Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical efficacy and safety of single cycle rituximab as induction therapy for aggressive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in a resource limited center: a preliminary study

Aim: To analyse the efficacy of single dose rituximab (RTX) as induction therapy followed by conventional oral steroid-sparing agents (azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil or methotrexate) in a cohort of patients with aggressive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) without CD19, 20 and 27 biomarker testing. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes in eight patients with aggressive NMOSD treated with one course of RTX induction therapy in the Neurology Department at Kuala Lumpur Hospital from 2005 to 2018 was performed. The effectiveness of the treatment was determined by the number of relapses, expanded disability status scale, annualized relapsed rates, and modified Rankin Scale both before and after treatment. B cell enumeration testing was done instead of CD19, 20 and 27 biomarker testing. Results: There was a reduction in the mean annualized relapse rate from 4.7 to 0.5 attacks per year after treatment (P = 0.011). Mean expanded disability status scale and modified Rankin Scale values improved from 5.4 to 3.6 (P = 0.018) and 3.6 to 2.6 (P = 0.023), respectively. No patient developed any adverse effect. Conclusion: Single-course RTX induction therapy regime may be an alternative therapeutic option in resource limited hospitals to suppress NMOSD disease activity in the short term as pulse induction therapy whilst awaiting the effectiveness of conventional steroid-sparing agents. Further prospectively designed studies are required to prove efficacy. Original Article Page 312 Ong et al. Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2020;7:311-8 I http://dx.doi. org/10.20517/2347-8659.2020. 05
A Retrospective Analysis of Operative Outcome of Appendectomy

Objectives: 1) To correlate the different diagnostic features of Acute Appendicitis (AA) 2) To correlate different intra-operative findings during appendectomy and to analyze the operative outcome in the follow-up period. Background: Appendicitis is the most common surgical disease with appendectomy being the traditional treatment of choice. Different operative procedures exist for appendectomy. Methods: This is a retrospective study done between January 2018 till June 2019 in a tertiary care hospital of Central India. A total of 634 operative patients were analyzed with AA as diagnosis. Choice of appendectomy, whether laparoscopic or open, was based on clinical judgement of operating surgeon. Data was analyzed with of Open Epi version 2.3 and p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 634 patients, 418 and 216 were operated via open and laparoscopic approach respectively. Most common symptom was pain in right iliac fossa (94.63%). 18.18% had perforation while 26.38% had inflamed appendix. Histopathological assessment showed that 8.3% and 2.87% had suppurative and gangrenous appendicitis respectively. 23.82% of the open cases reported with surgical site infection (SSI). No SSI was reported in the laparoscopic group. Post-op duration for open and laparoscopic appendectomy was 4.91 ± 0.86 and 2.98 ± 0.76 (p-value = 0.04150) and was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Open appendectomy is considered safe and effective but associated with complications such as ileus, intestinal obstruction, wound sepsis etc. Laparoscopic appendectomy with high accuracy and low complication rate has emerged as the modus operandi for treatment of AA.
The Impact of Supply Chain Social Capital on Market Orientation: The Buyer Perspective

Developing the strength of social ties between buying and supplying organizations is increasingly cited as a critical differentiator of high and low performers in global supply chains. While the creation of relational capital within an organization is a relatively well-identified concept in organizational research, comparatively little research exists on the bonding and bridging social ties that create relational value in supply chains. In our research, we extend theoretical models of group social conduits into this context and develop a model that posits the impact of social capital on the reactive and proactive market orientation between buyers and suppliers. Results from our study of 114 technology-based companies in Malaysia suggest that formal social capital are important in the creation of relational capital, which in turn can lead to improving market orientation eventually supplier relationship outcomes. Formal bridging social capital conduits appear to play a lesser role in deriving these benefits.
The minimum wage as a wage equality policy: Evidence from North Macedonia

The paper aims to investigate if the minimum wage increase of September 2017 resulted in better wage equality in North Macedonia. The increase of 19% was sizable and included levelling up in the three sectors with a lower minimum wage: textiles, apparel, and leather. We extend the ? cell? approach of Card (1992a) and rely on data from the Labour Force Survey 2017 and 2018. The results suggest that the 2017 increase in the minimum wage had a positive, significant, and robust effect on wages. However, the wage increases were almost entirely positioned on the left side of the wage distribution and implied wage compression up to or around the minimum wage. The bunching around the new minimum wage level ? equalised? workers: those who previously earned the new minimum wage level equalised with the less productive workers who approximated their wage only by the power of the law. Hence, wage equality improved. The results confirm that the minimum wage can be an important wage equality policy, with considerably limited upward spillover effects in the current policy and institutional setup.
Antimicrobial activity of several Brazilian medicinal plants against phytopathogenic bacteria

