Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Importance of Sarcopenia in Patients with Clear Cell Carcinoma

Background: Sarcopenia has recently been identified as a prognostic factor for various types of cancers. Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and the clinical course and overall survival of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after surgical treatment. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the patients who underwent surgical treatment for RCC at our hospital, between 2008 and 2011, was conducted. Muscle mass was estimated by the cross-sectional area of the psoas major muscles at the level of L3, measured from computed tomography images. The area was normalized to height for between-comparison of the total psoas area (TPA, cm2/ m2). The median pre- and postoperative TPA was used as a cut-off to classify patients into high and low TPA groups. Overall survival, clinical and pathological factors were compared between high and low TPA groups. Results: The study group included 108 patients (83 males and 25 females). The median pre- and postoperative TPAs were 4.85 cm2/ m2 and 5.03 cm2/m2, respectively. Overall survival was longer among patients in the high than low TPA group (P=0.03), with sarcopenia being predictive of survival in males (P=0.004), but not in females. The pre- to postoperative change in TPA was predictive of postoperative adverse events, but not of surgical factors. Conclusions: A higher TPA is associated with longer overall survival after RCC surgery, particularly in males. The change in TPA after surgery was also predictive of postoperative adverse events, but did not influence operative factors.
Influence of Learning Environment on Students’ Academic Achievement in Mathematics: A Case Study of Some Selected Secondary Schools in Yobe State – Nigeria

The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of learning environment on students’ academic achievement in mathematics at senior secondary school level. Thus the study investigated some components of learning environment and their possible influence on students’ academic achievement in mathematics. A sample of 337 randomly selected SS II students was taken from a population of 1682 students in Potiskum LGA, Yobe state. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics as well as the t-test. The result shown that, there is significance difference between the mean performance of students taught in an ideal learning environment and that of students taught in a dull learning environment al 0.05 level of significance. The findings were discussed with a view to improving both the quality of learning environment and academic achievement in mathematics. In view of that therefore, recommendations were made for the improvement of the learning environment. Keywords : Influence/Learning Environment/Academic Achievement/Mathematics.
The Effect of Body Mass Index, Negative Affect, and Disordered Eating on Health-Related Quality of Life in Preadolescent Youth: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Objective: To examine the indirect effect of BMI z-score on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) through disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in a community sample of preadolescent children, as well as the degree to which negative affect moderated the association between BMI z-score and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Methods: Participants included 165 predominately Caucasian children (50% female) between 8 and 12 years of age (M= 9.41, SD= 1.01). HRQOL, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, and negative affect were assessed using self-report measures, and height and weight were collected by research staff in order to calculate BMI z-score. The conditional indirect effects of BMI on HRQOL through disordered eating attitudes and behaviors at different values of negative affect were analyzed while controlling for child age and gender. Results: Consistent with previous research in treatment-seeking and adolescent samples, the indirect effect of BMI z-score on HRQOL through disordered eating attitudes and behaviors was significant in the community sample of preadolescents. Findings failed to provide support for the hypothesis that negative affect moderated the relationship between BMI z-score and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Conclusion: Intervening on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in preadolescents with higher weight status is critical to prevent the risk trajectory for future clinical eating disorders and poor HRQOL.
Mechanical Causes of Stent Failure: OCT Insights

Despite a constant evolution in stent/scaffold design, stent failure is still perceived as a clinical problem. The process of drug eluting stent (DES) struts thinning that occurred in the last year with the introduction of cobalt-chromium devices has been of utmost importance to significantly reduce the incidence of stent thrombosis and restenosis
Design indicators for better accommodation environments in hospitals: inpatients’ perceptions

Several studies have found an association between the physical environment and human health and wellbeing that resulted in the postulation of the idea of evidence-based and patient-centred design of healthcare facilities. The key challenge is that most of the underpinning research for the evidence base is context specific, the use of which in building design is complex, mainly because of the difficulties associated with the disaggregation of findings from the context. On the contrary, integrating patients’ perspectives requires an understanding of the relative importance of design indicators, which the existing evidence base lacks to a large extent. This research was aimed at overcoming these limitations by investigating users’ perception of the importance of key design indicators in enhancing their accommodation environments in hospitals. A 19-item structured questionnaire was used to gather inpatients’ views on a 5-point scale, in two Chinese hospitals. A principal component analysis (PCA) resulted in five constructed dimensions with appropriate reliability and validity (Cronbach's alpha=0.888). The item, design for cleanliness, was ranked as most important, closely followed by environmental and safety design indicators. The item, entertainment facilities, was ranked lowest. The item, pleasant exterior view had the second-lowest mean score, followed by the item, ability to customise the space. Age, accommodation type and previous experience of hospitalization accounted for statistically significant differences in perceptions of importance of various constructed design dimensions.
3 D maps frommultiple MRI illustrate changing atrophy patterns as subjects progress from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer ’ s disease

