Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arterial Stiffness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Its Correlation with Disease Severity: A Case Control Study

Introduction: Arterial stiffness is an emerging field of interest in atherosclerosis. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are predisposed to have premature atherosclerosis. Aims: To compare the arterial stiffness among patients with SLE and non-SLE controls. The study also compared arterial stiffness among SLE patients in relation to disease activity (SLEDAI) and end organ damage (SLICC index). Study Design: Case control study. Methodology: 53 SLE patients and 53 non-SLE controls were studied. Data was obtained in a Original Research Article structured format. Arterial stiffness indices were obtained by measuring the brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The SLEDAI Score and SLICC Damage index were measured in the SLE group. Age-matched controls were obtained from the general population. cm/s p<0.001) when compared with those having low activity (SLEDAI<6). Conclusion: Patients with SLE had increased arterial stiffness. End organ damage and high disease activity among SLE patients correlated to increased arterial stiffness, and is contributory to an increased risk of atherosclerosis.
Agar and pomegranate seed oil used in a biodegradable coating composition for Formosa papaya

The constant changes in the food habits affected by globalization caused the food industry to produce the “instant” foods, increasing the health risks due to the high sugar, sodium and fat contents in these foods. However, the number of conscious consumers seeking healthy food grows exponentially. Thus, to meet this demand, companies sought to produce more and more functional and organic food products that bring health benefits (Stangherlin & Silva, 2016).
Effects of calf thymus extract and L-carnitine on immunity and growth performance of broiler chickens

Background: Increasing the bird’s wealth and increasing the growth rate are among the goals of increasing the animal wealth so; we studied the effects of L-carnitine and calf thymus extract on growth performance and immunity in broiler chickens. Methods: Eighty broiler chicks were divided into four groups, each group included twenty chicks. Group 1, was negative control with no treatment of feed or water. Group 2, the regular drinking water was replaced by L-carnitine-infused water (1 gram per liter). Group 3, the regular drinking water was replaced by calf thymus extract- infused water (1 ml per liter). Group 4, the regular drinking water was replaced by both L-carnitine and calf thymus extract- infused water. This treatment was administered from day 1 to day 30 of the cycle. Body weight, feed intake and feed conversion were assessed. The hemogram, leuckogram, total protein, globulin, albumin, phagocytic activity, phagocytic index and interleukin 2 were measured. Results: The hemogram and leuckogram parameters recorded a significant increase in treated groups compared to non treated group. The final body weight for all treatments was nearly the same, but slightly higher with application of L-carnitine. Phagocytic activity, index, TP, globulin and IL2 were significantly increased in treated groups. Conclusions: Both L-carnitine and thymus extract have significantly improved the general health condition, in addition, calf thymus extract improved not only the general body condition but also act has immunomodulatory effect which require more further studies.
Crosslinking-guided geometry of a complete CXC receptor-chemokine complex and the basis of chemokine subfamily selectivity

Chemokines and their receptors are orchestrators of cell migration in humans. Because dysregulation of the receptor-chemokine system leads to inflammation and cancer, both chemokines and receptors are highly sought therapeutic targets. Yet one of the barriers for their therapeutic targeting is the limited understanding of the structural principles behind receptor-chemokine recognition and selectivity. The existing structures do not include CXC subfamily complexes and lack information about the receptor distal N-termini, despite the importance of the latter in signaling, regulation, and bias. Here we report the discovery of the geometry of the complex between full-length CXCR4, a prototypical CXC receptor and driver of cancer metastasis, and its endogenous ligand CXCL12. By comprehensive disulfide crosslinking, we establish the existence and the structure of a novel interface between the CXCR4 distal N-terminus and CXCL12 β1-strand, while also recapitulating earlier findings from NMR, modeling and crystallography of homologous receptors. A crosslinking-informed high-resolution model of the CXCR4-CXCL12 complex pinpoints the interaction determinants and reveals the occupancy of the receptor major subpocket by the CXCL12 proximal N-terminus. This newly found positioning of the chemokine proximal N-terminus provides a structural explanation of CXC receptor-chemokine selectivity against other subfamilies. Our findings challenge the traditional two-site understanding of receptor-chemokine recognition, suggest the possibility of new affinity and signaling determinants, and fill a critical void on the structural map of an important class of therapeutic targets. These results will aid the rational design of selective chemokine-receptor-targeting small molecules and biologics with novel pharmacology.
Triggering Open Innovation Processes Through Organizational Emotional Capability and Rival's Absorptive Capacity Orientation

