Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diabetic foot care knowledge among Taif University students in Saudi Arabia

Background: Diabetic foot (DF) complications are one of the major global public health problems of concern. Although, amputation rates vary around the world are always observed to be increased in people with diabetes compared to those without diabetes. The global health-care systems, both public and private, have been unsuccessful in managing the overwhelming problems of patients suffering from DF complications. Correct practices of foot health care are essential for reducing the incidence of foot ulcers and complication. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of DF care to determine the need to educate the community about DF care. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Taif university students, Saudi Arabia using a multi-point questionnaire about DF care knowledge. Results: A total of 473 Taif university students had participated in this study; 60 were from medical college. Among the total, 194 had poor knowledge. We determined the influence of demographic factors on the knowledge score; it was significant with the students who had a diabetic parent/s (mean =9.78 ± 3.89, p -value =0.000), female gender and among medical college students (mean = 9.45 ± 3.70, 10.62 ± 4.15, p -value =0.002). Conclusion: The result of this study showed the gap in knowledge of DF care, more importantly among medical students who would be the providers of knowledge in the near future. We recommend implementing educational programs and community awareness campaigns on DF care inside and outside the university campus.
Finite-time synchronization of Kuramoto-oscillator networks with a pacemaker based on cyber-physical system

In this paper, we study the finite-time synchronization problem of a Kuramoto-oscillator network with a pacemaker. By constructing a cyber-physical system (CPS), the finite-time phase agreement and frequency synchronization of the network are explored for identical and non-identical oscillators, respectively. According to the Lyapunov stability analysis, sufficient conditions are deduced for ensuring the phase agreement and frequency synchronization for arbitrary initial phases and/or frequencies under distributed strategies. Furthermore, the upper bound estimations of convergence time are obtained accordingly, which is related to the initial phases and/or frequencies of oscillators. Finally, numerical examples are presented to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Brevibacillus laterosporus BL1, a promising probiotic, prevents obesity and modulates gut microbiota in mice fed a high-fat diet

Scope Probiotics are a potential preventive strategy for obesity. However, with discrete efficacy and limited species of probiotics, there is a demand for novel strains with excellent anti-obesity properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Brevibacillus laterosporus BL1 on preventing obesity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Methods and results C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 10) and fed a control diet, HFD, HFD plus B. laterosporus BL1, and HFD plus supernatant of B. laterosporus BL1, respectively for 8 weeks. The results showed that prophylactic B. laterosporus BL1 treatment reduced body weight gain by 41.26% in comparison to the HFD group, and this difference was accompanied by a reduction in body fat mass and the weight of inguinal white adipose tissues and epididymal white adipose tissue (−33.39%, −39.07%, and −43.75%, respectively). Moreover, the B. laterosporus BL1-mediated improvements in lipid profile, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation were associated with the regulation of gene expression related to lipid metabolism and enhancement of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. Particularly, B. laterosporus BL1 intervention significantly improved HFD-induced gut flora dysbiosis, as evidenced by a reverse in the relative abundance of Bacillota and Bacteroidota, as well as an increase in the relative abundance of bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which in turn increased SCFAs levels. Conclusion Our findings found for the first time that B. laterosporus BL1 may be a promising probiotic for prevention of obesity associated with the regulation of gut microbiota. Graphical Abstract Brevibacillus laterosporus BL1 treatment effectively reduced fat accumulation, proinflammatory cytokines, and insulin resistance, alleviated BAT whitening, and improved glucose tolerance and lipid profiles in HFD-induced obese mice. B. laterosporus BL1 intervention also modulated the HFD-induced structural and componential alteration of gut microbiota, as evidenced by a decrease in the relative abundance of Bacillota and Faecalibaculum and an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and norank_f_Muribaculaceae, and this alteration was accompanied by an elevation on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production. The alleviation of obesity parameters with B. laterosporus BL1 treatment was associated with the modulation of gut microbiota, especially the increase in SCFA levels.
Learning action-oriented models through active inference