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly the amnestic subtype (aMCI), is considered as a transitional stage between normal aging and a diagnosis of clinically probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aMCI construct is particularly useful as it provides an opportunity to assess a clinical stage which in most subjects represents prodromal AD.The aim of this study was to assess the progression of cerebral atrophy over multiple serial MRI during the period from aMCI to progression to AD. Thirty-three subjects were selected that fulfilled clinical criteria for aMCI and had three serial MRI scans: the first scan 3 years before the diagnosis of AD, the second scan 1 year before, and the third scan at the time of the diagnosis of AD. A group of 33 healthy controls were age and gender-matched to the study cohort. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess patterns of grey matter atrophy in the aMCI subjects at each time-point compared to the control group. Customized templates and prior probability maps were used to avoid normalization and segmentation bias.The pattern of greymatter loss in the aMCI subject scans that were 3 years before the diagnosis of AD was focused primarily on the medial temporal lobes, including the amygdala, anterior hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, with some additional involvement of the fusiform gyrus, compared to controls.The extent andmagnitude of the cerebral atrophy further progressed by the time the subjects were 1 year before the diagnosis of AD. At this point atrophy in the temporal lobes spread to include the middle temporal gyrus, and extended into more posterior regions of the temporal lobe to include the entire extent of the hippocampus.The parietal lobe also started to become involved. By the time the subjects had progressed to a clinical diagnosis of AD the pattern of grey matter atrophy had become still more widespread with more severe involvement of the medial temporal lobes and the temporoparietal association cortices and, for the first time, substantial involvement of the frontal lobes.This pattern of progression fits well with the Braak and Braak neurofibrillary pathological staging scheme in AD. It suggests that the earliest changes occur in the anterior medial temporal lobe and fusiform gyrus, and that these changes occur at least 3 years before progression to the diagnosis of AD.These results also suggest that 3D patterns of grey matter atrophymay help to predict the time to the first diagnosis of AD in subjects with aMCI.
Effect of smart classroom learning environment on academic achievement of rural high achievers and low achievers in science / Prakash Chandra Jena.

The present study is an experimental one and conducted in Jalandhar district of Punjab. The investigators has taken 60 secondary school students from Royal Convent School by using simple random sampling technique. For conducting experiment the investigator has used two group randomized pre-test and post-test design. For collection of data the investigator has used an achievement constructed and standardized by the investigator and t-test has also used for analysis and interpretation data. The result of the study reveals that smart class learning environment is better to teach both low achievers and high achievers than traditional class. In the context of global policy, global society and global economy, each and every country is seriously thinking of heightening the degree of quality in system of education. Globalization has permitted technical progress in communication field which enables users to access and exchange information at anytime and from any place in the world. Technology plays a vital role in education. In today's competitive world the child needs the skill sets, which are beyond subject knowledge and require concentration, assimilation power and retention. In this regard the role of smart class is quite important. Smart class is introduced by Educomp. Educomp is one of the largest education company in India taking care of entire education life cycle of students. The company currently works with over 26000 schools and over 15millons learners and educators across the world Educomp is India's largest K-12 content library of rich 3D multimedia educational content modules. It's founder is Shantanu Prakash. It's headquarter is in Gurgaon. In India is has 10 offices. The company works closely with schools to implement innovative models to create and deliver content to enhance student's learning. In the last eight years over 80 million smart class sessions have been held in schools. This has given Educomp some invaluable insights into the real challenges that teacher encounter and their ever growing expectations from the program. These insights have helped to understand the pain areas to develop a whole new school transformation system. Educomp has now flagged off, the next generation of smart class. In smart class transformation system (CTS) and the smart class digital teaching system (DTS) are the biggest and most innovative
A comparative study of nutrient retention performance in vegetated and non-vegetated bioretention mesocosms

