same years. The form of the growth curve consisted of a period with a constant rate, lasting for 6–7 weeks in May-June, then rapidly shortening to 3 weeks in August-September, after which there was a rather abrupt change to zero values. A comparison with theoretical values showed that a period of constant growth rate was possible, because the promoting influence of increasing LAI counteracted the effect of increasing respiration. Before the longest day this period was lengthened by an increasing daylength; thereafter the reverse was found. There is no ready explanation for the sudden decline to zero values. This is thought to be associated with changes in the rate of photosynthesis.
CD4+ T cell activation and concomitant mTOR metabolic inhibition can ablate microbiota-specific memory cells and prevent colitis

Activation by multi-epitope peptide plus mTOR inhibition depletes flagellin-reactive CD4+ T cells and prevents intestinal inflammation. Eradicating microbiota-reactive effector T cells Dysfunctional CD4+ T cell responses to gut microbiota antigens are the prime driver of inflammatory bowel disease. Patients with Crohn’s disease often exhibit both antibody and T cell responses targeting antigens from gut bacteria, especially flagellins. Zhao et al. developed a two-pronged strategy to weed out flagellin-reactive CD4+ T cells. Combined treatment using a metabolic inhibitor blocking the mTOR complex and induced T cell activation with an engineered peptide including flagellin epitopes achieved ablation of memory T cells in mouse models of colitis. The same combined approach also enabled purging of pathogenic T cells found in the blood of patients with Crohn’s disease. These findings support moving this line of investigation into human trials aimed at selective ablation of effector T cells causing Crohn’s disease. Microbiota-reactive CD4+ T memory (TM) cells are generated during intestinal infections and inflammation, and can revert to pathogenic CD4+ T effector (TE) cells, resulting in chronicity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Unlike TE cells, TM cells have a low rate of metabolism unless they are activated by reencountering cognate antigen. Here, we show that the combination of cell activation and metabolic checkpoint inhibition (CAMCI), by targeting key metabolic regulators mTORC and AMPK, resulted in cell death and anergy, but enhanced the induction of the regulatory subset. Parenteral application of this treatment with a synthetic peptide containing multiple flagellin T cell epitopes (MEP1) and metabolic inhibition successfully prevented the development of CD4+ T cell–driven colitis. Microbiota-specific CD4+ T cells, especially the pathogenic TE subsets, were decreased 10-fold in the intestinal lamina propria. Furthermore, using the CAMCI strategy, we were able to prevent antigen-specific TM cell formation upon initial antigen encounter, and ablate existing TM cells upon reactivation in mice, leading to an altered transcriptome in the remaining CD4+ T cells after ablation. Microbiota flagellin–specific CD4+ T cells from patients with Crohn’s disease were ablated in a similar manner after CAMCI in vitro, with half of the antigen-specific T cells undergoing cell death. These results indicate that parenteral activation of microbiota-specific CD4+ T cells with concomitant metabolic inhibition is an effective way to ablate pathogenic CD4+ TM cells and to induce T regulatory (Treg) cells that provide antigen-specific and bystander suppression, supporting a potential immunotherapy to prevent or ameliorate IBD.
The Comparison of Physical Fitness, Anthropometric Characteristics, and Visual Acuity of Goalball Players with Their Right Shot Performance

Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between physical fitness, anthropometric characteristics, visual acuity of athletes with visual impairments, and their right shot performance. Method: The participants of the study involved 34 male athletes with different visual acuities who participated in the 2015 Visually Impaired Schools Goalball Championship in Alanya, Turkey. The means of the participants’ age, body weight, height, and sport age were 14.95 ± 1.28 years, 52.06 ± 8.89 kilograms, 163.58 ± 10.39 centimeters, 02.39 ± 1.50 years, respectively. The participants’ physical fitness, body fat percentage, handgrip (right–left), and spine flexibility were measured. Upper and lower extremity lengths were obtained through anthropometric measurements, and the athletes’ right shot performance was calculated. To analyze the data, the Shapiro–Wilk test was used, and one-way analysis of variance and independent sample t-test were performed, because the data showed a normal distribution (p = .106). In addition, multivariate regression model analysis was utilized to investigate the relationship between all parameters and the athletes’ right shot performance. Results: A significant difference was found among the groups’ right shot performance (p = .03), specifically on behalf of the athletes with low vision. When the participants’ anthropometric features, physical fitness values, and their right shot performance were examined, a positive relationship was observed between their dominant (right) handgrip strength and right shot performance (stepwise method; p = .03, R2 = 0.14). However, no significant difference emerged between their anthropometric characteristics and right shot performance. Discussion: It is considered that visual acuity and upper extremity muscle strength are of vital importance in goalball. Implications for practitioners: Whereas the International Blind Sports Federation applies rules according to visual acuity to offer equal conditions for some areas of sport, in goalball such a rule does not exist. It is important to make a change in the regulations for competition groupings according to visual acuities in goalball like in other sports for individuals with visual impairments. More frequent workout oriented to upper extremity muscle strength during right shot performance is suggested in the training sessions.
What Drives the Gender Wage Gap? Examining the Roles of Sorting, Productivity Differences, Bargaining, and Discrimination

