Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Chemotherapy on Tumor Marker (Ca 15.3) and Serum in Breast Cancer Patients of Southern Eastern Region of Chhattisgarh; 6 Years Follow up Study

Background: At many centers tumor markers are used to detect disease recurrence and to monitor response to chemotherapy therapy in patients with advanced disease, although the real value of serial observation of marker levels remains disputed. In this study, we evaluated the changes in biochemical and tumor maker (CA 15.3) with respect to Chemotherapy among breast cancer patients. Aim: The present study was aimed to ascertain the changes in biochemical and tumor maker (CA 15.3) with respect to Chemotherapy among breast cancer patients. Material & Methods: 40 breast cancer patients and 10 cancer patient other than breast cancer (control subject) from regional cancer center were studied. All the cancer patients were aged between 27 to 56 years old with BSA and BMI ranged between 1.30-1.98 and 13.06-39.51 respectively. Tumor marker CA 15.3 level was done by ELISA, haematological test was measured by cell counter and biochemical assay was measured by Autoanalyzer. Tumor size was measured before and after chemotherapy. Patients were followed 6 years. Survival at 6 years is 60%. The data were analyzed using SPSS (20.0). Results: The result revealed that as compared to control patients the CA 15.3 maker was statistically significantly higher among breast cancer patients in before as well as in after chemotherapy cycles as well as it accessed the normal range of CA 15.3 (9-36 U/ml). Further, results of Chi-square test revealed statistically significant changes in serum parameters after chemotherapy. Glucose, urea, creatinine, bilirubin (total), bilirubin (direct), ALT (Alanine amino transferase), AST (Aspartate amino transferase), ALP (Alkaline phosphatase) and globulin were found to be significantly increase whereas, CA (15.3), WBC, Hb (haemoglobin), platelets, serum serum sodium, serum potassium, total protein and albumin were found to be significantly decreased, after chemotherapy. 83.3% tumour reduction in case group reported. The 6-year overall survival was 51% in the case group. Overall survival in operated group was 49.4 % and non-operated group was 52.1%. Conclusion: It is concluded that CA (15.3) is specific and sensitive maker for breast cancer. Further, prominent fluctuations in serum parameters due to chemotherapy specify consequent side-effects among breast cancer patients. Keywords: Chemotherapy, CA (15.3), breast cancer, AST, ALT, ALP, T. Protein
Psychometrische Überprüfung der Kurzversion der Skala „Transpersonales Vertrauen“ in einer deutschlandweiten repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstichprobe

Zusammenfassung Einleitung In dieser Arbeit wird die Entwicklung der deutschen Version der Skala „Transpersonales Vertrauen“ in der revidierten und gekürzten 6 Item Version (TPV-6R; 2017) vorgestellt und psychometrisch überprüft. Material und Methoden Im Rahmen einer deutschlandweiten Repräsentativbefragung wurde der Fragebogen 2513 Probanden vorgelegt. Insgesamt konnten die Daten von 2464 Probanden ausgewertet werden. Explorative sowie konfirmatorische Faktorenanalysen wurden durchgeführt, um die Faktorenstruktur im Vergleich zum ursprünglichen einfaktoriellen Modell von Belschner (2000) sowie der gefundenen 2-faktoriellen Struktur von Albani et al. (2003) zu überprüfen. Messinvarianz wurde über Multigruppenvergleiche, die konvergente und diskriminante Validität wurden über Korrelationen mit anderen Items getestet. Ergebnisse Nach der Entfernung von 2 Items aufgrund schlechter Skalenkennwerte ergeben sich gute Item- und Skalenkennwerte sowie eine hervorragende Modellgüte. In der 4-Item-Version konnte die einfaktorielle Struktur der Ursprungsversion von Belschner et al. (2000) repliziert werden. Die Variablen Geschlecht und Alter weisen metrische Invarianz auf, nur für die Variable Geschlecht konnte partielle skalare Invarianz hergestellt werden. Für Bundesland und Konfessionszugehörigkeit zeigte sich weder metrische noch skalare Invarianz. Diskussion Aufgrund der Güte der Kennwerte der TPV-4R erscheint es lohnend, die TPV-4R in zukünftigen Untersuchungen mit anderen validierten vergleichbaren Instrumenten zur religiösen bzw. spirituellen Einstellung weitergehend zu untersuchen. Fazit für die Praxis Mit dieser neuen deutschen Kurzversion TPV-4R liegt ein ökonomisches, reliables und valides Instrument zur Erfassung spiritueller Einstellungen vor.
Principal Components of Thermal Stimulation while the Warm Needling: Diameter of the Acupuncture Needle and Distance from the Skin

