Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of Diabetes Mellitus in South Africa: Results from the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1)

In South Africa, there are a limited number of population estimates of the prevalence of diabetes and its association with psychosocial factors. This study investigates the prevalence of diabetes and its psychosocial correlates in both the general South African population and the Black South African subpopulation using data from the SANHANES-1. Diabetes was defined as a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5% or currently on diabetes treatment. Multivariate ordinary least squares and logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with HbA1c and diabetes, respectively. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher among participants who identified as Indian, followed by White and Coloured people, and lowest among Black South Africans. General population models indicated that being Indian, older aged, having a family history of diabetes, and being overweight and obese were associated with HbA1c and diabetes, and crowding was inversely associated with HbA1c and diabetes. HbA1c was inversely associated with being White, having higher education, and residing in areas with higher levels of neighborhood crime and alcohol use. Diabetes was positively associated with psychological distress. The study highlights the importance of addressing the risk factors of psychological distress, as well as traditional risk factors and social determinants of diabetes, in the prevention and control of diabetes at individual and population levels.
Anti-Cancer Agent: The Labdane Diterpenoid-Andrographolide

In spite of the progress in treatment strategies, cancer remains a major cause of death worldwide. Therefore, the main challenge should be the early diagnosis of cancer and the design of an optimal therapeutic strategy to increase the patient’s life expectancy as well as the continuation of the search for increasingly active and selective molecules for the treatment of different forms of cancer. In the recent decades, research in the field of natural compounds has increasingly shifted towards advanced and molecular level understandings, thus leading to the development of potent anti-cancer agents. Among them is the diterpene lactone andrographolide, isolated from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees that showed shows a plethora of biological activities, including not only anti-cancer activity, but also anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory properties. Andrographolide has been shown to act as an anti-tumor drug by affecting specific molecular targets that play a part in the development and progression of several cancer types including breast, lung, colon, renal, and cervical cancer, as well as leukemia and hepatocarcinoma. This review comprehensively and systematically summarized the current research on the potential anti-cancer properties of andrographolide highlighting its mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and potential side effects and discussing the future perspectives, challenges, and limitations of use.
Crosstalk between miRNAs and DNA Methylation in Cancer

miRNAs are some of the most well-characterized regulators of gene expression. Integral to several physiological processes, their aberrant expression often drives the pathogenesis of both benign and malignant diseases. Similarly, DNA methylation represents an epigenetic modification influencing transcription and playing a critical role in silencing numerous genes. The silencing of tumor suppressor genes through DNA methylation has been reported in many types of cancer and is associated with tumor development and progression. A growing body of literature has described the crosstalk between DNA methylation and miRNAs as an additional layer in the regulation of gene expression. Methylation in miRNA promoter regions inhibits its transcription, while miRNAs can target transcripts and subsequently regulate the proteins responsible for DNA methylation. Such relationships between miRNA and DNA methylation serve an important regulatory role in several tumor types and highlight a novel avenue for potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the crosstalk between DNA methylation and miRNA expression in the pathogenesis of cancer and describe how miRNAs influence DNA methylation and, conversely, how methylation impacts the expression of miRNAs. Finally, we address how these epigenetic modifications may be leveraged as biomarkers in cancer.
Systèmes modèles et systèmes magnétiques : étude par simulations Monte Carlo

L'etude de l'influence du desordre sur les proprietes critiques des systemes modeles et des impuretes sur les proprietes magnetiques d'echantillons nanostructures constitue la ligne directrice de ce travail. L'utilisation des techniques de simulation Monte Carlo en constitue l'outil. Nous nous interessons a des systemes de spins en interaction, a 2 ou 3 dimensions, decrits par des modeles presentant des transitions de phase du premier ou du second ordre et nous cherchons a comprendre l'influence de differentes perturbations (aperiodiques, desordonnees) sur leurs proprietes critiques. Dans le cas des systemes tridimensionnels, nous montrons en particulier, grâce a des simulations numeriques intensives utilisant les algorithmes d'amas ou multicanoniques, que la determination des exposants critiques associes a une nouvelle classe d'universalite desordonnee necessite qu'une attention tout-a-fait particuliere soit apportee aux simulations afin de pouvoir distinguer les exposants effectifs des exposants asymptotiques. Nous presentons ensuite la modelisation des proprietes magnetiques d'echantillons nanostructures (nanoparticules, multicouches amorphes) pour lesquels l'utilisation des techniques de simulation numerique permet de conforter certains modeles theoriques comme les modeles de Neel-Brown et de Stoner-Wohlfarth pour le retournement de l'aimantation ou le modele d'anisotropie structurale locale pour expliquer l'existence d'une anisotropie magnetique macroscopique dans les multicouches amorphes Fe/Dy. Ainsi, nous avons mis en evidence le fait que le retournement de l'aimantation par rotation uniforme d'une structure ferrimagnetique peut devenir non uniforme pour une structure sperimagnetique avec une augmentation de la coercivite.
Parasite interactions between wild and farmed yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) in southern Australia.

