Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive analysis of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T in younger acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients: A single-center experience

Context Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms, mainly the C677T, have been implicated as risk factors for several cancers as the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In addition, a potential effect of such variant on the efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) has been reported. Objective In this study, we evaluated the impact of the C677T variant of MTHFR on MTX-related toxicity in ALL patients from Tunisia; to provide new insights for a personalized therapy based on the human genotype. Materials and methods Genotyping was carried out with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) on blood samples from a total of 35 younger patients; suffering from ALL. Results In the ALL patients, the MTHFR 677CT genotype confers a greater risk of toxicity with 1.3 times as relative risk mainly the hepatic toxicity when compared with MTHFR 677CC. Conclusion Our findings suggest that C677T polymorphism of MTHFR seems to be a good marker for MTX-related toxicity in ALL.
A Case for a Range of Acceptable Annotations

Multi-way annotation is often used to ensure data quality in crowdsourced annotation tasks. Each item is annotated redundantly and the contributors’ judgments are converted into a single “ground truth” label or more complex annotation through a resolution technique (e.g., on the basis of majority or plurality). Recent crowdsourcing research has argued against the notion of a single “ground truth” annotation for items in semantically oriented tasks—that is, we should accept the aggregated judgments of a large pool of crowd contributors as “crowd truth. ” While we agree that many semantically oriented tasks are inherently subjective, we do not go so far as to trust the judgments of the crowd in all cases. We recognize that there may be items for which there is truly only one acceptable response, and that there may be divergent annotations that are truly of unacceptable quality. We propose that there exists a class of annotations between these two categories that exhibit acceptable variation , which we deﬁne as the range of annotations for a given item that meet the standard of quality for a task. We illustrate acceptable variation within existing annotated data sets, including a labeled sound corpus and a medical relation extraction corpus. Finally, we explore the implications of acceptable variation on annotation task design and annotation quality evaluation.
Polyphenolic Extract from Tarocco (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) Clone “Lempso” Exerts Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects via NF-kB and Nrf-2 Activation in Murine Macrophages

Citrus fruits are often employed as ingredients for functional drinks. Among Citrus, the variety, “Lempso”, a typical hybrid of the Calabria region (Southern Italy), has been reported to possess superior antioxidant activity when compared to other common Citrus varieties. For these reasons, the aim of this study is to investigate in vitro the nutraceutical value of the Tarocco clone, “Lempso”, highlighting its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. A post-column 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging assay for the screening of antioxidant compounds in these complex matrices was developed. Subsequently, polyphenolic extract was tested on a murine macrophage cell line under inflammatory conditions. The extract resulted was able to significantly inhibit nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine release and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. The inhibition of these pro-inflammatory factors was associated to Nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) inhibition. Our results also indicate an anti-oxidant potential of the extract as evidenced by the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) release and by the activation of the nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf-2) pathway in macrophages. The obtained results highlight the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of Lempso extract and its potential use, as a new ingredient for the formulation of functional beverages with high nutraceutical value, providing health benefits to consumers.
MRI Abnormalities Predominate in the Bottom Part of the Sulcus with Type II Focal Cortical Dysplasia: A Quantitative Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Type II focal cortical dysplasia is a common histopathological substrate in focal epilepsy. This study explored the spatial distribution of abnormal findings on MR imaging across the sulcus with type II focal cortical dysplasia using quantitative MR imaging postprocessing techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The morphometric analysis program and normalized FLAIR signal intensity analysis were applied to retrospectively analyze the MR imaging data of 58 patients with histopathologically confirmed type II focal cortical dysplasia. We divided the dysplastic sulcus into the bottom and nonbottom parts. Then spatial distribution types 1, 2, and 3 were arbitrarily defined as the abnormal findings on MR imaging (z-value > threshold) located in the bottom part, both the bottom and nonbottom parts, and the nonbottom part, respectively. For type 2, the mean z-values and standardized volumes of abnormal findings on MR imaging were compared between the bottom and nonbottom parts. RESULTS: Abnormal findings on MR imaging were detected by quantitative techniques in 42 of 58 enrolled patients. Among these 42 patients, 38 and 26 patients showed gray-white matter junction blurring and cortical FLAIR hyperintensity, respectively, which were the 2 most common abnormal MR imaging features. Gray-white matter junction blurring manifested as types 1, 2, and 3 in 24, 13, and 1 patient, respectively, and the corresponding counts for cortical FLAIR hyperintensity were 12, 13, and 1 patient. For the 2 most common abnormal findings on MR imaging spatially manifested as type 2, higher mean z-values and larger corresponding standardized volumes of abnormalities were found in the bottom part. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal findings on MR imaging predominate in the bottom part of the sulcus with type II focal cortical dysplasia, which indicates that this malformation is bottom-of-sulcus-rooted.
A Pilot Study on the Physiological Effects of Three Essential Oils in Humans

