Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Haematologic Indices and the Response to Erythropoetin Therapy in Chronic Renal Failure

Anaemia has for long been recognized as one of the commonest complications of chronic renal failure. It has been found to significantly influence morbidity; mortality and health-related quality of life in these patients. In a bid to further categorize the anaemia in Nigerians with CRF and provide preliminary data on their response to r-HUEPO treatment we conducted this prospective open labelled c1inico-pathologic study. Thirty consecutive newly diagnosed CRF patients aged 40. 17±13.4 years and 25 healthy, age and sex-matched controls were studied. The mean creatinine clearance (Cr Cl) was 11.68 ± 9.16 ml/min in the patients and 94.0±16.67m1s/min in controls. A comprehensive assessment of their renal status was done as well as full haematological profile including bone marrow aspiration and staining, prothrombin time and bleeding time. Stool test for occult blood and microscopy was done. Urine microscopy, culture and sensitivity were also carried out on all subjects. Subcutaneous recombinant erythropoietin was offered to those that were able to afford it at the dose of 50 units/kg body weight up to a maximum of -WOO units thrice weekly and the response monitored over the study period. We found that anaemia was present in all patients; PCV ranged between 10% and 35% (mean ± SD; 20.27 ±5.6%), in contrast with 37 -48% (mean ±SD; 41.96 ±16.67%) in normals. PCV correlated positively with creatinine clearance (r=0.97, P =0.0043) and negatively with bleeding time (r=0.49; P=0.043). The bleeding time was prolonged in 9 (36%) of the patients while it was normal in all controls (P<O.OOl). Ten Patients had malaria parasitaemia (40%) at presentation when compared withonly 3(12%) of the controls (P=0.05). 88% of the patients had normal leucocyte count while all the control subjects had normal leucocyte counts. The platelet counts in the study group ranged between 86 and 246 x 109fLwhile for controls it ranged between 90 and 330 x 109/L. Twenty (80%) patients had hypocellular marrow while the remaining 5 (20%) had normocellular marrow. Marrow iron was normal in 12(40%) patients reduced in 11(36.7%) and absent in 7 (23.3%). Recombinant human erythropoietin therapy was effective in 90% of patients that had it. The mean PCV rose from 20.6 ± 3.3 % to 33.6 ± 4.3 % (p=0.008) and retic index from 0.38 to 1.04 over the study period. We conclude that anaemia of increasing severity is common in CRF patients and worsens with progression of the disease; it is hypoproliferative with normochromic normocytic picture in the majority of the patients. Contributory factors include iron deficiency, inadequate dialysis dosing, increased bleeding tendencies and megaloblastic anaemia. Erythropoietin therapy was effective but was unaffordable for the majority of our patients.
Lived experienced of patients with sickle cell disease anemia about disease management (a qualitative research)

Introduction and Goal: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of disorders, comprising sickle cell anemia and compound heterozygous disorders. It is the most common inherited hematological disease in the world. The objectives of this study were to describe the lived experienced patients with SCD during the evolution of a painful event and their solutions for control and manage it. We hope that with finding and cumulative of these solutions help patient with SCD for the management of their painful event. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study explored the experiences of sickle cell patients in management and control of pain and disease crisis in Iran. In-depth, unstructured individual interviews were conducted to extract the subjects' experiences of sickle cell patients in management and control of pain and disease crisis. Results: Codes extracted from the interviews led to the emergence of fore themes, which include implementation of various strategies to pain relief, awareness of pain intensifying, need to have the full support, awareness of the disease process. Conclusion: It is recommended that the instructions and programs written by nurses, be taught to patients and received feedback, to ensure that these strategies will be used.
An Inverse Vehicle Model for a Neural-Network-Based Integrated Lateral and Longitudinal Automatic Parking Controller

The majority of currently used automatic parking systems exploit the planning-and-tracking approach that involves planning the reference trajectory first and then tracking the desired reference trajectory. However, the response delay of longitudinal velocity prevents the parking controller from tracing the desired trajectory because the vehicle’s velocity and other state parameters are not synchronized, while the controller maneuvers the vehicle according to the planned desired velocity and steering profiles. We propose an inverse vehicle model to provide a neural-network-based integrated lateral and longitudinal automatic parking controller. We approximated the relationship of the planned velocity to the vehicle’s velocity using a second-order difference equation that involves the response characteristic of the vehicle’s longitudinal delay. The adjusted desired velocity to track the origin-planned velocity is calculated using the inverse vehicle model. Furthermore, we proposed an integrated longitudinal and lateral parking controller using an artificial neural network (ANN) model trained on a dataset applying the inverse vehicle model. By learning the control laws between the vehicle’s states and the corresponding actions, the proposed ANN-based controller could yield a steering angle and the adjusted desired velocity to complete automatic parking in a confined space.
Comparative study on functional outcome of steroid injection vs conservative management in plantar Fascitiis

