Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of choice of language of communication in inter-ethnic marriage families on the survival of minority languages in Nigeria

The survival of any language lies in its acquisition and usage by the younger generation. However, inter-ethnic marriages among the many ethnic groups in Nigeria have adversely affected the use of the indigenous languages, especially the minority languages. The consequence is that in most inter-ethnic marriage homes, couples adopt the English Language or the Nigerian Pidgin language for their communication purposes. The offspring of such relationship acquire the language used in their homes as their first language, thus becoming their mother tongue, thereby, relegating the languages of both parents. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of inter-ethnic marriages on the survival of minority languages in Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research method, using a set of questionnaire and focused group discussion to generate data from 384 respondents purposefully chosen from inter-marriage homes drawn from the six South-South States in Nigeria. The result of the study showed that many inter-ethnic marriage homes cared less about the survival of their native languages as they preferred and encouraged their children to master the English Language which is the language of taught (teaching) in schools. The study recommended that parents should encourage their children to learn one of the languages of the parents and that government should encourage the publication of books in minority languages to ensure their survival.
A Comparison of the Biomechanical Protection Provided by 2 Cyanoacrylate-Based Skin Protectants

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in-gel strain and tear reduction provided by 2 skin protectant products that were applied as a liquid and allowed to dry, leaving behind a protective layer. DESIGN: Prospective, 3-group comparison cohort study using an in vitro model. METHODS: A fragile agar-based gel with an embedded bead was used in a custom device that applied variable interface pressures of 550, 1080, or 1600 Pa, respectively. The device then imparted 216 N of external shear force in 0.625-mm increments. The resulting strain in the gel was measured by digital image correlation. The strain at tearing was determined by observing the images of the gels and calculating the strain at that point. This approach was used to compare untreated gels to gels treated with one of 2 commercially available cyanoacrylate-based skin protectants. The results from the 3 groups were first analyzed by analysis of variance, followed by Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference test when indicated. RESULTS: We observed a proportional increase in interface pressure and strain that differed among the 3 groups. Specifically, the gels treated with a mixed polymer skin protectant had less pretearing strain than the control gel at both the 1080-Pa load (−15%, P = 3.64 × 10−4) and 1600 Pa-load (−20%, P = .03). The pure cyanoacrylate-treated gels had less strain than the control at 1080 Pa (−34%, P = 4.25 × 10−7) and 1600 Pa (−48%, P = 1.07 × 10−7); it also had less strain than the mixed polymer product at 1080 Pa (−19%, P = 5.38 × 10−6) and 1600 Pa (−28%, P = 3.88 × 10−3). In terms of protection from tearing, at an interface pressure of 1080 Pa, the control gel tore 80% of the time, the mixed polymer-treated gel tore 100% of the time, and the pure cyanoacrylate-treated gel did not tear (0/5, P = 8.84 × 10−5). Under a load of 1600 Pa, 100% of the control and mixed polymer-treated gels tore while none of the cyanoacrylate-treated gels did (P = 2.54 × 10−24). CONCLUSION: The pure cyanoacrylate-based skin protectant provided the most protection, with consistent reductions in both strain and tearing. Both skin protectants reduced the initial in-gel strain; however, only the pure cyanoacrylate-treated product protected the gel from tears under the conditions tested. These results indicate that cyanoacrylate-based skin protectants can reduce shear strain and tearing in fragile elastic materials.
Palliative care needs in Parkinson's disease: focus on anticipatory grief in family carers.

BACKGROUND A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) has a significant psychological impact on both the person diagnosed and their loved ones, and can have a negative effect on family relationships. Caring for someone with a long-term progressing illness may cause anticipatory grief, i.e., experienced before a bereavement. This has been widely studied in illnesses such as dementia and cancer, but less so in relation to PD. The study aims were: (I) to demonstrate the occurrence of anticipatory grief experienced by carers of people with PD; (II) to explore how this grief relates to caregiver burden and caregiver depression and demographic variables. METHODS Family carers of people with moderate to advanced PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages 3-5) were invited to complete a survey, including demographic questions and three questionnaires: Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI); 16-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS); and Anticipatory Grief Scale (AGS). RESULTS Anticipatory grief was common among carers of people with PD [mean AGS score =70.41; standard deviation (SD) =16.93; sample range, 38-102]. Though distinct concepts, carers with higher burden and depression scores also experienced more anticipatory grief symptoms. Carers experiencing higher anticipatory grief tended to be caring for someone of a younger age, displaying more non-motor symptoms, at a more advanced disease stage, and who considered either themselves and/or their loved one as depressed. CONCLUSIONS Carers of people with advanced PD experienced anticipatory grief, as well as depression and a high caregiver burden. To improve carer outcomes, our focus should include the period both before and after the death of a loved one, and carers should receive regular psychological assessment and support.
High Interobserver Agreement in the Subjective Classification of 5‐Aminolevulinic Acid Fluorescence Levels in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastomas

Fluorescence‐guided resection of glioblastomas (GBM) using 5‐aminolevulinic acid (5‐ALA) improves intraoperative tumor visualization and is thus widely used nowadays. During resection, different fluorescence levels can usually be distinguished within the same tumor. Recently, we demonstrated that strong, vague, and no fluorescence correspond to distinct histopathological characteristics in newly diagnosed GBM. However, the qualitative fluorescence classification by the neurosurgeon is subjective and currently no comprehensive data on interobserver variability is available. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the interobserver variability in the classification of 5‐ALA fluorescence levels in newly diagnosed GBM.
Pregenual or subgenual anterior cingulate cortex as potential effective region for brain stimulation of depression

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is the standard stimulation target for the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment of major depression disorder (MDD). A retrospective study by Fox and colleagues found that a more negative resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS‐fMRI) functional connectivity (FC) between left DLPFC and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) in a large group of healthy participants is associated with a better curative effects of rTMS in MDD, suggesting that the sgACC may be an effective region. However, a recent meta‐analysis on RS‐fMRI studies found that the pregenual ACC (pgACC), rather than the sgACC, of MDD patients showed increased local activity.
Angiopoietin-2 blockade ameliorates autoimmune neuroinflammation by inhibiting leukocyte recruitment into the CNS

Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), a ligand of the endothelial Tie2 tyrosine kinase, is involved in vascular inflammation and leakage in critically ill patients. However, the role of Ang2 in demyelinating central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune diseases is unknown. Here, we report that Ang2 is critically involved in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rodent model of multiple sclerosis. Ang2 expression was induced in CNS autoimmunity, and transgenic mice overexpressing Ang2 specifically in endothelial cells (ECs) developed a significantly more severe EAE. In contrast, treatment with Ang2-blocking Abs ameliorated neuroinflammation and decreased spinal cord demyelination and leukocyte infiltration into the CNS. Similarly, Ang2-binding and Tie2-activating Ab attenuated the development of CNS autoimmune disease. Ang2 blockade inhibited expression of EC adhesion molecules, improved blood-brain barrier integrity, and decreased expression of genes involved in antigen presentation and proinflammatory responses of microglia and macrophages, which was accompanied by inhibition of α5β1 integrin activation in microglia. Taken together, our data suggest that Ang2 provides a target for increasing Tie2 activation in ECs and inhibiting proinflammatory polarization of CNS myeloid cells via α5β1 integrin in neuroinflammation. Thus, Ang2 targeting may serve as a therapeutic option for the treatment of CNS autoimmune disease.
Timed Inspiratory Effort Index, a New Diagnostic Method to Assess Endurance and Inspiratory Muscle Strength in Patients under Mechanical Ventilation

Introduction: Mechanical ventilation is a critical component of modern intensive care medicine, but the process of discontinuing mechanical ventilation could be difficult in some cases. Several studies demonstrated that the combination of diaphragmatic inactivity and mechanical ventilation periods over than 18 hours is associated with atrophy of human diaphragm myofibers. Thus, the disuse atrophy of human diaphragm myofibers could be a major contributor for weaning failures. Indeed, its proper assessment of the respiratory muscle impairment depends on the use of appropriate tests. The predicting weaning indexes are still the most commonly used tests in clinical practice at ICUs around the world, because they are more widely known and easy to use in different diseases. Objective: The aim of the present article is to describe advantages, procedures, and clinical applicability of a new method called timed inspiratory effort index, or TIE index, to assess inspiratory muscle strength and specifically address the diagnosis of muscle fatigue in patients under mechanical ventilation. Methods: This short review about a new method to assess endurance and inspiratory muscle strength of patients with respiratory weakness and undergoing weaning from mechanical ventilation. Main recommendations: The analysis of respiratory muscle function through the TIE method translates a new feature to the intensive care fast, easy, accurate, reproducible and secure. In addition, to aid in the differential diagnosis of respiratory muscle fatigue directly predict weaning, may lead the most appropriate respiratory muscle training in prolonged weaning patients. Conclusion: In summary, nowadays, the TIE index can be considered one of the most appropriate methods to evaluate the various interactions in a critical patient under mechanical ventilation. Therefore, TIE index performance as a weaning predictor is among the best rates ever reported in literature.
Original paper Leflunomide for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis after methotrexate failure. Efficacy and prognostic factors for response

