Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and Comparison of Stability and Reliability of CBC Parameters Determined by Using Automatic Celltac G MEK-9100 Hematology Analyzer during Extended Storage at 4°C

Introduction: Sample stability is necessary for the maintenance of the quality for the final results obtained at different storage time intervals during CBC analysis. In our present study, we have evaluated the stability of various CBC parameters of blood samples stored in k2-EDTA (BD) vials at 4°C (extended storage time: 10 days). Materials and methods: Blood sample (2.5 ml) was drawn directly in K2-EDTA vials. Measurements were done by using MEK-9100 hematology analyzer at regular intervals over an extended period up to 246 h (10 days). Significant differences were analyzed by Paired student’s t-test. Mean percent differences of the all intervals were compared with baseline means. Results: Among CBC parameters, WBC count was stable for up to 126 h, RBC and HGB levels were statistically stable for up to 186 h and 90 h. No significant changes were observed in NE, LY, MO, EO and BA for up to 42 h, 42 h, 66 h, 66 h, and 6 h respectively. PLT counts were stable for 6 h. Furthermore, results of HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW-CV, RDW-S, PCT and MPV were statistically stable for up to 54 h, 42 h, 18 h, 30 h, 42 h, 30 h, 6 h and 6 h respectively. Conclusion: Estimation of RBC, WBC and HGB were qualitatively reliable ~186 h, 126 h and 90 h respectively. However, most parameters of CBC were unchanged ~48 h except for the PLT (6 h). To avoid changes in few parameters, such as MPV, basophiles, it is best to store the sample at 4°C if any delay is anticipated.
Changes in atmospheric aerosol loading retrieved from space-based measurements during the past decade

Abstract. The role and potential management of short-lived atmospheric pollutants such as aerosols are currently a topic of scientific and public debates. Our limited knowledge of atmospheric aerosol and its influence on the Earth's radiation balance has a significant impact on the accuracy and error of current predictions of future climate change. In the last few years, there have been several accounts of the changes in atmospheric aerosol derived from satellite observations, but no study considering the uncertainty caused by different/limited temporal sampling of polar-orbiting satellites and cloud disturbance in the trend estimates of cloud-free aerosol optical thickness (AOT). This study presents an approach to minimize the uncertainties by use of weighted least-squares regression and multiple satellite-derived AOTs from the space-born instruments, MODIS (onboard Terra from 2000 to 2009 and Aqua form 2003 to 2008), MISR (Terra from 2000 to 2010), and SeaWiFS (OrbView-2 from 1998 to 2007) and thereby provides more convincing trend estimates for atmospheric aerosols during the past decade. The AOT decreases over western Europe (i.e., by up to about −40% from 2003 to 2008). In contrast, a statistically significant increase (about +34% in the same period) over eastern China is observed and can be attributed to the increase in both industrial output and Asian desert dust.
Predictive Factors of Health-risk Behaviours Among Male Adolescents

Adolescent health-risk behaviours are alarmingly increasing in the developing countries. To have a broader context based understanding in the Indian scenario, the study was designed to investigate the role of the developmental context in predicting health-risk behaviours in male adolescents. Psychosocial developmental tasks of adolescence (identity formation and emotional autonomy) and the psychosocial context (family and classroom environment) were studied in relation to health-risk behaviours in 300 male adolescents (age 15-17 years) from various schools of Punjab (India). Adolescent Exploratory and Risk Behaviour Rating Scale (Skaar, 2009), Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2 (Bennion and Adams, 1986), Emotional Autonomy Scale (Steinberg and Silverberg, 1986), Family Environment Scale (Moos and Moos, 1986), and Classroom Environment Scale (Moos and Trickett, 1974) were administered on participants. Using Step-wise Multiple Regression Analysis, the results revealed that identity achievement, teacher support, foreclosure, affiliation, family cohesion, and moratorium contributed negatively towards adolescent health-risk behaviours, while family conflict, identity diffusion, and emotional autonomy dimension of nondependency on parents contributed positively towards the criterion variable. Results also revealed that for adolescent health-risk behaviours, major variance was explained by the selected variables. The results emphasize the need to provide supportive and congenial environment to male adolescents and the importance of identity formation in predicting health-risk behaviours especially, in the collectivistic societies marked by authoritarianism and where adolescents’ identity development is not often encouraged.
Estimating the Economic Model of Crime with Panel Data

Previous attempts at estimating the economic model of crime with aggregate data relied heavily on cross-section econometric techniques and, therefore, do not control for unobserved heterogeneity. This is even true of studies that estimated simultaneous equations models. Using a new panel data set of North Carolina counties, the authors exploit both single and simultaneous equations panel data estimators to address two sources of endogeneity: unobserved heterogeneity and conventional simultaneity. Their results suggest that both labor market and criminal justice strategies are important in deterring crime but that the effectiveness of law enforcement incentives has been greatly overstated. Copyright 1994 by MIT Press.
Effect of fuel sootiness on the heat fluxes to the walls in enclosure fires