Abstract As in other OECD countries, women in New Zealand earn substantially less than men with similar observable characteristics. In this paper, we use fifteen years of linked employer-employee data to examine different explanations for this gender wage gap. We find an overall gender wage gap between 20% and 28%, of which gender differences in sorting across occupations explain 9%, across industries 16% to 19%, and across firms 5% to 9%, respectively. The remaining within-firm gender wage gap is still between 13% and 17%. Around 5 percentage points of this are explained by women being less willing to bargain or less successful at bargaining to capture firm-specific rents. Gender differences in productivity also explain at most 4.5 percentage points of this remaining gap. These results suggest that taste discrimination is also important for explaining why women are paid less than their relative contribution to firm output. Across-industry and over-time variation in the gender wage-productivity gap further support this conclusion.
The Therapeutic Process in Psychodynamic Therapy with Children with Different Capacities for Mentalizing

ABSTRACT Children’s mentalizing capacity may influence the therapeutic process in psychodynamic therapy. The literature points to the need to tailor the therapeutic intervention to the particular configuration of clinical and developmental problems presented by the children and recommends a shift in technique in the case of severely disturbed or traumatized patients with impaired mentalizing capacity. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic process in psychodynamic therapy with school-age children with different kinds of difficulties and mentalizing profiles. A longitudinal design based on the systematic case study method was adopted. Three children with different baseline mentalizing capacities and their psychotherapists participated. Two hundred seventy-three psychotherapy sessions were analyzed using the Child Psychotherapy Q-Set (CPQ) in order to identify the relationship patterns between patient and therapist. Different interaction structures were identified. When the child presented with a more developed mentalizing capacity at baseline, the treatment was more similar to a standard psychodynamic approach. When mentalization capacity was impaired, more directive, supportive and empathic interventions were observed. A child’s capacity for mentalization appears to impact the therapeutic process, with the adoption of certain therapeutic approaches and specific techniques depending on the child’s own baseline capacity to mentalize.
Learning From Refutation and Standard Expository Science Texts: The Contribution of Inhibitory Functions in Relation to Text Type

ABSTRACT Inhibition is thought to help suppress interference from misconceptions in science learning. Using a pre-, post-, and delayed posttest design, we examined the influence on learning from science texts of three inhibitory-related functions—prepotent response inhibition, resistance to distractor interference, and resistance to proactive interference. Children in the fourth and fifth grades (N = 110) read two texts, one about energy and one about the food chain. One of the texts was a standard expository text; the other was a refutation text. We found that, regardless of text type, students’ conceptual knowledge increased between pretest and posttest, a result retained at delayed posttest. Prepotent response inhibition uniquely predicted conceptual learning but only from refutation texts at both posttests after controlling for prior knowledge and reading comprehension skills. Inhibiting proactive interference also contributed to long-term conceptual learning but only in refutation text readers. These findings suggest that specific inhibitory functions play a role in learning from science texts depending on text structure.
Social capital and performance of SMEs: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and managerial capability

ABSTRACT This study proposes and investigates the argument that social capital–performance link is mediated by entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and that this mediated relationship is dependent upon the level of managerial capability (MC) present in a firm. The study uses a sample of 206 SMEs based in the sub-Saharan African economy. Mainly supporting conjectural predictions, the study indicates that EO intervenes the social capital (SC) effect on performance, with same effects uniquely strengthened according to the dimension of EO in question at higher levels of MC. The study expands our understanding of how the umpiring role of EO in the SC–performance link is contingent upon levels of MC present. Managers are, therefore, encouraged to strategically develop both EO and MC to enable them to effectively utilize and profit from the benefits SC has to offer.
Fingering instability in forward smolder combustion

We use numerical strategies to examine the linear and nonlinear stability of forward smolder waves in the framework of a simplified thermal–diffusive model, with the hydrodynamic effects completely filtered out. The configuration consists of a horizontal thin solid fuel, over which air blows in the same direction as the smolder front propagation. It is found that, in the absence of convective heat losses, the whole one-dimensional adiabatic solution branch is linearly stable; in contrast, when the convective heat loss effect is taken into account, fingering instability emerges provided the incoming air flow rate is within a narrow range near the one-dimensional extinction limit, a manifestation that is reminiscent of the familiar cellular instability occurring in the context of low-Lewis-number diffusion flames. Accordingly, the fingering instability herein identified in forward smolder combustion is purely thermal–diffusive in nature. Furthermore, a heuristic analysis by drawing an analogy with premixed flame suggests that the occurrence of such fingering instability is the joint consequence of the Lewis number effects and convective heat losses. It is proposed that a Hele–Shaw-type combustion channel may be adopted to experimentally reveal the fingering patterns predicted by current numerical simulations.
Are Foreign Residents of Japan Happy? Clues from a Local Government Survey

Since April 2019, Japan has recognized manual labor as a “specified skill” in new immigration policy. According to OECD statistics on the annual inflow of foreign population by country, Japan ranks fourth among OECD member states. In fact, Japan is a major immigrant destination, with 2.84 million foreign nationals living within its borders. Internationally, the level of happiness among immigrants is considered an important issue, and indeed the World Happiness Report has published a special feature on the topic. However, in Japan, no such surveys have been conducted, with the exception of studies on happiness among international students. The current study examines the level of happiness among immigrants to Japan and was conducted using micro data from the Foreign Nationals’ Opinion Survey conducted by City “T” in Japan. These data were used because no nationwide surveys of happiness among foreign residents in Japan have been conducted. Results of the regression analysis indicated that the ability to speak Japanese had a significantly positive effect on the level of happiness. They also indicate that those who had experienced the negative aspects of life in Japan—such as working for companies that violate labor laws (e.g., not paying overtime) and who had an unpleasant experience in their daily lives—had a low level of happiness. These results suggest the possibility that the image foreign nationals have of Japanese society may worsen, which in turn would lower their level of happiness and lead to their separation from Japanese society. Japan’s immigration policy thus requires an examination of happiness.