Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Calprotectin – a NET Product – as a Biomarker of Disease Activity in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single-Center Case-Control Study from Poland

Background Calprotectin (S100A8/A9 or myeloid-related protein 8/14) is a heterodimeric S100 complex expressed in leukocytes. Calprotectin participates in development of the inflammatory response by binding to receptors for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) and Toll-like receptors (TLR). The clinical activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is evaluated using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). This Polish single-center case-control study aimed to evaluate serum levels of calprotectin as a rapid diagnostic biomarker of SLE (59 patients with SLE were compared with 52 healthy controls). Material/Methods Calprotectin concentration was measured with the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The SLE activity of the patients was assessed by the SLEDAI scale. Statistical analysis of the results was carried out using MedCalc 15.8 software. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A significantly higher concentration of calprotectin was found in the study group compared to the control group (medians: 3.11 vs 2.45 ng/ml; P=0.0013). We found that calprotectin has high sensitivity (89.83%) and specificity (53.85%) in differentiating between SLE patients and healthy volunteers. We found that calprotectin has very high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (82.46%) in detection of patients with moderate and severe SLE assessed using SLEDAI. Conclusions Consistent with previous studies, serum calprotectin level was revealed to have potential as a rapid diagnostic biomarker of disease activity in patients with SLE.
Stability of Spherical Nuclei in the Inner Crust of Neutron Stars

Neutron stars are the densest objects in the Universe. In this paper, we consider the so-called inner crust—the layer where neutron-excess nuclei are immersed in the degenerate gas of electrons and a sea of quasi-free neutrons. It was generally believed that spherical nuclei become unstable with respect to quadrupole deformations at high densities, and here, we consider this instability. Within the perturbative approach, we show that spherical nuclei with equilibrium number density are, in fact, stable with respect to infinitesimal quadrupole deformation. This is due to the background of degenerate electrons and associated electrostatic potential, which maintain stability of spherical nuclei. However, if the number of atomic nuclei per unit volume is much less than the equilibrium value, instability can arise. To avoid confusion, we stress that our results are limited to infinitesimal deformations and do not guarantee strict thermodynamic stability of spherical nuclei. In particular, they do not exclude that substantially non-spherical nuclei (so-called pasta phase) represent a thermodynamic equilibrium state of the densest layers of the neutron star crust. Rather, our results point out that spherical nuclei can be metastable even if they are not energetically favourable, and the timescale of transformation of spherical nuclei to the pasta phases should be estimated subsequently.
Comparison of Albendazole and Mebendazole on Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections among School-Aged Children

BACKGROUND: Anthelmintics, such as albendazole and mebendazole, are widely used to treat soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). With its extensive usage and administration along with other medical prescriptions, different environmental conditions, etc., some studies have reported unsatisfactory efficacy from albendazole to treat STHs. AIM: To observe the efficacy of albendazole and mebendazole as a single dose in treating STH infections in elementary school children. METHODS: An open randomized clinical trial was conducted in Batubara, North Sumatra, comparing the efficacy of albendazole and mebendazole. Samples were 6−12-year-old children infected with STHs based on Kato-Katz examination. A Chi-square test was performed to compare the cure rate and a t-test was done to compare the number of eggs per gram (EPG) feces in both groups. RESULT: A total of 199 children from 426 met the study criteria. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the cure rate of Ascaris lumbricoides infections at 87.5% and 31% for albendazole and mebendazole groups, respectively. The cure rate of Trichuris trichiura infection at 61.5% and 65.6% with albendazole and mebendazole, respectively, and there was no significant difference (p > 0.05). There was a significant reduction in the number of eggs of all STHs after the treatment either with albendazole or mebendazole. CONCLUSION: Single-dose albendazole has better efficacy against Ascaris lumbricoides infection than mebendazole. Meanwhile, both albendazole and mebendazole have high efficacy in reducing the number of eggs.
Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Study Investigating Wave Loads on a Torus at Deep Sea

In this thesis work has been done to validate the open-source CFD-software OpenFOAM® and its additional package waves2Foam in two dimensions, by comparing numerically obtained vertical forces from waves and heave periods with experimental results. The aim of this validation process was to establish a foundation for further investigation in three dimensions, so that trustworthy simulations of a large torus at deep sea could be performed. By implementing waves from 5th order Stokes theory, scaled from well documented experiments, an acceptable mesh and setup was found after a series of grid dependency studies. A similar grid dependency study was performed preparing for simulations measuring the heave period, showing that the numerical results closely followed the trend of the experimental results. Finally, a simulation of the same waves was done in three dimensions, measuring the forces and moments from waves on a halfway-submerged torus. This resulted in plots showing some of the expected disturbances from interference within the torus, as well as some very interesting pictures showing how interference caused the creation of a breaking wave within the torus.
Evolution of a proglacial lake in the Izborsko‐Malskaya Valley, Russia, in the Late Glacial

