Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Oesophageal Varices in Newly Diagnosed Chronic Liver Disease Patients at The Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos

Background : Variceal bleeding is an important complication of portal hypertension and a major cause of death in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) world wide. This study was carried out to document the occurrence of oesophageal varices and its clinical correlates among 80 Nigerian patients with CLD. Patients and Methods: Eighty patients with CLD were stratified into three groups based on Child- Turcotte- pugh's classification for severity of CLD in a one year study. They had upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to detect and characterize varices. Results : Sixty (75%) of the patients had oesophageal varices at endoscopy with 88.3% having grade 2 or 3 varices while 73.3% had moderate/large varices. Thirty five percent of the varices had “red signs” with “red whale” markings as the predominant red sign. Gastric varices were seen in 12.5%. Variceal size was significantly associated with severity of liver disease (P<0.05) as 90% of the patients with varices presented with Child's class B or C. A multiple logistic regression analysis identified advancing age, ascites, shrunken liver span and low platelet count as independent predictors of oesophageal varices. Conclusion : A large proportion of Nigerian CLD patients have advanced at-risk-for-bleeding oesophageal varices at diagnosis. Early diagnosis of CLD in Nigerians is warranted. Key words : Prevalence, Oesophageal varices, Chronic liver disease, Cirrhosis
THE EFFECT OF COMPETENCE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE ON THE MOTIVATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON TEACHERS PERFORMANCE AT 01 AND 02 NORTH PETUKANGAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The purpose of this study is to study and explain the role of competence and transformational leadership styles on the performance of 01 and 02 North Petukangan elementary school teachers, mediated by motivational variables. The research method uses quantitative and part of this research is 01 and 02 North Petukangan elementary school teachers who gathered 52 people. The sample selection is done by saturated sampling techniques or census sampling so as to make all members of the study as research samples. Data collection techniques using interviews and questionnaire instruments. Survey instruments were sent to 01 and 02 North Petukangan elementary school teachers. Data were analyzed using a structural consolidation model (SEM) with the Smart PLS software program version 3.2. 8. This study revealed significant competence that were significant to teacher performance and transformational leadership style had a significant positive effect on teacher performance. Competence and leadership styles change. In addition, motivation variables do not mediate competence and transformational leadership styles on teacher performance.
Personal experiences and processes in an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group for stroke survivors : an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Rationale: The literature review examined the importance of group-based interventions as a vehicle for the process of change in acquired and traumatic brain injury populations. However, the existing literature lacks consistency and is limited in stroke populations with only one quantitative ACT group-based study evaluating effectiveness for post-stroke difficulties, with no qualitative research in this area. Research question: This thesis aims to address the existing gap by exploring stroke survivors’ experiences of interacting with each other in the ACT-based group. The current study aims to gain insight into individual perceptions on whether or not stroke survivors find it beneficial to be in the presence of other stroke survivors and how group processes and the ACT tools may support or hinder their recovery. Aims: This study aims to add to the scarce research dedicated to the stroke population, and to inform the clinical practice of Counselling Psychologists and other professionals when working with stroke populations. Method: Data gathered from eight semi-structured interviews was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings: The collected data generated four master themes: “It is just so difficult”; Means to a connection; Restoring confidence and hope; and “Things won’t be the same”: moving towards acceptance. The master themes aim to encapsulate the participants’ views on what they found meaningful or challenging about being in the ACT group setting with other stroke survivors. The findings indicate the role of the group process to be of great value in measuring recovery progress and restoring self-esteem and self-agency. Furthermore, participants experienced apprehension at the start, throughout, and at the end of the group but this also formed part of the process of acceptance. The benefits of ACT tools in adjusting were reflected on, alongside the challenges in comprehending them. The findings of the current study are discussed in the context of group theory and research,and a suggestion for clinical practice is outlined, such as a need for homogeneous group structure, inclusion of significant others or time factors. The relevance to Counselling Psychology is outlined, followed by the strengths and limitations of the current study, and recommendations for further research.
Effects of early life glucocorticoid exposure on metabolism in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

