Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Carotid Intima Media Thickness as Markers of Subclinical Inflammation and Atherosclerosis in Pediatric Patients with Hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia is a major cause of atherosclerosis development and premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). It leads to inflammation, which further accelerates atherosclerosis progression. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by elevated serum LDL-c from birth, due to a disease-causing variant in one of the causative genes (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9). In polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH), the disease-causing genetic variant is absent; it is likely the cumulative result of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms in LDL metabolism-related genes and other factors, such as lifestyle and environment. In high risk groups, such as patients with FH, an effective primary prevention of CVD must begin in childhood. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) are two potential minimally invasive correlates of inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis progression. hsCRP and cIMT have been shown to be significantly increased in patients with FH and PH relative to healthy controls, with some studies yielding conflicting results. In this review, we aim to summarize current knowledge and recent findings regarding the applicability of hsCRP and cIMT as markers of low-grade inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis, focusing especially on children and adolescents with hypercholesterolemia.
The relationship between stressful events, emotion dysregulation, and anxiety symptoms among youth: longitudinal support for stress causation but not stress generation

ABSTRACT Introduction There is a clear bi-directional link between stressful events and depressive symptoms in adolescence, but the directionality of this link for anxiety symptoms remains underexamined. We critically evaluate the longitudinal relationship between stressors and anxiety among youth. Specifically, we examine whether stressors predict anxiety symptoms over a 1.5-year period (stress causation), and whether anxiety symptoms predict stressors over this period (stress generation). We examine potential influencing factors, including stressor type (independent vs. dependent) and emotion dysregulation (nonacceptance; goal-directed difficulty). Methods Social, separation, and physical anxiety symptoms, and frequency and stressor type, were assessed every 3 months for 1.5 years among community youth (n = 528, ages 8–17). Baseline emotion dysregulation was assessed. Time-lagged analyses evaluated the bi-directional relationship of stress and anxiety over time, controlling for previous anxiety and depression. Results Interpersonal stressors predicted subsequent physical and social anxiety symptoms, but anxiety did not predict subsequent stressors. Both nonacceptance and goal-directed difficulties predicted subsequent anxiety symptoms and stressors, but did not moderate the relationship. Conclusion The findings supported the stress causation model for youth anxiety, but not the stress generation model. Nonacceptance and goal-directed difficulty predicted greater subsequent anxiety symptoms and stressors. We discuss implications for prevention and intervention.
Oral Manifestations of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome: Genotype-Phenotype Correlation Analysis

Background: Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a rare disease caused by deletion in the distal moiety of the short arm of chromosome 4. The objectives of this study were to report the most representative oral findings of WHS, relate them with other clinical characteristics of the disease, and establish possible phenotype-genotype correlation. Methods: The study was conducted at 6 reference centers distributed throughout Spain during 2018–2019. The study group consisted of 31 patients with WHS who underwent a standardized oral examination. Due to behavioral reasons, imaging studies were performed on only 11 of the children 6 years of age or older. All participants had previously undergone a specific medical examination for WHS, during which anatomical, functional, epilepsy-related, and genetic variables were recorded. Results: The most prevalent oral manifestations were delayed tooth eruption (74.1%), bruxism (64.5%), dental agenesis (63.6%), micrognathia (60.0%), oligodontia (45.5%), and downturned corners of the mouth (32.3%). We detected strong correlation between psychomotor delay and oligodontia (p = 0.008; Cramér’s V coefficient, 0.75). The size of the deletion was correlated in a statistically significant manner with the presence of oligodontia (p = 0.009; point-biserial correlation coefficient, 0.75). Conclusion: Certain oral manifestations prevalent in WHS can form part of the syndrome’s phenotypic variability. A number of the characteristics of WHS, such as psychomotor delay and epilepsy, are correlated with oral findings such as oligodontia and bruxism. Although most genotype-phenotype correlations are currently unknown, most of them seem to be associated with larger deletions, suggesting that some oral-facial candidate genes might be outside the critical WHS region, indicating that WHS is a contiguous gene syndrome.
A novel heterozygous variant of the COL4A4 gene in a Chinese family with hematuria and proteinuria leads to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and chronic kidney disease

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), as the frequent primary glomerular diseases in adults, accounts for symptomless proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome with or without renal insufficiency. As the crucial lesion of chronic kidney disease (CKD), accumulating evidence from recent studies show that mutations in Collagen‐related genes may be responsible for FSGS. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic lesion of a Chinese family with FSGS and CKD.
Endogenous enkephalin is necessary for cocaine‐induced alteration in glutamate transmission within the nucleus accumbens

