Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Methodology based on modelling processes and the characterisation
of natural flows for risk assessment and water management under
the influence of climate change

Abstract. Climate change and its possible effects on water resources has become an increasingly near threat. Therefore, the study of these impacts in highly regulated systems and those suffering extreme events is essential to deal with them effectively. This paper responds to the need of an effective methodology that integrates the climate change projections into water planning and management to guide complex basin decision-making through drought risk and management assessments. In this study is presented an adaptive method based on a model chain and correction processes, where the main outcomes are the impacts on future natural inflows, a drought risk indicator and the simulation of the future water storage of the water resources system (WRS) under consideration. The proposed methodology was applied in the Júcar River Basin (JRB) due to its complexity and the multiannual drought events it goes through. The results shown a decreasing tendency of future inflows to the basin, and the drought risk indicator shows a high probability (≈ 80 %) of being under 50 % of total capacity of the WRS in the near future, but the uncertainty is considerable from the middle century onwards, indicating that an improvement in the skill of climate projections is required. Thus, this paper also highlights the difficulties of developing this type of methods, since the conclusions on climate change impact assessment depend on partial decisions taken during the methodological processes. However, the main results call for action in the JRB and the tool developed can be considered as a feasible option to facilitate and support decision-making in future water planning and management.
3D-bioprinting a genetically inspired cartilage scaffold with GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden hydrogel and polymer for cartilage repair

Rationale: Articular cartilage injury is extremely common in congenital joint dysplasia patients. Genetic studies have identified Growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) as a shared gene in joint dysplasia and OA progression across different populations. However, few studies have employed GDF5 in biological regeneration for articular cartilage repair. Methods & Results: In the present study, we report identified genetic association between GDF5 loci and hip joint dysplasia with genome-wide association study (GWAS). GWAS and replication studies in separate populations achieved significant signals for GDF5 loci. GDF5 expression was dysregulated with allelic differences in hip cartilage of DDH and upregulated in the repaired cartilage in a rabbit cartilage defect model. GDF5 in vitro enhanced chondrogenesis and migration of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), GDF5 was tested in ectopic cartilage generation with BMSCs by GDF5 in nude mice in vivo. Genetically inspired, we further generated functional knee articular cartilage construct for cartilage repair by 3d-bioprinting a GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden scaffold. GDF5-conjugated scaffold showed better cartilage repairing effects compared to control. Meanwhile, transplantation of the 3D-bioprinted GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden scaffold in rabbit knees conferred long-term chondroprotection. Conclusions: In conclusion, we report identified genetic association between GDF5 and DDH with combined GWAS and replications, which further inspired us to generate a ready-to-implant GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden scaffold with one-step 3d-bioprinting for cartilage repair.
INVESTIGATION THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLEEPINESS AND GENERAL HEALTH OF SHIFT WORKERS IN THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY

زمینه و هدف : خواب آلودگی نه تنها به عنوان نشانه ای از اختلالات خواب است، بلکه به عنوان یک حالت طبیعی و فیزیولوژیک توسط بیشتر افراد و در هر دوره 24 ساعته تجربه می‌شود. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی خواب آلودگی و ارتباط آن با سلامت عمومی کارگران نوبت کار شاغل در صنعت خودرو سازی انجام شده است. مواد و روش کار : در اين مطالعه که به صورت توصيفي – تحلیلی در سال 1390 انجام گرفت تعداد 120 نفر از کارگران شاغل در یک صنعت خودروسازی در شهر تهران مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند. از این تعداد افراد 60 نفر به طور ثابت در شیفت صبح و بقیه به صورت چرخشی در شیفت شب مشغول به کار بودند. تعداد نمونه‌ها با استفاده از نمونه گیری ساده انتخاب شدند. ابزار گردآوری داده‌ها در این پژوهش، پرسشنامه سلامت عمومی 28 سؤالی ( GHQ ) و مقياس خواب استنفورد (Stanford sleepiness scale) که با میزان روایی 68/0 و پایایی 88/0 در مطالعات قبلی به تائید رسیده است. جهت بررسی میزان خواب آلودگی بودند. داده های این پژوهش با استفاده از نرم افزار SPSS و آزمون‌های آماری آنالیز واریانس، پیرسون، تی مستقل، اسپیرمن مورد آنالیز قرار گرفتند. یافته ها : آزمون پیرسون نشان داد که بین سال‌های اشتغال به کار شیفتی و میزان خواب آلودگی در ساعت 4 صبح ارتباط مستقیم وجود دارد (02/0= P 31/0= r ). بررسی ارتباط بین نمره کل میزان خواب آلودگی هر فرد با هر یک از شاخص‌های وضعیت سلامت عمومی نشان داد که با اختلالات جسمانی، اختلال در کارکرد های اجتماعی و اختلال در سلامت روان رابطه مستقیم وجود دارد (03/0= P 28/0- 26/0= r ). نتیجه گیری : نوبت کاری و خواب آلودگی اثر منفی بر روی سلامت عمومی شاغلین در صنعت خودرو سازی دارد که این مهم در افراد متأهل بیشتر قابل مشاهده است. واژه­هاي کلیدی : خواب آلودگی، سلامت عمومی، نوبت کاری، صنعت خودرو سازی
Node Optimization in MANETs for Maximum Throughput using On-Demand Routing Protocols

Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are selfconfigurable, multihop networks formed by nodes having continuous mobility. The foremost challenge of MANETs is finding routes between source and destination, which has led to many routing protocols. In this paper, the optimum number of nodes which would yield maximum throughput for a specific network area has been obtained for the two most popular on-demand routing protocols viz. Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) protocol and Ad hoc Ondemand Distance Vector(AODV) routing protocol. Simulation results show that the optimum number of nodes remains the same for the both the protocols and it varies, as the network area increases or decreases, due to limited radio range, mobility, contention etc. It has been observed that as the node mobility increases the throughput decreases for a fixed network configuration over an area.
Kartogenin hydrolysis product 4-aminobiphenyl distributes to cartilage and mediates cartilage regeneration

Rationale The small molecule Kartogenin (KGN) promotes cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis (OA) by activating stem cells differentiation, but its pharmacological mode-of-action remains unclear. KGN can be cleaved into 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) and phthalic acid (PA) following enzymolysis of an amide bond. Therefore, this study investigated whether 4-ABP or PA exerted the same action as KGN. Methods KGN, 4-ABP and PA were analyzed in cartilage of mice after oral, intravenous or intra-articular administration of KGN by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Their effect on proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was evaluated in vitro. Furthermore, their effect on cartilage preservation was tested in mice OA model induced by destabilization of medial meniscus. OA severity was quantified using OARSI histological scoring. Transcriptional analysis was used to find the possible targets of the chemicals, which were further validated. Results We demonstrated that while oral or intra-articular KGN delivery effectively ameliorated OA phenotypes in mice, only 4-ABP was detectable in cartilage. 4-ABP could induce chondrogenic differentiation and proliferation of MSC in vitro and promote cartilage repair in OA mouse models mainly by increasing the number of CD44+/CD105+ stem-cell and prevention of matrix loss. These effect of 4-ABP was stronger than that of KGN. Transcriptional profiling of 4-ABP-stimulated MSC suggested that RPS6KA2 and the PI3K-Akt pathway were 4-ABP targets; 4-ABP could activate the PI3K-Akt pathway to promote MSC proliferation and repair OA injury, which was blocked in RPS6KA2-knockdown MSC or RPS6KA2-deficient mice. Conclusion 4-ABP bio-distribution in cartilage promotes proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of MSC, and repairs osteoarthritic lesions via PI3K-Akt pathway activation.
The Effect of Female Board Presence on Earnings Quality

This thesis examines the effect of female board presence on earnings quality. Earnings quality is measured by using five dimensions of earning quality: earnings management, financial restatement, unexplained audit fees, internal control deficiencies and the cash flow ratio. The results show that female board presence has no effect on earnings management, internal control deficiencies, unexplained audit fees and the cash flow ratio. However, female board presence is negatively associated with the likelihood of a restatement, which implies an increase in earning quality. Therefore, the combined net effect of female board presence on earnings quality is positive, implying that a higher number of female directors on the board lead to higher earnings quality.
approach , the distortion-specific features relevant to quality perception are extracted and used for quality estimation