In this study we assessed the effects of increased cortisol levels during early embryonic development (0-6 hours post-fertilisation (hpf)), thereby mimicking maternal stress, on metabolism in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. In two series of experiments fertilized eggs were exposed to a cortisol-containing, a dexamethasone-containing (to stimulate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) specifically) or a control medium for 6 hours post-fertilisation (0-6 hpf). In the first series we measured oxygen consumption as a proxy for metabolism, in the second series gene-expression of genes related to gluconeogenesis and glucose transport. Previously we have found that at 5 days post-fertilisation (dpf) baseline cortisol levels are increased following cortisol pre-treatment but not following dexamethasone pre-treatment, suggesting a higher hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal cells (HPI-axis) activity. Hence, we hypothesized that oxygen consumption and gene-expression were stronger in cortisol-treated than in dexamethasone-treated and control-treated subjects at 5 dpf. Indeed, we observed increased oxygen consumption in cortisol-treated subjects compared to dexamethasone-treated or control-treated subjects. However, gene-expression levels were not different between treatments, which may have been due to a developmental delay in this second series. We also reasoned that both cortisol-treated and dexamethasone-treated subjects would show a higher metabolism at 1 dpf than control-treated subjects as the HPI-axis is not functional as yet and more general processes are being stimulated by cortisol through GR stimulation. Indeed, we observed increased oxygen consumption and increased expression of genes related to gluconeogenesis and glucose transport in cortisol-treated and dexamethasone-treated subjects than control-treated subjects. These data show that early-life exposure to cortisol, mimicking thereby maternal stress, increased metabolism at different life stages, i.e. 1 and 5 dpf, involving the GR.
Herd Behaviour, Short-Lived Phenomenon: Evidence from Pakistan Stock Exchange

This research intends to investigate the herd behaviour of investors in Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Previous literature claims that herd behaviour is driven from fundamental information, which causes quick price adjustments to new information and thus leads to efficient markets. However, some researchers have claimed that herd behaviour does not depend upon fundamental information, and hence, leads to price instability. For the purpose of this research, the daily closing stock prices of 528 companies listed in the PSX have been used to calculate the stock returns. The market-wide herd measure, proposed by Chiang and Zheng (2010), has been used to compute the herd behaviour. The data has been investigated for autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity, and stationarity issues. Findings revealed that herding did not exist in PSX, but some sectors did follow this behaviour. This study can help regulators to comprehensively investigate market anomalies leading to smooth market processing.
Oral rehabilitation of a child with dentinogenesis imperfecta - case report

Introduction and Objective: To report the clinic case of a 5-yearold boy with presenting yellow-gray teeth and generalized severe tooth crown wear. Case report: After clinical and radiographic examination, he was diagnosed with dentinogenesis imperfecta. After the behavior management, we performed the adequacy of oral environment and diet and oral hygiene instructions. Study models were obtained and then, the rehabilitation treatment was performed through acetate crowns and orthodontic bands. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and treatment are very important in preventing further damage to dental tissues, other oral diseases, and orthodontic changes. Therefore, knowledge of the etiology and family history of the patient is crucial.
A Longitudinal Study of the Long-Term Predictors of China’s Divorce Rate

Abstract Based on data from the China Statistical Yearbook from 1996 to 2013, this study explores the long-term predictors of China’s divorce rate over recent decades with the longitudinal models incorporating the repeated measure models and long-term change models. The research findings suggest that among the factors researched, the economic development and the time factor are the two most essential predicators explaining the long-term variations in China’ divorce rate from 1996 to 2013. This result provides additional empirical evidence from China as a transitional economy to support the widely accepted assumption that the divorce rate rises with the advance of modernization. On the contrary, the positive effect of women’s empowerment disappeared with the presence of economic development, indicating that over a long period of time, the two factors do not work at the same time, and the economic development may affect the divorce rate independent of the influence of women’s empowerment. It can be implied that despite calls for the revival of Chinese tradition and culture under Xi Jinping’s rule since 2012, China’s divorce rate is expected to continue to rise with further economic development.
CGRP Antagonists: The New Headache Frontier

The search for more effective migraine prevention stems from a greater recognition of the crippling impact migraines have on a significant portion of the global population. Migraine is the most prevalent neurologic affliction world-wide; the third most common disease world-wide [1] and the third leading global cause of disability in patients under 50 [2,3]. Yet, most of the 140 million people who suffer from chronic migraines (CM) world-wide do not receive preventive therapy [4]. Fourteen million Americans who could benefit from migraine prophylaxis have not had it suggested to them [5]. The cost of migraines to society is enormous, estimated at $27 billion dollars in the U.S. annually [6,7].
Explaining Urban Sustainability to Teachers in Training through a Geographical Analysis of Tourism Gentrification in Europe

Urban centres in Europe have been recently affected by touristification processes which endanger their sustainable development. In this context, education in urban sustainability is gaining great importance at all stages of education. It has been noticed that this issue is not appropriately presented in primary education studies where “tourism” is one of the topics to be addressed. This paper provides the design of a teaching activity for teachers in training in order to understand the process of tourism gentrification in European cities. The aim of this activity is to enable the transfer of knowledge to primary education concerning contemporary urban processes involving tourism within a framework of respect and sustainability. This activity is based on an urban geographical analysis in public squares located in touristified districts of several European cities. This is achieved by way of a visual, interactive and cartographic analysis and evaluation. This paper presents the results of the didactic experience in Madrid. The results are positive, since students develop geographic abilities, attitudes of respect, critical thinking, and contrasted knowledge about tourism gentrification. We conclude with a call for a conceptual update of contemporary urban processes involving tourism in primary education curricula and advise that teachers in training should be taken to the field to explain complex spatial phenomena.
Biomarkers of immunosuppression