In this article, we analyze the direct effects of the open innovation (OI) processes of acquisition and exploitation on innovation performance (IP), as well as the effects of two antecedents of OI: organizational emotional capability (EC) and rival´s absorptive capacity orientation (RACO). RACO implies processing external information in an analytical manner, whereas an intuitive approach is implicit in EC. The research model is tested in a sample of medium-low-technology Colombian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using structural equations by the consistent partial least squares method. Our results provide evidence on a significant effect of the OI acquisition process on IP, as well as the determining role of RACO for firm-level innovation, in that it functions not only as an informal mechanism for intellectual property rights protection, but also as a knowledge process nourishing the OI exploitation process. This article contributes to the incipient research field of OI in low- and medium-technology SMEs, offering new evidence on the results on the OI-IP relationship in contrast with previous studies conducted in other technological contexts. Furthermore, EC, which has traditionally proven its incidence on internal innovation activities, can have a more powerful and determining role in innovation processes that imply collaborative work with third parties.
Investigating demotivating factors in foreign language learners: The case of non-Iranian Persian language learners

Abstract Learners’ motivation has been widely accepted as a key factor which influences the rate, success, and failure of second/foreign language learning. On the other hand, demotivation is regarded as a flip side of motivation which has negative effects on language learning processes and outcomes. This study intended to examine what factors may demotivate Persian language learners in a classroom. It also investigated the frequency and order of significance of the demotivating factors to find out which factors are the most influential and also explore their relations to gender and level of education of the learners. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, approximately a hundred learners were asked to complete a questionnaire, which included background questions concerning sex, age, level of the study, and the nationalities of the participants on the basis of which five demotivating factors were identified. The findings indicated that while there were no significant differences between male and female participants in terms of some demotivating factors, significant differences were observed between learners at different levels of education with regard to some other demotivating factors. Implications for non-Iranian Persian language learners are discussed.
Tourism, environment and energy: an analysis for China

ABSTRACT International tourism as a cause of global warming is a controversial and topical issue. Here, we use the novel Morlet Wavelet time–frequency approach to gain a deeper insight into the dynamic nexus between tourism, renewable energy utilization, energy utilization and carbon dioxide emissions for China using annual data over the era 1974–2016. The techniques we use include Continuous Wavelet power spectrum, the Wavelet Coherency, and the Partial and the Multiple Wavelet Coherence for time–frequency decomposition that can capture local oscillatory components in time series. Our findings support the hypothesis that tourism can cause increased energy utilization and carbon dioxide emissions in China, which challenges the sustainable tourism development goal. However, on the positive side, the relationship between tourism and renewable energy utilization is shown to facilitate reduced environmental degradation in the medium-long run.
The Role of Quality ECE in Facilitating Mental Health and Well-Being in Children

This article explores trends and statistics specific to the mental health status of children from both the Canadian and the global contexts to inform a conversation on the environmental conditions and experiences that impact the mental health of young children. The research described here focused on the intersection between mental health and early child education (ECE), along with the educational and professional development experiences of early childhood educators, in an attempt to identify mitigating factors that can ensure social-emotional development in children. The article argues that while ECE can help the social-emotional development of young children, there needs to be a focus on ensuring quality of experience with explicit social-emotional learning outcomes, delivered by highly educated professionals. It concludes with a call to focus on the mental health of young children, early child educators, and the critical importance of healthy relationships in the lives of these children.
Assessing the evolution and level of evidence of spine surgery research in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To measure the impact of Saudi publications on global spine surgery literature, to evaluate the quality of these papers by measuring the level of evidence (LOE) and then to compare it with similar international studies done on the topic of spine surgery. Materials and Methods: The study design was a systematic review, where a systemic online search using PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase was carried out using search terms related to spine surgery. The impact of each article was measured by the citation number and was reviewed by Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine LOE scale. Results: We identified 128 articles that met the inclusion criteria, of which 58% were Level IV studies. The most common study design was case reports (45%). We compared our study with the similar or different methodology of international studies for spine surgery research. Conclusion: This first study, for the analysis of spine surgery literature in Saudi Arabia, shows that Saudi publications in spine surgery have little impact on the global spine surgery research. The LOE was low and that there is insignificant change throughout 25 years. A national multicentre or international collaborative research is recommended to produce high LOE research.
Awareness and perception of oral health services among Chifubu secondary school students in Ndola , Zambia