In the present study, the physiological effects on 32 humans exposed to experimental stress provoked by inhalation of the essential oils of East Indian sandalwood (Santalum album L.), Western Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum R.Br.) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia MILL.) were investigated. During individual testing sessions, several saliva samples were collected, blood pressure was regularly measured and parameters of the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, skin conductance response) were continuously monitored. Salivary cortisol, as an endocrine stress indicator, was determined by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. Statistical analyses evidenced that the tested sandalwood essential oils significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, especially during the recreation phase. This finding corresponds with a distinct reduction of salivary cortisol levels during recreation in the Western Australian sandalwood oil compared with the control. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that essential oils can alleviate the physiological reactions to psychological stress and facilitate recovery after exposition to stress.
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a complication of pulmonary embolism and a major cause of chronic PH leading to right heart failure and death. Lung ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy is the screening test of choice; a normal scan rules out CTEPH. In the case of an abnormal perfusion scan, a high-quality pulmonary angiogram is necessary to confirm and define the pulmonary vascular involvement and prior to making a treatment decision. PH is confirmed with right heart catheterisation, which is also necessary for treatment determination. In addition to chronic anticoagulation therapy, each patient with CTEPH should receive treatment assessment starting with evaluation for pulmonary endarterectomy, which is the guideline recommended treatment. For technically inoperable cases, PH-targeted medical therapy is recommended (currently riociguat based on the CHEST studies), and balloon pulmonary angioplasty should be considered at a centre experienced with this challenging but potentially effective and complementary intervention. State of the art and research perspectives in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, including treatment algorithm http://ow.ly/C3Iy30mfUly
Inhibition of Ceramide De Novo Synthesis Affects Adipocytokine Secretion and Improves Systemic and Adipose Tissue Insulin Sensitivity

Ceramide accumulation in muscle and in liver is implicated in the induction of insulin resistance. Much less in known about the role of ceramide in adipose tissue. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of ceramide in adipose tissue and to clarify whether lipids participate in the regulation of adipocytokine secretion. The experiments were performed on male Wistar rats divided into three groups: 1. Control, 2. fed high fat diet (HFD), and 3. fed HFD and treated with myriocin. Ceramide (Cer) and diacylglycerol (DAG) content were analyzed by LC/MS/MS. Hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) phosphorylation was analyzed by Western Blot. Plasma adiponectin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) concentration were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) was also performed. In HFD group, total DAG and Cer content was elevated in both subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, which was accompanied by increased glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR value. Myriocin treatment restored HOMA-IR as well as glucose and insulin concentration to control values. Moreover, myriocin decreased not only Cer, but also DAG levels in both fat depots. Furthermore, we observed a strong correlation between adiponectin (negative) and TNF-α (positive) and Cer in both fat tissues, which suggests that Cer is involved in the regulation of adipocytokine secretion.
"The fertility transition in Kenya : patterns and determinants"

In spite of considerable research on Kenya’s fertility, questions remain. This dissertation examines three of these issues the national and sub-national trend patterns in the country’s fertility and related proximate determinants, factors in the transitions to second and third conceptions, and the determinants of contraceptive use. Results, presented below, are based upon data which comprised five sample surveys conducted between 1977 and 2003 among women of reproductive age, as well as a community and health facility survey implemented in 1999. First, an exploratory analysis of trends in fertility and its proximate determinants shows that a pattern of later family formation and of a higher level of fertility control is associated with the more modernized and developed regions (urban areas and rural Central Province). Secondly, using survival analysis, the relative hazards of transition to the second and third conceptions for the 12-year periods during which fertility fell rapidly (1977-1989) and the pace of decline reduced (1991-2003) are compared. Among the findings, although child survival has significant effects during both periods, its influence is more pronounced during the recent period. Thirdly, multivariate analysis of the determinants of contraceptive use shows that motivation for fertility control is significant, while access to family planning services is not. That proximity to family planning services might nevertheless be important is shown by the significance of exposure to family planning messages, many of which are often communicated from the health facilities. This dissertation makes contributions in three areas. One, it confirms the dichotomy in the pattern of fertility change and its proximate determinants in the country, not so much along the usual rural-urban separation, but rather between urban areas and rural Central versus the rest of rural Kenya. Two, it shows that the decreased pace of the fertility transition in Kenya, including constant fertility over 1998-2003, might be associated with the rise in infant and child mortality since the 1990s. Three, it shows the significance of education, motivation for fertility control, and exposure to media messages about family planning in contraceptive use, thereby pointing out where policy and program effort should be directed in order to sustain the fertility transition.
Developmental neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity induced by graphene oxide in zebrafish embryos

Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as the worldwide promising candidate for biomedical application, such as for drug delivery, bio‐sensing and anti‐cancer therapy. This study was focused on the zebrafish and RAW264.7 cell line as in vivo and in vitro models to assess the potential developmental neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity of GO. No obvious acute developmental toxicity was observed upon treatments with 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μg/mL GO for five consecutive days. However, decreased hatching rate, increased malformation rate, heart beat rate and hypoactivity of locomotor behavior were detected when exposed to 10 μg/mL GO. Also, RT‐PCR analysis revealed that expressions of genes related to the nervous system were up‐regulated. The potential risk of GO for developmental neurotoxicity may be ascribed to the high level of oxidative stress induced by high concentration of GO. Most importantly, the mRNA levels of immune response associated genes, such as interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) were significantly increased under environmental concentration exposure. The activation of pro‐inflammatory immune response was also observed in macrophage cell line. Taken together, our results demonstrated that immunotoxicity is a sensitive indicator for assessment of bio‐compatibility of GO.
Preparing Citizens for a Globalized World: The Role of the Social Studies Curriculum

Los jovenes en los barrios etnicamente diversos de Toronto estan conectados globalmente. Tienen identidades y afiliaciones multiples, complejas, y en evolucion que incluyen Fuertes vinculos con los paises de origen de sus familias. Tienen la capacidad para apreciar perspectivas cambiantes y en conflicto. Sin embargo, el curriculo de estudios sociales para escuelas secundarias en Ontario promueve el nacionalismo, al enfocarse estrechamente en representaciones simplistas de Canada, particularmente en los grados mas bajos y en los planes de estudio menos academicos. Un curriculo que promueva la ciudadania global, teniendo en cuenta el pasado, presente y futuro plurietnico de los estudiantes, y sus habilidades cognitivas y afectivas, les podra resultar de mayor utilidad en un mundo cada vez mas globalizado.
Comparative assessment of the intrinsic sensitivity of crop species and wild plant species to plant protection products and their active substances and potential implications for the risk assessment: A literature review

A comprehensive critical review was undertaken aiming to compare the intrinsic sensitivity of terrestrial plant species (crop species and noncrop wild species) with published literature and unpublished proprietary data generated for the registration of plant protection products (PPPs), and a database was compiled. Data were assessed to answer the question whether crops differ from noncrop plants in their intrinsic sensitivity to PPPs. Endpoints were assessed considering further potentially relevant parameters by means of different methods, including a quotient approach, in which overall crop endpoints were divided by matching wild species endpoints. Quotients above 1 indicated that wild species were more sensitive than crops, quotients below 1 the opposite. Further methods included a multiple regression analysis and different approaches to assess the statistical power. The overall finding was that there were no consistent differences in sensitivity between wild plant species and crop species, based on ER50, ER25, and ER10 vegetative endpoints (the largest fraction of data). This was also true when censored endpoints, seedling emergence data, and other measured variables such as shoot height were included. Statistically significant differences occurred in both directions and were balanced, that is, there was no clear trend for either crops or noncrop species to be more sensitive than the other. On the basis of multivariate regression analysis, crops were found to be significantly more sensitive than wild plant species, albeit by a small margin (factor ≈1.4). Minimum detectable difference (MDD) analysis and multivariate regression analysis of modified datasets indicated that when using a data set of this size and heterogeneity, any dissimilarity between crop and wild species was detectable if exceeding a factor of 1.4 in either direction. For the taxonomic groups assessed here (i.e., with data), no intrinsic difference in sensitivity to PPPs between crop species and wild plant species was found. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;15:176–189. © 2018 SETAC
Perilaku Ibu Hamil Untuk Tes HIV di Kelurahan Bandarharjo dan Tanjung Mas Kota Semarang

Berdasarkan data dari Dinas Kesehatan Kota Semarang pada tahun 2008, sebanyak 110kunjungan ibu hamil ke VCT, 5 ibu di antaranya positif HIV dan pada tahun 2009 sebanyak368 kunjungan ibu hamil ke VCT, 14 ibu di antaranya positif HIV. Walaupun ada peningkatanjumlah ibu hamil yang melakukan tes HIV, namun jumlahnya masih sedikit. Pada tahun 2010ibu hamil yang melakukan tes HIV pada kegiatan mobile VCT di wilayah kerja PuskesmasBandarharjo sebayak 193 orang dari jumlah ibu hamil yang mengakses layanan antenatalsebanyak 706 orang.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yangmempengaruhi perilaku ibu hamil untuk tes HIV.Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatifdengan rancangan Explanatory Research dengan pendekatan cross sectional . Besar sampeladalah 180 orang.Analisa data secara univariat, bivariat dengan chi-square dan multivariatdengan regresi logistik.Hasil Menunjukkan sebagian besar responden (51,1%) rmengikuti tesHIV. Faktor yang paling dominan berpengaruh terhadap perilaku ibu hamil untuk tes HIVadalah dukungan suami. Variabel yang berhubungan terhadap perilaku ibu hamil untuk tesHIV adalah variabel pengetahuan, persepsi kerentanan, persepsi halangan, persepsi manfaat,isyarat bertindak, akses informasi, dukungan suami, dukungan bidan dan dukungan kader. Kata Kunci: perilaku ibu hamil, tes HIV,kelurahan bandarharjo dan tanjung mas,semarang Behavior of Pregnant Woman for HIV Testing in Bandarharjo and Tanjung Mas SemarangCity; Based on data from Health Departement of Semarang City 2008, total of 110 visits toVCT of pregnant women, 5 of whom were HIV-positive mothers and in 2009 as many as 368visits to the VCT of pregnant women, 14 of whom are HIV-positive mothers. While there arean increasing number of pregnant women tested for HIV, but the numbers are still small. In2010 pregnant women tested for HIV at VCT mobile activities in the region of BandarharjoPublic Health there were 193 people from the number of pregnant women accessing antenatalcare as much as 706 people. This study aims to determine the factors that influence behaviorof pregnant women for HIV testing. This study uses quantitative methods with explanatoryresearch and cross sectional approach. The sample size was 180 people . Univariate dataanalysis used, chi-square bivariate and multivariate used logistic regressionResults showed the most respondents (51.1%) followed HIV test. The most dominant factorthat affected behavior of pregnant women for HIV testing was husband’s support. Variablesrelated to behavior of pregnant women for HIV testing were variable knowledge, perceivedof vulnerability, perceived of barriers, perceived of benefits, cues to action, access toinformation,husband’s support, midwife’s support and cadre’s support. Keywords:behavior of pregnant women, HIV testing, bandarharjo and tanjung mas,semarang
Building Sustainable Supply Chains for Organizations Based on QFD: A Case Study

Environmental protection has been increasingly emphasized by stakeholders, including social organizations, the government, and the public. As a result, building a sustainable supply chain has now become a part of social corporate responsibility as well as a challenge for firms, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Taking a chemical enterprise (called enterprise C, in this paper) as an example, this paper uses quality function deployment (QFD) techniques and sets up a house of quality (HOQ) to investigate how a SME can achieve sustainable supply chain management. Specifically, in this paper we build a performance measurement system focusing on economic performance, environmental performance, and social performance. These three types of performance measure, in turn, include fifty-nine secondary indicators. Furthermore, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been adopted to calculate the weight of each indicator. Benchmarking has also been used, to determine how much the enterprise should improve on each indicator. Based on the HOQ model, we conclude that avoiding waste, recycling resources, and sustainable exploitation are most important internal abilities of enterprise C.
Composition and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Essential Oil of Jatropha Curcas

The chemical constituents and anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil from the leaf of Jatropha curcas L (Euphorbiaceae) collected from Nigeria are reported. The analysis of the chemical constituents of the essential oil was achieved by using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All constituents of the essential oil, namely neophytadiene (35.8%), phytol (23.1%), trans-pinane (12.7%), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (12.3%) and citronellyl propanoate (11.2%), were present in significant amounts. The anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf oil was determined on Wistar rats using egg-albumin as phlogistic agent; significant inhibition (P< 0.05) was shown at a dose of 2%, v/v. Percentage inhibition of the anti-inflammation increased steadily to 76.6% in the 4th hour.
Dazhu Hongjingtian (Herba Rhodiolae) for unstable angina pectoris

Background Dazhu Hongjingtian (DZHJT), also named Herba Rhodiolae, has been frequently introduced for patients with angina pectoris in China. However, the add-on effect of DZHJT in unstable angina pectoris (UAP) has not been systematically evaluated. The purpose of this protocol is to provide the methods used to assess the efficacy and safety of DZHJT as adjuvant therapy for management of UAP. Methods We will extensively search for eligible studies in PubMed, Emase, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and VIP databases up to October 2018. Only randomized controlled trials comparing DZHJT in combination with Western medicine vs Western medicine alone were selected. The primary outcomes are above 50% reduction in frequency of angina attacks and weekly frequency of angina attacks reduction. The secondary outcomes are the blood rheology parameters (whole-blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and fibrinogen) and adverse events. We will use RevMan V.5. 0 software to perform meta-analysis. Results The pooled results will provide a high-quality of evidence of DZHJT as adjuvant therapy in patients with UAP. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide up-to-date evidence to evaluate DZHJT as adjuvant therapy in patients with UAP. PROSPERO registration number PROSPERO CRD42018111885.