A proglacial lake system formed during the Late Valdai (Weichselian) Ice Sheet recession on the East European Plain. Poor knowledge about chronology, levels and the drainage pathways of ice‐dammed lakes does not allow us to fully evaluate their palaeogeographic significance. This study focuses on the Izborsko‐Malskaya Valley where fingerprints of a glaciolacustrine environment were found. Based on litho‐, biostratigraphic and geochronological data, it is estimated that the proglacial lake in the Izborsko‐Malskaya Valley existed from ~14.3 ka cal. BP (the Vashinogorskaya Valley from ~14.9 ka (optically stimulated luminescence)) to 13.2 ka cal. BP. The maximum level was ~72 m a.s. l. (above sea level) and the minimum was ~53 m a.s. l. Sedimentation proceeded mostly in deepwater conditions. The ice‐dammed lake in the Izborsko‐Malskaya and nearest valleys could have been part of a huge lake on the Pskov lowland which formed after ~15.7 ka cal. BP. The lake level dropped rapidly when the proglacial Lake Pskovsko‐Chudskoe (Peipsi) connected with the Baltic Ice Lake. A lacustrine regime was preserved only in the southern portion of the Izborsko‐Malskaya Valley after drainage and still exists in the modern lakes. The presented approaches to the ice‐dammed lake reconstruction could be useful for the verification of other lakes which existed on the East European Plain.
Determinant of Behavioral Intention to Use Digital Zakat Payment: The Moderating Role of Knowledge of Zakat

The potential for zakat in Indonesia is increasing over time. However, the value of the increase in zakat receipts is not proportional to the potential of zakat. Research on zakat behavior using digital platforms is important considering the lack of realization of zakat collection compared to the existing potential. This study develops the UTAUT model by adding knowledge of zakat as a moderated variable. A quantitative approach is used in this research. The number of respondents in this study was 200 who were obtained through convenience sampling based on questionnaires distributed online. Data analysis was performed using partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions had a positive effect on behavioral intention to use digital zakat payment. Meanwhile, the moderating effect shows that knowledge of zakat moderates the relationship between performance expectancy and behavioral intention. These results have implications for the need to increase the effectiveness of digital zakat payments, have influencers who educate about zakat payments using digital, and increase the choice of zakat management institutions that accommodate digital payments so that the intention of muzakki to pay zakat using digital payments is increasing. The moderating effect implies that for muzakki who have higher knowledge of zakat, the level of trust and effectiveness of digital payments can increase the desire to pay zakat through digital payments.
In the Elderly Population does Creatine Supplementation Play a Beneficial Role in Memory and Cognition A CAT Manuscript

Creatine has been used for decades to aid in performance/ energy system output and even more recently in bone health. However recent literature has suggested creatine has much more far-reaching effects. A combined PubMed and Google scholar search within the last 7 years demonstrated numerous high-quality papers discussing the benefits of creatine on cognition. Unfortunately, only three of these papers met the criteria of being an RCT. The fest was made up of meta-analysis and review papers. Due to this, the author notes a need for further research in the area of cognition and creatine use. Overall creatine is deemed effective and safe for use in the elderly population and can be used to support and possibly improve cognitive outcomes. Clinical Questionnaire: In the elderly population does creatine supplementation play a beneficial role in
Proteomics for Biomarker Discovery for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Kidney Transplantation Rejection

Renal transplantation is currently the treatment of choice for end-stage kidney disease, enabling a quality of life superior to dialysis. Despite this, all transplanted patients are at risk of allograft rejection processes. The gold-standard diagnosis of graft rejection, based on histological analysis of kidney biopsy, is prone to sampling errors and carries high costs and risks associated with such invasive procedures. Furthermore, the routine clinical monitoring, based on urine volume, proteinuria, and serum creatinine, usually only detects alterations after graft histologic damage and does not differentiate between the diverse etiologies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new biomarkers enabling to predict, with high sensitivity and specificity, the rejection processes and the underlying mechanisms obtained from minimally invasive procedures to be implemented in routine clinical surveillance. These new biomarkers should also detect the rejection processes as early as possible, ideally before the 78 clinical outputs, while enabling balanced immunotherapy in order to minimize rejections and reducing the high toxicities associated with these drugs. Proteomics of biofluids, collected through non-invasive or minimally invasive analysis, e.g., blood or urine, present inherent characteristics that may provide biomarker candidates. The current manuscript reviews biofluids proteomics toward biomarkers discovery that specifically identify subclinical, acute, and chronic immune rejection processes while allowing for the discrimination between cell-mediated or antibody-mediated processes. In time, these biomarkers will lead to patient risk stratification, monitoring, and personalized and more efficient immunotherapies toward higher graft survival and patient quality of life.
Stage at Diagnosis and Patient Delay among Breast Cancer Women in Kabul, Afghanistan