Background: Aim: To determine awareness and perception of oral health services and their influence on the utilization of oral health services. Subjects and Methods: A total of 353 simple randomly selected pupils aged 11-20 years at Chifubu secondary school in Ndola participated in the study. Data was collected using structured close ended self administered questionnaire which inquired on socio-demographics, awareness and perception of oral health services. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version 16.0. The chi square test was used to test for associations where significance was assumed when p≤0.05. Results: Majority of respondents were aged 16 to 20 years (52.4%), 52.7% boys, and 51.8% were in grade 10 12. Most participants reported to have received some oral health information (81.6%) mainly from teachers but 86.7% were not aware of specific oral health procedures. The overall perception on oral health among those who agree was 58.6%, while 47% disagree on the overall perception on the utilization of dental services. The main reason for utilizing the service was pain and bleeding. The main reasons for not seeking care were that they never thought it was important (31.2%), distance (17.3%) and cost (15%). The utilization of services was associated with age p= 0.029. Overall awareness was associated with age p= 0.046 and grade p= 0.007. Students with a positive utilization on oral health tended to be younger (p<0.001) and in lower grades (p<0.001) Conclusion: The majority of respondents were not aware of the dental services. Therefore, awareness campaigns are required on available oral health services. Perception of oral health was not statistically different by age, sex and grade. Most respondents had never utilized oral health services.
Knowledge, attitude, and perception of adolescents regarding reproductive health and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Rajasthan

Background: The studies are required to better understand the needs of adolescents and to help policy makers to develop appropriate need-based adolescent reproductive health programs. Objectives: The objective was to assess the awareness among adolescents regarding various reproductive health issues and to assess their attitude and perceptions regarding reproductive health and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Design: Community-based cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants: 423 adolescents of 11-19 years age group in two rural (219 students) and two urban (204 students) schools. Methodology: The survey used was a 4-part, 52-item self-administered questionnaire eliciting information on knowledge regarding reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Result: Awareness of all reproductive health matters was suboptimum. Awareness was more in urban adolescents than in rural and in late teens than earlier teens. Overall, majority were aware of legal age of marriage (79%), two child family norm (90%), and birth spacing, disadvantages of early marriage, disfavor female feticide, and felt need for sex education (91%). Condoms were the most commonly known method of contraception among boys (80.15%) and oral pills among girls (60.24%). AIDS was the most well-known sexually transmitted disease (93.38%). Conclusion: Lacunae in awareness of all reproductive health matters suggests that young people’s sexual and reproductive health issues need to be further addressed and explored in order to promote safer and responsible sexual behavior. Key words: Adolescent, Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Reproductive health
The usefulness of left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy in clinical decision making in patients with unexplained heart failure

Introduction: In recent years, the recommendations for an endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) were significantly extended. However, the proposed criteria are based on the consensus of experts and require further clinical trials. Aim: To present the results of our diagnostic and therapeutic management based on left ventricular EMB (LV-EMB) in patients with unexplained heart failure (HF). Material and methods: LV-EMBs were performed between August 2016 and March 2019. Bioptates analysis included histological, immunohistochemical and viral genome examinations. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria had additional immunosuppressive treatment. Results: LV-EMBs were performed in 30 patients. The mean ± SD age was 38.9 ±7.6 years. About 75% of patients were in NYHA class III or IV, eight were in cardiogenic shock, and four required intra-aortic balloon pump support. Fourteen patients had myocarditis and four had a viral infection. In 9 patients, steroid therapy was implemented. During the mean ± SD observational period of 10.5 ±8.1 months, all patients survived, and 11 had an ejection fraction (EF) of over 35%, of whom 6 (66%) were on additional immunosuppressive therapy and 5 (24%) on standard HF therapy (HR = 2.85; 95% CI: 0.86–9.36; p = 0.08). An increase of > 20 percentage points in the absolute EF was observed in 4 (44%) patients on steroid therapy and 3 (14%) on standard HF therapy (HR = 2.32; 95% CI: 0.51– 10.39; p = 0.27). Conclusions: An LV-EMB performed by skilled physicians is a safe procedure, verifies the cardiac magnetic resonance results, and allows the use of additional therapeutic options in patients with unexplained HF.
Evaluation of factors, associated with defaulting routine immunization in children