Altered glutamate transmission within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been proposed as a central mechanism underlying behavioural sensitisation associated with repeated cocaine exposure. In addition to glutamate, enkephalin, an endogenous opioid peptide derived from proenkephalin, is necessary for the neuroadaptations associated with chronic cocaine. However, the influence of enkephalin on long‐term changes in glutamate transmission within the NAc associated with cocaine‐induced sensitisation has not been described. This study used knockout proenkephalin mice (KO) to study the influence of endogenous enkephalin on the adaptations in glutamate neurotransmission associated with repeated cocaine treatment. Wild‐type (WT) and KO mice were treated with daily cocaine injections for 9 days to induce sensitisation. On days 15 and 21, the animals received a cocaine challenge and locomotor sensitisation was evaluated, and microdialysis was performed to determine accumbens glutamate content on day 21. No expression of behavioural sensitisation to cocaine was evidenced in the KO mice. Consistently, these showed no changes in glutamate transmission in the NAc associated with repeated cocaine. This study reveals the central role of enkephalin in regulating the glutamate mechanisms associated with cocaine sensitisation.
Application of a dermatopharmacokinetic (DPK) method for bioequivalence assessment of topical metronidazole creams.

PURPOSE The main aim of the current research was to develop and apply a dermatopharmacokinetic (DPK) approach for the bioequivalence assessment of metronidazole (MTZ) topical cream products, indicated in the treatment of rosacea. METHODS A DPK methodology using tape stripping (TS) technique was developed by investigating the factors that may influence the TS results viz. tapes, dose durations, number of tapes to be used, pressure application, dose applied and gravimetric analysis of the tapes. An initial dose duration study was performed on 6 healthy participants to determine an appropriate application time duration using the Emax model. The SC thickness was normalised between participants using TEWL measurements. A pivotal study was conducted using both the arms of 10 healthy human participants to demonstrate the ability of the TS method for bioequivalence assessment by comparing the reference product to itself as a positive control and including products with higher and lower strengths of MTZ to serve as negative controls in order to confirm bioinequivalence. RESULTS Whereas the reference was found to be bioequivalent when compared to itself, the creams containing 0.56% and 0.95% MTZ (negative controls) were not bioequivalent (bioinequivalent). Furthermore, another product containing 0.75% MTZ was also assessed and was found to be bioequivalent to the reference product. In addition, the use of both forearms of each participant offered an important advantage of significantly reducing the number of human subjects required to demonstrate BE with a high statistical power of > 80%. CONCLUSION The data obtained provides compelling evidence that the developed TS method has the potential to be a cost-effective surrogate alternative for lengthy and expensive clinical trials. Consequently, its application can facilitate faster development of generic products which would, in turn, lower the economic burden of healthcare.
Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes in Patients with Suspected COVID-19 and Their Relationship with a Negative RT-PCR Result

This study was designed to examine maternal-perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) according to the result of a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and to investigate possible variables that could be useful for predicting a negative RT-PCR result. Participants of this retrospective cohort study were obstetrics patients with suspected COVID-19 who underwent an RT-PCR test in a tertiary hospital in Madrid, Spain. Maternal-perinatal features were analysed according to the results of this test. Clinical, radiological and analytical characteristics that could be associated with a negative result were also explored. In a final subgroup analysis, patients were included if they had pneumonia and a negative test result for the virus. Out of the 111 obstetric patients with suspected COVID-19 that were enrolled, 38.7% returned a negative result. In this RT-PCR-negative group, we recorded lower rates of pneumonia (21.4% vs. 45.6%, p = 0.009), severe or critical clinical features (4.7% vs. 11.8% and 0.0% vs. 5.9%, p = 0.02, respectively), lower lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (168 UI/L vs. 224.5 UI/L, p = 0.003), a greater need for maternal treatment (60.3% vs 24.4%, p < 0.001), a reduced need for oxygen therapy (2.4% vs 28.8%, p < 0.001) and a lower rate of intensive care unit admission (0.0% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.046) than the RT-PCR-positive group. While no differences were found in other variables, the monocyte count was higher (946.2/μL vs. 518.8/μL, p = 0.022) in this group. The predictive model for a negative test result included the monocyte count, LDH level and no need for oxygen therapy. This model was able to identify 73.5% of patients with a negative RT-PCR result. Only 11% of the patients with pneumonia testing negative for the virus had IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The proportion of pregnant women with suspected COVID-19 and a negative RT-PCR result was nearly 39%. In these patients, the symptoms were mild and the systemic severity of the disease was lower. The monocyte count, LDH level and no need for oxygen therapy were the factors that were more related to a negative test result in this group. These variables could be used to guide the management of patients with suspected COVID-19, mainly while waiting for RT-PCR results or in settings where this test is not available.
An Ultra-Wide Load Range Voltage Converter Using Proactive Phase Frequency Modulation for IoT Sensors