Celem badania, obejmującego 87 chorych na reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów (RZS) po niepowodzeniu terapii metotreksatem, było określenie długoterminowej skuteczności leflunomidu, a także ustalenie czynników prognostycznych dla prawdopodobieństwa jej uzyskania. Kolejnym celem było określenie czasu utrzymywania się poprawy. Prawdopodobieństwo uzyskania dobrej odpowiedzi terapeutycznej (definiowanej jako zmniejszenie DAS28 >1,2), analizowane metodą „skumulowanego występowania”, wyniosło po 30 mies. 57%, przy czym odpowiedzi uzyskiwano zarówno w pierwszych miesiącach terapii, jak i po 24 mies. leczenia. W analizie jednowariantowej i wielowariantowej wyjściowa leukocytoza >10 × 10/l była związana z większym (p=0,03), a czwarty okres zmian radiologicznych z mniejszym prawdopodobieństwem uzyskania odpowiedzi (p=0,04). U chorych, u których uzyskano dobrą odpowiedź terapeutyczną, prawdopodobieństwo kontynuacji leczenia leflunomidem bez progresji RZS wyniosło po 2 latach 87%. Powyższe obserwacje wskazują na dużą skuteczność terapii leflunomidem u chorych na RZS po niepowodzeniu leczenia metotreksatem. Potwierdzają one celowość długotrwałego leczenia. Pozwalają też na lepszą selekcję kandydatów do tej formy terapii. S u m m a r y
Morphological and Molecular Confirmation of Parvatrema duboisi Metacercariae in the Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum from Gochang-gun, Korea

Gymnophallid metacercariae found in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (‘Banjirak’ in Korean) from Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea were morphologically and molecularly confirmed to be Parvatrema duboisi (Dollfus, 1923) Bartoli, 1974. The metacercariae were morphologically characterized by having a large oral sucker, small ventral sucker, genital pore some distance anterior to the ventral sucker, no ventral pit, and 1 compact or slightly lobed vitellarium, which were all compatible with P. duboisi. Some of the metacercariae were experimentally fed to mice, and adult flukes were recovered at day 7 post-infection. The morphology of the adult flukes was basically the same as that of the metacercariae except for the presence of uterine eggs; the uterus was filled with up to 40 eggs. The nucleotide sequences (1,193 bp) from ITS regions (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, and ITS2) of the metacercariae showed 99.7% identity with P. duboisi and 75.7% identity with Gymnophalloides seoi deposited in GenBank. These results confirmed the presence of P. duboisi metacercariae in the Manila clam R. philippinarum in an estuary region of Gochang-gun, Korea.
Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

PPFE is characterized by fibrosis in the pleura and subpleural lung parenchyma in the upper lobes, while other types of ILD, mainly UIP, can be observed in about half of the patients in their lower lobes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of the radiologically defined PPFE in patients with IPF.
Trends in Antihypertensive Medication Monotherapy and Combination Use Among US Adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2016

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Blood pressure (BP) control rates among US adults taking antihypertensive medication have not increased over the past decade. Many adults require 2 or more classes of antihypertensive medication to achieve guideline-recommended BP goals, but the proportion of US adults taking antihypertensive medication monotherapy, versus combination therapy, has not been quantified using contemporary data. We analyzed data from 2005 to 2008, 2009 to 2012, and 2013 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys to determine trends in monotherapy and combinations of antihypertensive medication classes among US adults age ≥20 years with hypertension taking antihypertensive medication (n=7837). The proportion of US adults taking antihypertensive medication with uncontrolled BP (ie, systolic BP ≥140 or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg) was 32.3%, 30.2%, and 31.0% in 2005 to 2008, 2009 to 2012, and 2013 to 2016, respectively (Ptrend=0.37). Between 2005 to 2008 and 2013 to 2016, there was no evidence of changes in the proportions of US adults taking antihypertensive monotherapy (39.5%–40.4%, Ptrend=0.67), dual-therapy (37.9%–38.3%, Ptrend=0.75), triple-therapy (17.6%–16.5%, Ptrend=0.36), or quadruple-therapy (4.4%–4.3%, Ptrend=0.93). Between 2005 to 2008 and 2013 to 2016, there was no evidence of changes in the proportions of US adults with uncontrolled BP taking antihypertensive monotherapy (39.3%–40.6%, Ptrend=0.78). A high proportion of US adults with hypertension, including those with uncontrolled BP, are taking one antihypertensive medication class. Increasing the use of dual- and triple-therapy antihypertensive medication regimens may restore the upward trend in BP control rates among US adults.
Weekly variations of viruses and heterotrophic nanoflagellates and their potential impact on bacterioplankton in shallow waters of the central Red Sea