Plantar fasciitis is the most commonly encountered cause of heel pain often presenting after periods of inactivity. Since its aetiology is obscure, there exist multiple modalities of treatment including both conservative and local injection of steroid. This study aims to evaluate the functional outcome following steroid injection versus conservative management of plantar fasciitis. Sixty two patients with heel pain with clinical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis in whom other causes of heel pain was ruled out were included. One group received plantar fascia stretching exercise, NSAID treatment and footwear modification while the other group received local steroid injection in addition to the exercises and footwear modification and NSAIDS. The VAS scores were re assessed on admission and after 2, 4 and 8 weeks. The conservative group showed a slow decline in VAS scores over 8 weeks whereas the steroid group showed a rapid fall in the first two weeks and a plateau at the end of 8 weeks with no major VAS score difference. There is a statistically significant drop in pain and VAS scores in the steroid group on comparing with the conservative group at 2 and 4 weeks follow up. However there was no significant difference in the VAS scores of steroid injection and stretching exercises by the 8th week. Since, local injection of steroid can sometimes causes unwarranted complications such as heel pad atrophy or Achilles tendon rupture, conservative management is preferred. However with good patient selection and adequate precaution steroid injection can be used for rapid pain relief and early return to activities.
Model-Based Closed-Loop Glucose Control in Critical Illness

Stress hyperglycemia is a common complication in critically ill patients and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Tight glucose control (TGC) has shown promise in reducing mean glucose levels in critically ill patients and may mitigate the harmful repercussions of stress hyperglycemia. Despite the promise of TGC, care must be taken to avoid hypoglycemia, which has been implicated in the failure of some previous clinical attempts at TGC using intensive insulin therapies. In fact, a single hypoglycemic event has been shown to result in worsened patient outcomes. The nature of tight glucose regulation lends itself to automatic monitoring and control, thereby reducing the burden on clinical staff. A blood glucose target range of 110-130 mg/dL has been identified in the High-Density Intensive Care (HIDENIC) database at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). A control framework comprised of a zone model predictive controller (zMPC) with moving horizon estimation (MHE) is proposed to maintain euglycemia in critically ill patients. Using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) the proposed control scheme calculates optimized insulin and glucose infusion to maintain blood glucose concentrations within the target zone. Results from an observational study employing continuous glucose monitors at UPMC are used to reconstruct blood glucose from noisy CGM data, identify a model of CGM error in critically ill patients, and develop an in silico virtual patient cohort. The virtual patient cohort recapitulates expected physiologic trends with respect to insulin sensitivity and glycemic variability. Furthermore, a mechanism is introduced utilizing proportional-integral-derivative (PID) to modulate basal pancreatic insulin secretion rates in virtual patients. The result is virtual patients who behave realistically in simulated oral glucose tolerance tests and insulin tolerance tests and match clinically observed responses. Finally, in silico trials are used to simulate clinical conditions and test the developed control system under realistic conditions. Under normal conditions the control system is able to tightly control glucose concentrations within the target zone while avoiding hypoglycemia. To safely counteract the effect of faulty CGMs a system to detect sensor error and request CGM recalibration is introduced. Simulated in silico tests of this system results in accurate detection of excessive error leading to higher quality control and hypoglycemia reduction.
Sudden outbreak of Shigella among food handlers working at university student`s cafeteria

Background: Food borne disease outbreaks have resulted from unhygienic food handling and preparation practices within food establishments consequently have severe social and economic impacts on the human population. This study was aimed at exploring the prevalence of Shigella species and S. typhi carrier rate among food handlers at Gondar University student’s cafeteria. Material and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among food handlers working at Gondar University students’ cafeteria. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used for collecting data. Stool samples were investigated for Shigella species outbreak and S. typhi as per the standard of laboratory methods. Results: Among 395 food handlers, females comprised 289 (73.2%). The majority 220 (55.7%) were young adults 18-28 years. Fifty three (13.4%) of the food handlers have active diarrhea during the study period. Stool cultures revealed the isolation of 10(2.5%) Shigella species. No S. typhi was isolated. All shigella species were sensitive for ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Thirty percent of the isolates were resistant for amoxicillin and tetracycline. Conclusion: Isolation of Shigella species from food handlers pose significant risk on the student’s population being served in the cafeteria. Therefore, it is essential for University of Gondar to implement food handlers training on food safety, conduct periodic medical checkup and continuous monitoring of personal hygiene.
Effectiveness of intravesical electrostimulation (IVES) on neurogenic non-obstructive urinary retention: results from a monocentric retrospective study.

