Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Updated Software for Automated assessment of glucose variability and quality of glycemic control in diabetes.

BACKGROUND Glycemic variability is an important factor to consider in diabetes management. It can be assessed with multiple glycemic variability metrics and quality of control indices based on Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) recordings. For this, robust, repeatable calculation is important. A widely used tool for automated assessment is the EasyGV software. The aim of this work is to implement new methods of glycemic variability assessment in EasyGV and to validate implementation of each glucose metric in EasyGV against a reference implementation of the calculations. METHODS Validation data used came from the JDRF CGM study. Validation of the implementation of metrics that are available in EasyGV software v9 was carried out and the following new methods were added and validated: PGS (personal Glycemic State), IGC (Index of Glycemic Control), times in ranges, and GVP (glycemic variability percentage). Reference values considered as gold standard calculations were derived from Matlab implementation of each metric. RESULTS The Pearson correlation coefficient was above 0.98 for all metrics, except for Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursion (MAGE, r=0.87) as EasyGV implements a fuzzy logic approach to assessment of variability. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated validation of the new software. CONCLUSIONS The new freely available EasyGV software v10 (https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/technology-outputs/easygv) is a validated, robust tool for analysing different glycemic variability and control metrics.
Exploring Young People’s Experience of Ending Active Cancer Treatment

Background The end of active cancer treatment is described as a stressful period for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). However, research evidence describing the experience of AYAs as they transition from active treatment into follow-up care is scarce. Objective We aimed to understand AYAs’ experiences within the first 12 months of ending active treatment. Methods Data were collected using semistructured interviews, which were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative analysis of transcripts was used to identify key themes/subthemes. Results Eleven AYAs (8 female participants), diagnosed with cancer aged 17 to 25 years and 19 to 26 years at point of interview, participated. At time of interview, 7 were within 6 months of treatment completion, and in 4 participants, treatment ended 6 to 12 months prior. Three main themes were identified: (1) challenges of social reintegration and self-identity, (2) expectations versus the lived experience of ending treatment, and (3) sudden loss of the safe “bubble” of treatment. Conclusions Adolescents and young adults were underprepared for and challenged by the unexpected emotional and physical consequences of ending active cancer treatment. Implications for Practice Young people require information and support to prepare for ending active treatment and reintegration to everyday life. Preparation for the short- and long-term physical, social, and psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis even when treatment ends will assist young people in managing this transition. Further research is required to develop and test interventions to provide timely, structured, and equitable information and support at the end of treatment to better prepare AYAs for the challenges they may face as treatment ends.
Effect of Adriamycin Entrapped in Sulfatide-Containing Liposomes on Colon Tumor Cells Metastasized to the Liver

Antineoplastic effect of adriamycin entrapped in sulfatidecontaining liposomes on colon tumor cells metastasized to the liver and preventive effect of the liposome-entrapped adriamycin on liver metastasis were studied by use of an in vivo murine model for liver metastasis made by portal injection of cells of colon 26, a murine colon cancer cell line. The levels of adriamycin in the liver at 24 and 72h after intravenous administration of the drug entrapped in sulfatide-containing liposomes were 68.2±8.7 and 47.5±12.0 nmol/g liver tissue, respectively. In the case of free adriamycin, those levels were 3.1±1.0 and 2.4±1.0nmol/g tissue. These results indicate that upon entrapment of adriamycin in the liposomes, a higher level of the drug was maintained in the liver for a longer time than the free drug. Administration of 6mg/kg of adriamycin entrapped in liposomes at 7 days after the injection of colon 26 cells brought about a significant reduction in the number of colonies on the liver surface counted at 14 days after cell injection compared with the free drug (p<0.05). The pretreatment with adriamycin entrapped in liposomes resulted in the absence of colonies in 4 of 6 mice and significantly prolonged their survival time (p<0.05). These results indicate that liposomal adriamycin is effective in the treatment of liver metastasis.
Neural Correlates of Verb Fluency Performance in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults and Individuals With Dementia: A Pilot fMRI Study