What is currently raised as a new approach in the management of plant diseases is the development and formulation of plant based biopesticides. The objective of present study is to evaluate the antibacterial activity of aqueous extracts of twelve species belonging to seven families collected from the Northeast of Brazil against four economically important phytopathogenic bacteria. Antibacterial activities of the aqueous extracts were studied by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Twelve aqueous extracts of twelve species were evaluated. Only three extracts were not active against Ralstonia solanacearum and other three extracts were not active against Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil, Croton pedicellatus and Eugenia brejoensis presented a broad spectrum of the inhibitory effect (MIC 3.12 to 12.5 mg/mL). According to these results, we conclude that the flora in the northeast of Brazil can be regarded as a rich source of plants with antibacterial activity. Therefore, further screening of other plant species, identifying active fractions or metabolites and in vivo application of active extracts are warranted. Key words: Caatinga, Atlantic Forest, antibacterial activity, aqueous extract, anti-phytopathogenic activity.
2018 Climate-enhanced multi-species Stock Assessment for walleye pollock, Pacific cod, and arrowtooth flounder in the Eastern Bering Sea

• Results from model runs show that pollock spawning biomass remains slightly above average and is similar to 2015 estimates; there is was a slight decrease in estimates of 2018 spawning biomass for pollock relative to last year. While, last year’s model projected upward trends in total biomass, this year’s model (with updated 2018 survey and fishery data) indictes a downward trend in total pollock biomass, with recent declines placing total biomass slightly below the 1979-2015 average.
The enigma of Eucalyptus grandis (Rose Gum)/rainforest ecotones in the Australian Wet Tropics – the plot thickens

Australian tall eucalypt forests have been the subject of awe and admiration since early colonial days. In the Wet Tropics of North Queensland, such forest occurs in transitional or ecotonal patches between rainforests and open woodland savannas. Rainforest species are commonly interpreted to be encroaching into the understorey of these tall eucalypt forests, namely those with statuesque Rose Gum (Eucalyptus grandis) dominants. This has led to concerns for the long term persistence of E. grandis forests, and ongoing debates over their need for active fire management. In this essay, I highlight the enigmatic ecology of these ecotonal forest habitats, and make the case that the management of these habitats should be grounded in ecological principles within a broader perspective of patterns in global vegetation
Compression capacity of short cold-formed steel built-up columns with double-lacing configuration and low sectional compactness

Built-up columns composed of multiple cold-formed steel (CFS) sections are often used as structural members to carry the high axial force demand as they are considered as economical and efficient. Though built-up CFS columns with intermediate lacing plates are widely adopted in the practice, very limited studies have been conducted in the past to investigate their performance under various loading conditions. This study presents an experimental investigation on the built-up CFS column specimens with double-lacing configuration and large flat width-tothickness ratio. Pin-ended support conditions allowing uniaxial bending are adopted in this study. The main parameters varied in this study are the sectional compactness of chord sections, the column slenderness ratio, and the slenderness ratio of lacing elements. The slenderness ratio of the unbraced chord elements is kept constant in all test specimens. The design strengths of builtup CFS columns are computed using North American and Eurocode specifications for CFS structures for the comparison the test results. The design strength predictions of both these standards are found to be conservative.
Using short stories vs. video clips to improve upper intermediate EFL students’ sociopragmatic knowledge: Speech acts in focus

Abstract To formulate appropriate speech acts necessitates the use of specific pragmatic and sociolinguistic skills which play a pivotal role in the knowledge of scripts and patterns of communicative events. Such an ability is influenced by the contextual and social variables that determine the linguistic resources required for choosing particular types of speech acts. Framed in speech act and sociopragmatic theories, this study sought to investigate the effect of using short stories vs. Video clips on the improvement of foreign language students’ oral production of English speech acts. To this end, from the target sample of students learning English at Isfahan University Language Center, those at the upper intermediate level were selected using a Quick Oxford Placement Test (QOPT). At the next step, the samples were randomly divided into three groups, twenty-five each and then they were assigned to one control and two experimental groups. The treatment included direct instruction of most commonly used speech acts across different cultures including disagreement, request, refusal, apology, and thanking through the application of carefully chosen short stories and video clips. While one of the experimental groups received their instruction through short stories, the other was exposed to video clips. Before and after the treatment, Two Discourse Completion Tests (DCT) were used as pre and posttests whereby the participants were encouraged to produce the targeted speech acts in specific but contrived real life contexts. The quantitative analyses of the data revealed that the students in the treatment groups significantly outperformed those of the control group in producing the target speech acts orally. Moreover, the students exposed to video mediated instruction displayed better oral production of speech acts than those receiving their instruction through short stories. Notably, the findings could offer practical benefits to those language teachers and curriculum developers who are concerned with finding the best ways of raising language learners’ consciousness about sociopragmatic related issues.
Epidemiologic survey and analysis on echinococcosis in humans and animals from 1995 to 2005 in Qinghai province