Background: Breast cancer is the commonest cause of mortality among women. According to WHO in 2012, about 7400 women died because of cancers in Afghanistan. Aim: To obtain information about clinical stages of breast cancer of women at the time of diagnosis in Kabul, Afghanistan. Patient and Method: This was a cross-sectional study of 240 women diagnosed with breast cancer from March 2016 to March 2019. The diagnosis of breast cancer was made by the surgeon on the basis of physical examination and Biopsy/Pathological reports. Clinical staging of the tumor was recorded according to the tumor, nodal, and metastasis (TNM) classification. The gap between knowing the problem and consulting a physician (Patient delay) was categorized: less than 3 months, 3-6 months and more than 6 months. Results: The mean age of patients was 49.31 years (SD ± 11.80) ranging from 18 to 76 years. The Patient delay was more than 6 months (65%). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the commonest morphological type (76.7%). Breast cancer in left breast of patients was 52.1%. Stage II was higher in left and stage III in right breast. The majority of patients were in stage II & III at the time of diagnosis. All stages were frequent in fourth decades of age group. The association between the clinical stages of breast cancer at the time of diagnosis, the age and breast R/L involvement of the patients was significant (P<0.001). The association between clinical stage and marital status was not significant (P<0.953). Conclusion: Late referrals, diagnosis delay and advanced stages of breast cancer are still a serious problem in Afghanistan. Cancer in right breast should be given more attention because higher stages of the disease are expected. Awareness and social education is great need.
Ageing in Urban Neighbourhoods: Exploring Place Insideness Amongst Older Adults in India, Brazil and the United Kingdom

The ageing in place agenda emphasises the importance of supporting older adults to age in their communities surrounded by the personal resources to age well. In exploring the relationship between older people and their environment, the concept of place insideness is seen as central to constructing feelings of identity, belonging and attachment in old age. Yet there has been little research exploring how older adults experience place insideness across different urban, social and cultural contexts which is an impediment to identifying effective interventions for age-friendly cities and communities. This article explores how place insideness is experienced amongst older adults across India, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The article presents qualitative findings from 294 semi-structured interviews collected across 9 cities and 27 neighbourhoods. The findings reveal that older adults cultivate their sense of place insideness in old age through dimensions of physical insideness (i.e., environmental competence in navigating and engaging in the community), social insideness (i.e., knowing others) and autobiographical insideness (i.e., shared place histories). In drawing on older people’s understanding of their communities, this article explores the opportunities and challenges in developing a sense of place insideness to support ageing well. We identify implications for policy and practice in terms of how we can better design urban environments as age-friendly communities which support a greater sense of place for older people.
Chemical Characteristics of Two-Phase Olive-Mill Waste and Evaluation of Their Direct Soil Application in Humid Mediterranean Regions

Over the last decade, the two-phase centrifugation system for olive-oil extraction has become dominant in Slovenia. There are many suggestions for the exploitation of two-phase OMW, but among the suggested methods, direct spreading on agricultural land appears to be operationally simple and economically feasible for Slovenia. As there is little information available about two-phase OMW produced in the northern Mediterranean regions, the aim was to determine its composition and evaluate its use as a soil amendment in olive groves. This study shows that the characteristics of two-phase olive-mill waste produced in northern Mediterranean regions are similar to those of other countries. In addition, the calcareous characteristics of the Mediterranean soil can reduce its phytotoxic effects and might thus represent a natural system for olive-mill waste treatment. Phenolic compounds in the two-phase olive-mill waste are rapidly decomposed, and the soil has a high buffering capacity. Furthermore, the results of the soil analysis also showed some effects on the soil properties, such as a significant increase in K2O and soil organic carbon. The combined application of two-phase olive-mill waste and mineral fertilizer to olive groves on eutric cambisols has positive effects on the physical, chemical and biochemical properties of the soil.
A Comprehensive Review of the Evolution of Insulin Development and Its Delivery Method