Materials and Methods Neurogenic non-obstructive urinary retention (N-NOR) represents a therapeutic challenge for urologists because of the inefficacy of the available medical therapy and the potentially serious complications wich can involve the upper urinary tract. Often these patients are treated only with aseptic intermittent catheterizations, sovrapubic catheters or long-term indwelling catheterization. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is an invasive and expensive treatment proposed for patients with N-NOR. Besides of SNM another conservative approach to N-NOR is rapresented by intravesical electrostimulation (IVES). In literature there are mixedresults about IVES with some authors who reported good response to therapy and other studies which had negative results [1,2,3]. IVES is also mentioned on 2017 EAU Guidelines on Neuro-Urology without any degree of reccomentation. The aim of this retrospective study is to describe our experience with the use of IVES in the treatment of a series of patients suffering from N-NOR in our institution
Domestic violence and its related risk factors among women attending infertility clinic in North of Iran

I nfertility is associated with emotional problems, marital distress and domestic violence (DV). It might have a substantial consequence on women, families, and society as a whole. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of domestic violence and its related risk factors among infertile women in the north of Iran. A total of 379 infertile women between October 2015 and March 2016 were included in the current study, using consecutive sampling. Socio-demographic characteristics were assessed via a structured questionnaire. The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) was used to evaluate domestic violence. The data were statistically analyzed and a P <0.05 was considered as the significance level for all tests. Of 379 infertile women, 88.9% reported domestic violence. Psychological violence was the most common type of violence. There were no significant relationships found between violence and women’s educational status, men’s jobs, place of residence, alcohol consumption, and drug addiction. Men smoking and women with younger age were risk factors of violence against women (P <0.05). The prevalence of domestic violence is considerably high in Sari, Iran. Being a smoker and having a younger age may increase violence against infertile women. Health staff should identify at-risk women and support them and their husbands via educational programs and counseling .
Early Developmental Outcomes Predicted by Gestational Age From 35 to 41 Weeks

One third of children are born preterm. Studies have found increases in medical complications and cognitive delay among children born even a fewweeks before their due date. Specifically, studies reveal adverse clinical and developmental problems among children born between 34 and 36weeks’ gestation (late preterm [LPT]) and even those born between 37 and 38weeks’ gestation (early term [ET]). The evidence for medical complications including respiratory complications, metabolic issues, and hyperbilirubinemia is broad, with fewer studies delving into the specific impact on long-term developmental issues by week of gestation. The current study focused on examining the effect of 1 week of gestation on a range of developmental measures. Using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a reliable developmental screening tool, the study aimed at finding out whether births occurring at LPT or ET affected childhood development and examined the impact of 1 week of gestation between 35 and 41 weeks’ gestation. This was a retrospective cohort study, and the data were extracted from development assessments made by Michigan-based Family Futures’ Connections program that conducts countrywide developmental screening programs. Four sets of samples were collected from scores recorded between 2006 and 2012. The criterion for eligibility was completion of at least 1 ASQ at the age of 8 months, 12 months, 20 months, and 2 years. The total number of subjects in the 8-month sample group was 3319. There were 2303 in the 12-month group, 1461 in the 20-month group, and 1222 in the last group. Analysis was done using negative binomial and logistic regressions models. The associations between gestational age (GA) and the risk of developmental delay both overall and in specific developmental domains were examined. Overall, the study found that, after controlling for a set of demographic covariates, with each increasing week of gestation, the risk of overall development delay declined. During the first 2 years of growth, development delays in communication, problem solving, personal-social, gross-motor, and fine-motor domains were observed with earlier GAs at birth. For example, the odds ratio for 1-week gestation and developmental delay in communication was 1.27 (95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.54), meaning that with each week earlier than the term period there was a 27% higher chance of developmental delay. The conclusions drawn were that the last 6 weeks of gestation is a crucial period for neurological development. It can be concluded that the dose response of GA that is reflected in the form of increased risk of developmental delays calls for the need of extra attention to those children born before completion of full gestation period.
Understanding the adolescent family planning evidence base.