Even though considerable work has been performed regarding gas temperatures and burning rates in enclosures, scant information is available for the heat fluxes and their distributions on the walls of an enclosure. These heat fluxes are necessary input for determining the thermal response and performance of the wall materials and especially glazing. The heat fluxes on the wall of an experimental enclosure were deduced from the temperatures in several thermally thin small steel plates (25.4 mm×25.4 mm×3 mm) and in the insulation surrounding the steel plates. In addition, the mass loss rate and gas temperatures near these heat flux gauges were measured. The experimental enclosure was the 1/3 linear scale of the ISO room corner test having six openings and three square-pans of variable size burning Methanol, IMS (Industrial Methylated Spirits) and Toluene at the corner and in the center of the enclosure. By choosing fuels with an increased degree of sootiness it was found that the heat fluxes do not depend only on the gas temperature, as claimed before for heat fluxes on the floor, but also on the magnitude of the heat release rate and the fuel sootiness. Moreover, comparison of the heat fluxes for methanol, IMS and toluene allow the separation of convective from radiative heat fluxes owing to hot gases (and the enclosure walls) and from the radiative heat fluxes from the fire plume.
Fracture simulation with coupling moisture diffusion effect and external loading in fiber reinforced cementitious composites

Fracture simulation with coupling moisture diffusion effect and external loading in fiber reinforced cementitious composites Kunhwi Kim, Jong Min Park, John E. Bolander, Yun Mook Lim1 Summary Fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC) are the most recently used materials in the civil engineering field due to their mechanical advantages over the cementitious materials. While, the durability performance of cement-based composites can affect the service life of the structural component or system. Sometimes, incompatible behaviors (e.g. thermal expansion, moisture diffusion) among components cause micro-cracking and further durability problems. Physical experimentations have generally been used for understanding the durability of cementitious composites, but increasingly computational simulations are being used to gain new insights. However, the most of existing simulation models are limited in coupling with micro-cracking due to moisture diffusion effect and fracture behavior of cemenetitious composites. Moreover, the phenomena in FRCCs are not enough understood yet by model-based simulations. In this study, three-dimensional random lattice models are used to simulate the moisture transfer process in, and the load-deformational behavior of cementitious composites. The Delaunay-Voronoi tessellation is applied for discretizing both physical domains and to couple these two models in simulating hygral-mechanical problems, such as fracture induced by drying shrinkage [1]. A semi-discrete fiber model [2] is used to form lattice models of fiber reinforced cement composites. This enables analyzing the behavior of an individual fiber, and collection of fibers within the composite material. This study presents the simulations of the fracture behavior of FRCC due to external loading condition with micro-cracking and internal stress differences caused by moisture diffusion such as drying shrinkage in cementitiouus composites. The results are verified through comparisons with cementitious experimental works [3,4]. Finally, the fracture behaviors of the FRCC “dog-bone” are simulated during the shrinkage with various volume fractions, lengths, and shapes of fibers. The maximum crack width, crack development time, and crack plots are produced in order to present the advances of fiber reinforcement in the shrinkage of FRCCs.
Technology as Mediation Tool for Improving Teaching Profession in Higher Education Practices

Technology became a mediation tool for forming information and developing skills is teacher education programs of higher education institutions because technological tools can be used for self-reflection of prospective teachers’ teaching performances. Practical implementation of teacher education programmes is a part of quality indicator in higher education as it is components that determine the quality of the teacher education provided as well as enhances prospective teachers’ confidence Thematic analysis was used employed to reveal qualitative data upon research questions. The research findings revealed that participants enhanced their teaching practices by re-watching their experiences and correcting their flaws. Collaborative peer learning facilitated develop communication skills, self-evaluation, intrinsic motivation, critical thinking and reflection. Furthermore, the study sheds light on how technology enhanced learning environment can be developed for disabled learners with a concrete model for the quality in teaching practice within higher education practices.
Minimum Wage Effects on Wages, Employment and Prices: Implications for Poverty Alleviation in Brazil

This paper presents new evidence on the effects of the minimum wage using Brazilian monthly household and firm panel data between 1982 and 2000. By examining the effects on wages, employment and prices together we are able to provide an explanation for the small employment effects prevalent in the literature. Our principal finding is that increasing the minimum wage raises wages and prices with small adverse employment effects. This suggests a general wage-price inflationary spiral, where persistent inflation offsets some of the wage gains. The main policy implication deriving from these results is that the potential of the minimum wage to help the poor is bigger under low inflation. Under high inflation, the resulting wage-price spiral makes the minimum wage increase - as well as its antipoverty policy potential - short lived. In this case, the wage effects are volatile and the permanent scars are lower employment and higher inflation in Brazil.
Performance of Weather Index Based Insurance for Cotton in Karnataka