Converging theories suggest that organisms learn and exploit probabilistic models of their environment. However, it remains unclear how such models can be learned in practice. The open-ended complexity of natural environments means that it is generally infeasible for organisms to model their environment comprehensively. Alternatively, action-oriented models attempt to encode a parsimonious representation of adaptive agent-environment interactions. One approach to learning action-oriented models is to learn online in the presence of goal-directed behaviours. This constrains an agent to behaviourally relevant trajectories, reducing the diversity of the data a model need account for. Unfortunately, this approach can cause models to prematurely converge to sub-optimal solutions, through a process we refer to as a bad-bootstrap. Here, we exploit the normative framework of active inference to show that efficient action-oriented models can be learned by balancing goal-oriented and epistemic (information-seeking) behaviours in a principled manner. We illustrate our approach using a simple agent-based model of bacterial chemotaxis. We first demonstrate that learning via goal-directed behaviour indeed constrains models to behaviorally relevant aspects of the environment, but that this approach is prone to sub-optimal convergence. We then demonstrate that epistemic behaviours facilitate the construction of accurate and comprehensive models, but that these models are not tailored to any specific behavioural niche and are therefore less efficient in their use of data. Finally, we show that active inference agents learn models that are parsimonious, tailored to action, and which avoid bad bootstraps and sub-optimal convergence. Critically, our results indicate that models learned through active inference can support adaptive behaviour in spite of, and indeed because of, their departure from veridical representations of the environment. Our approach provides a principled method for learning adaptive models from limited interactions with an environment, highlighting a route to sample efficient learning algorithms.
The influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on organisational culture: An empirical investigation

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is known to transform and create opportunities for the world of work. However, little is known about how the future workforce, such as university students, are being equipped and exposed to 4IR technologies and ways of thinking in a South African (SA) context. This study’s findings contribute to understanding the influence of organisational culture on the uptake of 4IR technology within higher education (HE) in SA during a pandemic. The study uses Edgar Schein’s theoretical framework to explore the organisational culture at a university in the Gauteng province. The article responds further to the questions on how 4IR technology and principles are understood and applied within the context, and how to investigate to what extent the 4IR is reflected upon or embedded in the university’s culture. A qualitative research design is used, and data are gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews from seven purposively selected academic and senior management staff members. Thematic analysis uncovered that the university’s ambitious and competitive culture contributed to a positive uptake of 4IR technology and principles, even pre-COVID-19. Furthermore, the specific influence of the university’s Vice-Chancellor to build 4IR thinking into the university helped shape more 4IR thinking and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, whilst still considering the existing disparities of SA, as a developing country.
Non-canonical Wnt signaling maintains hematopoietic stem cell through Flamingo and Frizzled8 interaction in the niche

Wnt signaling is involved in self-renewal and maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs); however, the particular role of non-canonical Wnt signaling in regulating HSCs in vivo is largely unknown. Here I show Flamingo and Frizzled8, members of non-canonical Wnt signaling, both express in and functionally maintain quiescent long-term HSCs. Flamingo regulates Frizzled8 distribution at the interface between HSCs and N-cadherin+ osteoblasts (N-cad+OBs that enrich osteoprogenitors) in the niche. I further show that N-cad+OBs predominantly express non-canonical Wnt ligands and inhibitors of canonical Wnt signaling under homeostasis. This non-canonical Wnt signaling is attenuated prior to activation of HSCs. In the activated HSCs, however, canonical Wnt signaling is enhanced. Mechanistically, non-canonical Wnt signaling mediated by Frizzled8 suppresses the Ca2+-NFAT-IFNγ pathway and antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling in HSCs. My findings demonstrate that non-canonical Wnt signaling maintains quiescent longterm HSCs through Flamingo and Frizzled8 interaction in the niche.
Analgesia em pacientes de trauma no serviço de emergência

Objetivo: avaliar a eficácia da analgesia e a concordância entre as escalas Numérica e de Faces em pacientes de trauma no serviço de emergência. Método: estudo transversal com 173 pacientes, realizado de fevereiro-2013 a setembro-2014. A dor foi avaliada na admissão e uma hora após analgesia, pelas escalas Numérica e de Faces. Para comparar a dor antes e após analgesia, utilizou-se o Coeficiente de Correlação de Spearman e, para analisar a concordância entre as escalas, o Índice Kappa. Resultados: na admissão, a maioria dos pacientes relatou dor moderada e intensa. Houve melhora da dor, porém 36,0% dos pacientes permaneceram com dor leve e 33,7% moderada, necessitando de complementação analgésica. A concordância entre as escalas foi considerável antes da analgesia (Kappa = 0,31; p-valor 0,0001) e moderada após (Kappa = 0,56; p-valor 0,0001). Conclusão: a maioria dos pacientes obteve melhora da dor após analgesia, sendo que houve concordância entre as escalas.
Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease among Ghanaian Police Officers

