Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Selection Parameters for Improving Yield in Organically Grown Onion

Summary An increasing interest in organically grown vegetables has led to an increasing demand to select cultivars meeting the requirements of the production system. This two-year field study was undertaken to assess the effects of organic and conventional nutrient regimes on onion (Allium cepa L.) yield and several yield contributing characters, as well as to identify the traits that could be important when selecting genotypes attended for different production systems. The trial involved five commercially grown onion cultivars and four nutrient regimes: bacterial fertilizer, fully decomposed farmyard manure, without fertilization (organic) and NPK fertilization (conventional). Onion yield, bulb weight, number of bulbs plot−1, number of days from sowing to emergence, vegetation period, plant height, neck diameter, neck length, bulb diameter, bulb height and bulb index have been analyzed. Significant differences concerning all analyzed traits have been found among the cultivars, treatments and years, with significant corresponding interactions. The obtained results imply the specific adaptation to the particular treatments and weather conditions and therefore the possibility to select onion cultivars performing well in organic environments. Path coefficient analysis revealed positive direct effects of bulb weight and number of bulbs plot−1 on yield, as well as negative direct effects of plant height and number of days from sowing to emergence; therefore, those traits should be considered when selecting genotypes attended for different production systems. Other traits affected yield indirectly, mostly positively via bulb weight.
Pyramidwise structuring for soccer highlight extraction

Fast browsing video contents not only is an important research issue, but also has a variety of potential applications, especially for sports videos. In this paper, we propose a practical solution to extract highlights from soccer videos, which is based on the structure analysis of broadcast soccer video. First, the broadcast soccer video is structured into a soccer pyramid. Then, soccer highlights can be extracted in a flexible manner by using such a soccer pyramid structure. Besides, in order to obtain soccer pyramid, a condensation approach to soccer video and the corresponding structure extraction methods are also proposed. Experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness, efficiency and robustness of the proposed approaches to soccer video structuring and highlight extraction.
Detailed multigrade evaluation of fetal disorders with the quantified actocardiogram

Abstract Aims: To evaluate fetal disorders using detailed quantitative values from the actocardiogram (ACG) involving simultaneous tracing of ultrasonic Doppler fetal movement bursts and fetal heart rate (FHR). Methods: Duration of FHR accelerations and fetal movement bursts were measured manually in 20 common fetal disorders. The severity of the fetal disorder was estimated using the FHR acceleration duration to movement burst ratio (A/B ratio) and 10–0 clinical severity ranks derived from the A/B ratio. The correlation of the A/B ratio and 1 and 5 min Apgar scores, as well as numerically expressed long-term outcomes were studied. Results: A/B ratios were significantly correlated with the 1 and 5 min Apgar scores and the numerically evaluated long-term outcomes. Controversial cases of FHR pattern were more easily understood using the A/B ratio. The 10–0 severity derived from the A/B ratio was useful in clinical fetal studies. Conclusion: Common fetal disorders were evaluated quantitatively and in more detail using the A/B ratio from the actocardiogram than when using common binary good or bad evaluation. The A/B ratio was useful in outcome estimation, where the prognostic capability of the A/B ratio was confirmed by significant correlation with 1 and 5 min Apgar scores and long-term outcomes of fetal disorders.
It Consumerization and compliant Use: do Policies Matter?

Facing the ongoing IT consumerization trend, organizations take different strategies that permit or regulate the acquisition and use of consumer-originated IT devices at the workplace. This paper investigates the effect of two types of IT consumerization strategies (‘laissez-faire’ and ‘middle ground’) on the policy-related attitudes of employees and their level of policy-compliant device usage (voice, email, and data) at two higher education institutions. Based on hypotheses derived from two theories – i.e., procedural justice theory and transaction cost theory – and mixed methods interviews with 36 employees, our findings suggest a paradox where middle ground strategies accommodating for IT consumerization are associated with a higher understanding of, but a lower satisfaction with these policies. Differences in compliant behavior are found for voice and data usage on professional devices. Extending the procedural justice view, we conclude that transaction cost theory serves as a complementary lens to explain policy compliance.
Relationship between Body Mass Index, Skeletal Maturation and Dental Development in 6- to 15- Year Old Orthodontic Patients in a Sample of Iranian Population