The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the momentous discovery of insulin. Through years of research and discovery, insulin has evolved from poorly defined crude extracts of animal pancreas to recombinant human insulin and analogues that can be prescribed and administered with high accuracy and efficacy. However, there are still many challenges ahead in clinical settings, particularly with respect to maintaining optimal glycemic control whilst minimizing the treatment-related side effects of hypoglycemia and weight gain. In this review, the chronology of the development of rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting insulin analogues, as well as mixtures and concentrated formulations that offer the potential to meet this challenge, are summarized. In addition, we also summarize the latest advancements in insulin delivery methods, along with advancement to clinical trials. This review provides insights on the development of insulin treatment for diabetes mellitus that may be useful for clinicians in meeting the needs of their individual patients. However, it is important to note that as of now, none of the new technologies mentioned have superseded the existing method of subcutaneous administration of insulin.
Microscopic colitis in older adults: impact, diagnosis, and management

Microscopic colitis (comprising lymphocytic and collagenous colitis, albeit an incomplete variant is gaining recognition as well) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory state of the lower gastrointestinal tract (colon). The diagnosis requires diagnostic colonoscopy with characteristic histopathological findings. They have a propensity to present in senior populations (above 60 years of age), particularly women – who are approximately 2.5–3 times more likely to develop microscopic colitis. Preexisting other immune-inflammatory diseases are also shown to predispose patients for the development of microscopic colitis. The classic presentation is profuse watery diarrhea, often during the night or early morning hours. Fecal incontinence and abdominal pain are frequent as well. Thus, the disease impacts patients’ quality of life and well-being. The first described cases date back to the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century, thereby they can be considered fairly recently discovered disease states. Our understanding of the disease and its pathophysiology is still incomplete. Although there is a lack of unified recommendation for treatment, most clinicians prefer the use of budesonide, and most published guidelines regard this locally acting glucocorticoid as the therapy of choice. In our article, we aimed for a brief, noncomprehensive overview of the clinical significance, diagnosis, and management of microscopic colitis.
Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments from Wetlands Invaded by Spartina alterniflora in the Yellow River Delta

Heavy metals are major pollutants that pose threats to wetland environments. In the present study, surface sediments from wetlands vegetated by invasive species Spartina alterniflora in the Yellow River Delta were collected and determined for the mass fractions of Co, Ni, As, Cd and Pb. Results showed mass fractions of Co, Ni, As, Cd and Pb in the sediments of the S. alterniflora communities ranged from 8.5 to 16.0, 13.9–27.9, 3.2–13.8, 0.08–0.24, and 17.6–37.5 mg/kg dw, respectively, generally presenting an order of Pb > Ni > Co > As > Cd. The levels of heavy metals in sediments in the S. alterniflora communities were higher than those in the wetland vegetated by the native plant species Suaeda heteroptera. Correlations among metal elements were highly significant, suggesting that they might have the same sources. Clay and TOC were important factors affecting the spatial distribution of metals. The Igeo values of the investigated elements in the sediments were frequently lower than 0, revealing the slight pollution status of these metals. Relatively slight values of Eri and RI suggested that the potential ecological risks caused by the 5 metals were low. Our findings could provide a better understanding of the correlation between metal pollution and bio-invasion in wetland ecosystems.
AFB culture and adenosine deaminase levels in subjects with tubercular pleural effusion

Background: Tuberculosis is the communicable infectious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Bacteria (MTB). Tuberculosis generally affects lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. ADA has been found to be useful parameter to conclude the tubercular etiology. Tuberculous Pleural effusion is diagnosed by demonstration of tubercular bacilli in pleural fluid or granuloma in pleural biopsy specimen. Objectives of this study: The objectives of this study were to estimate ADA levels and to study AFB culture in subjects with and without tubercular pleural effusion. Materials and Methods: Biochemical analysis for Protein and Glucose were performed on Automated Biochemistry Analyser and ADA was estimated by ADA-MTB kit method. Cytological examination and ADA Microbiological demonstration of AFB by ZN stain and AFB culture was done by conventional LJ method. Statistical Analysis: Data were expressed as mean ± SD. The Student t test was used for the comparison. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 software.
Reproductive Isolation and a Change in the Development Mode of the Tideland Snail Batillaria flectosiphonata (Gastropoda: Batillariidae)

Microsatellite analyses of sympatric populations of a tideland snail endemic to the Nansei Islands, Japan, Batillaria flectosiphonata, and its sister species, Batillaria multiformis, from a tideland on Amami-Oshima Island, indicated that the two species are reproductively isolated from each other, confirming the validity of B. flectosiphonata, whose monophyly was supported only by a low bootstrap probability in the previous molecular phylogenetic analysis. Egg capsules of B. flectosiphonata from Tokunoshima Island of the Amami insular group and Okinawajima Island of the Okinawa insular group were examined, which revealed that this species is a direct developer. Thus, the direct development has evolved twice within batillariids in Japanese waters. The lower genetic diversity of B. flectosiphonata than that of B. multiformis in the sympatric habitat might be attributed to its long-term isolation within the Amami insular group.