Background: Cardiovascular diseases continue to be a global public health burden among occupational groups like Police officers. Police officers play important roles to ensure law and order in countries. However, the nature of police work exposes them to violence and stress. Again, irregular food habits, irregular exercise, inadequate sleep, smoking and drinking are lifestyles which makes police officers prone to high incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aim: This study looked at the prevalence of CVD risk factors among police officers in Kumasi, Ghana. Study Design: Cross- sectional. Place and Duration of study: Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters, Kumasi, Ghana, between September, 2017 to July, 2018. Methodology: Weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, lipid profile, systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 120 officers were measured. Additionally, lifestyle and dietary factors such as exercise and intake of fruits of Police officers were assessed. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 22.0. Results: Slightly more than half (63, 52.5%) of the officers were females and the remaining (57,47.5%) were males. The mean of the various CVD risk factors among the total study participants are as follows; BMI 28.184±4.461 kg/m2, waist circumference 92.702±10.941 cm, systolic blood pressure (SBP) 128.121±17.047 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 85.569±10.854 mmHg, fasting blood sugar 5.387±1.756 mmol/l, high density lipoprotein (HDL) 1.546±0.211 mmol/l, low density lipoprotein 2.321±0.706 mmol/l (LDL) and total cholesterol (TC) 4.362±0.906 mmol/L. Prevalence of obesity among male and female officers were 43.9% and 36.5% respectively. With regards to hypertension, policemen and women recorded 31.6% and 20.6% respectively and dyslipidemia among males and females were 43.9% and 85.7% respectively. Conclusion: The officers were generally overweight, with over a quarter having hypertension and about two-thirds having dyslipidemia, making their risk for CVDs high. Further studies to elucidate the causes are required, routine medical screening and nutritional support are recommended.
Empirical evaluation of fused EEG-MEG source reconstruction. Application to auditory mismatch generators

Since their introduction in the late eighties, Bayesian approaches for neuroimaging have opened the way to new powerful and quantitative analysis of brain data. Here, we apply this statistical framework to evaluate empirically the gain of fused EEG-MEG source reconstruction, compared to unimodal (EEG or MEG) one. Combining EEG and MEG information for source reconstruction has been consistently evidenced to enhance localization performances using simulated data. However, given considerable efforts to conduct simultaneous recordings, empirical evaluation becomes necessary to quantify the real information gain. And this is obviously not straightforward due to the ill-posedness of the inverse problem. Here, we consider Bayesian model comparison to quantify the ability of EEG, MEG and fused (EEG/MEG) inversions of individual data to resolve spatial source models. These models consisted in group-level cortical distributions inferred from real EEG, MEG and EEG/MEG brain responses. We applied this comparative evaluation to the timely issue of the generators of auditory mismatch responses evoked by unexpected sounds. These included the well-known Mismatch Negativity (MMN) but also earlier deviance responses. As expected, fused localization was evidenced to outperform unimodal inversions with larger model separability. The present methodology confirms with real data the theoretical interest of simultaneous EEG/MEG recordings and fused inversion to highly inform (spatially and temporally) source modeling. Precisely, a bilateral fronto-temporal network could be identified for both the MMN and early deviance response. Interestingly, multimodal inversions succeeded in revealing spatio-temporal details of the functional organization within the supratemporal plane that have not been reported so far, nor were visible here with unimodal inversions. The present refined auditory network could serve as priors for auditory modeling studies.
Is Knowledge of Type 2 Diabetic Patients about Stroke Acceptable- a Cross Sectional Study

troke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world (1-8). In two past decades the annual stroke incidence in Iran ranged from 23 to 103 per 100,000 people (4). In the global Burdon of diseases, injuries and risk factors study (GBD 2010), the stroke was S 1MD, Assistant professor of Neurology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical science, Yazd, Iran. 2Diabetes Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. 3Assistant professor, Department of radiology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. 4Assistant Professor, Yazd Diabetes Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Extracellular AGR3 regulates breast cancer cells migration via Src signaling

Human anterior gradient proteins AGR2 and AGR3 are overexpressed in a variety of adenocarcinomas and are often secreted in cancer patients' specimens, which suggests a role for AGR proteins in intra and extracellular compartments. Although these proteins exhibit high sequence homology, AGR2 is predominantly described as a pro-oncogene and a potential prognostic biomarker. However, little is known about the function of AGR3. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of AGR3 in breast cancer. The results demonstrated that breast cancer cells secrete AGR3. Furthermore, it was revealed that extracellular AGR3 (eAGR3) regulates tumor cell adhesion and migration. The current study indicated that the pharmacological and genetic perturbation of Src kinase signaling, through treatment with Dasatinib (protein kinase inhibitor) or investigating cells that express a dominant-negative form of Src, significantly abrogated eAGR3-mediated breast cancer cell migration. Therefore, the results indicated that eAGR3 may control tumor cell migration via activation of Src kinases. The results of the present study indicated that eAGR3 may serve as a microenvironmental signaling molecule in tumor-associated processes.
Lightly Embalmed Cadavers in Sonography Education: A Novel Approach to Improving Students’ Perceived Competence in Renal Biopsy Procedures