Currently there are ~6 million Americans who are affected by dementia. Verbal fluency tasks have been commonly and frequently utilized to document the disease progression in many forms of dementia. Verb fluency has been found to display substantial potential to detect and monitor the cognitive declines of individuals with dementia who have fronto-striatal involvement. The neural substrates underlying verb fluency task performance, however, have remained unclear so far, especially in individuals with dementia. Therefore, in the current study, brain activation patterns of seven individuals with dementia and nine healthy older adults were investigated using functional MRI. The participants performed in the scanner an overt, subject-paced verb fluency task, representative of fluency tasks used in clinical settings. The brain activation patterns during the verb fluency task were compared between the two groups, and a correlational analysis was conducted to determine the neural correlates of verb fluency performance. The results suggest that compared to healthy older adults, individuals with dementia demonstrated poorer verb fluency performance and showed higher activation in specific neural regions, such as the bilateral frontal lobe. In addition, the correlational analysis revealed that poorer verb fluency performance lead to increased activation in certain cortical and subcortical areas, including left hippocampus and right supramarginal gyrus. The current findings are consistent with previous neurophysiological findings related to semantic (noun) fluency performance in older adults and individuals with dementia and add to the empirical evidence that supports the role of the frontal lobe and hippocampus in verb retrieval and search. Declines in verb fluency performance cannot only be used as a cognitive marker, but also represent neuropathological changes due to the neurodegenerative disease.
6 Tuberculosis Among Community- Based Healthcare Researchers

Background Occupational TB in hospital-based healthcare workers is reported regularly, but TB in community-based healthcare researchers has not often been addressed. This study investigates TB incidence in healthcare researchers in a high TB and HIV prevalent setting in the Western Cape, South Africa. The healthcare researchers are employed at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Stellenbosch University. Methods A retrospective analysis was done on routine information concerning employees at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre. The Centre has office-based and community-based employees. Findings 180 researchers were included in the analysis. 11 TB cases were identified over 250.4 person–years of follow-up. All cases were identified among community-based researchers. The TB incidence was 4.39 per 100 person-years (95% CI 2.45-7.93). The Standardised TB Morbidity Ratio was 2.47 (95% CI 1.25-4.32), which exceeded the standard population rate by 147%. Interpretation The TB-incidence in South Africa was 948 per 100 000 people/year in 20071. The TBincidence in the communities where the researchers worked was 1 875 per 100 000/ year. Community-based researchers of the study population have a 2.34 times higher TB incidence than the community. It is the responsibility of principal investigators to implement occupational health and infection control guidelines to protect researchers. PhD Thesis_Mareli_Claasen_2013. indd 8
Lymph node stromal CCL2 limits antibody responses

Lymph node stromal CCL2 limits plasma cell survival via monocyte accumulation and reactive oxygen species and is tuned by vascular permeability. Sending messages to plasma cells Lymph node stromal cells serve as a platform that facilitates functional interactions between distinct immune cell types. Here, Dasoveanu et al. have examined the role of fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs), a type of lymph node stromal cells, in regulating the survival of antibody-producing plasma cells. They report FRCs to be a critical source of chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), and that CCL2 produced by FRCs tempers the expansion of plasma cells. Plasma cells do not express the CCL2 receptor CCR2; rather, CCR2-expressing monocytes respond to CCL2 by generating molecules that relay signals from the FRCs to the plasma cells. The study adds to the growing appreciation of the roles of lymph node stromal cells in fine-tuning adaptive immune responses. Nonhematopoietic stromal cells in lymph nodes such as fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) can support the survival of plasmablasts and plasma cells [together, antibody-forming cells (AFCs)]. However, a regulatory function for the stromal compartment in AFC accumulation has not been appreciated. Here, we show that chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)–expressing stromal cells limit AFC survival. FRCs express high levels of CCL2 in vessel-rich areas of the T cell zone and the medulla, where AFCs are located. FRC CCL2 is up-regulated during AFC accumulation, and we use lymph node transplantation to show that CCL2 deficiency in BP3+ FRCs and lymphatic endothelial cells increases AFC survival without affecting B or germinal center cell numbers. Monocytes are key expressers of the CCL2 receptor CCR2, as monocyte depletion and transfer late in AFC responses increases and decreases AFC accumulation, respectively. Monocytes express reactive oxygen species (ROS) in an NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2)–dependent manner, and NOX2-deficient monocytes fail to reduce AFC numbers. Stromal CCL2 modulates both monocyte accumulation and ROS production, and is regulated, in part, by manipulations that modulate vascular permeability. Together, our results reveal that the lymph node stromal compartment, by influencing monocyte accumulation and functional phenotype, has a regulatory role in AFC survival. Our results further suggest a role for inflammation-induced vascular activity in tuning the lymph node microenvironment. The understanding of stromal-mediated AFC regulation in vessel-rich environments could potentially be harnessed to control antibody-mediated autoimmunity.
ANALYZING ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IRAQ ACCORDING TO TEACHERS' OPINIONS

This study aimed to analyze textbook questions in Islamic education textbooks in the three levels of secondary schools in Iraq according to teachers’ opinions depending on Bloom’s taxonomy cognitive domain. The analysis of textbook questions is highly important in achieving its educational objectives, and thus numerous analytical models are available for the cognitive domain. Results show that questions in lower levels (Knowledge and Comprehension) are (High percentage) and questions in higher levels (application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) are very (Low percentage) in Islamic educational textbooks’ questions in secondary schools in Iraq.
miR-133b in predicting prognosis for patients with osteosarcoma, and its effect on apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells

Objective: To explore the expression of miR-133b in patients with osteosarcoma and its effect on apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. Methods: The cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues of 56 patients with osteosarcoma were collected in our hospital. The expression level of miR-133b in tissues was detected by qRT-PCR, and the relationship between miR-133b and prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival curve. The miR-133b overexpression vector (miR-133b-mimic) and the miR blank vector (miR-control) were designed and synthesized, and transfected into human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63. MTT and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of MG-63 cells. The levels of p-p38, p-ERK and p-JNK were detected by Western blot. The correlation between miR-133b and p-p38, p-ERK, p-JNK was analyzed by Pearson analysis. Results: The expression level of miR-133b in cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.05). The 5-year survival rate was 78.57% and 53.57% in the miR-133b high and low expression groups, respectively (P = 0.038). The expression level of miR-133b and cell apoptosis rate in miR-133b-mimic group were higher than those of miR-control group and control group (P < 0.001). Compared with miR-control group and control group, the cell proliferation, levels of p-p38, p-ERK and p-JNK in miR-133b-mimic group were lower (P < 0.05). Pearson analysis showed that miR-133b was negatively correlated with p-p38 (r = -0.828, P < 0.001), p-ERK (r = -0.786, P < 0.001) and p-JNK (r = -0.928, P < 0.001) expression. Conclusion: miR-133b expression is downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues. The 5-year survival rate of patients with low expression of miR-133b was decreased, and up-regulation of miR-133b could inhibit MAPKs signaling pathway and promote apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells.
Evaluating the forecasting accuracy of the closed- and open economy New Keynesian DSGE models

The primary purpose of this paper is to compare the forecasting performance of a small open economy New Keynesian Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (SOE-NK-DSGE) model with its closed-economy counterpart. Based on the quarterly Australian data, these two competing models are recursively estimated, and point forecasts for seven domestic variables are compared. Since Australia is a small open economy, global economic integration and financial linkage play an essential role in this country. However, the empirical findings indicate that the open economy model yields predictions that are less accurate than those from its closed economy counterpart. Two possible reasons could cause this failure of the SOE-NK-DSGE model: (1) misspecification of the foreign sector, and (2) a higher degree of estimation uncertainty. Thus, this research paper examines further how these two issues are associated with this practical problem. To this end, we perform two additional exercises in a new variant of the SOE-NK-DSGE and Bayesian VAR models. Consequently, the findings from these two exercises reveal that a combination of misspecification of the foreign sector and a higher degree of estimation uncertainty causes the failure of the open economy DSGE model in forecasting. Thus, one uses the SOE-NK-DSGE model for prediction with caution.
Antioxidant Properties of Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia L.)

Bitter gourd is regarded as an antioxidant rich vegetable with beneficial properties for the circulatory, respiratory, digestive and nervous systems according to the Indian indigenous system of medicine. Several methods have been used to determine antioxidant activity of plants. The present study, therefore, involved four various established methods to evaluate anti oxidative activity of bitter gourd fruit, namely, total antioxidant capacity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and super oxide anion radical scavenging activity by using different types of solvents like petroleum ether, acetone, ethanol and methanol. The present study revealed that light green big sample had the highest DPPH activity with an IC50 value of 50.88 µg/ ml in methanol solvent. In the case of bitter gourd dried samples, highest DPPH activity with an IC50 value of 50.10 µg/ ml was reported in light green big type. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of light green big was found to be highest both in the case of fresh and dried bitter gourd samples with an IC50 values of 50.95 µg/ml and 50.10 µg/ml respectively. Light green small sample showed higher superoxide anion radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 50.36 µg/ ml in fresh samples and 49.76 µg/ ml in dried samples, in solvents like petroleum ether and acetone respectively. Antioxidant activity ranged with an IC50 value of 50.09 µg/ml to 61.90 µg/ml in fresh bitter gourd samples and maximum antioxidant capacity was observed in light green big (50.09 µg/ ml) whereas dried samples, the highest antioxidant activity was observed in light green dried (50.07 µg/ ml) in acetone solvent.
The Impact of Social Influence, Self-Efficacy, Perceived Enjoyment, and Individual Mobility on Attitude toward use and Intention to use Mobile Payment of OVO