Objectives : Warm needling is a combined treatment technique of acupuncture and moxibustion. In this study, we aimed to find out the components related with the thermal stimulation of the warm needling and to provide basic data for the guideline of the warm needling technique in the clinic. Methods : In this study, we measured thermal change of 3% agarose phantom embedding K-type thermocouples in depths of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 mm. The warm needling was performed with acupuncture needles of various specifications (0.50×30, 0.50×40, 0.30×30, 0.30×40, 0.20×30 and 0.20×40 mm). A linear regression analysis was performed to find out the major component and quantify the effectiveness of the thermal stimulation during warm needling. Results : As a result of the measurement of temperature change, we could observe the thermal change pattern from the surface of the phantom to the 16mm deep part of the phantom. The thermal pattern was similar among the needles of different specifications. The regression analysis pointed the distance between the moxa cautery and the skin surface as the main component for the thermal stimulation of the warm needling. Conclusions : The authors suggest considering the distance between moxa cautery and the skin rather than the diameter of the acupuncture needle in accordance to the result of the study.
Does the Exchange Rate Matter on Import -Export in Cote D’Ivoire?

This article examines exchange rate matter on exports and imports activities in Cote d’Ivoire and analyze the link between CFA Franc zones (West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU), consisting of 8 West African countries with French Treasury. Study used recent annually data from 1995- 2017. Vector Auto Regression (VAR) consisting on imports, export and Exchange rate is considered to check the impact of exchange rate on exports and imports in cote d’Ivoire. Augmented Dicker Fuller (ADF) test is used to test the stationary of the variables. Lag selection criterion (AIC) advised us to take two lags in VAR Model to be optimum. The VAR model result shows that exchange rate are positive and insignificant on exports at both lags EX(-1) and EX(-2). However The impact of exchange rate on import shows different at 2 lags; At first lags, exchange rate EX(-1) is positive and insignificant but negative and insignificant at second lags EX(-2). Our findings shows that exchange rate does not matter exports and imports activities in Cote d’Ivoire since the t-statistic regarding the exchange rate is less than 2 at both lags Ex(-1) and Ex(-2) for exports and imports.
Efficacy of Hexaminolevulinate Photodynamic Diagnosis of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Objective: This study evaluated the efficacy of hexaminolevulinate fluorescence cystoscopy as a diagnostic tool for bladder cancer. The study was a case series in the Department of Urology in Hippokratio General Hospital of Athens between October 2008 and May 2012. Methods: Fifty patients (43 males and 7 females) who were investigated for hematuria were included in the study. White light cystoscopy (WLC) was first performed in all patients and after was performed a fluorescence cystoscopy (BLC-blue light cystoscopy). Biopsies were collected from any suspicious area and resection of the tumors identified (TUR). Whenever no suspicious areas could be seen, a standard random mapping including 8 biopsies overall was completed. Results: Patients demographic data and clinical history are presented in Table 1. Two-hundred twenty specimens were extracted and bladder cancer was diagnosed in 137. There were 17 CIS lesions all diagnosed with BLC whereas only 11 with WLC. WLC correctly diagnosed 109/140 specimens and the positive and negative predictive values were 77.9% and 65% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 79.6% and 62.6% respectively. BLC diagnosed 125/169 specimens and the positive and negative predictive values were 73.9% and 76.5% respectively. The sensitivity of BLC was 91.2% and the specificity 46.9%. Conclusion: Hexaminolevulinate-guided cystoscopy is a valuable diagnostic method, with considerably improved accuracy and improvement in diagnosis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and especially CIS.
Chaperonin Abundance Boosts Bacterial Fitness

The ability of chaperonins to buffer mutations that affect protein folding pathways suggests that their abundance should be evolutionarily advantageous. Here, we investigate the effect of chaperonin overproduction on cellular fitness in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that chaperonin abundance confers (a) an ability to tolerate higher temperatures, (b) improved cellular fitness and (c) enhanced folding of metabolic enzymes, which is expected to lead to enhanced energy harvesting potential.
Meridional Propagation of Zonal Jets in Ocean Gyres