Bioretention systems are stormwater treatment devices installed to remove both dissolved and particulate pollutants. In our study, 20 bioretention mesocosms (10 with loamy sand and 10 with sandy loam, half with and half without vegetation) were used to investigate dissolved nutrient retention. Average TP retention in the vegetated loam mesocosms was over 90%, compared to 75% in non-vegetated (barren) mesocosms. TP retention in the sand was very high (average 90%), regardless of treatment. TN retention increased to 80% in the vegetated loam mesocosms from 43% in barren loam mesocosms. Increasing retention time in the sand mesocosms increased retention of nitrogen to 61%, a 50% increase in retention performance. While the loam is a less effective media by itself, the presence of vegetation substantially improves TP and TN retention.
A reactive potential for hydrocarbons with intermolecular interactions

A potential function is presented that can be used to model both chemical reactions and intermolecular interactions in condensed-phase hydrocarbon systems such as liquids, graphite, and polymers. This potential is derived from a well-known dissociable hydrocarbon force field, the reactive empirical bond-order potential. The extensions include an adaptive treatment of the nonbonded and dihedral-angle interactions, which still allows for covalent bonding interactions. Torsional potentials are introduced via a novel interaction potential that does not require a fixed hybridization state. The resulting model is intended as a first step towards a transferable, empirical potential capable of simulating chemical reactions in a variety of environments. The current implementation has been validated against structural and energetic properties of both gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons, and is expected to prove useful in simulations of hydrocarbon liquids, thin films, and other saturated hydrocarbon systems.
Parallel Pick and Place Using Two Independent Untethered Mobile Magnetic Microgrippers

Untethered mobile microgrippers exhibit flexibility and agility in small and constrained environments as precise and accurate robotic end-effectors, with promising potential applications in cell manipulation and microassembly. Here, we propose the first scheme to independently and simultaneously position two microgrippers on a horizontal plane for parallel targeted cargo delivery using a single global input. The separation and orientation of the two-microgripper pair are modulated by the local magnetic interactions between the two microgrippers, which are governed by a global magnetic field. The microgripper action of grasping or releasing cargoes is fully controlled by the global magnetic field without requiring additional thermal, chemical, or other stimuli. Thus, the proposed strategy only requires a single input, i.e., a global magnetic field, to control two microgrippers and therefore is simple to implement and fast-acting. As a demonstration, two microgrippers are maneuvered by a global magnetic field to pick up two cargoes and deliver them to their respective destinations. The parallel operation of two microgrippers can potentially double the overall throughput and enable the tasks that require team cooperations. The two 3D microgrippers configuration is intuitive in teleoperations, since it imitates the two-hand case of human beings.
Two single nucleotide polymorphisms within bovine butyrophilin gene (BTN/HaeIII and BTN/SchI) and their association with milk performance traits in Jersey cattle

Abstract. Associations between two polymorphisms localized in the seventh exon of the butyrophilin gene ( BTN/Hae III and BTN/Sch I) and milk production traits of Jersey cattle were analysed. A total of 171 cows were included in the study. PCR-RFLP method was used. In both polymorphisms three genotypes were identified. Statistically significant differences between polymorphic variants and milk production traits of Jersey cows were observed. Those differences concerned the percentage fat content in milk in the case of both polymorphisms and additionally the yield of milk and protein in the case of BTN/Hae III polymorphism. The influence of the combined genotypes ( BTN/Hae III/ Sch I) on the examined traits was also analysed. GG HaeIII / AG SchI combined genotype was characterized by a significantly lower percentage fat content in comparison to other combinations. Moreover, incomplete linkage between the studied polymorphic sites was observed, despite relatively small distance between them.
Diversity of cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria in cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Joutikas, Finland

3 Present address: National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health, PO Box 210, 00531 Helsinki, Finland ABSTRACT: Water samples were collected in August 2001 and 2002 from the eutrophic Lake Joutikas during cyanobacterial blooms. DNA and RNA were isolated from size fractionated samples and the diversity of the bacteria present in each fraction was studied by PCR amplification of partial 16S rRNA and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting. Major bands from the gels were sequenced for further identification. Cyanobacteria were also identified and counted under the microscope. Anabaena/Aphanizomenon were the most abundant cyanobacteria in both years, although the dominant species was different each year. When comparing the 2 techniques, equal numbers of abundant Anabaena/Aphanizomenon morphotypes were detected by microscopy and phylotypes by DGGE. The genera Microcystis and Synechococcus appeared more abundant in the DGGE analysis than under the microscope. In the heterotrophic bacterial community variation was observed between the bloom samples from the 2 years. Verrucomicrobia was the most abundant group in both years in both DNA- and RNA-derived profiles. Otherwise the patterns based on DNA- and RNA-derived DGGE-profiles differed, especially in 2002. The presence of Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi was less pronounced in RNA-based than in DNA-based analysis. This indicates that their relative biomass was smaller than estimated by DNA-analysis. It might also indicate that they were metabolically inactive. In contrast, in 2002, the CFB group (Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides) and δ-Proteobacteria were more prominent in the RNA-based than in the DNA-based profiles. Thus they probably formed a substantial fraction of biomass and/or were active members in the blooms.
Fish assemblage structure on sandy beaches with different anthropogenic influences and proximity of spawning grounds