Objective: To determine if a simulation lab using lightly embalmed cadavers would improve diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) students’ perceived competence in ultrasound-guided native renal biopsy examinations. Methods: Subjects included DMS students (n = 49) enrolled in academic years 2012 to 2018. Each DMS student performed a native renal biopsy with a nephrology fellow. Skills practiced included machine setup, inferior renal pole localization, biopsy guide preparation, needle visualization, and communication skills. Pre- and postlab surveys assessed DMS students’ perceived competence. Results: Prelab, 12% (n = 6) of students felt competent to assist in the procedure. Postlab, 61% (n = 35) of students felt competent, a statistically significant (P < .001) change. All students viewed the lab as a valuable experience. Hands-on experience (53%), student/physician collaboration (33%), and low-stress environment (13%) were reported themes. Additional resources (50%) and scheduling (22%) were areas for improvement. Conclusion: A renal biopsy simulation lab using lightly embalmed cadavers is an effective method to improve DMS students’ perceived competence in this procedure.
Características del Sueño y su Calidad en Estudiantes de Medicina de la Universidad de Panamá.

Introduction. 35% of the population has presented at some point in their life a sleep disturbance, with insomnia being the most common disorder. For medical students, the prevalence of poor sleepers ranges from 60% to 90%, which is even higher than the general population. Objective. To determine the characteristics and quality of sleep in medical students of University of Panama, during November of 2013. Methods. A descriptive, cross-sectional study. The universe was 1116 medical students of the University of Panama with a sample of 290 students, with a 95% confidence level. The data collection was performed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results. 56.6% (164) were females and the mean age was 21 ± 2 years. The subjective sleep quality was good in 48.6% (141) of participants and poor in 51.3% (149). In average, the students took about 15 minutes to fall asleep with a standard deviation of ± 17 minutes. Conclusion. This study can conclude that the majority of medical students of the University of Panama have bad sleep quality. Key words: Sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, medical students.
Association between metabolic syndrome and limb muscle quantity and quality in older adults: a pilot ultrasound study

Purpose Limited imaging studies have investigated whether limb muscle quantity and quality change after metabolic syndrome (MetS) development. This pilot study examined MetS influence on limb muscle characteristics in older adults. Methods Participants were recruited from annual health examinations; their right biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus femoris, and gastrocnemius muscles were measured by ultrasound. Anthropometric parameters, blood biochemistry, and physical performance (handgrip strength and gait speed) were also examined. Results Overall, 129 participants were enrolled, including 26 with MetS. Although handgrip strength was lower in MetS patients, there were no significant between-group differences considering thickness and mean echogenicity of the four muscles. Handgrip strength was positively correlated with the thickness of biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and rectus femoris but was negatively associated with their echogenicity. On multivariate analysis, triceps muscle echogenicity was trivially associated (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.86–0.99) with MetS, possibly due to multicollinearity with grip strength. Conclusion No significant difference was recognized in limb muscle thickness and echogenicity in the geriatric population with MetS compared with healthy controls by ultrasound imaging. However, the finding might be caused by the small sample size of our participants. Future large-scale studies should explore the influence of separated risk factors of MetS on limb muscle echotexture and examine whether manifestation differs in different age populations.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CODE STEMI PROGRAM TO AFFECT THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE IN ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (STEMI) PATIENTS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Backgrounds: The Clinical importance of coronary artery disease manifests as Acute Coronary Syndrome with the highest mortality is known as ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Delay in STEMI management not only affect mortality and complications, but also healthcare quality. The CODE STEMI program was developed to shorten the time and reduce delay in treatments for STEMI patients. This study aims to review the effect of CODE STEMI program implementation on clinical outcome and healthcare quality in STEMI patients. Methods: This study was a systematic review of literature that used meta-analysis (PRISMA) protocol. Data obtained from Electronic databases Google Scholar, PubMed, and MEDLINE that published over several years and we began on May 2019. Assessment of healthcare quality was based on Donabedian theory that consists of 7 main components, efficacy, effectiveness, efficiency, optimality, acceptability, legitimacy and equity. Analysis between studies was reported as descriptive narration. Results: The search found 15 studies, of which 4 studies as the final results that are suitable for this literature review through the keyword findings CODE STEMI, STEMI, and quality of healthcare. Studies in several countries over the globe reported a decrease of door-to-balloon/ diagnosis-to-wire time. Some studies reported reduced mortality, complications, and cost after implementation of CODE STEMI program, while others only found insignificant trends. Conclusions: Implementation of CODE STEMI protocol made a better Quality of Healthcare. However, it needs further study to review and evaluate the effect of CODE STEMI implementation, especially on the quality of healthcare in STEMI patients.