Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in radiation therapy staff and students’ perceptions of clinical teaching characteristics

Abstract Background: The clinical practicum provides an opportunity for students to apply and integrate classroom theory and clinical practice and competence effectively. In a teaching hospital, it is the responsibility of all staff to participate in clinical teaching and every interaction with a student constitutes a learning experience. The clinical teaching characteristics that are important to students and facilitate learning are not clearly defined in radiation therapy practice. Objective: To determine and compare the perceptions of the most and the least important clinical teaching characteristics as identified by radiation therapy staff and students. Methods: A self-administered, online questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was developed using clinical teaching characteristics identified in the literature and from Knox and Mogan’s Nursing Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Inventory. Participants were asked to rate on a 4-point, Likert-type scale the importance of the teaching characteristics with 1 being ‘not at all important’ and 4 being ‘very important’. Of the 150 questionnaires distributed, 49 radiation therapists and 10 students responded to the survey, constituting a 39% response rate. Results: There was generally a greater agreement between staff and students in terms of rating the least important teaching characteristics, being in the categories of interpersonal relationships and personality traits. Staff ranked characteristics in the category of Clinical Competence as most important, whereas the most important clinical teaching characteristics for students were dispersed amongst all categories. Conclusion: Radiation therapy staff and students place great emphasis on the demonstration of clinical competence in the teaching–learning process; clinical teachers should be made aware of and develop these characteristics, which ultimately assist in the student’s success.
The domus philosophy: A prospective evaluation of two residential units for the elderly mentally ill

This article reports the findings of a prospective study of the first year of operation of two residential domus units for elderly people with dementia (domus A) and chronic schizophrenia (domus B). Residents, staff and the process of care were assessed at baseline in long‐stay mental hospital wards, and at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after the move to a domus. At 12 months, both domuses were providing more policy choice, resident control, provision for privacy and availability of social and recreational activities than a baseline psychogeriatric ward. Residents' cognitive function improved steadily over the follow‐up period in both domuses, significantly so in domus A. There was also some improvement in residents' self‐care (ADL) skills at follow‐up in both domuses. Residents' communication skills were rated as significantly improved by staff in domus A at all follow‐up assessments, and by staff in domus B at 6 months. Compared to baseline, substantially higher levels of activities and interpersonal interactions were observed at follow‐up in both domuses. There was no evidence that staff suffered from low job satisfaction or psychological impairment at either domus.
The concentration and health risk assessment of nitrate in vegetables and fruits samples of Iran

Abstract This investigation was aimed to assess nitrate concentration and its health risk in vegetable and fruit samples collected from Iran. The mean nitrate level in samples ranged from 66.70 to 1072.60 mg kg−1. The nitrate concentration in samples including leek (1070.79 ± 404.22 mg k−1 (carrot (339.50 ± 400.84 mg k−1), and watermelon (90.00 ± 136.73 mg kg−1) was higher while in other samples, including potato (129.30 ± 86.51 mg kg−1), onion (82.25 ± 92.22 mg kg−1), tomato (110.93 ± 166.08 mg kg−1), lettuce (1072.60 ± 644.17 mg kg−1), and melon (66.70 ± 45.41 mg kg−1) were lower than the permissible limit. The EDI and target hazard quotient (THQ) of nitrate (2.25 mg/kg bw/day) was less than EDI value (3.70 mg/kg bw/day) and 1, respectively.
Labour cost implication of malaria and perception of cocoa farmers on its preventive measures in Ondo State, Nigeria

The study was executed to examine the cost implication of labour used by cocoa farmers during periods of incapacitation caused by malaria and to determine the perception of the farmers on malaria preventive methods. Descriptive statistics were used to classify farmers by days of incapacitation and the cost of labour for cocoa plantation management when farmers were absent from the cocoa plantation because of malaria. A five-point Likert scale was used to determine the perception of farmers on various malaria preventive methods. The sample frame for the study was derived from secondary data obtained from records of Ondo State Ministry of Health on registered cocoa farmers who had malaria during the production season in 2015. Multi-stage, systematic and purposive samplings were used to select 180 respondents. The variables measured include: Number of days of incapacitation, additional labour cost incurred during periods of incapacitation and malaria preventive methods. The mean days of incapacitation were 24 days. It was revealed that farmers incurred extra expenses on: Pruning, harvesting, spraying, pollination and general farm sanitation. Key words: Incapacitation, pruning, harvesting, spraying, pollination and five-point Likert scale.
The role of large macrofauna in mediating sediment erodibility across sedimentary habitats