The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) reviewed the literature to identify what is known about adolescents’ demand for and access to family planning information and services. The review aimed to identify the barriers to and programmatic approaches for increasing adolescents’ access to and use of family planning services and to identify gaps in the evidence that require further research and/or investment. The literature search was limited to articles and reports published since 2000 with a particular emphasis on systematic reviews of evaluations of interventions that include the provision of adolescents with family planning information or services. For the purposes of this study adolescents are identified as aged 10-24 in order to capture the most comprehensive range in the literature. One limitation of this research is the fact that interventions with adolescents may not demonstrate measureable behavioral results until after the end of the program or evaluation. Further few adolescent initiatives are specifically defined as “family planning” programs and instead fall within a more comprehensive framework of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Our analysis took these constraints into account. A conceptual framework was developed to guide our analysis of the evidence based on past conceptualizations of reproductive health barriers and programmatic approaches including ICRW’s “Women’s Demand for Reproductive Control” paper. It postulates that adolescents must achieve three demand-side objectives and two supply-side ones in no particular sequence in order to reach the ultimate goal of sustainably and effectively using family planning to achieve their desired reproductive outcomes. These are: Demand-side Objectives: 1) Desire to avoid delay space or limit childbearing; 2) Desire to use family planning; 3) Agency to use family planning; Supply-side Objectives: 4) Access to family planning services; 5) Provision of quality youth-friendly services. For each objective we identified both key barriers that adolescents face and rigorously evaluated programmatic approaches (both direct and indirect) that were designed to address and in some cases have been shown to overcome barriers specific to the objective. (Excerpt)
Distribution and Diversity of Glossiphoniid Leeches on Three Common Species of Freshwater Turtles from Texas, U.S.A.

abstract: Spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera), common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina), and red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) were surveyed for leeches at 16 sites across Texas, U.S.A. , from March to December of 2017. Five species of leeches were found (3 from 15 A. spinifera sampled, 4 from 9 C. serpentina sampled, and 3 from 55 T. scripta elegans), representing 3 new host records and 1 new locality record. Leech abundance was also compared to water parameters (ammonia, carbon dioxide, chloride, dissolved oxygen, hardness, nitrite, nitrate, pH, salinity, temperature, and turbidity) and qualitative environmental variables (vegetation, sediment, latitude, longitude, season, and water body) through principle components analysis, stepwise regression, and model selection. We found significant effects of sediment composition and seasonality on leech abundance. This study adds novel data on leech–host associations, distributions, and diversity in Texas.
Comparative Yield, Fiber Quality and Dry Matter Production of Cotton Planted at Various Densities under Equidistant Row Arrangement

The number of cotton plants grown per unit area has recently gained attention due to technology expense, high input, and seed cost. Yield consistency across a series of plant populations is an attractive cost-saving option. Field experiments were conducted to compare biomass accumulation, fiber quality, leaf area index, yield and yield components of cotton planted at various densities (D1, 1.5; D2, 3.3; D3, 5.1; D4, 6.9; D5, 8.7; and D6, 10.5 plants m−2). High planting density (D5) produced 21% and 28% more lint yield as compared to low planting density (D1) during both years, respectively. The highest seed cotton yield (4662 kg/ha) and lint yield (1763 kg/ha) were produced by high plant density (D5) while the further increase in the plant population (D6) decreased the yield. The increase in yield of D5 was due to more biomass accumulation in reproductive organs as compared to other treatments. The highest average (19.2 VA gm m−2 d−1) and maximum (21.8 VM gm m−2 d−1) rates of biomass were accumulated in reproductive structures. High boll load per leaf area and leaf area index were observed in high planting density as compared to low, while high dry matter partitioning was recorded in the lowest planting density as compared to other treatments. Plants with low density had 5% greater fiber length as compared to the highest plant density, while the fiber strength and micronaire value were 10% and 15% greater than the lowest plant density. Conclusively, plant density of 8.7 plants m−2 is a promising option for enhanced yield, biomass, and uniform fiber quality of cotton.
KEBIJAKAN KEUANGAN DAN GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TERHADAP AGRESIVITAS PAJAK

This research aims to analyse the effect of financial policy and good corporate governance (GCG) on tax aggressiveness. Financial policies are prokated with leverage, capital intensity and inventory intensity. The GCG used are the institutional ownership, independent Board of Commissioners, audit committees and audit quality. The population is manufacturing sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) period 2016-2017. Sampling method is used purposive sampling and obtained as much as 56 samples. Data analysis techniques use multiple linear regression using the SPSS 23. The results show that financial policies have an effect on tax aggressiveness. While the GCG on the independent Proxy Commissioner and Audit Committee has an effect on tax aggressiveness, while the other proxies are the ownership of the insitution and audit quality does not affect the aggressiveness of the tax.
Extremely high serum ferritin level in a patient with Hemophagocytic Syndrome and Adult-Onset Still's disease

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HS) and Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) are both rarely systemic inflammatory disorders. It may be difficult to differentiate these inflammatory disorders from each other. There are some signs that may help clinicians in the diagnosis such as high ferritin levels for AOSD, and leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia for HS. Hemophagocytic syndrome secondary to Adult-onset Still’s disease was reported rarely in literature. In this article, we aimed to report a patient of 65-year old female diagnosed with HS and AOSD with extremely high serum ferritin levels.