Modern sensor nodes have multiple operating states, which causes a conventional voltage converter to perform poorly over a wide load range of the operating states. This paper proposes a voltage converter whose switching frequency and output voltage are proactively adjusted to maintain high conversion efficiency. This allows the converter to exploit a wider frequency range to cover a wide load range. In addition, the proposed converter uses multiple smaller capacitor banks and employs multiphase operation to provide low output ripple voltage. A distributed topology for non-overlapping signal generation is proposed and used in the converter to minimize the number of wires running from connecting the controller to the converter. The proposed voltage converter has been implemented in a chip using a 0.13 um CMOS process. The measurement results demonstrate the ability to support a wide load range of 10 µA to 10 mA, for switching frequencies ranging from 100 kHz to 200 MHz, while providing an efficiency of above 80%.
On the sliding mode control for precision machining

Precision machining uses linear motor actuators in order to deal with robustness and stability in the broad range of cutting conditions. Those systems are demanding more sophisticated control algorithms in order to fulfil each time more exigent tolerances in the tendency to miniaturization of products and to face more robust dynamics. Sliding mode control family is natural approach to cope with mass and damping variation and external disturbances which are inherent characteristics of cutting processes. This paper compares conventional and super-twisting sliding mode controls on keeping the closed loop dynamics within requirements and reject disturbances created by the cutting forces.
The Role of Perceived Benefits and Perceived Risks Towards The Consumers’ Purchase Intention Via E-Commerce: An Evidence From Indonesia.

The advancement of buying and selling technology has changed consumer behavior in the world of commerce. The modern purchasing process has made the consumers’ purchases became more efficient, hassle-free and easy. However, technology in online purchases is inseparable from the risks that might occur behind the transaction, but it develops more benefits to online consumers. The risks and benefits at the same time might look contradict but marketing experts believed that these two could potentially increase consumers’ intention to purchase any online products. The purpose of this study is to look at the effect of perceptions of consumer benefits consisting of price discounts, comfort, convenience, and enjoyment as well as consumer risk percentages consisting of financial risk, product risk and time risk towards online purchase intentions. This study is quantitative in nature and involves 286 respondents who were accidentally recruited to be part of the investigation. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS and multiple regression analysis was conducted to see the relationship between the identified variables. The results showed that price discounts, comfort, and enjoyment had a positive influence on online purchase intentions. Surprisingly, convenience and financial risk did not affect online purchase intentions while product risk and price risk had a negative influence on online purchase intentions. This research is important as an input for online sellers to increase sales turnover by offering and convincing consumers’ perceptions particularly on the benefits obtained by consumers from the purchase and minimize the perception of risk that may hinder them from making a purchase. Furthermore, this research will be able to enrich the existing works of literature on online purchase intention.
Factors affecting temporary stoma outcomes at a major Saudi University Hospital

Background: Temporary stoma formation for fecal diversion is commonly performed in surgery. The rate of stoma-related complications is high, and the risk increases in patients with prolonged time to closure. Thus, identifying factors that influence the time to stoma closure and the rate of its complications would aid in implementing preventive measures. We aimed to determine predictors affecting the time to stoma closure and to identify risk factors for developing complications following stoma reversal. Methods: A retrospective review including all adult patients who underwent stoma closure from 2012-2018 at our institution was conducted. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine risk factors affecting time to stoma closure and developing complications after reversal surgery. Results: A total of 63 patients were included. Of those, 50.8% were diagnosed with malignancy. The median time to stoma closure was 222.5 days (interquartile range i.e. IQR 12-2228). Having an American society of anesthesiologists (ASA) class IV was the only significant predictor of prolonged time to closure. For cancer patients, developing complications following stoma formation surgery, and receiving adjuvant therapy significantly increased the time to stoma reversal. In contrast, cancer patients who underwent multi-organ resection had shorter time to closure. The rate of complications following stoma reversal was 30.2%. Having a colostomy and requiring readmission after stoma formation surgery increased the risk of developing complications related to stoma reversal. Conclusions: Multiple factors can impact the time to stoma closure and increase the risk of developing complication related to stoma closure. Awareness about these factors and development of preventive strategies is recommended.
The Impact Of Mobile Advertisement Services On Consumer Attitudes Among Jordanian User's : Empirical Study