Large macrofauna influence sediment erodibility via their activity and presence in the sediment. This article explores how the depletion of large animals from macrobenthic communities influences sediment erodibility across a natural grain size gradient of poorly sorted habitats within an estuary. We sampled seven sites in Mahurangi Harbour, New Zealand, to investigate how heterogeneity within and among these habitats influences sediment stability. We depleted the large macrofauna in the sediment to determine how changes in community structure will affect ecosystem functioning in the context of sediment stability. A core‐based erosion device (EROMES) was used to measure three different parameters associated with sediment resuspension potential: surface erosion threshold (τ c; N m−2); erosion rate (ER; g m−2 s−1); and the subsurface erosion constant (m e; g N−1 s−1). Multiple regression models were developed for each parameter to identify important drivers of change. Sediment grain size, as a proxy for habitat type, explained 53% of the total variation in both the early surface erosion measures, τ c and ER. Once the surface layers had been eroded, m e was best defined by a site‐specific combination of biological, chemical, and physical variables that explained 40% of the subsurface erosion. Our results demonstrate that at all sites reducing the abundance of large animals within the macrofaunal community contributed to substantial impacts on erosion and thus ecosystem functioning associated with sediment composition and water clarity.
The itch-scratch reflex generates protective immunity

Itch: its complex neurobiology, its exquisite evolutionary conservation, and even the undeniably euphoric sensation of the scratch it evokes, are all suggestive of a productive physiological function. Nevertheless, we still struggle to answer (or altogether overlook) the basic question of why we itch in the first place. Here, we propose a simple hypothesis: the purpose of itch sensation is to evoke scratching behavior, which in turn boosts protective immunity against the broad range of pathogenic challenges that enter at the skin. We propose that the key function of itch induced scratching is to physically disrupt the skin, serving as a “mechanical adjuvant” that amplifies and directs immune responses to the precise site of potential pathogen entry. As proof of principle, we show that the potent adjuvanticity of itch inducing Compound 48/80 is dependent on this agent’s ability to elicit scratching behavior.
Investigating fish migration, mortality, and physiology to improve conservation planning of anadromous salmonids: a case study on the endangered North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus)

Understanding migratory behavior, mortality, and physiology is essential for conservation of many species, particularly anadromous fish. In this study, freshwater and marine migrations of the endangered salmonid North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus (Linnaeus, 1758)) were investigated using telemetry. Furthermore, physiological samples were collected from North Sea houting and from resident and anadromous populations of the closely related European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758)) to compare hypo-osmotic tolerances. On average, North Sea houting spent 193 days at sea where the mortality was 36%. Most fish returned from sea in the autumn, and river entry correlated inversely with river temperature and positively with discharge. Fish spent an average of 49 days in the estuarine area. Artificial lakes negatively affected migration speeds. Migration speeds did not differ consistently between individuals (i.e., not a repeatable trait) but correlated positively with water temperature. Fish arrived at spawning areas in November. In the post-spawning state, Na+/K+-ATPase activities were elevated in North Sea houting and anadromous whitefish compared with resident whitefish, while osmolality was elevated only in North Sea houting. Our study provides important information for conservation planning related to the Habitat Directive of the European Union that lists the North Sea houting as critically endangered.
Emersion and Terrestrial Locomotion of the Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) on Multiple Substrates

Synopsis Most fishes known for terrestrial locomotion are small and/or elongate. Northern snakeheads (Channa argus) are large, air-breathing piscivores anecdotally known for terrestrial behaviors. Our goals were to determine their environmental motivations for emersion, describe their terrestrial kinematics for fish 3.0–70.0 cm and compare kinematics among four substrates. For emersion experiments, C. argus was individually placed into aquatic containers with ramps extending through the surface of the water, and exposed to 15 ecologically-relevant environmental conditions. For kinematic experiments, fish were filmed moving on moist bench liner, grass, artificial turf, and a flat or tilted rubber boat deck. Videos were digitized for analysis in MATLAB and electromyography was used to measure muscular activity. Only the low pH (4.8), high salinity (30 ppt), and high dCO2 (10% seltzer solution) treatments elicited emersion responses. While extreme, these conditions do occur in some of their native Asian swamps. Northern snakeheads >4.5 cm used a unique form of axial-appendage-based terrestrial locomotion involving cyclic oscillations of the axial body, paired with near-simultaneous movements of both pectoral fins. Individuals ≤3.5 cm used tail-flip jumps to travel on land. Northern snakeheads also moved more quickly on complex, three-dimensional substrates (e.g., grass) than on smooth substrates (e.g., bench liner), and when moving downslope. Release of snakeheads onto land by humans or accidentally by predators may be more common than voluntary emersion, but because northern snakeheads can respire air, it may be necessary to factor in the ability to spread overland into the management of this invasive species.
Analysis of genetic diversity and spatial structure in Tunisian populations of Hordeum marinum ssp. marinum based on molecular markers

