Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Group Guidance as an Alternative Method to Building Religious Character

This article is aimed to determine the effectiveness of group guidance in improving understanding, attitudes, and practice of religious character values in the aspects of faith, worship, morals, and muamalah. The method used was an experiment with a pretest-posttest control group design. The population consisted of 137 people. The number of samples was 30 students with a general school or junior high school education background. Fifteen students were taken as the experimental group, and fifteen others were taken as the control group. Samples were taken by purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 16.0 for windows. The results of the study showed that the average score of the experimental group was higher than the control group. The t-test results also showed that group guidance could significantly improve understanding, attitudes, and practice of religious character values. This means that group guidance can be used as an alternative method for building religious character.
Sensitivity of selected crops to lead, cadmium and arsenic in early stages of ontogenesis

This paper examines the influence of Pb+2, Cd+2 and As+3 on growth of roots in legumes (broad bean, soybean, pea) and cereals (barley, maize). Roots of germinating plants were exposed to two different levels of Pb+2 (300 and 500 mg*L-1), Cd+2 (100 and 300 mg*L-1) and As+3 (50 and 100 mg*L-1) during four day experiment. During this time, length of roots were daily measured. Toxicity of metal treatment on plant roots was calculated as phytotoxicity index (IP). In all cases, a moderate effect of lead treatment was observed (IP up to 56.67 %) while higher doses of cadmium and arsenic resulted in increase of IP above 50 %. In cases of barley and maize, the toxic effect of almost all test doses of the heavy metals was observed as soon as 24 hours after their application. Generally, a higher tolerance to tested metals showed roots of both bean cultivars (IP 16.27- 69.53 %), while the most sensitive reactions had roots of barley and soybean (IP > 50 %, excluding dose Pb 300).
Chemical Equilibrium of Aluminate in Hanford Tank Waste Originating from Tanks 241-AN-105 and 241-AP-108

The purposes of the study described in this document follow; Determine or estimate the thermodynamic equilibrium of gibbsite in contact with two real tank waste supernatant liquids through both dissolution of gibbsite (bottom-up approach) and precipitation of aluminum-bearing solids (top-down approach); determine or estimate the thermodynamic equilibrium of a mixture of gibbsite and real tank waste saltcake in contact with real tank waste supernatant liquid through both dissolution of gibbsite and precipitation of aluminum-bearing solids; and characterize the solids present after equilibrium and precipitation of aluminum-bearing solids.
A Systematic Review of Nurse-Led Antiretroviral Medication Adherence Intervention Trials: How Nurses Have Advanced the Science

Abstract Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to achieving viral suppression and improving health and clinical outcomes in persons living with HIV. Despite the effectiveness of ART and many promising evidence-based ART adherence interventions, viral suppression rates continue to be less than optimal. Nurses play pivotal roles in HIV care management, yet their role in the development and delivery of evidence-based adherence interventions has received little attention. Therefore, this review examined the contributions of nurses to ART adherence research and delivery. We found that nurse-led and nurse-facilitated interventions can be effective in fostering ART adherence in persons living with HIV. Considering the role nurses play in HIV care management and the effectiveness of interventions involving nurses, more nurse-led and nurse-facilitated interventions to address ART adherence are indicated. However, there is a need for further research to examine multilevel interventions and comparative cost and effectiveness of nurse-delivered ART interventions with other forms of delivery.
Validation of a perioperative population factor VIII pharmacokinetic model with a large cohort of pediatric hemophilia a patients

Population pharmacokinetic (PK) models are increasingly applied to perform individualized dosing of factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates in haemophilia A patients. To guarantee accurate performance of a population PK model in dose individualization, validation studies are of importance. However, external validation of population PK models requires independent data sets and is, therefore, seldomly performed. Therefore, this study aimed to validate a previously published population PK model for FVIII concentrates administrated perioperatively.
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Can Render Multiple Myeloma Cells Resistant to Cytotoxic Machinery of CAR T Cells through Inhibition of Apoptosis