The prevalence of echinococcosis in humans and animals from 1995 to 2005 in Qinghai province was studied by means of Bu-ELISA, EM_ 18 -ELISA, B-ultrasound and X-ray examinations and evaluated for these two human echinococcosis.Meanwhile, the parasitological and anatomical methods were used for the survey of echinococcosis in animals. The results showed that the serum positive rate and infection rate in female population were higher than those in males (14.41% vs 4.81% and 10.22% vs 3.25%) and these rates increased with the increase of age, with the highest serum positive rate and infection rate in herdsmen and lama (17.73%,9.33% and 18.56%,10.0%). The serum positive rate and infection rate of these two hydatid diseases of humans and animals in Qinghai southern plateau were higher than those in Qilian mountain and Caidamu basin in Qinghai province.In Qinghai province there existed 3 species of echinococcus including Echinococcus granulosus, E.multilocularis and E.shiquicus, of which E.granulosus was proved to be the most important epidemiological species of echinococcosis.It is concluded that the life cycle of echinococcus prevalent in Qinghai province is rather complicated, in which the domestic and wild animals all participate this complex course of life cycle.
Monitoring of some Pathogenic bacteria in Nile fish

The present study was designed to monitor the incidence of pathogenic bacteria in Nile fish. A grand total of ninty random samples of fresh Nile fish Oreochromis Niloticus (Nile tilapia) , Clarias Gariepinus (African catfish) and Cyprinus Carpio (Common carp) (30 samples of each) were randomly and periodically collected from different markets in El Gharbia governorate, Egypt, then packaged and marked individually in polyethylene bags. These collected samples were bacteriologically and serologically examined. we fond that the Incidence of E . coli isolated from the examined fish samples were (21)70%. (10)33.3% and(22073.3% from Nile tilapia,African catfish and Common carp respectively, they were serotype as O84, O26 O128, O17 and O119. S.areas was (8)26.6%,(18)60% and(20)66.6%from the examined Nile tilapia,African catfish and Common carp.Salmonella failed to be detected in any of the examined fish samples. Aeromonas was isolated from(24)80%,(30)100% and (28)93.3%. while Psedomonas was (28)93.35,(30)100% and(16)53.3%from the examined Nile tilapia,African catfish and Common carp respectively.It was conclouded that Nile fish contaminated with many food poisoning bacteria.
A Sociolinguistics Study of Colors Used in Colloquial Jordanian Arabic

Based on a sociolinguistic perspective, the present study aims at shedding light on gender differences in colornaming system in Colloquial Jordanian Arabic (henceforth CJA). Though the connotations of colors have been examined from semantic, pragmatic and psychological viewpoints, this study tackles the phenomenon from a sociolinguistic view in CJA. The participants of the study were 80 young Jordanians (40 women and 40 men). The participants were given the color spectrum wheel (**) and were asked to write down the names of the colors they can perceive and distinguish in Arabic. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the Linguistic Relativity Theory, in particular the Domain-Centered Approach. The study concludes that there are gender differences in the color naming system in CJA, as young Jordanian women employ more color names than young men do. In addition, young women associate the names of terms with socially familiarized objects such as fruits, vegetables and sweets in order to distinguish between them.
Clinicopathological presentation of patients with prostate cancer at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common type of cancer in men and is of major public health importance worldwide. This study aimed to establish the clinicopathological presentation and its impression in disease progression like to Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) of patients treated for Prostate Cancer at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam.This was a retrospective descriptive hospital based study at Muhimbili National Hospital. Patients who were treated for prostate cancer were identified. Information regarding primary prostatic cancer treatment, clinical disease progression symptoms, and age of the patients were collected. A total of 293 case notes were reviewed of which 189 patients who were treated for prostatic carcinoma with androgen deprivation, 96(50.8%) met the criteria for the diagnoses of Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) and their mean age was 71.23±4.2. About half of our patients 146(49.7%) presented with history of urine retention necessitating urethral catheterization but also patients had hard, nodulated, grade three prostate though 48.2% had missing documentation of Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) findings. Most of the patients had a poorly differentiated histology with PSA over 100ng/l. Almost all patients had a clinical progression signifying a metastatic disease. Majority of patients presented with symptomatic prostate cancer contrary to the natural history of prostate cancer at its early stage. Urine retention and hard nodulated grade three prostate were the commonest clinical presentation whereas poorly differentiated carcinoma of the prostate was a common pathological finding among patients with prostate cancer MNH in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS AND HYDROCARBONS IN RHIZOPHORA MANGLE CALLINECTES SAPIDUS, & SEDIMENT IN QUA-IBOE RIVER, AKWA IBOM STATE NIGERIA