Abstract Hordeum marinum commonly known as sea barley is a salinity-tolerant species of grass. In the current study, 150 lines from ten populations of H. marinum ssp. marinum collected from five Tunisian bioclimatic sites were screened for polymorphism with 13 selected random amplified polymorphic DNA primers. Results exhibited a high level of polymorphism (160 polymorphic bands with an average of 12.46 per primer) and a high level of genetic diversity in all the studied populations (on average UHe = 0.247 and I = 0.358). High discrimination capacity was found for the 13 primers and a combination of three allowed assignation of a unique profile for each of the 150 lines. The partition of genetic diversity with Analysis of Molecular Variance suggested that the majority of genetic variation (67%) was within populations. The components between-populations within ecoregions and between-ecoregions explained 21 and 12%, respectively, of the total genetic variance. There was no significant association of population differentiation (ФPT) with geographical distance or altitudinal difference. Results also showed that the 150 lines grouped into three clusters with no respect to geographic origin. A sub-set of 13 lines was identified, which captured the maximum genetic diversity of the entire collection. The genetic variation found in this collection of H. marinum is deemed to be useful in formulating conservation strategies for this species.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis C Infection (HCV) in Birjand, Iran, 2014

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important global concern, with a frequency of 3% (i.e., 170 million of the population has HCV-Ab). Additionally, 50% of HCV and 80% of transfusion transmitted infections (TTI) are chronic. In 20% of cases, HCV occurs as an acute infection, and in the remaining 80% of cases, it becomes chronic. In chronic patients, risk of cirrhosis is up to 44%, risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is 13%, and risk of mortality is 14%. As there is no vaccine available for the virus yet, and since most of the cases are asymptomatic, attention to the epidemiology of the disease among the population is a pressing concern. Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HCV in Birjand city. Patients and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 5,235 people who live in Birjand city were selected; after gaining permission for the study, a signed consent form was obtained from each patient. Prevalence of HCV was determined by ELISA test, and positive cases underwent Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyping for confirmation. Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.7 ± 14.4. Among them, 52.2% were female and 29.9% had university degrees. Prevalence of HCV-Ab+ was about 0.2% with ELISA, and 0.14% of entire group were confirmed by PCR. No significant relationship was found for age, sex, and education (P > 0.05). Also, there was no significant relationship found with risk factors such as endoscopy, blood transfusion, surgery, hospitalization, phlebotomy, and alcohol drinking (P > 0.05). HCV-Ab was 200 times more prevalent in IV-drug abusers compared to non-addicted people. Also, the prevalence of HCV-Ab in non-IV-drug abuser addicts was 9.3 times higher than in non-addict patients. Prevalence of HCV-Ab in patients who reported illicit sexual activities was 13.3 times higher. In patients with a familial history of HCV, infection was 26.3 times more prevalent than in patients with no familial history (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In this study, the prevalence of HCV was 0.2%, which is lower than the mean prevalence in Iran (1%). Prevalence of HCV had a significant relationship with IV-drug abuse.
Essential Metabolic Routes as a Way to ESKAPE From Antibiotic Resistance

The antibiotic resistance is a worldwide concern and that requires a concerted action from physicians, patients, governmental agencies and academia to prevent infections and the spread of resistance, to track resistant bacteria, to improve the use of current antibiotics and to develop new antibiotics. Despite the efforts spent so far, the current antibiotics in the market are restricted to only five general targets/pathways highlighting the need for basic research focusing on the discovery and evaluation of new potential targets. Here we interrogate two biosynthetic pathways as potentially druggable pathways in bacteria. The biosynthesis pathway for thiamine (vitamin B1), absent in humans, but found in many bacteria, including pathogenic organism in the group of the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species) and the biosynthesis pathway for pyridoxal 5’-phosphate and its vitamers (vitamin B6), found in S. aureus. Using current genomic data, we discuss the possibilities of inhibition of enzymes in the pathway and review the current state of the art in the scientific literature.
Influence of varying preservation methods on the shelf-life and proximate composition of Pleurotus plumonarius (Fr) Quel cultivated on Andropogon gayanus substrate