This study aims at examining factors influencing the Jordanian consumers' attitudes toward mobile advertisements. Five hundred questionnaires were distributed to the respondents only four hundred and thirty two datasets were valid for final analysis, using SPSS v18 and AMOS v 8 for conducting several tests. The results also indicate that all the model variables have acceptable reliability and composite reliability value, and all the items of the constructs have acceptable factors loading. Moreover, the validity test insures that variables of this study achieve the acceptance indicators which mean that all variables are valid. In addition, hypothesis test shows that all the direct hypothesis were accepted expect one, however, irritation variables were found to have negative effect on consumers' attitudes. While other variables found to have positive and significant influence on consumers' attitudes toward mobile advertisements. The highest weight was for personalization to be the most important factor influence on consumers’ attitudes, following by credibility, informativeness and entertainment continually.
An account of EFL learners’ listening comprehension and critical thinking in the flipped classroom model

Abstract The present research aimed to seek the effects of flipped classrooms on improving Iranian EFL learners’ listening comprehension. To this aim, 40 intermediate students were chosen based on an Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) and they were assigned to a flipped classroom (experimental group) and at traditional classroom (control group). After running a pretest of listening comprehension, the listening materials were presented to the participants in the flipped classroom through the Internet and computer, while the participants in the control group were deprived of the mentioned facilities. At the end of the treatment which lasted for 10 sessions, 50 minutes each session, a listening comprehension test was administered as posttest. In addition, an interview was administered among the participants in the experimental group. The results revealed significant differences in learning English listening comprehension and critical thinking between both groups in favor of the experimental group. The study recommended the necessity of implementing flipped classroom in teaching and learning English listening comprehension to bring about better outcomes in students’ achievement. Flipped learning requires L2 learners to be autonomous at home and collaborate in class.
An Overview of Search Techniques in Multi-Player Games

In this paper we compare several search techniques for multi-player games. We test the performance of the αβ -based search techniques max n , paranoid search and Best-Reply Search. Furthermore, we investigate the performance of these techniques when they are applied in the Monte-Carlo Tree Search framework. The test domain consists of four different multi-player games: Chinese Checkers, Focus, Rolit and Blokus. Based on the experimental results, we may conclude that Best-Reply Search is generally the best αβ -based search technique. Monte-Carlo Tree Search performs best with the max n tree structure.
The Estimate of Relative Increase in Stroke Volume of a Heart under Influence of Low Frequency Mechanical Vibrations

Background: An automatic massage produces health improving effects. After a single automatic massage, patients admit a feeling of invigoration, and a sense of relaxation. Some quantitative characteristics of physical effects produced by the automatic massage on the body, including the work of a heart were unavailable at that moment. Objective: This study aims to find a quantitative impact of periodic low frequency mechanical vibrations on the relative change in a heart stroke volume. Material and Methods: In this experimental study, the patients were exposed to the low frequency (12 Hz) planar mechanical vibrations. The blood pressures were measured before and after the automatic massage. Based on the measured values in the arterial blood pressure, a relative change in a stroke volume (SV) in patients was calculated. Results: The increased systolic blood pressure was 6.3±2.0 mm Hg in women and 11.1±2.7 mm Hg in men. The increased diastolic pressure was 1.9±1.2 mm Hg in women, and 4.9±1.5 mm Hg in men. The minor increase in heart rate for women was 1.2±1.0 beats per minute, and 1.2±2.0 beats per minute for men. The assessment of stroke volume changes provided 9.6% and 7.1% increase during systole and diastole in male patients, respectively, and corresponding 6.7% and 4.7% increases for female patients. Conclusion: The results of our work confirmed an increase in the systolic and diastolic blood pressures under the influence of periodic mechanical vibration of low frequency. We believe that the registered increase in blood pressure is a proof of the increase in a stroke volume (SV).
Shore-based competitive recreational fisheries in southern Bahia, Brazil: A baseline study

This study describes shore-based competitive fishing events in Ilheus, southern Bahia (Brazil), including catch composition, and provides information on the profile of recreational fishers participating in these events. Information was collected in all events promoted by the Clube de Pesca de Ilheus (CLUPESIL) in 2007-2008. A total of 26 competitive fishing events were organized during this period, with 47 species caught. The top species were: Cathorops spixii, Menticirrhus littoralis, Trachinotus goodei, Eucinostomus melanopterus, Polydactylus virginicus, Atherinella brasiliensis, and Eucinostomus argenteus. These seven species represented 87% of the total catch in number and 78% in weight. Menticirrhus littoralis and Polydactylus virginicus are species of commercial interest and their catch was dominated by juveniles. Local recreational fishers were predominately middle-aged men, who tended to use small hooks and mainly shrimp as bait. They were consumption-oriented, but also released small fishes. During competitions, fishers used even smaller hooks. Most of them perceived shrimp trawling as the main factor affecting recreational fisheries. The use of larger hooks and a minimum size of 20 cm are suggested to decrease the capture of juveniles, mainly those of commercial importance. This study sets a baseline from which new studies can be proposed to access the current status of local recreational fisheries.