In the Developing countries like India the crop failure due to reasons of excess of rainfall and lack of rain fall is a common phenomenon. To compensate with the crop failure the Crop insurance is an immediate resort available to the farming community across the country. The WIBI-Weather Index Based Insurance scheme in Karnataka is the instrument available to farmers and more particularly for the cotton growing farmers. However the common notion is that farmers are not satisfied by crop insurance facility. The present study attempts to understand the performance of WIBI and examines the satisfactory levels of the cotton growing farming in this regard. The detailed analysis of both positive and negative perception of farmers towards weather based insurance is given. The paper highlights that the WIBI performance is marginally satisfactory and covers more of low rain fall risk than the high rainfall risk.
Impact of completion thyroidectomy timing on post-operative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Despite a number of studies, the optimal timing of completion thyroidectomy is still controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the outcomes of early versus delayed completion thyroidectomy regarding post-operative complications. Methods We performed a systematic review in electronic databases including: bumped, Scopus, Medline and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies. Eligibility criteria included studies comparing the outcomes of early versus delayed completion thyroidectomy with no language restriction. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plot, and Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistic. Finally, pooled odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported for comparing the overall complications rate. Results Eventually 7 studies were included. Delayed completion thyroidectomy was found to be associated with significantly lower rates of post-operative complications (OR =1.55; 95% CI, 1.00-2.42; Z=1.95; P=0.05) with low heterogeneity (I2=0%, P=0.55), and low risk of publication bias. The rate of transient hypocalcemia and persistent hypocalcemia were 8.97% and 1.52% in early completion thyroidectomy group, and 8.2% and 0.72%, in delayed completion thyroidectomy group. Transient vocal cord paresis occurred in 5.38% of the early CT group versus 3.27% in the delayed CT group. Conclusions This review is the first to summarize the outcome of early verse delayed completion thyroidectomy. The result of our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that delayed completion thyroidectomy is associated with lower rate of post-operative complications compared to early completion thyroidectomy.
Late Jurassic palaeoclimatic change from clay mineralogy and gamma-ray spectrometry of the Kimmeridge Clay, Dorset, UK

Abstract: The Late Jurassic was a time of increasing aridity in NW Europe. Here, a new clay mineral dataset is presented from a 600 m thick composite core through the Kimmeridge Clay Formation, southern England. Clay mineral assemblages comprise mainly illite and kaolinite, with minor randomly interstratified illite–smectite mixed-layer clays. SEM observations indicate that clay minerals are mainly detrital, except in silty strata of late Tithonian age, which contain abundant pore-filling kaolinite aggregates. Th/K ratios determined from gamma-ray spectrometry mirror palaeoclimatically significant variations in kaolinite/illite ratios, with notable exception where diagenetic kaolinite occurs. Comparison with age-equivalent strata identifies regional cyclic variations in clay minerals at the 100–300 m scale. Small-scale (10–20 m) variations in clay minerals and Th/K also occur. It is proposed that the region experienced progressively intense humidity through the Kimmeridgian, followed by a return to more arid conditions during the early Tithonian. Following a mid-Tithonian peak in aridity (the ‘Hudlestoni Event'), more humid climatic conditions returned prior to the development of latest Tithonian intense aridity. Late Jurassic climate was apparently subject to synchronously cyclic changes across a broad area of the Laurasian continent. Such changes could not have resulted from mountain building or continental rotations. Supplementary material: Clay data are available at http://www.geolsoc. org.uk/SUP18376.
Impact of short term yoga on anthropometric measures, body composition and serum lipid profile in overweight and obese adults: a pilot study

Background: Excess bodyweight is the sixth most important risk factor contributing to the overall burden of disease worldwide. Overweight and obesity have been called a global epidemic by the World Health Organization. The epidemic reflects progressive decreases in physical activity, together with substantial dietary changes with passive over-consumption of energy despite the neurobiological processes controlling food intake. This pilot study was undertaken to find out the impact of yoga practice in overweight and obese individuals.Methods: total of 32 subjects with BMI, ≥23to ≤40 were selected for the study for a single group pre-post trial. The subjects had undergone yogic intervention for one hour in the morning for 10 days. The changes in anthropometric measures, body composition and serum lipid profile were assessed before and after 10 days of yoga therapy.Results: The data obtained was verified for normal distribution and analysed using paired t-test with SPSS (version 20.0) package. Significant decrease in body weight, BMI, triglycerides and total cholesterol in obese subjects and a significant decrease in body weight, BMI and triglycerides of overweight subjects was observed.Conclusions: The study demonstrates the efficacy of yogic practices on anthropometric measures and lipid profile subjects with overweight and obesity.
Nonlinear redundancy analysis and canonical correspondence analysis based on polynomial regression