Immunosuppression remains the mainstay of treatment in various liver diseases, particularly in the setting of liver transplantation (LT). The requirement for long-term immunosuppression confers morbidity and mortality caused by toxicity associated with persistent use of these agents. In an era of personalized medical care, there is an ever-growing need to identify more specific markers of the immunosuppression state.
How Can I Help You? Dimensional versus Categorical Distinctions in the Assessment for Child Analysis and Child Psychotherapy

ABSTRACT This paper describes the process of a psychoanalytically-informed or a psychodynamic diagnostic assessment with children, contrasting it with a DSM-like diagnostic process. The importance of understanding and sensitively addressing the experience of parents when they bring their child to a professional for help is highlighted. The promotion of a psychoanalytic atmosphere, the unique contribution of a child analyst or psychodynamic clinician to the general mental health field, is an approach which promotes the development of a therapeutic alliance. This allows both parents and children to express their underlying issues as openly as possible. In addition to the basic assumptions of psychoanalysis (the ubiquity of unconscious mental activity and the impact of the past on the present/the developmental perspective), several factors are crucial to bear in mind: the importance of understanding the nature of the child’s (and the parent’s) emotions, emotion regulation, development of mental representations of self and other, and their conflicts and defense mechanisms. Potential therapeutic approaches are highlighted, including stressing the need to empirically study how decisions are made by a mental health provider when moving from assessment to treatment recommendation.
Pantoea ananatis defeats Allium chemical defenses with a plasmid-borne virulence gene cluster

Onion (Allium. cepa L), garlic (A. sativum L.), and other members of the Allium genus produce volatile antimicrobial thiosulfinates upon cellular damage. Allicin has been known since the 1950s as the primary antimicrobial thiosulfinate compound and odorant produced by garlic. However, the roles of endogenous thiosulfinate production in host-bacterial pathogen interactions have not been described. The bacterial onion pathogen Pantoea ananatis, which lacks both the virulence Type III and Type II Secretion Systems, induces necrotic symptoms and extensive cell death in onion tissues dependent on a proposed secondary metabolite synthesis chromosomal gene cluster. We found strong correlation between the genetic requirements for P. ananatis to colonize necrotized onion tissue and its capacity for tolerance to the thiosulfinate allicin based on the presence of an eleven gene, plasmid-borne, virulence cluster of sulfur/redox genes. We have designated them ‘alt’ genes for allicin tolerance. We show that allicin and onion thiosulfinates restrict bacterial growth with similar kinetics. The alt gene cluster is sufficient to confer allicin tolerance and protects the glutathione pool during allicin treatment. Independent alt genes make partial phenotypic contributions indicating that they function as a collective cohort to manage thiol stress. Our work implicates endogenous onion thiosulfinates produced during cellular damage as mediators of interactions with bacteria. The P. ananatis-onion pathosystem can be modeled as a chemical arms race of pathogen attack, host chemical counter-attack, and pathogen resistance. Significance Statement Alliums (e.g. onion and garlic), after sustaining cellular damage, produce potent antimicrobial thiosulfinates that react with cellular thiols. The bacterial onion pathogen Pantoea ananatis, which lacks the virulence Type III and Type II Secretion Systems, induces cell death and necrotic symptoms on onions. We have identified a plasmid-borne cluster of sulfur/redox virulence genes that 1) are required for P. ananatis to colonize necrotized onion tissue, 2) are sufficient for tolerance to the thiosulfinates, and, 3) protect the glutathione pool during thiosulfinate treatment. We propose that the thiosulfinate production potential of Allium spp. governs Allium-bacterial interaction outcomes and that the P. ananatis-onion pathosystem can be modeled as a chemical arms race of attack and counterattack between the pathogen and host.
The Role of BPIFA1 in Otitis Media

I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . III PUBLICATIONS . V CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS . V ABBREVIATIONS. VII TABLE OF CONTENTS.X TABLE OF FIGURES . XVII TABLE OF TABLES . XX Chapter 1: General Introduction . 1 1.1 Structure and function of the ear . 2 1.2 The burden of hearing loss . 3 1.3 Otitis media – a spectrum of middle ear diseases . 4 1.3. 1 Acute supparative Otitis media (ASOM) or acute Otitis media (AOM) . 5 1.3. 2 Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) . 5 1.3. 3 Chronic suppurative Otitis media (CSOM). 5 1.4 The aetiology of OM . 6 1.4. 1 Structure and function of the Eustachian tube . 7 1.4. 2 Pathogens involved in OM. 8 1.4. 3 Immunological defence mechanisms of the middle ear . 9 1.5 A model for the pathophysiology of OM . 11 1.6 Risk factors and candidate genes for OM . 14 1.7 An introduction to PLUNCS or BPIF proteins . 15 1.7. 1 Nomenclature and types of PLUNCS/BPIF proteins . 16 1.8. Normal expression and localisation of BPIFA1 . 17 1.8. 1 Normal Expression and localisation of BPIFA1 in the upper airways and oral cavities . 18 1.8. 2 Normal expression of BPIFA1 in the middle ear . 20 1.9 BPIFA1 is a multifunctional host defence protein . 21 1.9. 1 Antimicrobial role . 22 1.9. 2 Surfactant role . 23 1.9. 3 Immunomodulatory role . 24 1.9. 4 Role in airway surface liquid regulation . 25
From pup to predator: generalized hidden Markov models reveal rapid development of movement strategies in a naïve long‐lived vertebrate