Statement of the Problem: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been increasing markedly in recent years. It may influence growth in pre pubertal children. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether increased Body Mass Index (BMI) is associated with accelerated skeletal maturation and dental maturation in six to fifteen years old orthodontic patients in Shiraz, Iran. Materials and Method: Skeletal maturation and dental development of 95 orthodontic patients (65 females and 30 males), aged 6 to 15 years, were determined. Dental development was assessed using the Demerjian method and skeletal maturation was evaluated by cervical vertebral method as presented by Bacetti. The BMI was determined for each patient. T-test was applied to compare the mean difference between chronologic and dental age among the study groups. A regression model was used to assess the relationship between BMI percentile, skeletal maturation, and dental development. Results: 18.9% of subjects were overweight and obese. The mean differences between dental age and chronologic age were 0.73±1.3 for underweight and normal weight children and 1.8±1.08 for overweight and obese children. These results highlighted the correlation between accelerated dental maturity and increasing BMI percentile (p= 0.002). A new formula was introduced for this relationship. There was not any significant relationship between BMI percentile and skeletal maturation. Conclusion: Children who were overweight or obese had accelerated dental development whereas they did not have accelerated skeletal maturation significantly after being adjusted for age and gender.
Inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B attenuates tumour progression in an animal model of renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly metastatic and lethal disease with few efficacious treatments. Many studies have shown that the ubiquitous transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) plays a key role in the development and progression of many cancers including RCC. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a NF-kappaB inhibitor, in a murine xenograft model of RCC. METHODS The metastatic human RCC cell line, SN12K1, was inoculated into the left kidneys of severe combined immunodeficiency mice and the effect of semi-continuous PDTC treatment (50 mg/kg) on RCC growth analysed 5 weeks later. The analyses carried out in three groups (no treatment, RCC alone and RCC + PDTC) at 5 weeks were: renal weight, protein expression by immunohistochemistry and Western immunoblot, apoptosis (TdT-mediated nick end labelling and morphology) and mitosis (morphology). RESULTS PDTC significantly decreased RCC growth and the expression of NF-kappaB subunits (p50, p52, c-Rel and RelB), upstream IKK-beta and IKK-gamma, but did not induce any changes in the expression of IkappaB-alpha and IkappaB-beta. RCC growth was associated with a significant decrease in the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-(XL) and increase in pro-apoptotic Bax, all of which were reversed by PDTC. Cell proliferation was significantly reduced by PDTC. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate the potential anti-cancer benefits of treating NF-kappaB positive RCCs with NF-kappaB inhibitors like PDTC.
Determinants of disability after lower extremity fracture.

BACKGROUND Factors influencing the progression of physical impairment to patient-perceived disability are not well known. We sought to better understand this relationship in the setting of injury. METHODS We followed a cohort of 302 patients with lower extremity fractures over a 1-year period. Physical impairment was assessed by range of motion, strength, and pain. Range of motion and strength were assessed together as a proportion of normal function of the extremity (impairment score). Pain was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score. Disability was assessed using the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), a widely used measure of patient-perceived limitations of everyday activities attributable to illness. The SIP was administered during hospitalization to assess preinjury baseline. Impairment assessment and readministration of the SIP were performed at 12 months after injury. RESULTS Impairment in leg function (range of motion and strength) was highly correlated (p < 0.001) with overall SIP score at 12 months, but accounted for only 23% of the variance in overall SIP scores. Likewise, VAS pain score was highly correlated (p < 0.001) with overall SIP score at 12 months, but accounted for only 29% of the variance in overall SIP scores. In a multivariate linear regression analysis, variables that were independently associated with overall SIP score included impairment score, VAS pain score, preinjury SIP, poverty status, education status, social support, having hired a lawyer, and involvement with workers' compensation. These variables accounted for 52% of the variance in overall SIP scores at 12 months. CONCLUSION The degree of physical impairment accounts for only a small amount of the variance in disability from lower extremity fracture. Identifiable patient characteristics including age, socioeconomic status, preinjury health, and social support together with impairment account for over half of the variance in long-term disability. Further research is needed to increase understanding of other factors that influence the progression of impairment to disability, especially those factors that may be amenable to intervention.
Probabilistic inference-based classification applied to myoelectric signal decomposition

A probabilistic inference-based classification (IBC) technique for classifying motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) is presented. This technique discovers statistically significant relationships in the data and uses them to generate classification rules. The technique was applied to the classification of MUAPs extracted from simulated myoelectric signals. Its performance was compared to that of classical template-based classification algorithms (TBC). It was found that the IBC-based technique performed significantly better than the TBC algorithms. As the size of the training set was reduced or as increasing numbers of random classification errors were introduced into the training data, the performance of the IBC and TBC techniques declined similarly. IBC performance remained superior until very small training sets or training sets with large numbers of errors were used. Because the technique can utilize nominal data it has the potential to use declarative problem domain knowledge, which conceivably could improve its performance. <<ETX>>
Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Lesions in Aboriginal Women of Nunavut, Canada