____________________________________________________viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS___________________________________________xi CHAPTER ONE General Introduction___________________________________________2 CHAPTER TWO Metazoan parasite assemblages of wild Seriola lalandi (Carangidae) from eastern and southern Australia___________________________________12 Statement of Authorship___________________________________13 CHAPTER THREE Paradeontacylix godfreyi n. sp. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from the heart of wild Seriola lalandi (Perciformes: Carangidae) in southern Australia____40 Statement of Authorship___________________________________41 CHAPTER FOUR Naricolax hoi n. sp. (Cyclopoida: Bomolochidae) from Arius maculatus (Siluriformes: Ariidae) off Taiwan and redescription of N. chrysophryenus (Roubal, Armitage & Rohde, 1983) from a new host, Seriola lalandi (Perciformes: Carangidae), in Australian waters_____________________60 Statement of Authorship___________________________________61 CHAPTER FIVE Risk assessment for metazoan parasites of yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi (Perciformes: Carangidae) in South Australian sea-cage aquaculture__________________________________________________88 Statement of Authorship___________________________________89
The Effect of Fangcang Shelter Hospitals under Resource Constraints on the Spread of Epidemics

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fangcang shelter hospitals have been built and operated in several cities, and have played a huge role in epidemic prevention and control. How to use medical resources effectively in order to maximize epidemic prevention and control is a big challenge that the government should address. In this paper, a two-stage infectious disease model was developed to analyze the role of Fangcang shelter hospitals in epidemic prevention and control, and examine the impact of medical resources allocation on epidemic prevention and control. Our model suggested that the Fangcang shelter hospital could effectively control the rapid spread of the epidemic, and for a very large city with a population of about 10 million and a relative shortage of medical resources, the model predicted that the final number of confirmed cases could be only 3.4% of the total population in the best case scenario. The paper further discusses the optimal solutions regarding medical resource allocation when medical resources are either limited or abundant. The results show that the optimal allocation ratio of resources between designated hospitals and Fangcang shelter hospitals varies with the amount of additional resources. When resources are relatively sufficient, the upper limit of the proportion of makeshift hospitals is about 91%, while the lower limit decreases with the increase in resources. Meanwhile, there is a negative correlation between the intensity of medical work and the proportion of distribution. Our work deepens our understanding of the role of Fangcang shelter hospitals in the pandemic and provides a reference for feasible strategies by which to contain the pandemic.
Predefined‐time‐synchronized backstepping control of strict‐feedback nonlinear systems

Fixed‐time‐synchronized control using norm‐normalized sign functions has been recently studied, where all state variables converge to the origin at the same time and the bound of the settling time is independent of the initial states. However, the existing fixed‐time‐synchronized control results are only applicable to second‐order systems with matched nonlinearities. Thus, this article pays attention to an extension problem of time‐synchronized control to high‐order systems with unmatched nonlinearities. We develop a predefined‐time‐synchronized backstepping tracker design for multi‐input multi‐output strict‐feedback nonlinear systems, where all output tracking errors converge to the origin at the same time, regardless of unmatched nonlinearities, and the bound of the synchronized settling time is independent of the initial errors and selected a priori. Sufficient conditions on continuously differentiable and nonsingular virtual and actual controller designs are presented for the recursive design. It is shown that the predefined‐time‐synchronized stability is ensured recursively and the singularity problem of the proposed tracker can be avoided. Finally, simulation comparison results with the existing fixed‐time backstepping control are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical approach.
Patient Safety Culture in the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia: A Survey among Community Pharmacies

Measuring patient safety culture in the community pharmacy can help with identifying areas for development. The current study is a descriptive, cross-sectional, electronic survey conducted among pharmacists working in community pharmacies located in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. The community pharmacy version of the “Pharmacy Survey on Patient Safety Culture” (PSOPSC) was used to collect data. The positive response rate (PRR) was calculated as per the guidance provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Based on the PRR, two least-achieved items (<25%) were taken for further analysis to identify the possible predictors. A sum of 195 pharmacists were included in this study and most of them were working in chain pharmacies. The highest PRRs were observed with teamwork (94.99), and patient counseling (94.13), followed by physical space and environment (93.07). The lowest PRRs were observed with staffing, work pressure, and pace (47.70), followed by communication openness (72.60). Specific characteristics, such as experience and the number of working hours, are significantly related to a poor PRR. The current study results indicate that the scope for improving patient safety exists in various areas of community pharmacies. However, it is necessary to prioritize the need based on a positive response rate.
Characterisation of a Staphylococcus aureus Isolate Carrying Phage-Borne Enterotoxin E from a European Badger (Meles meles)

Staphylococcus (S.) aureus colonizes up to 30% of all humans and can occasionally cause serious infections. It is not restricted to humans as it can also often be found in livestock and wildlife. Recent studies have shown that wildlife strains of S. aureus usually belong to other clonal complexes than human strains and that they might differ significantly with regard to the prevalence of genes encoding antimicrobial resistance properties and virulence factors. Here, we describe a strain of S. aureus isolated from a European badger (Meles meles). For molecular characterisation, DNA microarray-based technology was combined with various next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods. Bacteriophages from this isolate were induced with Mitomycin C and characterized in detail by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and NGS. The S. aureus isolate belonged to ST425 and had a novel spa repeat sequence (t20845). It did not carry any resistance genes. The uncommon enterotoxin gene see was detected in one of its three temperate bacteriophages. It was possible to demonstrate the induction of all three prophages, although only one of them was expected to be capable of excision based on its carriage of the excisionase gene xis. All three bacteriophages belonged to the family Siphoviridae. Minor differences in size and shape of their heads were noted in TEM images. The results highlight the ability of S. aureus to colonize or infect different host species successfully, which can be attributed to a variety of virulence factors on mobile genetic elements, such as bacteriophages. As shown in the strain described herein, temperate bacteriophages not only contribute to the fitness of their staphylococcal host by transferring virulence factors, but also increase mobility among themselves by sharing genes for excision and mobilization with other prophages.
Unusual phase transition in 1D localization and its observability in optics

Localization of electrons in 1D disordered systems is usually described in the random phase approximation, when distributions of phases φ and θ, entering the transfer matrix, are considered as uniform. In the general case, the random phase approximation is violated, and the evolution equations are written in terms of the Landauer resistance ρ and the combined phases ψ = θ − φ and χ = θ + φ. The distribution of the phase ψ is found to exhibit an unusual phase transition at the point 0 when changing the electron energy  , which manifests itself in the appearance of the imaginary part of ψ. The distribution of resistance P(ρ) has no singularity at the point 0 , and the transition seems unobservable in the framework of condensed matter physics. However, the theory of 1D localization is immediately applicable to the scattering of waves propagating in a single-mode optical waveguide. Modern optical methods open a way to measure phases ψ and χ. As a result, the indicated phase transition becomes observable.
The Impact of Kiwifruit Consumption on the Sleep and Recovery of Elite Athletes

Background: Poor sleep and resultant under-recovery can negatively impact training adaptations, increase the risk of injury and reduce subsequent performance. Due to the ‘food first’ approach adopted by many athletes, there is scope for investigation of ‘functional food’ based interventions (i.e., kiwifruit contains melatonin which plays a role in circadian rhythm regulation) designed to promote athlete recovery and/or enhance sleep quality and quantity. Methods: Following the baseline assessment (Week 1) all subjects began the intervention (Weeks 2–5). During the 4-week intervention, participants were asked to consume 2 medium-sized green kiwifruit (Actinidia Deliciosa) an hour before bed. Participants completed a questionnaire battery at baseline and post-intervention, and a daily sleep dairy for the duration of the study. Results: The results demonstrated a positive impact of kiwifruit consumption on key aspects of sleep and recovery in elite athletes. From baseline to post-intervention, there were clinically significant improvements in sleep quality (i.e., improved PSQI global scores and sleep quality component scores) and improvements in recovery stress balance (reduced general stress and sports stress scales). Moreover, the intervention improved sleep as evidenced by significant increases in total sleep time and sleep efficiency % and significant reductions in number of awakenings and wake after sleep onset. Conclusion: The findings broadly suggested that kiwifruit does impact positively on sleep and recovery in elite athletes.
Rational Use of Energy in Sports Centres to Achieve Net Zero: The SAVE Project (Part A)

Sports centres constitute major energy consumers. This article presents the proposed energy performance upgrade process and the achieved results for the municipal sports centre in Arkalochori, Greece. The facility consists of a swimming pool centre, an outdoor 8 × 8 football court, and two tennis and basketball courts. It operates with considerably high energy consumption due to the lack of any measure towards its energy efficiency improvement since its initial construction in 2002. Due to the significantly high heating cost, the swimming pool centre remains operative only during the summer period. The energy performance upgrade of the facility was holistically approached through all possibly applicable passive and active measures: insulation of opaque surfaces and replacement of openings, construction of a new, bioclimatic enclosure for the swimming pool’s centre and conversion of the current outdoor facility to an indoor one, installation of heat pumps for indoor space conditioning and swimming pool heating, installation of a solar–combi system for domestic hot water production, upgrade of all indoor and outdoor lighting equipment and installation of a photovoltaic plant on the new enclosure’s roof for the compensation of the remaining electricity consumption. With the proposed measures, the municipal sports centre is upgraded to a zero energy facility. The payback period of the investment was calculated at 14 years on the basis of the avoided energy procurement cost. The swimming pool’s centre operation is prolonged during the entire annual period. This work has been funded by the Horizon 2020 project with the acronym “NESOI” and was awarded the public award of the “Islands Gamechanger” competition of the NESOI project and the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative.
Simulated retinal layers to study optical coherence tomography imaging

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive optical imaging technique capable of producing high-resolution cross-sectional 2D and 3D images of non-homogeneous samples, such as biological tissue. It is a gold standard in retinal imaging. In this work, an analytical model of the retina is developed to investigate the scientific principles of the OCT system. The Michelson interferometer configuration is modeled in Matlab using standard interferometric equations. A broadband light source centered at 840 nm with a spectral width of 46 nm with a Gaussian profile is modeled. The retina is simulated with a few layers of refractive indices based on the values reported so far in the literature. The final interferogram based on the above model and sample is obtained and analyzed in both time domain (TD) and spectral domain (SD) OCT configuration and an A-scan is generated. The A-scan obtained clearly shows the boundary between the layers with intensity dependent on the change in refractive index between layers and the amount of light available at each layer.
Mechanism Design without Rational Expectations

Is incentive compatibility still necessary for implementation if we relax the rational expectations assumption? This paper proposes a generalized model of implementation that does not assume agents hold rational expectations and characterizes the class of solution concepts requiring Bayesian Incentive Compatibility (BIC) for full implementation. Surprisingly, for a broad class of solution concepts, full implementation of functions still requires BIC even if rational expectations do not hold. This finding implies that some classical results, such as the impossibility of efficient bilateral trade (Myerson&Satterthwaite, 1983), hold for a broader range of non-equilibrium solution concepts, confirming their relevance even in boundedly rational setups.
Citrinin Is a Potential Quorum Sensing Inhibitor against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that infects patients by regulating virulence factors and biofilms through a quorum sensing (QS) system to protect itself from antibiotics and environmental stress. Therefore, the development of quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) is expected to become a new strategy for studying drug resistance to P. aeruginosa infections. Marine fungi are valuable resources for screening QSIs. A marine fungus, Penicillium sp. JH1, with anti-QS activity was isolated from the offshore waters of Qingdao (China), and citrinin, a novel QSI, was purified from secondary metabolites of this fungus. Citrinin could significantly inhibit the production of violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum CV12472 and the production of three virulence factors (elastase, rhamnolipid and pyocyanin) in P. aeruginosa PAO1. It could also inhibit the biofilm formation and motility of PAO1. In addition, citrinin downregulated the transcript levels of nine genes (lasI, rhlI, pqsA, lasR, rhlR, pqsR, lasB, rhlA and phzH) associated with QS. Molecular docking results showed that citrinin bound to PqsR and LasR with better affinity than the natural ligands. This study laid a foundation for the further study of the structure optimization and structure–activity relationship of citrinin.
Students’ Perception on Current Teaching Methods in Clinical Pharmacy Courses: A Focus Group Discussion

This study aimed to explore students’ perception on current teaching methods used in clinical pharmacy courses and their preferred teaching methods. Fifteen fourth year pharmacy students in UiTM Puncak Alam consented and participated in this study. Three Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted which consisted of 5 students in each group. Each FGD lasted about twenty to thirty minutes and was guided by 10 semi-structured questions. Findings from FGDs highlighted four themes about students’ perceptions on current teaching methods which were beneficial for clinical skills, exposure to real practice, elevated confidence level and pitfalls of current learning structure. Students have shared various views on current teaching methods in clinical pharmacy courses along with their suggestions to improve didactic lecture and Case-Based learning (CBL) such as introducing clinical skills during third year instead of fourth year of the programme, adding extra slots for both teaching methods and changing current teaching styles. Both didactic lecture and CBL have their own advantages and disadvantages from students’ perspective. The fourth-year pharmacy students would prefer CBL than didactic lecture but agreed that combination of teaching methods will enhance their clinical skills. The results from this research can serve as a guide to improve the current curriculum in pharmacy programme and for lecturers to evaluate their current teaching methods.