Among the various forms of canonical analysis available in the statistical literature, RDA (redundancy analysis) and CCA (canonical correspondence analysis) have become instruments of choice for ecological research because they recognize different roles for the explanatory and response data tables. Data table Y contains the response variables (e.g., species data) while data table X contains the explanatory variables. RDA is an extension of multiple linear regression; it uses a linear model of relationship between the variables in X and Y. In CCA, the response variables are chi-square transformed as the initial step, but the relationship between the transformed response data and the explanatory variables in X is still assumed to be linear. There is no special reason why nature should linearly relate changes in species assemblages to changes in environmental variables. When modeling ecological processes, to assume linearity is unrealistic in most instances and is only done because more appropriate methods of analysis are not available. We propose two empirical methods of canonical analysis based on polynomial regression to do away with the assumption of linearity in modeling the relationships between the variables in X and Y. They are called polynomial RDA and polynomial CCA, respectively, and may be viewed as alternatives to classical linear RDA and CCA. Because the analysis uses nonlinear functions of the explanatory variables, new ways of representing these variables in biplot diagrams have been developed. The use of these methods is demonstrated on real data sets and using simulations. In the examples, the new techniques produced a noticeable increase in the amount of variation of Y accounted for by the model, compared to standard linear RDA and CCA. Freeware to carry out the new analyses is available in ESA's Electronic Data Archive, Ecological Archives.
The Morphological Diversities among Star-forming Galaxies at High Redshifts in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey

We used the deep, multiwavelength images obtained by the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) to identify ~4700 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z > 2.5, and 292 starburst galaxies at z ~ 1.2. We present the results from morphological analysis based on light profile shape and ellipticity for ~1333 of the most luminous LBGs. About 40% of LBGs at z ~ 3 have exponential profiles, ~30% of the galaxies have steep (r1/4-like) profiles, and ~30% of LBGs have multiple cores of disturbed morphologies suggestive of close pairs or mergers. The fraction of spheriod-like LBGs decrease by about 15% from z ~ 5 to 3. A comparison of LBGs with the starburst galaxies at z ~ 1.2 shows that disklike and merger morphologies are dominant, but the fraction of spheroid-like profiles is about 20% higher among LBGs. The ellipticity distribution for LBGs exhibits a pronounced skew toward high ellipticities (ϵ > 0.5), which cannot be explained by morphologies similar to the local disks and spheroids viewed at random orientations. The peak of the distribution evolves toward lower ϵ, from 0.7 at z = 4 to ~0.5 at z = 3. The ellipticity distribution for the z ~ 1.2 galaxies is relatively flat, similar to that seen for present-day galaxies. The dominance of elongated morphologies suggests that in a significant fraction of LBGs we may be witnessing star formation in clumps along gas-rich filaments, or the earliest gas-rich bars that encompass essentially the entire visible galaxy.
Efficacy of the Reactive Oxygen Species Generated by Immobilized TiO2 in the Photocatalytic Degradation of Diclofenac

We report on the photodegradation of diclofenac (DCF) by hydrothermal anatase nanocrystals either free or immobilized in porous silica matrix (TS) in connection to the type and amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), in order to have deeper insight into their role in the photocatalysis and to provide an effective tool to implement the DCF mineralization. TiO2 and TS exhibit a remarkable efficiency in the DCF abatement, supporting that the utilization of anatase nanoparticles with the highly reactive , , and exposed surfaces can be an effective way for enhancing the photooxidation even of the persistent pollutants. Furthermore, the hydrothermal TiO2, when immobilized in silica matrix, preserves its functional properties, combining high photoactivity with an easy technical use and recovery of the catalyst. The catalysts performances have been related to the presence of OH•, , and species by electron paramagnetic resonance spin-trap technique. The results demonstrated that the ROS concentration increases with the increase of photoactivity and indicated a significant involvement of in the DCF degradation. The efficacy of TiO2 when immobilized on a silica matrix was associated with the high ROS life time and with the presence of singlet oxygen, which contributes to the complete photomineralization of DCF.
RANDOM TIME-VARYING COEFFICIENT MODEL ESTIMATION THROUGH RADIAL BASIS FUNCTIONS

A methodology to estimate a time-varying coefficient model through a linear combination of radial kernel functions which are centered around all the measuring times, or their quantiles is developed. The linear combination is weighted by a bandwidth that may change or not among coefficients. The proposed methodology is compared with the local polynomial kernel methods by means of a simulation study. The proposed methodology shows a better behavior in a high proportion of times in all cases, or at least it has a similar behavior in relation with the estimation through local polynomial kernel regression, that in a low rate of times has a better behavior in relation with the average mean square error. In order to illustrate the methodology the data set ACTG 315 related with an AIDS study is taken into account. The dynamic relationship between the viral load and the CD4+ cell counts is investigated.