Blind image quality assessment (BIQA) methods aim to predict quality of images as perceived by humans without access to a reference image. Recently, deep learning methods have gained substantial attention in the research community and have proven useful for BIQA. Although previous study of deep neural networks (DNN) methods is presented, some novelty DNN methods, which are recently proposed, are not summarized for BIQA. In this paper, we provide a survey covering various DNN methods for BIQA. First, we systematically analyze the existing DNN-based quality assessment methods according to the role of DNN. Then, we compare the prediction performance of various DNN methods on the synthetic databases (LIVE, TID2013, CSIQ, LIVE multiply distorted) and authentic databases (LIVE challenge), providing important information that can help understand the underlying properties between different DNN methods for BIQA. Finally, we describe some emerging challenges in designing and training DNN-based BIQA, along with few directions that are worth further investigations in the future. INDEX TERMS deep learning, blind image quality assessment (BIQA), deep neural networks (DNN) model, deep features, quality prediction.
Capnocytophaga canimorsus Sepsis Originating in a "Skin-Popping" Ulcer

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a known commensal organism of both canine and feline oral floras and is usually associated with infections from animal bites. We report on this infrequent cause of sepsis in an intravenous drug abuser who contracted the infection through his ‘‘skin-popping’’ ulcers. This case serves as a reminder that a complete history and evaluation, including consideration of asplenism and animal contacts, will lead to more accurate diagnoses, improved patient care, and more efficient use of antibiotic resources. (Infect Dis Clin Pract 2008;16:178–181) It is well known that intravenous drug users (IDUs) commonly suffer medical complications from the drug(s) they abuse. Besides drug side effects, there are often complications caused by associated processing impurities and unsafe methods of administration. These complications include infections, toxic necrosis, and embolic disease. Injection associated infection not only leads to frequent admissions but is also the most common cause of death in IDU patients. The most common bacterial organism associated with skin infections in IDU patients is Staphylococcus aureus. Yet, numerous other organisms have also been reported, including coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus species, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas species, Escherichia coli, and Proteus species. Here we present a case of sepsis in an IDU, which was believed to have originated from a large shallow ulcer on his left leg.
National Archives and the effective Management of Public Sector Records in Kenya

The article presents the findings of a study which examined the role of Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service (KNADS) in the management of records in 18 government ministry headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Data was collected (in 2005) through questionnaires sent out to 157 registry staff, and through interviews conducted with 10 senior government officers and six archive personnel from Nairobi Records Centre and KNADS headquarters. The research findings revealed that, even though KNADS provided records management advice to government departments, the record creating agencies did not adequately implement this advice. The study established that KNADS faced various challenges in providing records management advice to government departments and that this may compromise public service delivery and the effective management of government information. The chal- lenges that were identified included: inadequate human and financial resources, lack of support from senior government officers, low priority accorded to records management in government departments, lack of regular follow-ups on recordkeeping practices in departments, and inadequacies in existing records and archives legislation. The study concluded that KNADS had not effectively helped record-creating agencies to properly manage their records (largely owing to the constraints it faced). Among the key recom- mendations of the study is that, given the limited resources available, there is need to review existing records and archives legislation in order to divide responsibilities for recordkeeping between KNADS and government departments.
Demographic and Behavioral Profiles of Nonbinary and Binary Transgender Youth

Abstract Purpose: Emerging literature suggests there may be important differences in the demographic characteristics and health profiles of nonbinary transgender youth compared to binary transgender youth. Methods: Between June 2017 and June 2018, 202 transgender youth aged 15–24 years were recruited into a randomized trial of home HIV testing, Project Moxie. This analysis compares demographic and health risk behavior characteristics between youth reporting nonbinary and binary transgender identities in baseline surveys. Results: Nonbinary youth were significantly less likely to have accessed medical interventions to affirm their gender than binary youth (8.4% vs. 46.2%), and less likely to be living currently as the gender that most affirms them (80.7% vs. 91.6%). While there were no significant differences in the low levels of resilience reported across the sample, nonbinary youth reported significantly higher levels of stress. Health risk behaviors were generally high across nonbinary and binary participants, with no significant differences in sexual partner count, condomless sex, alcohol use, tobacco, marijuana, or other drug use. Conclusion: Findings affirmed many similarities, and key disparities, between nonbinary and binary transgender youth. Research and interventions dedicated to the unique needs and experiences of nonbinary transgender youth to address high levels of health risk behaviors and stress are critical.
Pharmacovigilance assessment of the association between Fournier’s gangrene and other severe genital adverse events with SGLT-2 inhibitors