Purpose: The microenvironment of multiple myeloma (MM) can critically impair therapy outcome, including immunotherapies. In this context, we have earlier demonstrated that bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSC) protect MM cells against the lytic machinery of MM-reactive cytotoxic T cells (CTL) and daratumumab-redirected natural killer (NK) cells through the upregulation of antiapoptotic proteins Survivin and Mcl-1 in MM cells. Here, we investigated the significance of this mode of immune escape on T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells). Experimental Design: We tested the cytolytic ability of a panel of 10 BCMA-, CD38-, and CD138-specific CAR T cells with different affinities against a model MM cell line and against patient-derived MM cells in the presence versus absence of BMMSCs. Results: Although BMMSCs hardly protected MM cells from lysis by high-affinity, strongly lytic BCMA- and CD38-CAR T cells, they significantly protected against lower affinity, moderately lytic BCMA-, CD38-, and CD138-specific CAR T cells in a cell–cell contact-dependent manner. Overall, there was a remarkable inverse correlation between the protective ability of BMMSCs and the lytic activity of all CAR T cells, which was dependent on CAR affinity and type of costimulation. Furthermore, BMMSC-mediated resistance against CAR T cells was effectively modulated by FL118, an inhibitor of antiapoptotic proteins Survivin, Mcl-1, and XIAP. Conclusions: These results extend our findings on the negative impact of the microenvironment against immunotherapies and suggest that outcome of CAR T cell or conventional CTL therapies could benefit from inhibition of antiapoptotic proteins upregulated in MM cells through BMMSC interactions.
Expression of a Lychee PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE:DIACYLGLYCEROL CHOLINEPHOSPHOTRANSFERASE with an Escherichia coli CYCLOPROPANE SYNTHASE Enhances Cyclopropane Fatty Acid Accumulation in Camelina Seeds1[OPEN]

Lychee accumulates ∼40% cyclopropane fatty acid in seed, and heterologous co-expression of its phosphatidylcholine diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase with E. coli cyclopropane synthase in camelina seed enhances cyclopropane fatty acid accumulation. Cyclopropane fatty acids (CPAs) are useful feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts such as lubricants and biodiesel. Our goal is to identify factors that can facilitate the accumulation of CPA in seed triacylglycerol (TAG) storage oil. We hypothesized that the poor metabolism of CPA through the TAG biosynthetic network could be overcome by the addition of enzymes from species that naturally accumulate CPA in their seed oil, such as lychee (Litchi chinensis), which contains approximately 40% CPA in TAG. Our previous work on engineering CPA accumulation in crop and model plants identified a metabolic bottleneck between phosphatidylcholine (PC), the site of CPA biosynthesis, diacylglycerol (DAG), and TAG. Here, we report the cloning and heterologous expression in camelina (Camelina sativa) of a lychee PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE:DIACYLGLYCEROL CHOLINEPHOSPHOTRANSFERASE (PDCT), which encodes the enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of the phosphocholine headgroup from PC to DAG. Camelina lines coexpressing LcPDCT and Escherichia coli CYCLOPROPANE SYNTHASE (EcCPS) showed up to a 50% increase of CPA in mature seed, relative to the EcCPS background. Stereospecific lipid compositional analysis showed that the expression of LcPDCT strongly reduced the level of C18:1 substrate at PC-sn-1 and PC-sn-2 (i.e. the sites of CPA synthesis), while the levels of CPA increased in PC-sn-2, DAG-sn-1 and DAG-sn-2, and both sn-1/3 and sn-2 positions in TAG. Taken together, these data suggest that the addition of PDCT facilitates more efficient movement of CPA from PC to DAG and establishes LcPDCT as a useful factor to combine with others to enhance CPA accumulation in plant seed oil.
Titania supported MOF-199 derived Cu–Cu2O nanoparticles: highly efficient non-noble metal photocatalysts for hydrogen production from alcohol–water mixtures