Background The high rate of cervical cancer among aboriginal women of northern Canada has prompted the search for more aggressive methods to augment Papanicolaou (Pap) screening in this population. Nearly all cervical cancers result from oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. This has generated interest for incorporating HPV testing into the current screening program. Goals To determine the prevalence of oncogenic HPVs in Nunavut, and to assess the association between HPV and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL). Study Design A cross-sectional study was conducted on the Pap-screened populations in 19 communities of Nunavut, Canada. Liquid-based cytology was used to screen for SIL. HPV testing was performed using the Hybrid Capture II assay. Correlates of HPV infection and SIL were assessed by logistic regression with control for potential confounders. Results In 1290 women ages 13 to 79 years, the prevalence rate was 26% for oncogenic HPV and 6.9% for SIL. The odds ratio for the association between HPV and SIL was 37.9 (95% CI, 17.7–80.8) after multivariate adjustment. This association increased markedly with increasing viral load. More than 90% of the women with squamous intraepithelial lesions had positive test results for HPV. More than 75% of the women who had positive test results for HPV but negative test results for SIL were younger than 30 years. Conclusion The results of this study form the basis for further evaluation of the role that liquid-based cytology and HPV testing plays and will contribute to the strategy for cervical cancer prevention in Nunavut.
High HIV and Ulcerative Sexually Transmitted Infection Incidence Estimates Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Peru: Awaiting for an Effective Preventive Intervention

Background: In the Andean Region, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) are most prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM), but incidence estimates and associated factors have never been prospectively assessed. Methods: A cohort of 1056 high-risk HIV-negative MSM in Lima, Peru, were recruited during 1998-2000 (the ALASKA Cohort), and a nested case-control analysis was conducted between seroconverters and nonseroconverters, matched 1:3 by age and duration of follow-up for comparison of risk behaviors, acute retroviral symptoms, circumcision, and STI. Results: During average follow-up of 335 days, 34 men seroconverted, providing a HIV incidence estimate of 3.5 per 100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.3 to 4.7]. High syphilis (8.4 per 100 person-years, 95% CI: 6.7 to 10.1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection (10.4 per 100 person-years, 95% CI: 8.6 to 11.9) incidence estimates were obtained. HIV seroconverters were more likely than men who remained seronegative to report fever ≥3 days (46% vs. 7%), to seek medical care (62% vs. 27%), and to have ≥1 casual partner (86.2% vs. 74.1%) since their last visit. HIV seroconverters also were more likely to have acquired syphilis or HSV-2 infection (31% vs. 8% among initially HSV-2-seronegative men) although they were less likely to be circumcised (4.2% vs. 20.6%, a nonsignificant difference). In multivariate analysis, incident syphilis or HSV-2 infection (odds ratio [OR]: 5.9, 95% CI: 1.5 to 22.7) and sex with any casual partner (OR: 4.8, 95% CI: 0.9 to 26.2) were associated with HIV seroconversion. Conclusions: STI that may cause anogenital ulcers are important risk factors for HIV acquisition among high-risk MSM in Lima, a population with a very high HIV incidence estimate. Synergistic interventions focusing in preventing both HIV and HSV-2, like male circumcision, are warranted to be assessed, especially in MSM populations with low levels of circumcision and high incidence estimates of ulcerative STI.
Serial changes of computed tomographic peritoneogram in patients with symptomatic ultrafiltration failure complicating continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

It is well‐known that continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is associated with complications. And some of these complications are well‐demonstrated as abnormalities on computed tomographic peritoneogram (CTP). The objective of our study is to document the serial changes of these complications.
Strategic Groups Analysis In The Freight Forwarding Industry In Mombasa, Kenya

Strategic groups represent collections of firms that are similar on key strategic dimensions. Since opportunities are varied across an industry, some industry sectors are hound to have greater profit potential than others and thus linns seek to move from low profit potential segments to higher profit potential segments of the industry. The freight forwarding industry in Mombasa Kenya is wide and complex in size and scope of operations. The study aimed at conducting a strategic group analysis of the freight forwarding industry and further determines the factors that explain the existence of strategic groups in the industry. This research targeted 70firms for the study using disproportionate stratified random sampling. Firms were selected at random from each strata using disproportional allocation approach. These were then combined to finally get a common sample of 70 firms from the whole industry. Out of this sample, 38firms responded representing a 54.4% response rate. The semi-structured questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection administered to the general managers of the target firms through a ‘drop and pick later' method coupled with telephone calls follow up. A 5-point likert scale was used to assess a number of factors that the research was investigating. Data analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software and then interpreted in form of tables and graphs. The freight forwarding industry was found to comprise live strategic groups separated by mobility barriers that are getting stronger with time due to environmental factors that are legal, economic and competitive in nature. The nature of these barriers was found to be ‘resource-based' and reinforced by the legal regulatory framework. The research concludes that managers of freight forwarding companies need to beware of the group to which they belong as well as the environment turbulence that drives change in the industry. The way a firm responds to this dynamism in order to overcome the mobility barriers, determines whether it will stagnate, collapse or move to the desired strategic group in pursuance of growth and achievement of the set business objectives.
Texture analysis methodologies for magnetic resonance imaging