ABSTRACT Bacterioplankton play a pivotal role in marine ecosystems. However, their temporal dynamics and underlying control mechanisms are poorly understood in tropical regions such as the Red Sea. Here, we assessed the impact of bottom-up (resource availability) and top-down (viruses and heterotrophic nanoflagellates) controls on bacterioplankton abundances by weekly sampling a coastal central Red Sea site in 2017. We monitored microbial abundances by flow cytometry together with a set of environmental variables including temperature, salinity, dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients and chlorophyll a. We distinguished five groups of heterotrophic bacteria depending on their physiological properties relative nucleic acid content, membrane integrity and cell-specific respiratory activity, two groups of Synechococcus cyanobacteria and three groups of viruses. Viruses controlled heterotrophic bacteria for most of the year, as supported by a negative correlation between their respective abundances and a positive one between bacterial mortality rates and mean viral abundances. On the contrary, heterotrophic nanoflagellates abundance covaried with that of heterotrophic bacteria. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates showed preference for larger bacteria from both the high and low nucleic acid content groups. Our results demonstrate that top-down control is fundamental in keeping heterotrophic bacterioplankton abundances low (< 5 × 10 5 cells mL−1) in Red Sea coastal waters.
Irrational beliefs, depression, anxiety, and stress among university students in Hong Kong

Abstract Academic stress, depression, and anxiety among university students has been a great concern globally. Literature review shows that university students may harbor irrational beliefs that could play a significant role in causing emotional disturbances. Objective: The aims of this study were to examine the relationship of irrational beliefs with emotional disturbances in university students, and the differences in irrational beliefs and depression, anxiety, and stress between students with different socio-demographic and academic backgrounds. Participants and method: Data was collected from 655 local Hong Kong university students. Results and conclusions: University students having higher levels of irrational beliefs were more likely to have depression, anxiety, and stress. Two-way MANOVA results showed that second-year students had more awfulizing beliefs than third-year students in the faculties of Engineering and Education. Results of ANOVA and the Independent Sample t-test revealed that male students, students from low income families, Law students, those pursuing 5-year programs, or those in the second year of study were likely to have more irrational beliefs. In addition, male students, medical students, those studying 5-year programs were found having significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Limitations and implications were discussed.
Simultaneously Reducing Cutting Force and Tissue Damage in Needle Insertion With Rotation

Rotational needle insertion is commonly used in needle biopsy to improve cutting performance. The application of rotational motion for needle insertion has been shown to efficiently reduce the cutting force. However, studies have found that needle rotation can increase tissue damage due to the tissue winding effect. The bidirectional rotation of a needle during insertion can be a solution to avoid tissue winding while maintaining a low cutting force. In this study, needle insertion with bidirectional rotation was investigated by conducting mechanical and optical experiments. First, needle insertion tests were performed on gelatin-based tissue phantom samples to understand the effect of bidirectional needle rotation on the cutting force. Subsequently, the effective strain, which is an indicator of tissue damage, was observed at the cross-sections of samples in the axial and radial directions of the needle by using the digital image correlation (DIC) technology. The primary findings of this study are as follows: (1) higher needle insertion speeds result in higher cutting forces and effective strains that occur at the axial cross-section, (2) increase in the needle rotation reduces the cutting force and effective strain at the axial cross-section but increases the effective strain at the radial cross-section, (3) application of bidirectional rotation decreases the mean effective strain at the radial cross-section by 10%–25% while maintaining a low cutting force. In clinical applications, bidirectional rotation can be a useful strategy to simultaneously reduce the cutting force and tissue damage, which leads to better cutting performance and lower risks of bleeding and hematoma.
Identification of microRNAs and their target genes in the placenta as biomarkers of inflammation

Objective Recently, microRNA (miRNA) has been identified both as a powerful regulator involved in various biological processes through the regulation of numerous genes and as an effective biomarker for the prediction and diagnosis of various disease states. The objective of this study was to identify and validate miRNAs and their target genes involved in inflammation in placental tissue. Methods Microarrays were utilized to obtain miRNA and gene expression profiles from placentas with or without inflammation obtained from nine normal pregnant women and 10 preterm labor patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blots were performed to validate the miRNAs and differentially-expressed genes in the placentas with inflammation. Correlations between miRNA and target gene expression were confirmed by luciferase assays in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Results We identified and validated miRNAs and their target genes that were differentially expressed in placentas with inflammation. We also demonstrated that several miRNAs (miR-371a-5p, miR-3065-3p, miR-519b-3p, and miR-373-3p) directly targeted their target genes (LEF1, LOX, ITGB4, and CD44). However, some miRNAs and their direct target genes showed no correlation in tissue samples. Interestingly, miR-373-3p and miR-3065-3p were markedly regulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, although the expression of their direct targets CD44 and LOX was not altered by LPS treatment. Conclusion These results provide candidate miRNAs and their target genes that could be used as placental biomarkers of inflammation. These candidates may be useful for further miRNA-based biomarker development.