Fabrication of cheap and efficient photocatalysts is pivotal for practical applications of solar energy devices. Here, we illustrate a novel trend in generating Cu–Cu2O nanoparticles over TiO2 for water splitting systems. Titanium(IV) isopropoxide was hydrolysed in the presence of various wt% of MOF-199 ([Cu3(BTC)2(H2O)3]n) to obtain TiO2–MOF-199 composite materials. These composite materials are then calcined at various temperatures in air to produce highly dispersed Cu–Cu2O nanoparticles over TiO2; these nanoparticles were tested as photocatalyts for hydrogen generation from alcohol–water mixtures. The photocatalyst 1 wt% Cu/TiO2-400 was found to exhibit a hydrogen production rate some 2.5 times higher than that of CuO prepared by conventional precipitation methods. The calcination temperature of the TiO2–MOF composite was found to affect the oxidation state of Cu and the photocatalytic activity, with an optimum performance achieved at 400 °C. Calcination beyond this temperature led to oxidation and agglomeration of Cu–Cu2O nanoparticles into larger CuO deposits, which reduce the H2 production activity (ca. 80%).
Evaluation of High-Dose Atorvastatin Pretreatment Influence in Patients Preconditioning of Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Prospective Triple Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Context: Atorvastatin is considered as lipid reductive drugs with anti-inflammatory and pleotherapic effects in coronary artery bypass graph (CABG). Aim: This study is conducted to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin in CABG. Setting and Design: Patients with a coronary bypass graph procedure in Nemazee hospital in Shiraz were divided into two 50-groups receiving high-dose (80 mg) and low-dose (20 mg) atorvastatin. Materials and Methods: Troponin I, creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB), atrial fibrillation (AF) after CABG, duration of mechanical ventilation, inotrope duration of consumption, blood sugar profile, liver and renal function, death during 30 days of CABG, MACE (major advance cardiac events) during admission in ICU, and 1 month follow up were surveyed. Statistical Analysis: Collected data were analyzed by independent and paired t-test and Chi square. Results: AST was increased, ALT, ALK-P after CABG were decreased, and urine volume in the second day of admission in ICU was increased in the high-dose group. There was an increase and following decrease in blood sugar of patients in the high-dose after CABG. An inflammatory marker after CABG was raised in both groups, ck-mb had an increase, and then followed by a reduction. Troporin had no significant differences between groups. Patients with high-dose atorvastatin had better glomerular filtration rate and renal performance. Along with decreasing AF in the case group, hemodynamics' disorder reduced and there was less bleeding. Conclusion: According to the above, it seems that a short-time prescription of high dose of atorvastatin in CABG can lead to better renal function, decreasing of arrhythmia and AF.
α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists Regulate Inflammation and Growth Hormone Resistance in Sepsis

ABSTRACT During sepsis the normal induction of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) by growth hormone (GH) action on liver is attenuated, a phenomenon called hepatic GH resistance. Hepatic GH resistance can be caused by cytokine-mediated activation of the NF-κB pathway which interferes with normal GH-signaling. The afferent and efferent fibers of the vagus nerve are integral to the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) which attenuates hepatic TNFα production by activating the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). We examined the effects of selective afferent vagotomy (SAV) and α7nAChR activation on sepsis-induced mortality, hepatic and systemic inflammation, the GH/IGF system and hepatic GH resistance using Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, C57BL/6 wild type (WT) mice, and α7nAChR knockout (KO) mice. Capsaicin was used to perform SAV and GTS-21 (α7nAChR agonist) was used to activate the α7nAChR. Sepsis-induced mortality, hepatic NF-κB activation, and plasma cytokine levels were increased in SAV rats and reduced in GTS-21-treated mice. The effects of sepsis on the GH/IGF-I system plasma IGF-I, IGF binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), hepatic IGF-I, IGFBP-1, and GH receptor (GHR) mRNA and rhGH-responsiveness in mice were improved by GTS-21. Collectively these results confirm the protective effects of the anti-inflammatory CAP and α7nAChR activation in sepsis. They also provide evidence the CAP and α7nAChR activation could be used to attenuate hepatic GH resistance and anabolic failure in sepsis.
The distribution of Fusarium graminearum and F. asiaticum causing Fusarium head blight of wheat in relation to climate and cropping system.