Background: India was one of the first countries to adopt the World Health Organization’s Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI). The program started globally in 1974 and was initiated in India in 1978. Immunization is considered to be one of the most important cost-effective and a powerful public health intervention. Achieving maximum coverage, however, has been a challenge due to many reasons, including high rates of defaulters from the program. The term ªdefaulterº is used to refer a child who misses the scheduled vaccinations for any reason. The objective of this study was to explore the reasons behind defaulting from the routine immunization program.Methods: A study was conducted in Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, Bangalore between January 2012 and December 2012. A total of sixty six children’s’ details were gathered from mothers of defaulted children. Children below 5 years attending OPD were included in the study. Children above 5 years and inpatients were excluded. Observations and review of relevant documents was done.Results: Of the 66 children, in our study, males were more than females. Children in the age group of 2 years to 5 years were 17(25%) as compared to those between 1 to 2 years. Mothers were more literate than fathers. Muslim children had the best immunization coverage. The main determinant of defaulting was lack of knowledge and awareness regarding immunization by the mothers (21/31%) followed by sickness in children (11/16%), causing them to default immunization schedulesConclusions: The main reason for defaulting from the immunization program was lack of awareness, regarding immunization by mothers in the community.
Seasonally variant gene expression in full‐term human placenta

Seasonal exposures influence human health and development. The placenta, as a mediator of the maternal and fetal systems and a regulator of development, is an ideal tissue to understand the biological pathways underlying relationships between season of birth and later life health outcomes. Here, we conducted a differential expression (DE) analysis of season of birth in full‐term human placental tissue to evaluate whether the placenta may be influenced by seasonal cues. Of the analyzed transcripts, 583 displayed DE between summer and winter births (False Discovery Rate [FDR] q < .05); among these, BHLHE40, MIR210HG, and HILPDA had increased expression among winter births (Bonferroni P < .05). Enrichment analyses of the seasonally variant genes between summer and winter births indicated overrepresentation of transcription factors HIF1A, VDR, and CLOCK, among others, and of GO term pathways related to ribosomal activity and infection. Additionally, a cosinor analysis found rhythmic expression for approximately 11.9% of all 17 664 analyzed placental transcripts. These results suggest that the placenta responds to seasonal cues and add to the growing body of evidence that the placenta acts as a peripheral clock, which may provide a molecular explanation for the extensive associations between season of birth and health outcomes.
Factors affecting womens health in Thailand.

This paper systematically reviews and analyzes documents on factors affecting womens health in Thailand. The importance of the sociocultural structure on womens health is examined in section 2 wherein the status and role of Thai women related to health matters prescribed by social norms and values are described. A discussion focuses on womens role in family educational opportunities womens participation in the labor force and womens rights related to health. The relationship between provision of health services and womens health is elucidated upon in section 3 wherein are revealed curative and preventive provisions of the health care system including public and private health organizations in Thailand. This section also tries to indicate involvement of women as decision-makers in various levels of health programs. In section 4 a more detailed investigation considers the effects of various health care services on womens well-being. Section 5 discusses the utilization of nongovernmental forms of health care. Linkages between some important social issues including violence AIDS stress and mental health and occupational health risks related to womens health are described in section 6. In the last section concluding comments are analyzed.
Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Seromarkers and Associated Risk Factors in Young Healthy Individuals in Bangladesh: Implications for Preventive Strategies

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Seromarkers and Associated Risk Factors in Young Healthy Individuals in Bangladesh: Implications for Preventive Strategies Kazi Nadim Hasan, Md Abdul Khaleque, Nahian Anjum Shejuti, Tanzila Wasi, and Sohidul Islam Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, North South University, Plot#15, Block B, Bashundhara, Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh Corresponding author: Kazi Nadim Hasan PhD, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Health and Life Sciences, North South University, Plot#15, Block B, Bashundhara, Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh. Tel: +88-201747367550, E-mail: nadim.hasan@northsouth.edu
Clinicopathological Profile of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-positive Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer: An Indian Perspective

Abstract Background: A novel fusion gene of echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has been identified in a subset of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Patients with the ALK-EML4 fusion gene demonstrate unique clinicopathological and physiological characteristics. Here we present an analysis of clinicopathological profile of patients of metastatic adenocarcinoma harboring the ALK-EML4 fusion gene. Methods: A retrospective analysis of advanced ALK positive NSCLC, who presented at this tertiary care hospital of armed forces from September 2014 to December 2016 was conducted. The primary goal was to evaluate demographic and clinicopathological profile of ALK positive advanced NSCLC. Detection of ALK fusion was done by IHC on formalin fixed paraffin embedded cell blocks. Results: Out of 270 patients of NSCLC, 15 (7.4%) tested positive for ALK-EML4 fusion. Rate of positivity was higher in females (13.7%) than in males (5%). The correlation of the ALK-EML4 fusion gene and clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients demonstrated a significant difference in smoking status, histological types, stage, and metastatic pattern. Conclusion: Our analysis indicated that ALK-EML4 positive NSCLC comprised a unique subgroup of adenocarcinomas with distinct clinicopathological and radiological characteristics. Incidence of ALK positivity was found to be higher in females and never smokers. These patients have distinct pathological and radiological characteristics.