The assessment of heavy metals and hydrocarbon contents in mangrove swamp flora and fauna in Qua-Iboe River was investigated. The sediment, Callinectes Sapidus and Rhizophora mangle in the study area were analysed for Pb, Cd, Hg, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and total hydrocarbon content (THC) in wet and dry season. Results showed that, among the metals investigated, Pb had the highest concentration in all the samples for both wet and dry seasons, ranging from 0.002 – 2.344mg/kg. THC showed a higher concentration than TPH in all the samples, ranging from 492.41 to 794,931.81 mg/kg while TPH ranged from 175.97 – 129204.54 mg/kg. Generally, pollutant concentrations were higher in the dry season than wet season and the bioaccumulative behavior of HM in the samples followed the order: sediment > Rhizophora mangle > callinectes sapidus while hydrocarbon bioaccumulation followed the order: Rhizophora mangle > callinectes sapidus > sediment. The concentration of Pb and hydrocarbon in the samples analysed were found to exceed the WHO and FEnv permissible limit, posing an environmental risk to aquatic flora and fauna.
Ethics of Biohybrid Robotic Jellyfish Modification and Invertebrate Research

1 Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA 2 Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA 3 Department of Philosophy, School of Humanities & Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA 4 Center for Biomedical Ethics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA 5 Meta-Research Innovation Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA 6 Department of Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS OF SESAME (Sesamum indicum L.) PRODUCTION IN DUTSIN-MA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the profitability of sesame ( Sesamum indicum L.) production in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area. (LGA) Multistage stage sampling procedure was used to select100 sesame producers from which the data was obtained with the use of questionnaire and analyzed using Descriptive Statistics, Farm Budgeting Technique and Multiple Regression Model. The average age of the farmers was 48 years and majority (51%) of them had formal education. They cultivated an average of 1.57 hectares.The average variable, fixed and total costs of production they incurred were ₦40,507.52, ₦19,528.54 and ₦60,036.06per hectare respectively. The average revenue, gross margin and net farm income they obtained were ₦184,701.98/ha, ₦144,194.46/ha and ₦124,665.92/ha respectively.The sesame producers realized ₦2.08as an average rate of return on investment. Some of the factors that significantly influenced the farmers’ profitability include age, household size and farm size. Inadequate capital, difficulty in obtaining loan, shortage supply of improved inputs and price fluctuation were among the critical constraints militating against sesame production in the area. It is recommended that the farmers should organize themselves into cooperative societies, have access to loan that is free from interest rate, provided with affordable improved inputs and guaranteed minimum price (price control).
Aqueous Extract of Human Placenta as a Therapeutic Agent

Traditional folk medicine makes good use of the flora and fauna of a region, including a number of mineral substances. These herbs and animals are used either whole or in part and made up in either simple or complicated preparations and have proved to be effective therapeutic remedies. Some of these medicinal substances of animal origin have been quite thoroughly studied with modern scientific methods, and their therapeutic properties have been confirmed although not always explained. Many others have yet to be subjected to scientific analysis and tests before their real value can be judged. Products of animal origin despite of their therapeutic values have been banned in many countries for the sake of sustainable development in addition to safeguard ecological balance.
Quantum holonomy theory and hilbert space representations

We present a new formulation of quantum holonomy theory, which is a candidate for a non‐perturbative and background independent theory of quantum gravity coupled to matter and gauge degrees of freedom. The new formulation is based on a Hilbert space representation of the QHD(M) algebra, which is generated by holonomy‐diffeomorphisms on a 3‐dimensional manifold and by canonical translation operators on the underlying configuration space over which the holonomy‐diffeomorphisms form a non‐commutative C* ‐algebra. A proof that the state that generates the representation exist is left for later publications.
Exchange Rates and Endogenous Productivity

Real exchange rates (RERs) display sizable uctuations not only over the business cycle, but also at lower frequencies, resulting in large and persistent swings over decades|facts that many business cycle models struggle to match. We propose an international macroeconomics model with endogenous productivity to rationalize these facts. In the model, endogenous growth amplifies stationary uctuations generating persistent productivity differences between countries that trigger low-frequency cycles in the RER. The estimated model effortlessly replicates the empirical spectrum, autocorrelation, and half-life of the RER. In addition, we document that low frequency movements in aggregate trade ows are crucial to discipline the RER cycles. Finally, we validate the model-implied co-movement between relative prices and technology differentials using a panel of cross industry-country data on patent and industry prices.