In the main wheat production area of China (The Huang Huai Plain, HHP), both Fusarium graminearum and F. asiaticum, the causal agents of Fusarium head blight (FHB), are present. We investigated whether the relative prevalence of F. graminearum and F. asiaticum is related to cropping systems and/or climate factors. A total of 1844 Fusarium isolates were obtained from 103 fields of two cropping systems: maize-wheat and rice-wheat rotations. To maximize the differences in climatic conditions, isolates were sampled from the north and south HHP region. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of EF-1α and Tri101sequences, 1207 of the 1844 isolates belonged to F. graminearum, and the remaining 637 isolates belonged to F. asiaticum. The former was predominant in the northern region: 1022 of the 1078 Fusarium isolates in the north were F. graminearum. The latter was predominant in the southern region: 581 of the 766 Fusarium isolates belonging to F. asiaticum. Analysis based on generalised linear modelling, the relative prevalence of the two species was associated more with climatic conditions than with the cropping system. Fusarium graminearum was associated with drier conditions, cooler conditions during the winter but warmer conditions in the infection and grain-colonization period, and with the maize-wheat rotation. The opposite was true for F. asiaticum. Except 15-ADON, the trichothecene chemotype composition of F. asiaticum differed between the two cropping systems. The 3-ADON was more prevalent in the maize-wheat rotation; whereas NIV more prevalent in the rice-wheat rotation. The results also suggested that environmental conditions in the overwintering period appeared to be more important than that in the infection and grain-colonization and pre-anthesis sporulation periods in affecting the relative prevalence of F. graminearum and F. asiaticum. More research is needed to study the effect of overwintering conditions on subsequent epidemic in the following spring.
Field-Level Exposure of Bumble Bees to Fungicides Applied to a Commercial Cherry Orchard

Abstract Bumble bees, Bombus spp. (Apidae), are important native pollinators; however, populations of some species are declining in North America and agricultural chemicals are a potential cause. Fungicides are generally not highly toxic to bees, but little is known about sublethal or synergistic effects. This study evaluates bumble bee exposure to fungicides by quantifying concentrations of boscalid and pyraclostrobin in nectar and pollen collected by colonies of Bombus huntii Greene, 1860 (Hunt bumble bee) deployed in a commercial cherry Prunus avium L. orchard in the spring of 2016. Seven colonies were placed adjacent to an orchard block that was sprayed with a fungicide mixture of boscalid and pyraclostrobin and a control group of seven colonies was placed next to an unsprayed block of orchard 400 m away from the treated block. Nectar and pollen were collected daily, beginning 1 d before spray application and continuing for a total of 12 d, and analyzed for both fungicides. Fungicide concentrations varied spatially by colony and temporally by day. The highest concentrations in nectar occurred 1 and 3 d after spraying: up to 440 ng/g boscalid and 240 ng/g pyraclostrobin. Six days after application, pollen from cherry flowers contained the highest concentrations of the fungicides: up to 60,500 ng/g boscalid and 32,000 ng/g pyraclostrobin. These data can help to determine field-level fungicide concentrations in nectar and pollen and direct future work on understanding the effects of these compounds, including their interactions with important bumble bee pathogenic and beneficial symbionts.
Recurrent pheochromocytoma with catecholamine cardiomyopathy and left ventricular thrombus: a case report