Rapid development of a successful foraging strategy is critical for juvenile survival, especially for naive animals that receive no parental guidance. However, this process is poorly understood for many species. Although observation of early‐life movements is increasingly possible with miniaturisation of animal‐borne telemetry devices, analytical limitations remain. Here, we tracked 29 recently‐weaned grey seal Halichoerus grypus pups from colonies in two geographically distinct regions of the United Kingdom. We analysed at‐sea movements of pups throughout their initial months of nutritional independence to investigate the ontogeny of behaviour‐specific (foraging and travelling) movement patterns. Using generalized hidden Markov models (HMMs), we extended the conventional HMM framework to account for temporal changes in putative foraging and travelling movement characteristics, and investigate the effects of intrinsic (sex) and extrinsic (environment) factors on this process. Putative foraging behaviour became more tortuous with time, and travelling became faster and more directed, suggesting a reduction in search scale and an increase in travel efficiency as pups shifted from exploration to an adult‐like repeatable foraging strategy. Sex differences in movement characteristics were evident from colony departure, but sex‐specific activity budgets were only detected in one region. We show that sex‐specific behavioural strategies emerge before sexual size dimorphism in grey seals, and suggest that this phenomenon may occur in other long‐lived species. Our results also indicate that environmental variation may affect the emergence of sex‐specific foraging behaviour, highlighting the need to consider interacting intrinsic and extrinsic factors in shaping movement strategies of long‐lived vertebrates. Moreover, comparing the behavioural state estimations to those of a conventional HMM (no variation in state‐specific movement parameters) revealed differences in the amount and location of foraging activity, with implications for spatial conservation management. Overlooking intrinsic and extrinsic variation in movement processes could distort our understanding of foraging ecology, population dynamics and conservation requirements.
Materials Prediction Using High-Throughput and Machine Learning Techniques

Materials Prediction Using High-Throughput and Machine Learning Techniques Chandramouli Nyshadham Department of Physics and Astronomy, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Predicting new materials through virtually screening a large number of hypothetical materials using supercomputers has enabled materials discovery at an accelerated pace. However, the innumerable number of possible hypothetical materials necessitates the development of faster computational methods for speedier screening of materials reducing the time of discovery. In this thesis, I aim to understand and apply two computational methods for materials prediction. The first method deals with a computational high-throughput study of s uperalloys. Superalloys are materials which exhibit high-temperature strength. A combinatorial high-throughput search across 2224 ternary alloy systems revealed 102 potential superalloys of which 37 are brand new, all of which we patented. The second computational method deals with a machine-learning (ML) approach and aims at understanding the consistency among five different state-of-the-art machine-learning models in predicting the formation enthalpy of 10 different binary alloys. The study revealed that although the five different ML models approach the problem uniquely, their predictions are consistent with each other and that they are all capable of predicting multiple materials simultaneously. My contribution to both the projects included conceiving the idea, performing calculations, interpreting the results, and writing significant portions of the two journal articles published related to each project. A follow-up work of both computational approaches, their impact, and future outlook of materials prediction are also presented.
Uric acid as an important biomarker in hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Background: Hypertension in pregnancy is a global problem and complicates approximately 10-17% of pregnancies. The incidence of PIH in India ranges from 5% to 15%. Uric acid is a marker of oxidative stress, tissue injury and renal dysfunction and therefore might be helpful in the prediction of complications of PE. Literature on serum uric acid as a predictor of complications of PE is conflicting. The present is intended to study uric acid as an important biomarker in hypertension in pregnancy. Methods: This was prospective observational analytical case control study of 180 individuals done at JSS Hospital, Mysore, India from January 2015 to July 2016. Results: A positive correlation was observed between rise in uric acid and severity of hypertension in pregnancy (p 6.0mg/dl shows 100% maternal deaths, 79.4% with eclampsia and 71.9% with preterm delivery. Conclusions: A positive correlation was observed between rise in uric acid and severity of hypertension in pregnancy. Hyperuricemia in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is a strong risk factor for several maternal and perinatal complications.