The objective of the work was to evaluate the influence of preservation methods on the storability and proximate composition of Pleurotus pulmonarius. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Freshly harvested mushrooms grown on Andropogon gayanus substrate and analyzed for its proximate composition were divided into four portions: sun dried (SD), oven dried (OV), blanched and stored directly in citric acid solution at varying concentrations (conc.). The microbial load count of the preserved samples and sensory evaluation carried out were significant (P<0.05) with sun and oven dried samples most preserved followed by blanched samples stored in citric acid solutions, with 0.5% conc. taking the lead. The proximate results showed that the protein, fat, and ash contents of mushroom preserved in citric acid solution decreased while sun and oven dried samples increased significantly with increase in fibre and carbohydrate. The result of the sensory evaluation on colour, texture and flavour showed that blanched sample stored in 0.5% citric acid solution was most preferred for colour, odour and texture.
Factors Affecting the Health Condition of Spruce Forests in Central European Mountains-Study Based on MultitemporalRapidEye Satellite Images

Spruce stands in the mountains of Central Europe are particularly valuable, not only because of their natural and scenic values but also because of their role in the protection of watersheds and soil. Over the past decades, these stands were frequently exposed to massive deforestation caused by various biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors. The current health condition of spruce stands in the Eastern Sudetes shows that the next phase of deterioration of these stands has begun. Bearing in mind past experiences and the current situation in these mountain areas, it is particularly important to understand the processes and factors that may short-term (2012–2016) spruce health analyses based on the normalized difference red-edge index and RapidEye satellite imagery, which is being delivered annually. Aided by remote sensing data and Boosted Regression Trees, it was possible to determine the topographic and tree stand features having the greatest impact on the vitality of spruce in all analyzed areas during 2012–2016. As the results show, the highest impact on the value of the normalized difference red-edge index indicator comes from a height above sea level, age of stands, terrain slopes, and exposure. In various areas, these factors may affect the vitality of spruce to varying degrees but not always in the same way. Our models accurately explained 74–81% of the randomly selected input data (predicted 72–80% of the excluded data) for site A, 50–58% for site B (48–57% for tested data) and 54–70% for site C (52–69% for excluded data).
Comparing the plant–herbivore network topology of different insect guilds in Neotropical savannas

1. Herbivorous insects can be classified into several trophic guilds with different levels of specialisation on their host plants, which may influence the topological structure of their trophic networks. The present study tested the hypothesis that the structure of plant–herbivore networks differs between guilds of galling, sucking, and chewing insects.
Análise eco-epidemiológica da leishmaniose tegumentar americana em uma área endêmica da microrregião de Caratinga, Minas Gerais (Brasil), submetida a ensaio comunitário com vacina antilta.

Leishmaniose Tegumentar Americana (LTA) e uma doenca de transmissao complexa de impacto psico-social e em saude publica, como alta morbilidade e letalidade decorrente a texicidade ao tratamento. Objeticou-se caracterizar aspectos eco-epidemiologicos da doenca e a distribuicao espaco temporal dos casos, analisar os fatores ambientais e realizar pesquisa qualitativa das especies de flobotomineos. Trabalhou-se nos municipios da microrregiao de Caratinga: Bom Jesus do Galho, Caratinga, Corrego Novo, Entre Folhas e Ubaporanga. Foram pre selecionadas cinco areas rurais em cada municipio baseando-se em analise retrospectiva dos casos entre 2001-2002 para obtencao de dados demograficos e clinicos. Posteriormente, estas areas foram submetidas ao ensaio comunitario com vacina antiLTA. Os resultados demonstraram carater ciclico da LTA proximo de seis anos, perfil de transmissao peridomiciliar, predominante em homens e agricultores. A forma clinica prevalente foi a cutânea, sendo as extremidades do corpo as mais afetadas (51%). Quanto a categorizacao do uso do solo houve predominância de pastagens (66%), reflorestamentos (14%), capoeiras (11%) e baixo indice de remanescentes de mata natural (0,5%). Da populacao recenseada (9.600 pessoas) compuseram-se quatro grupos: os elegiveis ao ensaio (IDRM negativo 85,5%) que receberam vacina antiLTA ou placebo; os imunes (IDRM positiva 4%); doentes (ferida ativa ou cicatriz 2,9%) e os com criterios de exclusao (0,4%). Nas pesquisas entomologicas a especie mais frequente foi a Lutzomyia intermedia