Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-34 and Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by exacerbation and remission, which needs close monitoring of the disease activity. Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity can be determined by the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score. Evaluation of the disease activity is essential to be a guidance for treatment. Interleukin-34 (IL-34) is related to the pathogenesis of SLE. Serum IL-34 can be a candidate marker to evaluate SLE disease activity, and it is correlated with the SLEDAI score. This study aimed to determine the correlation between IL-34 level and disease activity in SLE patients based on the SLEDAI (Mex-SLEDAI) score. An observational analytical study with a cross-sectional design was carried out in six months (June-November 2019) in 27 SLE patients in the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sumatera Utara University/Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan. Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity was measured based on the Mex-SLEDAI score. Serum and urine were collected to obtain the Mex-SLEDAI score and IL-34 level. IL-34 level was measured in all subjects by using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Spearman correlation test was used to determine the correlation between IL-34 level and disease activity in SLE patients based on the SLEDAI (Mex-SLEDAI) score. There was a significant correlation between IL-34 level and disease activity in SLE patients based on SLEDAI (Mex-SLEDAI) score (r=0.965, p < 0.001). Further studies were needed with a sample of SLE patients in a balanced proportion based on their disease activity to obtain representative IL-34 levels in SLE patients based on their disease activity.
Age-Specific Mathematical Model for Tuberculosis Transmission Dynamics in South Korea

Korea has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Various strategies have been implemented to eradicate TB in Korea, and it is critical to evaluate previous TB management outcomes before framing future TB policies. Over the past few decades, the rapid increase in the aging population in Korea has substantially impacted the incidence of TB among the elderly. Thus, in this study, we aimed to develop a mathematical model for the assessment of TB management outcomes incorporating special features of TB transmission dynamics in Korea. First, we incorporate 2-age groups in our TB model because TB epidemics in Korea are different between the elderly and the non-elderly (<65 years vs. ≥65 years). Second, because the public-private mix has had a full-fledged impact since 2012, this study was divided into two periods (2001–2011 and 2012–2018). We developed a mathematical model of TB transmission dynamics with 2-age groups and age-specific model parameters were estimated based on actual TB epidemic data from 2001 to 2018. These parameters included transmission rates, relapse rates, and recovery rates. We conducted sensitivity analyses of various parameters, and investigated the impacts of these parameters on TB incidence. Our results demonstrate that the overall outcomes of both age-groups improved in the period of 2012–2018 compared with that in the period of 2001–2011. Age-specific interventions should be implemented to reduce the overall TB incidence. More intensive treatment efforts should be focused on the elderly, while the early detection and treatment rates for latent TB were the most significant factor to reduce TB incidence in both groups.
THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN RUSSIAN CORPORATIONS

В статье рассматриваются актуальные методы и программы управления знаниями, объединяющие организационные, интеллектуальные и технологические компоненты. В современном мире знания стали ключевым ресурсом и предоставляют организациям возможности адаптироваться к неопределенности внешней среды. Целью данной публикации является исследование практики менеджмента знаний в отечественных корпорациях и разработка предложений по формированию эффективного инструментария управления знаниями в крупных компаниях с учетом их производственной специфики и стратегических целей. Элементами научной новизны являются предлагаемые автором научно - практические рекомендации по развитию комплекса инструментария управления знаниями в компаниях, которые позволят создавать эффективную информационно - коммуникационную систему, формировать и рационально перераспределять организационные и производственные ресурсы, выстраивать действенную систему мотивации и корпоративной культуры. The article discusses current knowledge management methods and programs that combine organizational, intellectual and technological components. In today's world, knowledge has become a key resource and allows organizations to adapt to the uncertainty of the external environment. The purpose of this publication is to study the practice of knowledge management in Russian corporations and develop proposals for the formation of effective knowledge management tools in large companies, taking into account their production specifics and strategic goals. The scientific and practical recommendations proposed by the author for the development of a set of knowledge management tools in corporations will allow to create an effective information and communication system, form and rationally redistribute organizational and production resources, build an effective system of motivation and corporate culture
Comprehensive Analysis of Cloud based Databases

With standard change in the computing architecture and distributed, wide range processing approach leverage the large data to be analyzed and extract the content. The recent advancement in Web technology enables the user to produce process and ingest content of any structure. Cloud computing helps to provide computing infrastructure, centralized storage and seamless services for organizations and users. In a digital world, data is core aspect of the economy, become part of government, enterprise, social sectors and every individual in a day to day life. Data analysis is gathering of strength in both research and production communities. There are many social networking sites, web, enterprise and IoT data require being stored in secured, centralized data store. It also demands data to be stored without any predefined schema and able to retrieve in near real time. When demand goes up application needs to be scaled to sustain for the demand. Similarly, data store should support scalability to support applications demand. Cloud providers and third-party organization offers numerous data storage, database options. This article highlights various available data storage options, suitability and limitations.
Propagation-based phase-contrast tomography for high-resolution lung imaging with laboratory sources

We have performed high-resolution phase-contrast tomography on whole mice with a laboratory setup. Enabled by a high-brilliance liquid-metal-jet source, we show the feasibility of propagation-based phase contrast in local tomography even in the presence of strongly absorbing surrounding tissue as it is the case in small animal imaging of the lung. We demonstrate the technique by reconstructions of the mouse lung for two different fields of view, covering the whole organ, and a zoom to the local finer structure of terminal airways and alveoli. With a resolution of a few micrometers and the wide availability of the technique, studies of larger biological samples at the cellular level become possible.
Genetic Identification of Anchovy from Cenderawasih Bay using DNA Barcoding Approach

The Cenderawasih Bay is a marine habitat for whale sharks (R. typus) which appear almost all year round. The appearance of this whale shark is triggered by various factors, including the food. Anchovy is one of the attractions for the emergence of whale sharks, so it is necessary to conduct genetic, biological and ecological studies. Anchovy has a small in size, making it difficult to identify morphologically. The purpose of this study was to genetically identify anchovy samples obtained from Cenderawasih Bay and compare the sequences with the GenBank database. The COI gene fragments were amplified by PCR method, using primer jg-LCO and jg-HCO. Sequencing is carried out from two directions, forward and reverse with the sanger termination dideoxy method. The resulting DNA sequence has a length of 669 base pairs encoding 223 amino acids. The results of homological comparisons with the NCBI and BOLD System databases show that this sample has similarities to the COI sequence of Spratelloides gracilis with a similarity number up to 99%. The results of the phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the anchovy samples from Cenderawasih Bay were in one clade with S. gracilis from Japan and separated from the clade of S. gracilis from the Red Sea, with a distance between clades is 0.104. This result is in line with the identification by homological comparison in the NCBI and BOLD System.
Traffic sign detection based on Haar and adaBoost classifier

Intelligent transportation system is a hot issue in the field of computer vision. Traffic sign detection is an important part of intelligent transportation system. A traffic sign detection algorithm based on Haar feature and AdaBoost algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, Haar features are extracted from the positive and negative samples of the training set, and then these features are used to train the AdaBoost cascade classifier. Finally, the Haar features are extracted from the test image, and the possible traffic signs in the image are detected, the experimental results show that the method can achieve good detection effect, and provide a new idea for the detection of traffic signs.
A systematic literature review on mobility in terrestrial and underwater wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor network (WSN) is one of the most significant technologies that gets much attention from researchers due to its promising applications in various environments. Mobility in wireless sensor networks contributes significantly to improving the performance of terrestrial wireless sensor networks (TWSNs) and underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs). This research's primary goal is to highlight the roles of mobility and mobile element tasks in enhancing terrestrial and underwater wireless sensor networks. Our systematic literature review (SLR) analyzed studies published between the periods of 2003 and January 2020. Out of 1762 studies retrieved by searching six online digital libraries and other resources, only 107 of them were selected for primary studies based on selection criteria and relevant to three identified research questions. This was followed by data extraction from the primary studies for answering the three SLR questions. The study reveals that mobility plays an essential role in improving network performance in TWSNs and UWSNs, especially in the aspects of coverage, energy efficiency, throughput, and connectivity. The study also identifies the tasks of the mobile elements in TWSNs and UWSNs, including data collection, localization, and charging. Moreover, it demonstrates the parameters of the mobile elements that should be considered when building networks. Finally, this study concludes by highlighting some open research issues that can be considered for future research.
Orthesenversorgung und Elektrostimulation der oberen Extremität nach Schlaganfall

Unzureichende muskuläre Ansteuerung, Beugekontraktur der Flexoren und Subluxation des Humeruskopfes: Nach einem Schlaganfall benötigen Betroffene oftmals intensive Therapie. Die Studienlage zur Hilfsmittelversorgung der oberen Extremität ist jedoch eher dünn.
Promising Sources of Antioxidants from Herbs and Spices: A Review

Herbs and spices are rich sources of potent antioxidants. For over 2000 years, herbs and spices are used in every kind of treatment in TIM (Traditional Indian Medicine) and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), as flavoring, coloring, and fragrance agents. Herbs and spices have various kinds of bioactive constituents which are potential and promising sources of antioxidants. The herb’s and spice’s history is as old and long as the history of mankind. The antioxidants in herbs and spices are very much effective because they have excellent antioxidant activity. In recent times it is an increase in the interest for the recognition, identification of antioxidants compounds that are well-potentiate and have nominal or very much fewer side effects. This interest in growing and it is under various projects at a global level. This study provides some details on the most popular and most widely used herbs and spices and explains their antioxidant properties. Therefore, using herbs and spices is a safer option than using synthetic antioxidants, which have become prevalent and broadly acceptable by consumers.
The modulatory effect of taurine on benzo (a) pyrene-induced hepatorenal toxicity.