-This study aims to determine the effect of social influence, self-efficacy, perceived enjoyment, and individual mobility on attitude toward the use, as well as the effect of perceived enjoyment and individual mobility on the intention to use, and the effect of attitude toward use on the intention to use. This type of research uses quantitative research. Data were collected from 125 OVO application users in Indonesia who met the criteria determined by the researcher. Data were collected by a questionnaire distributed online and Analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Amos software. The Results Showed that attitude toward OVO was influenced by self-efficacy and individual mobility but not influenced by social influences and perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, the intention of OVO users is influenced by perceived enjoyment, individual mobility, and attitude
Humanizing Prisons with Animals: A Closer Look at "Cell Dogs" and Horse Programs in Correctional Institutions

If correctional education aims to transform individuals and bring about change, we need to consider the whole person who comes with human needs, emotions and attitudes. In order to expand our approach, alternative programs should be explored. A somewhat unusual but very promising approach to address offenders' human needs is the use of animals in institutions. The majority of these programs have a vocational skills component: Inmates train dogs to become service dogs for the disabled, or they work with horses, either wild mustangs or retired race horses in need of rehabilitation. Although vocational training is certainly a major consideration, these programs are also highly therapeutic and rehabilitative. Suggested outcomes can benefit many: The inmate, the institution, other agencies, and the community. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of selected animal-assisted programs in correctional institutions and their reported benefits.
Mothers’ Practices Regarding Management of Common Gastrointestinal Problems Affecting Their Young Children

Children under five years are more vulnerable for many gastrointestinal problems. Healthy practices regarding these problems adopted by mothers help in raising the health status of their children, thereby lessens the morbidity and mortality of children. Aim: The study aims to assess mothers’ practices regarding management of common gastrointestinal (GIT) problems affecting their young children. Setting: The study was carried out at Medical Units and Outpatient Department of Children University Hospital at El-Shatby, Alexandria. Subjects: The subjects of present study comprised 100 mothers having children less than five years. Tool: one tool was used to collect data namely Mothers’ Practices of Common Gastrointestinal Problems Structured Interview Schedule. Results: The main study findings showed that the majority of mothers reported that they gave ORS and continued feeding during diarrheal attacks. About three quarters of mothers reported that they used suppositories for their constipated children. Three quarters of the mothers gave medication in case of vomiting. Nearly two thirds of mothers gave antispasmodics for management of colic and the majority of them administered oral antifungal drugs to treat thrush stomatitis affected their young children. Conclusion: Mothers’ practices regarding common gastrointestinal problems were either good or unsatisfactory. Recommendations: Pediatric nurses should provide educational sessions and mother classes for mothers regarding management of their children GIT problems. Handouts, brochures or simple books about management of common GIT problems affecting young children should also be available for mothers in pediatric hospitals. Key wards: Mothers’ Management, Gastrointestinal Problems, young children. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 27-11-2018 Date of acceptance: 08-12-2018 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effect of Preheating on Surface Roughness and Microhardness of a Nanohybrid Composite Resin-An In Vitro Study

Introduction: The success of dental composites in restorative dentistry stems from their good aesthetic properties and adequate durability. The clinical performance of composite resins is directly related to the degree of monomer conversion after photo polymerization. Placing composites at an elevated temperature reduce their viscosity and increase the efficiency of polymerization. Heating the composite prior to placement in the cavity increases monomer conversion rate and therefore the duration of the irradiation period may be reduced. Purpose of Study: Evaluate and compare effect of pre-heating on surface roughness and microhardness of nanohybrid composite resin subjected to two different temperatures and two different durations using light emitting diode curing unit (LED LCU). Methods: Nanohybrid composite resin was tested at two temperatures (37°C and 55°C) and pre-heating of composite was done using incubator at two durations (10 and 20 minutes) respectively. Samples were injected into cylindrical Teflon molds and the top surface of the specimens were polymerized using LED LCU for 40 s. After preservation for 24 h, specimens checked for surface roughness and Vickers hardness measurements. Statistical analysis were performed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test at a level of significance of P < 0.05 for both surface roughness and microhardness. Results: Pre-heating of composite affect on microhardness and did not influence on surface roughness. Conclusion: Pre-heating of resin composite increases microhardness and no significant effect on roughness.
Evidence from India

We study the impact of foreign institutional investor (FII) flows on stock returns in India. We exploit stock-level daily trading data for FII purchases and FII sales to separate stocks into those experiencing abnormally high and low FII flow innovations. We find that stocks with high innovations are associated with a coincident price increase that is permanent, whereas stocks with low innovations are associated with a coincident price decline that is in part transient, reversing itself within one week. The differential abnormal return between high and low innovation stocks is nevertheless significant, both statistically and economically (relative to stock return volatility), largely unrelated to firm characteristics and increasing during periods of market stress. Our findings are robust in out-of-sample tests. The results are consistent with price “pressure” on stock returns induced by FII sales, as well as information being revealed through FII purchases and FII sales.