Methods for the analysis of digital-image texture are reviewed. The functions of MaZda, a computer program for quantitative texture analysis developed within the framework of the European COST (Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research) B11 program, are introduced. Examples of texture analysis in magnetic resonance images are discussed.
An Experimental Approach in Recognizing Synthesized Auditory Components in a Non-Visual Interaction with Documents

The auditory formation of visual-oriented documents is a process that enables the delivery of a more representative acoustic image of document s via speech interfaces. We have set up an experimental environment for conducting a series of complex psycho-acoustic experiments to evaluate users’ performance in recognizing synthesized auditory components that represent visual structures. For our purposes, we exploit an open, XML-based platform that drives a Voice Browser and transforms documents’ visual meta-information to speech synthesis markup formalism. A user -friendly graphical interface allows the investigator to build acoustic variants of document s. First, a source de-compilation method builds a logical layer that abstractly classifies visual meta-information. Then, the investigator can define distinctive sound fonts in a free way by assigning combined prosodic parameters and non-speech audio sounds to the logical elements. Four blind and four sighted student subjects were asked about their distinctive ability in response to several controlled versions of auditory components, as well as their opinion on the quality of the selected features. The results provided evidence to discuss the general hypothesis that the mean scores for blind and sighted students in recognizing differentiated auditory components are equal. Also, we extracted some preliminary data for the evaluation of the appropriateness of several sound fonts in the auditory representation of visual components in cases of WWW documents.
Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and/or progressive loss of β-cell function. T2DM patients are at increased risk of micro- and macrovascular disease, and are often considered as representing an atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD) risk equivalent. Interventions directed at glucose and lipid level control in T2DM patients may reduce micro- and macrovascular disease. The optimal T2DM agent is one that lowers glucose levels with limited risk for hypoglycemia, and with no clinical trial evidence of worsening CHD risk. Lipid-altering drugs should preferably reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B (apo B) and have evidence that the mechanism of action reduces CHD risk. Statins reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apo B and have evidence of improving CHD outcomes, and are thus first-line therapy for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. In patients who do not achieve optimal lipid levels with statin therapy, or who are intolerant to statin therapy, add-on therapy or alternative therapies may be indicated. Additional available agents to treat hypercholesterolemic patients with T2DM include bile acid sequestrants, fibrates, niacin, and ezetimibe. This review discusses the use of these alternative agents to treat hypercholesterolemia in patients with T2DM, either as monotherapy or in combination with statin therapy.
Lattice Parsing to Integrate Speech Recognition and Rule-Based Machine Translation

In this paper, we present a novel approach to integrate speech recognition and rule-based machine translation by lattice parsing. The presented approach is hybrid in two senses. First, it combines structural and statistical methods for language modeling task. Second, it employs a chart parser which utilizes manually created syntax rules in addition to scores obtained after statistical processing during speech recognition. The employed chart parser is a unification-based active chart parser. It can parse word graphs by using a mixed strategy instead of being bottom-up or top-down only. The results are reported based on word error rate on the NIST HUB-1 word-lattices. The presented approach is implemented and compared with other syntactic language modeling techniques.
The Accumulation and Subcellular Distribution of Arsenic and Antimony in Four Fern Plants

In the present study, Pteris cretica ‘Albo-Lineata’ (PC), Pteris fauriei (PF), Humata tyermanii Moore (HT), and Pteris ensiformis Burm (PE), were selected to explore additional plant materials for the phytoremediation of As and Sb co-contamination. To some extent, the addition of As and Sb enhanced the growth of HT, PE, and PF. Conversely, the addition of As and Sb negatively affected the growth of PC and was accompanied with the accumulation of high levels of As and Sb in the roots. The highest concentration of Sb was recorded as 6405 mg kg−1 in the roots of PC, and that for As was 337 mg kg−1 in the rhizome of PF. To some degree, As and Sb stimulated the uptake of each other in these ferns. Arsenic was mainly stored in the cytoplasmic supernatant (CS) fraction, followed by the cell wall (CW) fraction. In contrast, Sb was mainly found in the CW fraction and, to a lesser extent, in the CS fraction, suggesting that the cell wall and cytosol play different roles in As and Sb accumulation by fern plants. This study demonstrated that these fern plants show a good application potential in the phytoremediation of As and Sb co-contaminated environments.