Pheochromocytoma is a rare and usually benign tumor of the adrenal glands. We report a case of a 40-year-old woman with recurrent pheochromocytoma and catecholamine cardiomyopathy. She had no history of other types of tumors or connective tissue disease. She had already undergone surgery twice to remove the pheochromocytoma, which had now recurred for the second time. A thrombus in the left ventricle was also noted upon imaging examination, which dissipated after anticoagulation therapy using dabigatran, allowing the patient to opt for an elective third surgery. This paper describes the clinical outcome of using the anticoagulant dabigatran to treat left ventricular thrombosis in this rare case of recurrent pheochromocytoma, and thus further contributing to the knowledge of the clinical management of this rare and complicated disease.
Percutaneous cholecystostomy in the treatment of acute calculous cholecystitis in elderly patients with COVID-19 and high comorbidity.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to review the efficacy, safety, and outcomes of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in elderly patients with acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC), high comorbidity, and COVID-19. METHODS The hospital registry data were examined of patients aged >65 years who were diagnosed with ACC and COVID-19 between March 2020 and June 2020 and who underwent PC treatment in the interventional radiology unit. RESULTS A total of 18 patients were diagnosed with ACC and COVID-19, then underwent PC. The patients comprised 14 (78%) males and 4 (22%) females with an average age of 73.4 years (range, 67-81 years). In 17 (94%) patients, symptoms associated with acute cholecystitis decreased within 48-72 h of the PC treatment and a clinical improvement was determined. The success rate of PC was 100% and no complications. In 3 (16.6%) patients followed up with intubation in intensive care after the procedure, mortality developed due to COVID-19-associated pneumonia and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome, and 15 (83.4%) patients were discharged with an elective cholecystectomy plan. CONCLUSION COVID-19 infection can be fatal especially in patients over 65 years of age due to additional comorbidities. PC treatment, which can be performed under local anesthesia as a minimally invasive procedure, is an alternative treatment option in this patient group. PC can also act as a bridge in transition to elective surgery in this process management.
Testing Meldonium: Assessing Soviet pragmatic alternatives to the randomized controlled trial

Background/aims Current research largely tends to ignore the drug-testing model that was developed in the “Second World” as an explicit alternative to the randomized controlled trial. This system can be described as “socialist pharmapolitics,” accounting for the specific features of state socialism that influenced the development and testing of experimental drugs. The clinical trials model employed in the “Second World” was heavily influenced by the Soviet Union, which was by far the most influential player in the socialist bloc during the Cold War. Based on extensive archival research, this article presents an empirical case of a late Soviet clinical trial as a pragmatic alternative to the randomized controlled trial model. It accounts for the divergences between the official model prescribed by the Soviet authorities and the messy realities of healthcare practice. It further outlines different factors that ultimately shaped how clinical trials were organized in Soviet institutions “on the ground. ” Accordingly, this article presents a “real-life” history of “socialist pharmapolitics” and outlines the problems that this system faced in practice. Methods Archival research was conducted at the Russian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation in Moscow. Archival files include scientific, technical, and registration documentation such as biochemical, pharmacological, and clinical descriptions of the experimental drug Meldonium, letters between various hospitals, research institutes and the Soviet regulatory body, as well as 26 reports of completed clinical trials. Manual content analysis was used for the interpretation of results. Results This article presents an empirical case of a late Soviet clinical trial as a pragmatic alternative to the randomized controlled trial model. It demonstrates some key differences from the randomized controlled trial model. This article also highlights some of the discrepancies between the model that was officially prescribed by the Soviet authorities and the realities of experimental drug testing in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In particular, it notes some elements of randomization, double-blinding, and the use of placebo that were present in Meldonium trials despite being formally denounced by Soviet bioethics. Conclusion The Soviet model for testing experimental drugs differed from the Western one substantially in a number of respects. This difference was not only proclaimed officially by the Soviet authorities, but was for the most part enforced in clinical trials in practice. At the same time, our research demonstrates that there were important differences between the official model and the clinical realities on the ground.
Comprehensive investigation of sources of misclassification errors in routine HIV testing in Zimbabwe

Misclassification errors have been reported in rapid diagnostic HIV tests (RDTs) in sub‐Saharan African countries. These errors can lead to missed opportunities for prevention‐of‐mother‐to‐child‐transmission (PMTCT), early infant diagnosis and adult HIV‐prevention, unnecessary lifelong antiretroviral treatment (ART) and wasted resources. Few national estimates or systematic quantifications of sources of errors have been produced. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of possible sources of misclassification errors in routine HIV testing in Zimbabwe.