Objective Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) exert cardiorenal protection in people with diabetes. By inducing glycosuria, SGLT2i predispose to genital infections. In addition, rare occurrence of Fournier’s gangrene (FG) has been reported. We aimed to investigate such association through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse event (AE) reporting system (FAERS). Research design and methods We mined the FAERS up to 2018q3 (before FDA warning about SGLT2i-associated FG) to retrieve reports including FG as an AE and SGLT2i as suspect or concomitant drugs, and calculated proportional reporting ratios (PRR). Results We retrieved 47 cases of FG and 17 cases of other severe AEs of the genital area associated with SGLT2i. Patients with FG were ~10 years older than those with other severe genital AEs. Overall, 77% occurred in men. Three patients were concomitantly treated with systemic immunosuppressive drugs. Increased reporting frequency emerged for SGLT2i compared with other drugs, with a PRR ranging from 5 to 10. The disproportional reporting of FG with SGLT2i remained robust and consistently significant when restricting to the period when SGLT2i were available, to reports filed for glucose-lowering medications or for drugs with the diabetes indication, and after refining the definition of FG. FG was disproportionally associated with psoriasis and with the combination of immunosuppressants and SGLT2i. Conclusions Although causality cannot be demonstrated, SGLT2i may predispose to FG and other severe genital AEs. Since the use of SGLT2i is expected to increase significantly, clinicians should be aware of these severe, although rare, AEs and their predisposing factors.
Once-weekly semaglutide for patients with type 2 diabetes: a cost-effectiveness analysis in the Netherlands

Objective Choosing therapies for type 2 diabetes that are both effective and cost-effective is vital as healthcare systems worldwide aim to maximize health of the population. The present analysis assessed the cost-effectiveness of once-weekly semaglutide (a novel glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist) versus insulin glargine U100 (the most commonly used basal insulin) and versus dulaglutide (an alternative once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist), from a societal perspective in the Netherlands. Research design and methods The IQVIA CORE Diabetes Model was used to project outcomes for once-weekly semaglutide 0.5 mg and 1 mg versus insulin glargine U100, once-weekly semaglutide 0.5 mg versus dulaglutide 0.75 mg, and once-weekly semaglutide 1 mg versus dulaglutide 1.5 mg. Clinical data were taken from the SUSTAIN 4 and SUSTAIN 7 clinical trials. The analysis captured direct and indirect costs, mortality, and the impact of diabetes-related complications on quality of life. Results Projections of outcomes suggested that once-weekly semaglutide 0.5 mg was associated with improved quality-adjusted life expectancy by 0.19 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) versus insulin glargine U100 and 0.07 QALYs versus dulaglutide 0.75 mg. Once-weekly semaglutide 1 mg was associated with mean increases in quality-adjusted life expectancy of 0.27 QALYs versus insulin glargine U100 and 0.13 QALYs versus dulaglutide 1.5 mg. Improvements came at an increased cost versus insulin glargine U100, with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios from a societal perspective of €4988 and €495 per QALY gained for once-weekly semaglutide 0.5 mg and 1 mg, respectively, falling below Netherlands-specific willingness-to-pay thresholds. Improvements versus dulaglutide came at a reduced cost from a societal perspective for both doses of once-weekly semaglutide. Conclusions Once-weekly semaglutide is cost-effective versus insulin glargine U100, and dominant versus dulaglutide 0.75 and 1.5 mg for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and represents a good use of healthcare resources in the Netherlands.
The Chromatin Remodeler Brg1 Integrates ROS Production and Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition to Promote Liver Fibrosis in Mice