Analyses of both altimetric data and in-situ measurements reveal patterns of meridionally-alternating, nearly zonal, coherent jet-like structures in many of the world ocean basins. In this context, recent Ocean General Circulation Model (OGCM) simulations that resolve such zonal jet-like features show that they also propagate, largely in the meridional direction. To investigate such propagation, a feature that has received scant attention, we consider the behavior of such jets in a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model on a closed mid-latitude basin and forced by a double-gyre wind forcing. In this setup, we find that jets are evident in the baroclinic mode of instantaneous fields, that they propagate largely in the meridional direction, and that the propagation is related to an advective mechanism.
Corporate Governance, Financial Performance and Firm Value;

Firm value is dependent on corporate which leads to increased value. High valued firms attract more investors. Towards firm value protection, minimum capital requirements were raised by the Central Bank of Kenya from 250 million to 1 billion shillings on commercial banks to cushion bank shareholders value. Despite the increased oversight and regulatory efforts on corporate governance to protect and enhance firm value, some commercial banks have recorded low firm value. Hence, this study sought to investigate the mediating effect of financial performance on the relationship between corporate governance and firm value of commercial banks in Kenya. The study was anchored on Agency Theory. Explanatory research design was adopted. Target population was forty four Kenyan commercial banks, where a census was conducted. Secondary data was collected from published financial statements and bank websites for the period 2009 to 2018. STATA version 13.0 was used for data analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics specifically panel regression was used in data analysis. The study findings established that there is a statistically significant effect between financial performance and firm value of commercial banks in Kenya. Therefore, the study concluded that firms with good financial performance have high firm value. And as such, these calls for the management of the commercial banks improve financial performance which will go a long way in improving firm value. There is also need for Central bank of Kenya, Capital Markets Authority and Nairobi Securities Exchange to emphasis on corporate governance and short term goals to enable achievement of long term goals .
Tingkat Kepuasan Peserta Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional Atas Pelayanan Pendaftaran Rawat Jalan Faskes Tingkat I di Kecamatan Kotagede Yogyakarta

Pada era JKN saat ini, fasilitas kesehatn tingkat 1 dituntut untuk dapat bersaing dalam memberikan pelayanan yang berkualitas dan memuaskan pasien. Masyarakat sebagai pengguna jasa pelayanan kesehatan akan selektif dalam menilai pelayanan kesehatan yang bermutu, memenuhi kebutuhan yang dirasakan dan diselenggarakan dengan cara yang sopan dan santun, tepat waktu, tanggap, dan menyembuhkan keluhan penggunanya. Pendaftaran sebagai awal proses pelayanan kesehaan kepada pasien, tidak hanya sebatas melakukan pendaftaran, mutu layanan kesehatan juga diperhatikan karena menyangkut dua aspek, yaitu aspek teknis dari penyedia layanan kesehatan itu sendiri dan aspek kemanusiaan. Kualitas pelayanan di pendaftaran pasien rawat jalan faskes tingkat 1 Kecamatan Kotagede Yogyakarta dapat mencapai kepuasan pasien bisa ditinjau dari dimensi servqual: reliability, assurance, tangibles, emphaty, responsiveness. Diketahuinya tingkat kepuasan, kinerja, harapan peserta Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional atas pelayanan pendaftaran rawat jalan Faskes Tingkat 1 di Kecamatan Kotagede Yogyakarta beserta karakteristiknya. Deskriptif kuantitatif menggunakan sampel sebanyak 100 responden, dengan teknik pengambilan sampel convinience sampling. Sebagian besar responden memberikan penilaian Baik berjumlah 1.103 (61,3%) reponden atas kinerja pelayanan yang diterima di rawat jalan. Sebagian besar responden berharap mendapatkan pelayanan Baik berjumlah 1.240 (68,9%) responden atas pelayanan rawat jalan. Sebagian besar responden memberikan penilaian Sangat Puas berjumlah 65 (65 %) responden atas pelayanan rawat jalan faskes tingkat 1 Kecamatan Kotagede, Yogyakarta. Tingkat kepuasan peserta JKN atas pelayanan rawat jalan faskes tingkat 1 Kecamatan Kotagede, Yogyakarta sebagian besar memberikan penilaian Sangat Puas berjumlah 65 (65 %) responden. Kata k unci: Kepuasan, Fasilitas Kesehatan
Failure To Thrive In Children Under Two Years Of Age And Associated Factors, A Hospital- Based Study

Background: Failure to thrive is a common problem in infancy and children result from inadequate nutrition or chronic illnesses. Objective: To assess the severity and risk factors associated with failure to thrive. Patients and Methods: In this cross-section study, 50 children under 2 years of age with FTT admitted to Jalawla general hospital, Diyala province, Iraq during the period 1st of Jan. to 1st of July 2018 were studied. The parameters used to assess the growth of involved children included weight, height and head circumference for ages, using Z-score (Standard deviation score) and the mean had been taken from Tanner growth chart. Other child variables included socioeconomic status and hemoglobin level also studied. Results: The male: female ratio was 1.5:1 and 38 children (76%) were below one year of age, 25 of them (50%) were of low socioeconomic state and the majority from overcrowded families. Maternal illiteracy was recorded in 26 (52%). Twenty-three children (46%) were exclusively bottle-fed. Twenty-two children (44%) their weights for age were < -3SD below the mean, twelve children (14%) their heights for age were <-3SD, seven children (14%), had head circumference <-3SD which indicate very severe malnutrition. Most of children in this study were from large size families with low socioeconomic status. Conclusion: Failure to thrive is a common problem in our locality. Those below one year of age constitutes 76%, and 50% were from low socioeconomic families.
Development of an Assistive Technology Intervention for Community Older Adults

ABSTRACT Aim: To explore the use of the Ecological Validity Model as a guiding framework in the provision of a culturally sensitive assistive technology (AT) intervention for community older people. Methods: Twenty-seven Hispanic adults aged 70 years and older and four individuals with expertise in AT participated in a concurrent nested mixed method study where the quantitative method (content validity ratio exercise) was embedded in the dominant qualitative method (focus groups). Results: Findings informed the development of the Assistive Technology Life Enhancement Program (ATLEP), an intervention consisting of seven modules addressing AT devices with culturally sensitive elements. Conclusions: The Ecological Validity Model, as well as the input from older adults, were both effective methodological strategies in tailoring the ATLEP intervention to the needs and circumstances of community-living older people living in Puerto Rico.
Desenvolvimento e Avaliação de um Aplicativo para Apoio ao Ensino de Psicopatologia

As metodologias de ensino tem apresentado mudancas expressivas no decorrer do seculo XXI. Este estudo avaliou o impacto de um aplicativo contendo videos simulados de psicopatologia. Realizou-se um estudo caso-controle composto por academicos de Medicina. Na avaliacao comparativa, utilizou-se uma prova descritiva, alem do System Usability Scale (SUS). A amostra era composta por 16 alunos do grupo caso, com acesso ao aplicativo, e 82 pessoas do grupo intervencao. O grupo caso obteve escore medio de 4,7, frente a nota media de 3,2 do grupo controle (p=0,00017). Os resultados dos dados avaliados pela escala SUS demonstram uma boa avaliacao de usabilidade. Assim, a utilizacao do aplicativo apresentou repercussoes positivas para o aprendizado, sendo um instrumento util e de boa usabilidade a ser acrescentado as demais metodologias de ensino.
Age dating of groundwater in perched aquifers Okongo area, Ohangwena region