Toxicities linked with Benzo (a) pyrene B[a]P exposure, particularly in liver and kidney have been reported in both animals and humans. Taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid) is an intracellular β-amino acid reported to elicit hepatorenal protective functions. However, the modulatory effect of taurine on hepatorenal toxicity associated with exposure to B[a]P has not been reported. This study evaluated the effects of taurine on the hepatorenal toxicities induced in cohorts of rats exposed to B[a]P. Experimental rats were treated as follows: B[a]P (10 mg/kg); co-treated cohorts -B[a]P (10 mg/kg) plus taurine (100 or 200 mg/kg) for 4 successive weeks. Results show that co-dosing with taurine significantly (P < 0.05) improved B[a]P-induced distortion of oxidative stress markers (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, total sulphydryl, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation and xanthine oxidase), renal function (urea and creatinine) and liver function marker enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transferase). Moreover, taurine effectively mitigated increase in myeloperoxidase activity, levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, nitric oxide and interleukin-1β in kidney and liver of rats treated with B[a]P. In conclusion, taurine modulates hepatorenal toxicity in B[a]P-exposed rats by suppressing hepatic and renal damage indices, oxidative injury and inflammatory stress.
Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Carum roxburghianum Benth. (Radhuni) Seeds of Three Bangladeshi Ecotypes

The volatile compounds of the essential oils of Carum roxburghianum Benth. (Radhuni) seeds of three different ecotypes of Bangladesh were obtained by hydrodistillation method and maximum yield was 2.57 % (w/w). The oils were analyzed by GC and GC-MS and thirty volatile compounds were identified and quantified. Predominantly monoterpene hydrocarbon accounted for 59.27-91.11 % of the total oil. The major constituents of the oils were limonene (29.33-59.37 %), 5,7,8-trimethyl-dihydrocoumarin (11.5326.69 %), sabinene (2.49-17.43 %), γ-terpinene (4.10-10.13 %), p-cymene (3.20-7.67 %), apoil (0.5-7.11 %), terpenolene (1.09-7.03 %), β-cis-caryophyllene (2.07-5.42 %), terpinene-4-ol (0.07-5.11 %), cis-sabinene hydrate (3.78-4.89 %), α-phellandrene (0.05-3.54%) and myristicine (0.28-2.33 %). The highest concentration of the elements (in ppm) were Ca 18900, Mg 6900, P 5500, K 5000, S 2900, Na 2000, Zn 115.0, Fe 105.0, B 43.0, Cr 0.561, Ni 0.464, Pb 0.042 and Co 0.033 in the three studied ecotypes. The Physico-chemical properties were evaluated. In the biological activities of the essential oils, the IC 50 value of the oils were 1147.12±6.99 μg/mL-1305.60±10.87 μg/mL at the highest concentration of 4000 μg/mL with 74.59±0.36 % inhibition by DPPH method. The LC 50 value was 2.17 μg/mL-2.53 μg/mL in the brine shrimp lethality cytotoxicity bioassay. The significant zone of inhibition was produced against some bacteria and fungi. These studies may find interest of several applications in pharmaceutical and food industries.
Tropical dry forest resilience and water use efficiency: an analysis of productivity under climate change

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) worldwide have an environment-sensitive phenological signal, which easily marks their response to the changing climatic conditions, especially precipitation and temperature. Using TDF phenological characteristics as a proxy, this study aims to evaluate their current continental response to climate change across the Americas. Here, we show that TDFs are resilient to water stress and droughts by increasing their rain use efficiency (RUE) in drier years and recovering to average RUE in the year following the drought. Additionally, we find that TDF productivity trends over the past 18 years are spatially clustered, with sites in the northern hemisphere experiencing increased productivity, while equatorial regions have no change, and the southern hemisphere exhibiting decreased productivity. The results indicate that the TDF will be resilient under future climatic conditions, particularly if there are increasing drought conditions.
Adherence to Asthma Controller Therapy Among Children in Majmaah City, Saudi Arabia