Fish assemblages in an insular (preserved) and a continental (disturbed) sandy beach were compared to assess any changes that could be attributed to anthropogenic influences and/or the proximity of the fish spawning grounds. We expected that the closer geographical position to the spawning grounds and the small amount of anthropogenic disturbance on the insular beach would be likely to provide more suitable conditions for early fish development compared with the continental beach. A total of 192 samples (96 in each beach) were taken, yielding 68 fish species, mostly young-of-the-year. Fish assemblage structure differed significantly between the two beaches. Moreover, the insular beach had higher number of species, number of individuals and biomass compared with the continental beach. The commercially important Clupeiformes Harengula clupeola, Anchoa tricolor and Anchoa januaria, Perciformes Micropogonias furnieri and Mugiliformes Mugil liza were typical species on the insular beach, partitioning the seasonal use of the beach. On the other hand, a few abundant non-commercial species, mainly the Atheriniformes Atherinella brasiliensis and the Perciformes Eucinostomus argenteus and Diapterus rhombeus, occurred all year round at the continental beach. The high fish richness and abundance and the more conspicuous species turnover across seasons on the insular beach are probable indications of more complex and dynamic organization of the communities favored by better geographical position and less anthropogenic disturbance in the area.
Sea‐level scenarios for evaluating coastal impacts

Global‐mean sea‐level rise will drive impacts and adaptation needs around the world's coasts over the 21st century and beyond. A key element in assessing these issues is the development of scenarios (or plausible futures) of local relative sea‐level rise to support impact assessment and adaptation planning. This requires combining a number of different but uncertain components of sea level which can be linked to climatic and non‐climatic (i.e., uplift/subsidence of coastal land) factors. A major concern remains about the possibility of significant contributions from the major Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and this must be factored into the assessments, despite the uncertainty. This paper reviews the different mechanisms which contribute to sea‐level change and considers a methodology for combining the available data to create relative (or local) sea‐level rise scenarios suitable for impact and adaptation assessments across a range of sophistication of analysis. The methods that are developed are pragmatic and consider the different needs of impact assessment, adaptation planning, and long‐term decision making. This includes the requirements of strategic decision makers who rightly focus on low probability but high consequence changes and their consequences. Hence plausible high end sea‐level rise scenarios beyond the conventional Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) range and which take into account evidence beyond that from the current generation of climate models are developed and their application discussed. Continued review and development of sea‐level scenarios is recommended, starting with assimilating the insights of the forthcoming IPCC AR5 assessment. WIREs Clim Change 2014, 5:129–150. doi: 10.1002/wcc.253
Cigarette cravings impair mock jurors' recall of trial evidence

Prior research has demonstrated that cravings for substances, such as cigarettes and food, impair performance on basic cognitive tasks. This experiment examined whether these effects translate to impaired cognition on an important task in an applied setting: jury duty. Forty-six smokers were randomly allocated to a high-craving or control condition of an in vivo procedure designed to invoke cigarette cravings. Participants were then asked to act as mock jurors and read a written legal transcript based on evidence presented in an actual civil case. Later, participants were tested on their recall and recognition of information from the transcript. Participants in the high-craving condition recalled fewer correct facts from the transcript than participants in the control condition, but cravings did not significantly affect the recognition of trial information. These results are consistent with cognitive models of cravings, highlight the importance of providing jurors with sufficient breaks, and suggest that cravings may impair cognition in a variety of important applied settings.
An EEG Study on Visual Learners' Performance a Scientific Classifying Task Composed of Pictures and Words

The purpose of this study is to examine how brain waves differ when a visual learner performs a classifying task that conforms to her learning style compared to a classifying task that does not. For this purpose, we measured the brain waves of seven visual learners while they were conducting scientific classifying tasks that are composed of pictures and words to compare the relative power spectrum. According to the results, the average relative power of EEG theta waves decreased and the average relative power of EEG beta waves increased when they performed a picture classifying task rather than a word classifying task. Moreover, in the case of the word classifying task, not only the Wernicke's area of the left hemisphere, but also the temporal lobe of the right hemisphere showed the strong relative power spectrum of gamma waves.