ii Acknowledgements . v List of Abbreviations . vi List of Table . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the study . 1 1.2 Statement of the problem . 3 1.3 Aim and objectives of the study . 5 1.3.1 Aim . 5 1.3.2 Objectives . 5 1.4 Significance of the study . 5 1.5 Thesis outline . 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW . 8 2.1 Characteristics and features of perched aquifers . 8 2.2 Groundwater age and groundwater residence time . 9 2.2.1 History of groundwater age dating . 10 2.2.2 Dating modern groundwater . 11 2.2.3 Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) . 12 2.2.4 Tritium (H). 15 2.2. 5 Isotope hydrology . 17 2.3 Groundwater recharge process . 17 2.4 Previous work in the study area . 18 CHAPTER 3: DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA . 25 3.1 Location of the study area . 25 3.2 Social and economic background . 26 ix 3.2.1 Land use . 26 3.2.3 Population density . 26 3.3 Natural environment . 26 3.3.1 Climate . 26 3.3.3 Soils in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin . 28 3.3. 4 Surface water drainage . 29 3.3. 5 Geological settings . 31 3.3. 6 Hydrogeology . 32 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY . 37 4.1 Field observation during drilling . 38 4.2 Research design . 40 4.3 Drilling techniques . 40 4.4 Field procedure . 41 4.5 Laboratory procedure and analysis. 43 4.5.1 SF6 . 43 4.5.2 H . 45 4.5. 3 Major Ions . 46 4.5. 4 Stable isotopes analyses . 47 CHAPTER 5: RESULTS . 50 5.1 Physio-chemical field parameters . 50 5.2 Isotope Hydrology . 50 5.2.1 Sulfur Hexafluoride. 50 5.2.2 Tritium . 52 5.2.3 Hydro-chemistry (Major Ions) . 54 5.2.4 Stable Isotope . 57 CHAPTER 6: STUDY SYNTHESIS . 60 6.1 Discussion . 60 x CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 70 7.1 Conclusions . 70 7.2 Recommendations . 71 8. REFERENCES . 73 9. APPENDIXES . 84 Appendix A: Request letter to drill and take water samples in Study area . 84 Appendix B: Air Percussion drilling rig, drilling bits and borehole log samples and chip tray at Ohameva. 85 Appendix C: Detailed Lithology . 86 Appendix D: Plastic-coated glass bottle with a polyseal cone lined cap for SF6 and Tritium bottles . 99 Appendix E: Sampling procedures for SF6 . 100 Appendix F: Percentage of grain size analysis of sand. 102 Appendix G: Tritium activities in the CEB . 107
Developing Therapies with Functional Beta Cells to Treat Diabetes

As the key regulator in maintaining blood sugar, insulin is secreted by beta cells residing in pancreatic islets. However, most functional beta cells are disappeared in type I diabetes, and the total beta cell population is seriously reduced in type II diabetes. Over the last decade, insights into beta cell development, combined with the deeper research of related donor stem cells including ESCs, iPSCs and pancreatic progenitors, have led us to generate functional beta cells. Besides, several alternative approaches have also converted other cell types into insulin positive beta-like cells via lineage reprogramming factors (Pdx1, Nkx6-1, Pax4 and Ngn3). Nowadays, people realized that advances in investigating of beta cell biology at the genomic and post-transcription levels are more useful in deeply understanding the cells source, behavior and function. For research in drug screening or diabetes transplantation therapy, herein, we reviewed the recent information about development, replication of beta cells, and production of insulin-positive cells via lineage reprogramming or small molecule treatment.
Reweighted Tensor Factorization Method for SAR Narrowband and Wideband Interference Mitigation Using Smoothing Multiview Tensor Model

For the interference suppression problem on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems, traditional methods have focused on how to remove one kind of interference through nonparametric methods and parametric methods. However, complicated interferences, including both narrowband interferences (NBIs) and wideband interferences (WBIs), severely affect SAR imaging in practical scenarios. Also, the spectra of the complicated interferences can be continuously distributed, which are even harder to mitigate from the received signal. Hence, in this article, we propose a smoothing multiview (SMV) tensor model in range–azimuth–space domain to represent the intrinsically unified characteristics of the NBIs and the WBIs for SAR systems, reserving more azimuth degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) than the previous MV tensor model. The proposed SMV tensor model can enhance the potential low-rank property of the complicated interferences, even though the interferences may be continuously distributed in low-dimensional domains. Moreover, due to the larger scale of the SMV model than those of the traditional models, a complex reweighted tensor factorization (CRTF) algorithm is proposed to factorize the large-scale tensor into the product of two small-scale tensors, achieving both better computational efficiency and better low-rank approximation of complicated interferences. Finally, the measured SAR data with different kinds of simulated complicated interferences are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the newly designed SMV model and the proposed method compared with the MV model and the complex tensor robust principal component analysis (CT-RPCA) method.
Long Array of Microwave Sensors for Real-Time Coating Defect Detection

A real-time, inexpensive, and easy-to-install resonator-based microwave sensor array for coating defect detection on metallic structures is presented. The sensor array is composed of 55 identical rectangular spiral resonators coupled to a 120-cm-long transmission line. The array was simulated, fabricated, and measured. A stopband was created at the fundamental resonant frequency of the resonators. The fabricated sensor array was implemented on the coating to monitor defects beneath the sensor. The proposed sensor array can be used to detect water ingress and coating delamination, which are causes for alarm in metallic structure corrosion and cracking. The proposed structure is a low-cost solution for real-time coating failure identification.