Background and objective Improving adherence to asthma medications may prevent asthma exacerbation, which is associated with a decline in lung function. The purpose of this study was to assess the adherence to asthma controller therapy and the factors that might influence the level of adherence among asthmatic children. Materials and methods We conducted a prospective observational study at the King Khalid Hospital in Majmaah, Saudi Arabia between January and April 2020; the study was conducted among children aged 1-14 years with a diagnosis of asthma. The data collected when available included age and gender by using a pre-tested questionnaire that contained four validated items, and the respondents were the parents of the affected children. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the data collection was performed via phone calls to ensure safety. Informed consent was obtained from the parents. Results We analyzed 152 asthmatic children to evaluate their adherence to asthma controller therapy. The majority of the children were males (60%). Asthma was most prevalent in the age group of 6-10 years (40.1%), followed by the age group of two to five years (32.9%). We found that the majority of the patients had poor adherence to asthma medication (83.6%) while the remaining had good adherence (16.4%). The total mean score for adherence to medication therapy was 5.16 (SD: 2.3). Conclusions The present study showed that the overall adherence level to the asthma controller therapy was poor among children. Larger, nationwide studies are needed to assess the adherence to asthma medications and implement interventions that can improve the same.
Diseases of Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense): Possible Role as a Reservoir of Pathogens Affecting Other Plants

Abstract Johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. ] is one of the most noxious weeds distributed around the world. Due to its rapid growth, wide dissemination, seeds that can germinate after years in the soil, and ability to spread via rhizomes, S. halepense is difficult to control. From a perspective of plant pathology, S. halepense is also a potential reservoir of pathogens that can eventually jump to other crops, especially corn (Zea mays L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. As one of the most problematic weeds, S. halepense and its diseases can provide useful information concerning its role in diseases of agronomically important crops. An alternative consideration is that S. halepense may provide a source of genes for resistance to pathogens. While some studies have verified that pathogens isolated from S. halepense actually cause disease on host crops through cross inoculation, similarity of disease symptoms and pathogen morphology have been used for identity of the disease agent in most studies. Availability of DNA sequence information has greatly altered and improved pathogen identification, leading to significant changes in phylogenetic assignments. Reclassification of pathogens, especially fungi, raises new questions concerning the role of S. halepense as a disease reservoir. Our goals in this review are to pinpoint, where possible, diseases for which S. halepense acts as a significant pathogen reservoir and to point out problem areas where further research is needed.
Revisiting Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Levels: A Circadian Heart Rate Variability-Based Approach

Analysis of heart failure is important in clinical practice to ensure coronary artery disease (CAD) patients will be provided with appropriate timely treatment. The current gold-standard, echocardiography, although reliable, provides a once-off left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) measurement and does not provide information about heart function disturbances during day/night cardiac cycles. Additionally, the discrimination between heart failure with preserved and mid-range ejection fraction remains challenging in echocardiography tests. In this vein, this study was sought to investigate the ability of heart rate variability (HRV) in categorizing CAD patients into multiple LVEF groups throughout the 24-hour circadian cycle and checking its agreement with established gold-standard echocardiography-based guidelines. A total of 92 CAD patients who have suffered from heart failure were included in this study. The newly introduced index, HRV ejection fraction (HRVEF), was based on optimizing indices extracted from HRV data, which are correlated with the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, to form group membership of the preserved (HFpEF), mid-range (HFmEF), and reduced (HFrEF) LVEF categories. HRVEF groups optimized on hourly basis through Jenks natural breaks algorithm exhibited a consistent pattern with a goodness of variance fit (GVF) of more than 70% accuracy during the late-night to early-morning (01:00-08:00) and evening (17:00-23:00) time periods. At these hours, several HRV indices were found significant (p-value ≤0.05) in differentiating between HRVEF groups using statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. These features include the successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), low and high frequency (LF, HF) power, standard deviation of normal heartbeats (SD2), short-term scaling exponent (alpha1), and percentage of normal heartbeats in alternation segments (PAS). The findings of this study suggest HRV as a promising supplementary tool to the once-off echocardiography for timely LVEF measurements and heart failure prognosis. It paves the way towards multi-time HRV-based estimations for LVEF according to the association between LVEF and HRV indices to better demonstrate the circadian cardiac function at different LVEF levels in CAD patients.
Novel polarization‐dependent combiner for wide field‐of‐view glass‐like near‐eye displays

We propose a glass‐like wide field of view near‐eye display with a polarization‐dependent combiner (PDC). The novel PDC consists of two polarization volume lenses with strong polarization selectivity. By inserting a PDC to the proposed polarization‐time multiplexing system, we demonstrate an overall horizontal FOV of 50° while maintaining a compact form factor.
Can Specialization in Tourism Enhance the Process of Sustainable Economic Development and Investment in East Asia and the Pacific?

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationship between the degree of tourism specialization, domestic investment rate, and sustainable economic development for a sample of the top five East-Asian and Pacific countries with the highest concentration on tourism sector. The findings indicate that further specialization in tourism is likely to enhance the sustainability of economic growth only in the case of Macao and Malaysia. The analysis reveals interesting insights regarding the impact of changes in the respective rates of domestic investment and economic growth on the “relative GDP share of tourism sector” which have not been studied in the past literature.