Trans-differentiation of endothelial cells to myofibroblast contributes to liver fibrosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a key role in endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) although the underlying epigenetic mechanism is unclear. Here we report that endothelial conditional knockout of Brg1, a chromatin remodeling protein, attenuated liver fibrosis in mice. Brg1 deficiency in endothelial cells was paralleled by a decrease in ROS production and blockade of EndMT both in vivo and in vitro. The ability of BRG1 to regulate ROS production and EndMT was abolished by NOX4 depletion or inhibition. Further analysis revealed that BRG1 interacted with SMAD3 and AP-1 to mediate TGF-β induced NOX4 transcription in endothelial cells. Mechanistically, BRG1 recruited various histone modifying enzymes to alter the chromatin structure surrounding the NOX4 locus thereby activating its transcription. In conclusion, our data uncover a novel epigenetic mechanism that links NOX4-dependent ROS production to EndMT and liver fibrosis. Targeting the BRG1-NOX4 axis may yield novel therapeutics against liver fibrosis.
Two Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training in Combination With a Non-thermal Diffuse Ultrasound Device Improves Lipid Profile and Reduces Body Fat Percentage in Overweight Women

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an innovative strategy which combined low-frequency ultra sound (LOFU) with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to improve physical fitness and promote body fat loss in overweight sedentary women. A placebo controlled, parallel group randomized experimental design was used to investigate the efficacy of a 2-week combined LOFU and HIIT program (3 sessions per week). Participants were allocated into either the Experimental HIIT group (HIITEXP, n = 10) or Placebo HIIT group (HIITPLA, n = 10). Baseline exercise testing (maximal oxygen uptake, lower limb strength and substrate oxidation test), dietary assessment, anthropometric measures and blood sampling were completed in week 1 and repeated in week 4 to determine changes following the program (Post-HIIT). During each training session, the HIITEXP and HIITPLA groups wore a non-thermal diffuse ultrasound belt. However, the belt was only switched on for the HIITEXP group. Delta change scores were calculated for body weight, body fat percentage (Fat%), muscle mass, V.O2max, hip and waist circumferences, and all lipid variables from Baseline to Post-HIIT. Statistical analysis was completed using a repeated-measures factorial analysis of variance by group (HIITPLA and HIITEXP) and time (Baseline and Post-HIIT). Results showed significant improvements in maximal oxygen uptake (HIITEXP; Baseline 24.7 ± 5.4 mL kg–1 min–1, Post-HIIT 28.1 ± 5.5 mL kg–1 min–1 and HIITPLA; Baseline 28.4 ± 5.9 mL kg–1 min–1, Post-HIIT 31.4 ± 5.5 mL kg–1 min–1) for both groups. Significant decreases in Fat% (HIITEXP; Baseline 32.7 ± 3.2%, Post-HIIT 28.9 ± 3.5% and HIITPLA; Baseline 28.9 ± 3.5%, Post-HIIT 28.9 ± 3.4% kg), waist circumference (HIITEXP; Baseline 95.8 ± 9.6 cm, Post-HIIT 89.3 ± 8.9 cm and HIITPLA; Baseline 104.3 ± 3.5 cm, Post-HIIT 103.6 ± 3.4 cm) and triglycerides (HIITEXP; −29.2%, HIITPLA; −6.7%) were observed in the HIITEXP group only. These results show that HIIT combined with LOFU was an effective intervention to improve body composition, lipid profile, and fitness. This combined strategy allowed overweight, sedentary women to achieve positive health outcomes in as little as 2 weeks.
Borrelia bavariensis: Vector Switch, Niche Invasion, and Geographical Spread of a Tick-Borne Bacterial Parasite

The Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex currently consists of more than 20 species that utilize small vertebrate hosts as reservoirs and ticks of the genus Ixodes as vectors. The bacterial parasite species differ in their ecology (reservoir hosts, competent vectors) as well as geographical distribution. Several studies have defined reservoir host association as a driver for diversification, speciation and pattern of spatial occurrence of populations but in this review we focus on vector association and its role in diversification and speciation of Borrelia. Borrelia bavariensis, a member of the species complex, uses small mammals as reservoir hosts and can cause Lyme borreliosis in humans. Phylogeographic analysis employing both genetic and genomic data shows that this species has undergone a recent range expansion, invading Europe from its probable original range in Asia while undergoing a drastic genetic bottleneck, suggesting that the colonization of Europe was a single event. We hypothesize that this invasion-like range expansion coincided with a change in the parasite’s tick vector, switching from Ixodes persulcatus in Asia to I. ricinus in Europe. Making extensive use of the ecological concept of niche, we discuss the importance of host and vector associations in defining spatial range and their possible role in speciation in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex.